XTB Review

XTB is a relatively small Forex/CFD brokerage. It has 170,000 clients worldwide. What it lacks in weight, it makes up in reputation, however. This is not empty talk either. We took a look at some of the popular consumer protection/feedback sites before drawing this conclusion.

At one of these sites, the operation has earned a rating of 3.1 stars out of a maximum of 5. At another, it has earned 4.5 stars out of 5. Indeed, the majority of user feedback concerning XTB’s services, available at these sites, is positive. There are some complaints as well, but these are few and far between.

What people seem to appreciate about XTB is the following:

• Quick and straightforward account opening. Unlike some of its competitors, XTB does not throw up unnecessary obstacles in the path of registration.
• Free withdrawals. Deposits and withdrawals are quick and seamless with the broker.
• FX and stock index CFDs carry attractively low fees. Fees are decent on ETFs as well.
• Outstanding platforms. The MT4 offering of the broker is fairly run-of-the-mill. It does not feature digital assets such as bitcoin either. The XStation5 platform, on the other hand, covers everything. It looks great and it comes with a superb selection of technical indicators.
• Quick and efficient support.
• Great trading team and quality education.
• 0% commission on stocks.
• Clients with assets exceeding £30,000 will benefit from an interest rate of 4.75% per annum for GBP deposits, 1.752% for EUR deposits, and 2% per annum for USD deposits.

Of course, there are quite a few complainers as well. Some of XTB’s shortcomings, as bluntly pointed out by users are:

• Withdrawal problems. Some disgruntled users claim that the broker runs withdrawals through several banks. Each of these banks then cuts a commission.
• Stop-loss hunting. This is a universal problem. There’s probably no broker out there to have been spared of such accusations.
• Upon sign-up, some users looking to open a Standard Account, have been provided with a Pro one.
• Some users claim to have spotted bugs in the platform.

The company behind XTB is a certain XTB Limited, which is a registered UK corporate entity. Naturally, the operation is based in the UK. Its exact address is Level 9, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, E14 5AA, London, United Kingdom. The company registration number is 07227848.

The brokerage is authorized by the UK’s FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). Its FCA registration number is FRN 522157.

Exactly what this means regulation-wise is a bit unclear. With Brexit unfolding before us, it is difficult to ascertain whether an FCA license will cover users from the EEA. For the time being, FCA coverage is good for continental Europe as well.

Why would a trader opt for an account with XTB instead of one of its competitors?  

• The broker features more than 1,500 tradable assets.
• It is a regulated operation.
• It gives traders negative balance protection.
• XTB carries a great mobile trading platform and it offers mobile trade alerts.
• The broker does not feature re-quotes. The XTB support is also outstanding and available 24/5.

Platform & Tools

As mentioned, XTB supports two trading platforms (three if we count the mobile app): MT4 and XStation5.

– MT4 is a great centerpiece for every online trading operation. It is proven, people love it and it offers superb trading tools. XTB’s version of MT4 is no exception either. It comes with scores of technical indicators and drawing tools. It aids technical trading in several ways. Among its special features are:

• A chart pattern recognition tool. With this tool, traders can define Stop-Losses and Take-Profits. They can also set entry- and exit points for their trades, quickly and easily.
• The Strategy Tester is another superb addition. It allows traders to back-test their trading strategies and thus to fine-tune them.
• Custom indicators. The platform lets traders create and purchase custom indicators. Installing these indicators is quick and simple.

Those looking to trade at XTB through MT4 can download the software for free. There is also a free browser-based option available.

– The XStation5 is the proprietary trading platform of the broker. It is an award-winning piece of software. XStation5 supports a massive range of tradable assets – more than MT4. It is also easy on the eyes.

The platform offers outstanding execution speeds, scores of drawing tools and a superb selection of technical indicators.

XStation5 is available in a web-based and mobile format. The two versions look similar. The web-based one does not require downloading. It works well with all the major browsers.

