IG vs XTB Comparison – 2024

Top Reasons to Choose IG or XTB

Based on our comparative analyses, I have listed below the top reasons why I think IG is ideal for professional traders and serious stock investors, while XTB is better suited for intermediate CFD traders and beginner stock investors.

IG: Snapshot

Established in 1974, IG is headquartered in London and is licensed by 11 financial authorities, including 8 Tier-1 regulators. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the broker is a leader in the retail trading and investing industry, offering 17,000+ financial instruments and a wide range of trading, investing, and wealth management accounts.

IG: Who is it For?

IG is ideal for professional and advanced retail traders seeking an extensive range of markets and asset classes to trade and invest in. They offer a variety of financial products, including CFDs, spread bets, options, futures, and forwards. However, beginner traders may benefit from IG’s extensive research and educational materials.

What Makes Trading IG Stand Out?

IG stands out as one of a handful of brokers listed on the London Stock Exchange, offering 17,000+ markets for trading and investing. Additionally, IG provides unique trading opportunities and models, such as weekend out-of-hours trading, pre- and post-market stock trading, direct market access (DMA) for forex, and a variety of accounts for trading, investing, and wealth management.

XTB: Snapshot

Established in 2002, XTB is based in Poland and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It is licensed by two Tier-1 regulators and provides comprehensive in-house research conducted by a dedicated team of analysts. Offering zero commission trading, XTB gives access to over 2,100 CFD instruments and more than 3,000 real shares via its proprietary web platform and a feature-rich mobile app.

XTB: Who is it For?

XTB is well-suited for intermediate CFD traders seeking competitive trading fees and terms, a professional-grade proprietary trading platform, and high-quality market research from a dedicated team. Additionally, the broker caters to stock investors by offering a zero-commission investing account and providing features to create a personalized investment plan.

What Makes XTB Stand Out?

XTB distinguishes itself by providing a feature-rich proprietary trading platform, enabling zero-commission CFD trading across forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Additionally, the platform offers cost-effective investing solutions and tools to construct a personalized investment plan, all accessible through a dedicated mobile app.

Trust

IG vs XTB Trust and Regulation Comparison

Established in 1974, IG operates under 10 entities regulated all around the world by eight Tier-1 financial authorities: FCA (UK), BaFin (Germany), FINMA (Switzerland), ASIC (Australia), MAS (Singapore), FSA (Japan), CFTC/NFA (USA) and two Tier-2 authorities: FMA (New Zealand) and DFSA (Dubai). As a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange, IG upholds a high level of financial transparency and trading term clarity.

Established in 2002, XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and operates through five entities. Two of these entities fall under the regulation of Tier-1 authorities, the FCA (UK) and CySEC (Cyprus), while the other two are supervised by Tier-2 regulators, the CNMV (Spain) and KNF (Poland). These entities uphold a high level of transparency concerning trading fees and terms. The fifth entity, located offshore, is subject to regulation by a Tier-3 authority, the IFSC (Belize).

If you want to learn more about brokers’ regulations, be sure to check out our article on the top regulated forex brokers.

Fees

IG vs XTB Spreads, Fees and Commissions Comparison

In our live fee test using the IG commission-free Spread Betting account, we found that the spread for EUR/USD averaged 0.6 pips during the London session and 0.9 pips during the US session, beating the industry average of 1.0 pips. There is a monthly inactivity fee of £12 after 24 months of no activity and zero fees for deposits and withdrawals.

Using the XTB Standard CFD account, which features zero commissions, we found that the spread for EUR/USD averaged 0.9 pips during the London session and 0.8 pips during the US session, beating the industry average of 1.0 pips. An inactivity fee of $10 per month is applicable after 12 months of no activity, but most deposit and withdrawal methods are fee-free.

Platforms and Tools

IG vs XTB Trading Platforms Comparison

IG offers a range of trading platforms to cater to various trader levels. The proprietary IG Web Trader and mobile app are well-suited for beginner traders, while the MT4, ProRealTime, and L2 Dealer (DMA) platforms are tailored for professional traders. The IG web platform stands out for its user-friendliness and wealth of features, including over 140 technical indicators and drawing tools, 17 timeframes, 5 chart types, built-in market news, third-party Autochartist and PIA-First trading signals, and an economic calendar. The mobile app provides all these features, including technical analysis charting tools and trading signals, for trading on the go.

XTB’s xStation 5 platform, designed for use on web, desktop, and mobile devices, incorporates 47 technical indicators, 20 drawing tools, 9 timeframes, and 5 chart types. Tailored for intermediate traders, it provides a fully customizable layout and features like price alerts and one-click trading. The xStation mobile app offers built-in market commentary, an economic calendar, and one-click trading options, although it does not feature price alerts.

Tradable Instruments

IG vs XTB Instruments Selection Comparison

IG offers over 17,000 tradable instruments, one of the broadest selections in the industry. The range of instruments caters to various trader types. Portfolio managers and professional stock traders will benefit from access to global stock markets, while forex traders have over 100 pairs at their disposal, covering major, minor, exotic, and emerging currencies. Additionally, professional traders can trade options in major markets.

