XTB review

XTB enables you to trade real stocks, ETFs and CFDs. With fair fees, quality customer support, regular webinars and fast deposits and withdrawals, it is a solid choice for both beginners and experienced traders.

No broker is perfect though. This XTB review gives you a clear overview so you can decide for yourself whether XTB is the right choice for you.

Rating and final verdict

Reviewer’s summary

Broker XTB genuinely ranks among the strongest players in today’s investment landscape. What I appreciate most is its constant innovation — the steady improvement of the xStation platform, the expansion of available markets, and the introduction of features that actually matter to investors. A major advantage for UK clients is the availability of the Flexible Stocks & Shares ISA, which offers tax-free investing, flexibility in deposits and withdrawals, and access to thousands of real shares and ETFs directly within the platform.

Alongside the ISA, I value XTB’s zero-commission trading on real shares and ETFs (up to €100,000 per month, above which a 0.2% fee applies), competitive spreads, interest on uninvested cash, a highly rated mobile app, responsive customer support, and the ability to hold accounts in multiple currencies.

Naturally, there are still a few areas that could be improved. The investment plans currently offer a more limited list of ETFs compared to the full catalog, and cryptocurrencies remain available only via CFDs.

I personally invest with XTB on a long-term basis, and from my experience it is one of the most well-rounded and reliable brokers in Europe — especially for UK investors who want to combine modern trading tools with the benefits of a tax-efficient ISA.

Josef Kuchař

investment expert at Forbino.com

Rating XTB

93%

Readers’ rating

Pros and cons

Web	https://www.xtb.com/en 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Authorisation/Regulation	Financial Conduct Authority
Minimum deposit	£0
Leverage	up to 1:30
Spreads	Variable, EUR/USD – 0.9 pips, see table
CFD instruments	Crypto, forex, commodities, indices, stocks, ETFs
Real assets	Real stocks and ETFs
Platforms	modern xStation platform
English
XTB demo account	open demo 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Mobile app
Deposit and withdrawal methods	Payment cards, PayPal, bank transfer
🎁 Extra benefits	Free stock and exclusive educational materials with a referral code

xStation trading platform review

XTB currently offers the advanced, modern xStation 5 platform for trading, available as a PC web version and as a mobile app for Android and iOS. Existing clients can continue using MetaTrader 4, which was previously available, but new clients no longer have access to it. You are not missing out, xStation 5 can fully replace MetaTrader 4 and even surpass it in some aspects.

How does xStation 5 work and look?

The xStation 5 platform is user-friendly, modern and clear. There is no need to install anything as it runs directly in your browser. You will get used to it within minutes and find everything you need for your trading. It includes economic news, an economic calendar, a market sentiment tool showing what percentage of traders are buying or selling a given asset, and the ability to program your own automated systems.

You will also find educational materials for beginners, advanced users and experts in xStation. In addition to these lessons, XTB offers regular webinars in English with industry experts. To attend the webinars you need to be an XTB client, a demo account is sufficient, which you can open in seconds.

XTB mobile app review for iOS and Android

The xStation mobile app is user friendly and easy to use. It includes economic news, tutorial videos, trader sentiment and of course price charts. You can add indicators to charts and draw your own trend, vertical and horizontal lines. You can set alerts via push notifications when a chosen asset reaches a specified level. You can log in with your fingerprint. You may also receive notifications about notable market events.

First‑hand experience with the mobile app

What I like most is the stream of up‑to‑date news for each instrument. For example, when you open oil trading, you will find current oil‑related news directly below the SELL and BUY buttons, in English. That is very helpful. Most brokers do not sort news this way. I have nothing to fault the app for, it is more than sufficient for trading on the go.

The XTB mobile app is also highly rated by traders on Google Play at 4.6 out of 5 stars and on the App Store at 4.7 out of 5, making it one of the best‑rated mobile apps for online investing.

XTB demo account

XTB offers a free demo account with virtual capital of £10,000. The drawback is that after 30 days you need to fund your trading account, or ask customer support to extend it, otherwise the demo will be closed. By opening a demo account you also get access to regular webinars from industry professionals.

Trustworthiness, reputation and safety

Over 2,000,000 traders worldwide have trusted XTB during its more than 23 years on the market. A significant share are traders from the United Kingdom, Slovakia and Poland, where XTB has local offices and customer support. In the UK, XTB has an office in London. The broker employs more than 1,000 people globally. XTB shares are listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which means the company must publish financial results regularly and meet strict regulatory requirements.

