XTB Review 2026: Fees, Regulation & Trading Conditions

XTB is a multi-asset broker offering CFDs alongside direct access to shares and ETFs through its xStation platform. Its terms and protections depend on the contracting entity and the client’s location, so UK, EEA and international accounts should not be treated as interchangeable.

Best For: Self-directed investors and CFD traders who want to manage investments and leveraged positions within one platform.

Key Strength: The platform combines CFD trading with access to real shares and ETFs, while the initial deposit requirement is zero.

Main Limitation: Costs and protections vary by product and entity; currency conversion, overnight CFD financing and inactivity charges can also affect the overall cost.

Verdict: XTB offers broad self-directed trading and investing, but prospective clients should check which entity will hold their account and review the charges for their intended products before funding it.

How We Rate Brokers: View our review methodology.

XTB operates through different legal entities, and the applicable regulator and protections depend on a client’s residence and account assignment. A licence or safeguard attached to one entity should not be assumed to apply to another.

Regulatory Licences

XTB Limited (Cyprus) — CySEC, licence/reference 169/12 (EU/EEA residents routed to the Cyprus entity).

XTB MENA Limited — DFSA, licence/reference F006316 (MENA / clients eligible for the DIFC entity).

XTB Limited (UK) — FCA, licence/reference 522157 (United Kingdom residents).

Client Protection Measures

XTB says it keeps client funds segregated from its own operating funds. This does not by itself establish that every client or balance is covered by a compensation scheme. Eligible UK investment claims may qualify for FSCS protection up to £85,000 per eligible person at each firm; eligibility and the type of claim matter, and this limit is not the bank-deposit protection limit.

Negative balance protection is provided for retail clients under the relevant UK and EEA regulated entities. XTB International Limited generally does not provide it, so international clients should not assume losses are capped at their account balance. These protections vary by entity and client status.

Spreads and Commissions

Most Standard-account CFDs are commission-free and priced through floating spreads. The quoted average spreads are 0.9 pips for EUR/USD and 1.4 pips for GBP/USD; the quoted averages for gold (XAU/USD) and the S&P 500 CFD are 0.35 points and 0.6 points respectively. These figures use different units across instruments and do not establish the cost at every time or for every order.

Real shares and ETFs carry 0% commission up to €100,000 equivalent monthly turnover. Above that threshold, commission is 0.2%, with a minimum of 10 EUR or GBP depending on the entity.

Other Trading and Non-Trading Charges

A 0.5% currency conversion fee can apply when a trade involves a currency different from the account’s base currency. Transfers between XTB accounts in different currencies are charged at 0.5% on weekdays and 0.8% on weekends and public holidays. Holding leveraged CFD positions overnight can incur swaps; the amount depends on the instrument, position direction and prevailing rates.

An inactivity fee of €10 or the equivalent per month may apply when no position has been opened or closed for 365 days and no cash deposit has been made in the last 90 days. The fee is deducted from available funds and does not apply when the balance is zero. XTB does not charge a withdrawal fee.

Does XTB’s ETF Investment Plan Still Incur Currency-Conversion Costs?

XTB’s ETF Investment Plans can be commission-free within the monthly turnover allowance, but currency conversion remains a separate cost. In the UK, the foreign-exchange conversion charge is 0.5% when the ETF trades in a different currency from the account’s base currency. A £250 monthly purchase would attract about £1.25 of FX cost, or £15 across twelve equal payments, before any eventual conversion on sale. Automatic investing simplifies the process of building a portfolio; it does not make foreign-currency transactions free. Matching the investment currency more closely to the account can sometimes matter more than the commission-free dealing allowance.

XTB’s Standard account supports both CFD trading and unleveraged investing in real shares and ETFs. These are materially different products: buying a security is not the same as taking a CFD position, which may involve leverage and overnight financing. Account availability and conditions can depend on the entity serving the client.

How to Open an Account with XTB

Opening a live account requires an application, a suitability assessment and identity verification. XTB requires proof of identity and proof of residence; the documents it accepts include a valid passport, national identity card or driving licence for identity, and a recent address document such as a utility bill, bank statement or council tax bill.

Margin depends on the instrument, account entity and client classification. UK and EEA retail clients face regulatory leverage limits, including up to 1:30 on major currency pairs; limits are lower for several other asset classes. Real shares and physical ETFs are unleveraged. Eligible international CFD clients may have access to leverage up to 1:500, but this is not a UK or EEA retail limit and the maximum does not apply uniformly to every instrument.

