In this independent review, we take a look at online investment platform XTB. We explore its pros & cons, key features and alternatives such as eToro* and Interactive Investor*.
What is XTB?
XTB is an online investment platform founded in Poland in 2004. It currently has more than one million customers and operates in several countries worldwide. It's licensed and regulated by various jurisdictions, including the UK, Belize, Cyprus and Turkey.
XTB allows investors to invest in over 5,800 financial instruments, including individual Stocks, ETFs and CFDs. It's worth keeping in mind, however, that CFDs are a high-risk trading instrument and around 75% of investors lose money when they trade CFDs with XTB.
How does XTB work?
With XTB, you can open a trading account in a matter of minutes. This works similarly to a general investment account by allowing you to invest in various assets. The company also recently launched a Stocks and Shares ISA that offers up to 4.75% on uninvested cash for customers looking to put their investments in a tax wrapper.
Commission and spread charges are generally low, with access to thousands of financial instruments and educational resources.
XTB comes with access to its award-winning trading platform xStation5. While it offers advanced features, the platform is intuitive and users should find it relatively easy to navigate. XTB's demo account can be a great way to explore how XTB's trading platform works before committing to opening a live account.
The screenshot below shows you what to expect from the demo account. You can toggle between different financial instruments and explore popular investments.
XTB key features
XTB's features include:
- More than 2,100 CFDs across Forex, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, and ETFs
- More than 3,000 "real" stocks and ETFs to choose from
- Commission-free trading up to 100,000EUR per month
- Demo account to help you get to grips with the platform
- Access to XTB's trading platform xStation5
- Educational articles and e-books to help you learn about trading
- Up to 4.75% interest on uninvested cash
- The 'market sentiments' feature shows you what positions other XTB traders are taking
- A dedicated account manager to answer all your platform questions
- Endorsed by former footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic (XTB's Brand Ambassador)
- 24/7 customer service support, five days a week
What can you invest in through XTB?
You can invest in a range of financial instruments through XTB. These include:
- Stocks - trade real and CFD stocks, including popular options like Tesla, Amazon, and Apple
- ETFs -trade real and CFD ETFs, including options like iShares, Vanguard, and Amundi
- Forex - trade CFDs, including Forex pairs like GBP/USD, EUR/USD and CHF/JPY
- Indices - trade CFD indices, including options like UK100, S&P500, DAX
- Commodities - trade CFD commodities, including gold, natural gas, coffee and oil
XTB products
XTB offers a range of products to help you along your investment journey. Here is an overview.
xStation5
xStation5 is XTB's own trading platform. The online version is compatible with various browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera. It offers a simple design and has a range of professional analytical tools.
The platform is customisable, with features like the market watch section where you can add the instruments you're interested in monitoring.
xStation Mobile
The Station Mobile app works similarly to the web browser version and allows you to trade on the go and stay up to date with the latest news. You can also explore charts to track market movements and even use the web-based market sentiments feature to see how other XTB clients around the world position themselves.
Investment plans
XTB's investment plans could work for you if you're looking for long-term, passive investments. They are designed to be beginner-friendly solutions that allow you to invest automatically in goals of your choice.
You can select a specific amount you wish to invest, how often you want to invest and how much. Your funds will then be invested in ETFs of your choice.
There are no commission fees if you invest less than 100,000 EUR per month, making them a low-cost investment option.
XTB Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA
XTB's new Stocks and Shares ISA allows you to invest in more than 3,000 stocks and 700 ETFs. As the ISA is flexible, you can withdraw money and then deposit more within the same financial year without affecting your £20,000 tax free allowance. The ISA is completely free to open and maintain. If you keep your monthly trading volume below 100,000 EUR, you will benefit from 0% commission on stocks and ETFs and beyond that, the fee is 0.2% or a minimum of £10. You can also earn up to 4.75% interest on your GBP.
How much does XTB cost?
The table below highlights the key fees that XTB charges for trading stocks, ETFs, and CFDs via the platform.
| Type | Fee |
| Account opening and maintenance | FREE |
| Deposits | FREE (third-party fees may apply) |
| Withdrawals | Free if above £50 (£5 fee if withdrawing under £50) |
| Stocks and ETFs commissions | Free up to 100,000 EUR per month then 0.2% or a minimum of £10 |
| Commission for trading CFDs | FREE |
| Minimum spread (CFD) | 0.3 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.5% |
| Inactivity fee | 10 EUR per month after 12 months of inactivity |
What is the minimum deposit with XTB?
There are no minimum deposits with XTB, however, minimum transaction volumes and minimum margin deposits may apply depending on the assets you select. As such, minimum deposits may be required to trade certain assets.