To sum it up:

• XStation5 lets traders buy and sell more than 4,000 tradable assets. FX, as well as a wide range of CFDs, are available on a single platform.
• The featured charts are clear. They lend themselves well to technical analysis.
• Users set SLs and TPs directly on the charts. There is a built-in trading calculator, which details potential profits and losses.
• The broker maintains a team of professional traders. This team shares tips and trading signals with users. An Economic Calendar also helps with fundamental analysis.
• The sentiment indicator offers a glimpse into how your peers trade a given instrument.

Both platforms support real money- as well as Demo accounts.

Asset Classes

XTB’s massive selection of tradable assets covers the usual categories.

• The broker offers 48 Forex pairs, from majors to minors and exotics.
• The indices section contains 20 market indices, covering all the major markets world-over.
• As far as commodities go, XTB covers the essentials: gold, oil, and silver.
• There are more than 1,500 stock CFDs available. The trading conditions of this asset class are very attractive.
• XTB also offers more than 80 Exchange-traded Funds. Commissions and leverage are great on this asset class as well.
• The crypto asset selection of the broker is impressive. In addition to “blue chips”, such as bitcoin and Ethereum, the broker also offers XRP, Dash, Litecoin, Stellar, IOTA, and EOS.

Fractional Shares

With Fractional Shares, XTB customers can now buy a portion of their favourite stocks, with zero % commission (*For monthly turnover up to 100,000 EUR then comm. 0.2%, min. 10 EUR) making it easier than ever to diversify their portfolio and seize opportunities in the market, regardless of the stock’s price.

Affordable Diversification: At XTB customers can buy fractional shares on stocks and ETFs with 0% commission up to 100,000 euro  per calendar month. If they invest more than 100,000 euro per calendar month, they will pay a commission of 0.2% with a minimum of 10 euro for any investments above this level.

No More Waiting: No need to save up to buy a whole share. Customers can get started with as little as $10 and immediately invest in the companies they believe in.

Tailored Investments: Customers can customise their portfolio to their exact specifications. They can buy fractions of shares in any company, ETF, or asset class available on our platform.

Risk Management: Customers can manage their risk more effectively by diversifying across different stocks and sectors, all while maintaining control over their investments.

Real-Time Trading: Customers can enjoy the same real-time trading experience they’ve come to expect from XTB, whether they’re trading whole shares or fractions.

Commission & Fees

The broker supports two account types: Standard and Pro. The spreads and commissions it charges vary based on account type.

Those who opt for the Standard account are looking at a minimum spread of 0.35 pips. They pay no commission on Forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. They do, however, pay a commission of 0.08% per lot, on ETF- and Stock-based CFDs.

Pro account holders get a minimum spread of just 0.28 pips. They pay a commission starting from 3 GBP on Forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. They also pay the “regular” commission of 0.08% per lot, on ETF- and Stock-based CFDs.

Research & Education

The broker offers a Trading Academy, which covers Basic, Intermediate, Expert and Premium classes. Dedicated platform tutorials are also available.

In addition to the Trading Academy, XTB also hosts live webinars. Check webinar dates at the official site of the broker.

Customer Service

The Contact Us page of the broker offers a plethora of country-specific support phone numbers. No fewer than 20 countries/languages are supported, from Vietnam to France and Turkey to Thailand.

In addition to the phone numbers, email addresses are provided for every one of the country-specific support departments.

While some users praise the quality of the XTB support, some have complained about it.

Mobile Trading

The mobile trading platform of the broker is a mobile version of its award-winning XStation5 platform. It looks and acts the same way the web-based version does. It also supports the same features.

The power of the XStation5 software is quite impressive on mobile devices. Being able to carry this sort of analytics capability in your pocket, is quite a feat indeed.

The layout/theme of the XTB mobile platform is customizable. Traders can choose between a light and a dark theme.

Conclusion

XTB is a very accessible FX/CFD brokerage. Its fees are low and it does not charge any inactivity fees on trader accounts. The minimum required deposit is $0!

The broker supports credit card- as well as electronic wallet deposits. The tradable instrument section is amazing and Demo accounts are available.