Professional status may allow higher leverage where the client qualifies and the relevant entity approves it. Exact margin requirements are instrument-specific and should be checked before placing an order. XTB gives a margin call level of 100% and a stop-out level of 50%; these levels are not a substitute for managing exposure, as leveraged losses can develop quickly. XTB permits hedging and says that, for positions hedged on the same instrument, margin is calculated using the side requiring the greater margin. Hedging does not remove market or stop-out risk.

Platforms and Trading Features

xStation 5 is XTB’s proprietary platform, available through web and mobile apps. Its features include charting, market depth, an order book, VWAP execution, pending limit and stop orders, and market analysis resources such as an economic calendar, news and trading signals. XTB also offers desktop access. A demo account is available.

Automated copy trading and API trading are not supported, and XTB does not provide VPS hosting. Performance information about other traders may be viewed, but positions must be copied manually. These limitations matter to traders seeking automated strategies or third-party platform integrations.

Order Execution and Trading Restrictions

XTB permits scalping and trading around news events. Volatility around announcements can widen spreads and contribute to slippage. For instant orders, the permitted price deviation is controlled by the broker’s deviation setting; this is an execution condition, not a guarantee that an order will fill at a particular price.

Markets Available at XTB

• Forex

  Maximum Leverage1:500

  • Major
  • Minor/Cross
  • Exotic/Emerging-market (pairs)
• Indices

  Maximum Leverage1:200

  • Global equity indices (CFDs)
• Cryptocurrencies

  Maximum Leverage1:5

  • Crypto CFDs (coins not specified)
• Commodities

  Maximum Leverage1:500

  • Metals (precious)
  • Energy
  • Agriculture
• Stocks

  Maximum Leverage1:5

  • US
  • Europe stocks (direct and CFDs)
• ETPs

  Maximum Leverage1:5

  • Equity
  • Regional
  • Sector ETFs (direct and CFDs)

XTB combines forex and CFDs on indices, cryptocurrencies and commodities with direct and CFD access to US and European shares and ETFs. The distinction between buying a security and trading its CFD affects ownership, leverage and financing costs.

Market Coverage and Accessibility

Product availability and leverage depend on the instrument, client location and contracting entity. Selected forex and commodity CFDs may offer leverage up to 1:500 for eligible international clients, while UK and EEA retail clients face lower regulatory limits. Crypto, share and ETF CFDs have their own lower leverage limits; real shares and physical ETFs are unleveraged. Check the instrument’s terms and margin in the platform before trading.

Deposit and Withdrawal Conditions

XTB does not require a minimum initial deposit, although a position requires enough funds to meet its margin requirement. Deposits are generally free on most methods. Card and e-wallet payments are usually processed instantly, while UK bank transfers typically take up to one working day. Withdrawal timing differs by entity: XTB Limited (UK) generally processes requests made before 1:00 pm GMT on the same working day, with later requests generally processed the next working day. XTB International Limited generally processes requests on the next working day; bank and currency handling can affect when funds arrive.

Customer Support

Support is available by chat, email and phone, with 24/7 availability. A service concern is that withdrawal problems have been described as difficult to resolve and some messages as unanswered; the frequency of these experiences is not established. Clients who need help with a withdrawal should keep records of their request and follow-up.

Broker Comparison Table

Key Competitive Differences

Trading 212 and eToro are alternatives, but their spread figures do not establish a like-for-like advantage over XTB. XTB’s EUR/USD figure is an average, while the competitor figures are starting spreads, so they are not directly comparable measures. Pricing also depends on the product and account conditions.

Trading 212 offers futures and funds categories, while XTB’s range centres on forex, CFDs, shares and ETFs. That may be relevant to investors seeking those categories, but product availability can vary by jurisdiction. Compare the precise instruments, account terms and applicable charges before choosing between providers.

Traders Who May Benefit

XTB may suit self-directed clients who want to use one platform for CFD trading and direct share or ETF investing. The absence of a minimum initial deposit may also appeal to people who want to fund an account flexibly, provided they account for position-level margin and any relevant trading costs.

Traders Who May Prefer Alternatives

Clients who require API execution, automated copy trading or VPS hosting may need a platform that supports those tools. International clients who regard negative balance protection as essential should check the terms of their assigned entity before opening an account. Investors focused on a particular market should also confirm that the exact instrument is available to them and assess currency conversion and other product-specific charges.