You can deposit cash for free via your debit card or a bank transfer in currencies including GBP, EUR, and USD.
Can you earn interest on your uninvested cash with XTB?
You can earn up to 4.75% interest on your uninvested GBP funds with XTB. The interest rate is activated automatically if you have uninvested cash and it's accrued daily and then paid out within the first five days of the following month. There are no balance limits either.
XTB customer reviews
In 2024, XTB has a Trustpilot rating of 3.7 out of 5.0 based on more than 1,300 customer reviews. Approximately 58% of reviewers gave Trustpilot a 5-star rating, while around 19% gave the platform a 1-star rating.
Those who gave XTB a 5-star rating were impressed by the educational resources available, as well as the execution and speed of orders. Those who gave XTB a 1-star rating complained about the customer service they received as well as technical issues with the platform.
On the App Store, the XTB app has a rating of 4.7 out of 5.0 based on more than 8,200 reviews while on Google Play, the app is rated 4.4 out of 5.0 based on more than 65,000 reviews.
How to open an account with XTB
According to its website, opening an account with XTB should be a straightforward process that only takes a few minutes.
In fact, if you're looking to try out the demo version, all you need to do is fill out a quick form with your email address and phone number to get started.
Bear in mind that when you open a demo account, you'll still have an account manager assigned to you who may call you to talk through the platform and your goals. You will also be able to email your account manager directly with any questions.
When you choose to switch to a live account, you will need to answer further regulatory questions and may need to have your ID verified before you can start trading with real funds.
XTB Pros and Cons
Below, we list some of the pros and cons associated with using XTB.
XTB Pros
- Low or no commission fees on trades
- Low minimum margins for CFD trading
- Up to 4.75% interest on uninvested cash
XTB Pons
- Inactivity fees charged after 12 months
- Average Trustpilot rating
- £5 fee if withdrawing less than £50
Alternatives to XTB
There are lots of investing platforms on the market right now. If you're looking for all-rounders like XTB with slightly different propositions, you may want to take a look at eToro* and Interactive Investor*.
eToro
eToro is a popular online trading platform which offers many of the same financial instruments that XTB has on offer, including CFDs. There is also access to fractional shares.
eToro doesn't charge commission on trades but does charge a high currency conversion rate which ranges between 1.5% to 3%. Like XTB, it also charges an inactivity fee after 12 months of inactivity. If you want to find out more, see our eToro review.
Interactive Investor
Interactive Investor is a great option for passive or beginner investors looking for long-term investing. Assets you can invest in include shares, funds, and ETFs among others. Unlike XTB and eToro, the platform doesn't offer CFD trading.
However, it does come with a range of tax wrappers such as an ISA, JISA, and a SIPP. There are also managed ISAs for more passive investors. Interactive Investor charges flat monthly fees as well as trade fees. If you're interested in finding out more, check out our Interactive Investor review.
eToro vs Interactive Investor vs XTB
The table below highlights the key differences between XTB, eToro, and Interactive Investor.
| XTB | eToro* | Interactive Investor* | |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes | No |
| Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) | No | No | Yes |
| Stocks and Shares ISA | Yes | Yes (via Moneyfarm partnership) | Yes |
| Commission/trade fees | Free up to 100,000EUR per month then 0.2% or a minimum of £10 | N/A | Regular investing is free.
Fees from £3.99 apply for other trades. |
| Minimum spread | From 0.3 | Varies, from as low as 0.25 for Stocks and ETFs CFDs | N/A |
| Currency conversion fees | 0.5% | 1.5% to 3.0% | Up to 1.5% |
| Monthly fees | N/A | N/A | £4.99 / £11.99 / £19.99 depending on your plan |
| Inactivity fees | EUR10 per month after 12 months of inactivity | $10 after 12 months of inactivity | N/A |
| Trustpilot rating | 3.7 out of 5.0 | 4.1 out of 5.0 | 4.7 out of 5.0 |
XTB: Is it the right choice for you?
XTB could be the right choice for you if you're looking for an investment platform with relatively low fees and high interest on uninvested cash. With access to various assets, such as ETFs and shares, as well as derivatives, such as CFDs, the platform has wide appeal to traders and passive investors alike.
That said, XTB's biggest disadvantage is its lack of a tax wrapper like an ISA. This will likely discourage people who want to benefit from the tax-free allowance. Alternatives like eToro and Interactive Investor both offer ISAs with Interactive Investor offering a SIPP option as well.
For those who have already used up their tax-free allowance, and are looking for somewhere else to invest additional funds, XTB could be a solid option.
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