Deposit protection and regulation

Funds in your trading account, including open positions, are protected up to £85,000 under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Real stocks and ETFs are held separately from the firm’s own funds, registered in your name, and can be transferred to another broker if the company fails. XTB Limited is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

Security

XTB supports two‑factor authentication for logging into xStation. Transactions in the mobile app can be confirmed via fingerprint if enabled. Card payments in online shops are verified via SMS.

Trading fees at XTB

All fees at XTB are transparent and among the lowest on the market.

Fees for trading real stocks and ETFs

If you trade real stocks or ETFs up to €100,000 per month at XTB, you pay only the spread and no other fees. Above this threshold, you pay a 0.2% fee, minimum €10 per trade.

CFDs – overnight holding cost (swap)

Like almost every broker, XTB charges a fee for holding positions overnight. The swap level varies by asset and is shown in the platform in advance. For example, on EUR/USD the swap is -5.461 pips for long and -1.083 pips for short. A swap is not always negative though — it can be positive, so holding some CFD positions can even earn you interest if market conditions and interest rates are in your favour.

Other fees

Deposit fee

Bank transfers are free. Deposits in GBP and SEPA transfers in euros are typically credited to your XTB investment account in about 2 hours. Card deposits are charged 0.70% for deposits in euros and 0.95% for deposits in US dollars. Deposits via PayPal are charged 0.85% in any currency. For GBP deposits, please check the current pricing in the platform.

Editor’s note: These fees cover XTB’s costs for using the respective payment methods. If you find a broker that does not charge similar fees directly to clients, they will have to recover the costs elsewhere. XTB charges deposit fees transparently, so it does not need to inflate other fees. You can always deposit by bank transfer for free.

Withdrawal fee

Withdrawals at XTB are free of charge.

Inactivity fee

If you do not trade regularly at XTB, specifically you have not opened any trade in the last 365 days or you have not deposited funds in the last 90 days or you do not hold any stocks or ETFs, XTB will charge you €10 per month, as long as your account balance is above zero. It is fairly easy to avoid the inactivity fee, and you are notified by email one week before the fee is charged.

Currency conversion fee

XTB charges a 0.5% currency conversion fee on business days and 0.8% at weekends and on public holidays. On the other hand, it offers very good exchange rates and even after this fee the rate is better than at most banks. If you use Revolut, you can deposit directly in the currency you need. We wrote about this in detail here – Is it worth depositing to XTB via Revolut.

Securities custody

You pay a custody fee only if your stock portfolio exceeds €250,000, and only on the portion above that threshold, at 0.02% per year. The fee is charged monthly for the days when the portfolio value was above the threshold.

Spread – the difference between buy and sell price

Spreads are variable and change during the day based on current market conditions. Even so, XTB publishes typical spreads on its website.

Spreads on CFD forex and crypto

For example, the typical spread on EUR/USD is 0.9 pips. Spreads on crypto CFDs range from 0.22% to 2% of the cryptocurrency’s market price.

Spreads on popular instruments

*paired with the US dollar

Spreads on selected US stocks

Dividends and taxation

XTB credits dividends to your investment account net of withholding tax. The broker supports the W‑8BEN form, which prevents double taxation of US stocks. Instead of 30%, US dividends are withheld at 15%, which is a notable advantage.

What can you trade with XTB?

In practice, XTB trading can be divided into CFDs and real stocks and ETFs.

The difference between CFDs and real stocks and ETFs

CFDs allow you to use leverage, which magnifies both profits and losses. You do not own the underlying asset, you speculate on price movements. CFD stands for contract for difference. You can trade both rising and falling prices.

CFDs – forex, indices, stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies

• 69 currency pairs.
• 27 indices, e.g. DE30, EU50.
• 27 commodities, e.g. gold, silver, copper, wheat, coffee.
• 2,232 stocks, e.g. Google, Facebook, ČEZ, Komerční banka.
• 218 ETFs.
• 40 cryptocurrencies against the US dollar.

Maximum leverage on CFDs

Leverage is set by the regulator and is the same for retail clients at any EU‑regulated broker.

If you successfully pass the professional client test, your leverage limits can be higher. Customer support at XTB can provide details, for example via chat.

Real stocks and ETFs

• 7,145 real stocks
• 1,817 real ETFs

The largest selection is US stocks at 4,685. There are also Czech, Polish, German and other European stocks. XTB continuously expands its stock universe, so these numbers are not final.