XTB offers over 4,800 instruments to trade and invest in. The range of markets caters to intermediate traders. Stock traders can benefit from investing in 3,000 real stocks. Furthermore, they have the option to hedge their investments with leveraged stock CFDs, although the range of instruments for this is more limited.

Customer Support

IG vs XTB Customer Support Comparison

IG offers round-the-clock customer support, available from 8 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Friday UK time, through live chat, telephone, and an online contact form. When we tested the live chat, it took about 15 minutes to connect and get a question answered. In contrast, telephone support responded in less than 5 minutes. The agent was knowledgeable and helpful.

XTB provides 24-hour support from Monday to Friday, in multiple languages, via live chat, phone, and email. Our evaluation found that the customer support agents were highly knowledgeable, with the quickest responses coming from phone support. However, the live chat service had a longer waiting period.

Research

IG vs XTB Research Tools Comparison

IG offers a wide array of expert research materials produced by its dedicated in-house team of analysts. These include detailed market news, videos, special event webinars, and trading ideas. Clients can subscribe to ‘Morning Call’, ‘Trade of the Week’, and ‘The Week Ahead’ emails. While the level of research is exceptionally high, it remains accessible and suitable for both beginner and professional traders. Market news and research can be accessed from the IG website, as well as from the web and mobile platforms.

XTB provides comprehensive market research developed by its in-house team and is available on its website and the xStation platform. The research encompasses breaking news, fundamental and technical analyses, and weekly, daily, and macro outlooks. The XTB platform offers additional research tools such as sentiment analysis, tracking leading gainers and losers, a stock and ETF scanner, and real-time heat maps. These features are tailored to intermediate and professional traders seeking a fundamental edge in the market.

Deposits & Withdrawals

IG vs XTB Deposit and Withdrawal Methods Comparison

IG offers fee-free deposits and withdrawals via bank wire transfers, credit/debit cards, and PayPal. All payments are processed instantly except bank transfers, which can take up to 3 working days.

XTB allows fee-free deposits through bank transfers, Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro. A 2% deposit fee is applicable when using Skrill. Deposits are processed immediately, except for bank wire transfers, which may take up to one business day. Withdrawals are limited to bank wire transfers and are free for amounts exceeding $100, while a $20 withdrawal fee is incurred for smaller amounts.

Account Types and Terms

IG vs XTB Account Types Comparison

IG provides a range of trading and investing accounts that vary depending on your region. Their offerings include CFD, DMA, Share Dealing, and Corporate accounts. Additionally, UK residents have access to Spread Betting, ISA, and SIPP accounts. While the majority of these accounts cater to professional traders and investors, options are available for beginner traders as well.

XTB offers two main account options. The Standard CFD Account is flexible, accommodating Demo, Live, Professional, Islamic, or Corporate traders through customization. The STC & ETFs account is specifically designed for investing in real shares and ETFs. These accounts are structured to meet the needs of traders and investors at all experience levels.

Education

IG vs XTB Educational Content Comparison

The IG Academy offers extensive, high-quality educational materials suitable for both beginner and professional traders. These materials encompass a range of formats, including articles, videos, courses, and webinars. The courses are categorized into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, covering diverse topics such as technical analysis, risk management, and trading psychology.

XTB tailors its educational content for intermediate traders. The resources include text-based articles on topics such as forex, commodities, indices, stocks, technical analysis, CFDs, and platform guides. Additionally, XTB’s YouTube channel features tutorial videos on a variety of subjects, each lasting between 1 and 4 minutes.

Our Methodology

Since 2011, FX Empire has developed a detailed methodology for evaluating CFD brokers, involving over 250 variables across nine crucial categories. Our team of experts, with deep industry knowledge, conducts live testing and research by interacting with the brokers directly. We check regulations, open accounts, test spreads, account costs, platform functionality, instrument variety, customer support reliability, and the quality of research and educational content. This granular analysis helps us identify each broker’s strengths and weaknesses, keeping our comparisons current with market trends and ensuring our guides meet traders’ needs.

We strive to evaluate each broker objectively, considering how their offerings align with the diverse trading goals and preferences of our readers. Our focus is on providing a balanced overview of each broker’s strengths and weaknesses. This method ensures that our readers receive clear, insightful comparisons to aid in making well-informed trading decisions.

We employ a comprehensive rating system across nine key categories:

• Trust
• Fees
• Platforms and Tools
• Tradable Instruments
• Customer Support
• Research
• Deposits and Withdrawals
• Account Types and Terms
• Education

In each category, we conduct an in-depth analysis for both brokers, outlining features, advantages, and disadvantages and determining their suitability for different trader profiles. By blending insights from our extensive reviews with first-hand experiences and observations, we ensure each comparison is balanced, informative, and tailored to the trader’s unique needs. You can read more about our review process here.

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