XTB also enables purchases of fractions of a share via so‑called fractional rights, so you do not need to buy a whole share if you invest smaller amounts. XTB does not currently offer futures, options, mutual funds, warrants or bonds.

How fractional right works (formerly fractional shares)

Unlike whole shares, fractional right is slightly different in terms of ownership. Fractional right (formerly fractional shares) works like this: the broker buys a whole share and you have a contract with the broker that a specified part belongs to you. You are not the direct shareholder.

If you gradually purchase enough fractional rights to make up one whole share, the ownership of that share is automatically transferred directly to you. This allows investors to own whole shares even if they did not buy a whole share in a single transaction, making investing more accessible.

Special features at XTB

XTB stands out with several improvements and tools that make trading easier or cheaper. Specifically, multi-currency accounts, investment plans, interest on uninvested cash and a tax-efficient investment option for UK residents.

Multi‑currency accounts – why hold an account in several currencies?

XTB lets you hold your account in multiple currencies, which can save on conversion fees. Almost every broker charges a currency conversion fee; XTB charges 0.5% on business days and 0.8% on weekends and holidays. Even including this fee, XTB’s rates are better than most banks.

If your account were in GBP and you traded, for example, US stocks quoted in USD, you would pay the conversion fee on each buy and sell. If your investment account is already in USD, you do not pay any additional conversion because there is no FX involved. You can avoid repeated conversion by paying it once, or by depositing directly in the trading currency, for example via Revolut. A one‑off conversion is not a large amount, and Revolut is not always the best option. We wrote an article on when it makes sense to use Revolut for deposits to XTB.

Tax-Smart Investing for UK Clients: Flexible Share & ETF ISA

The UK version of XTB includes something that most global investors do not have access to — a fully featured Flexible Stocks & Shares ISA. This is one of the most powerful tax-efficient investment wrappers available to UK residents, and XTB has built it directly into the xStation platform.

What makes this ISA “flexible”?

A flexible ISA gives you the freedom to withdraw money and add it back within the same tax year without reducing your annual allowance. This makes it far more practical than a standard ISA, especially for investors who may occasionally need to access part of their capital.

• If you invest £10,000 and withdraw £3,000, you can still re-deposit the full £20,000 allowance minus what you’ve already contributed — the £3,000 withdrawal does not reduce your limit.
• You maintain the tax advantages even when moving money in and out.
• Perfect for investors who save regularly but cannot lock their funds away long-term.

Key benefits of the XTB Flexible ISA

• No Capital Gains Tax on profits generated inside the ISA.
• No tax on dividends from stocks and ETFs.
• Annual ISA allowance: £20,000 per tax year.
• Access to 7,000+ global real shares and 1,800+ ETFs.
• Commission-free investing up to €100,000 monthly volume (0.2% thereafter).
• Integrated directly in the easy-to­-use xStation web and mobile platform.
• No ISA setup fee and no ongoing ISA management fee.
• Only investors physically resident in the United Kingdom can open or contribute to this ISA.

What can you invest in?

The ISA supports the majority of XTB’s real-asset universe:

• US, UK, European and global equities
• Major equity ETFs and index trackers
• Sector, thematic and bond ETFs

CFDs, leveraged products, crypto and derivatives are not eligible inside the ISA — as required by UK law.

Fees inside the ISA

• £0 ISA account fee
• £0 commission on real shares/ETFs up to €100,000 monthly volume
• 0.2% commission above that threshold
• FX conversion fee: 0.5% on weekdays
• No withdrawal fees
• Custody fee only applies above €250,000 stock value (and only on the portion exceeding it)

How does XTB’s ISA compare to competitors?

The Flexible ISA feature puts XTB in direct competition with brokers like Trading 212, Freetrade and Hargreaves Lansdown. XTB’s advantages include:

• Flexible ISA structure — not offered by all competitors
• Commission-free trading with a high monthly volume cap
• A significantly more advanced trading platform (xStation)
• Lower overall costs compared with traditional UK brokerage houses
• Support for a broader selection of global ETFs

Limitations

• Mutual funds cannot be bought inside the ISA.
• CFDs and crypto products are excluded (mandatory by regulation).
• FX conversion applies to non-GBP investments.
• Investment plans are not yet directly linked to an ISA portfolio.

Is the XTB Flexible ISA worth considering?

For UK investors who want to build long-term wealth without losing part of their returns to tax, the ISA option at XTB is one of the broker’s strongest offerings. The combination of zero-commission stock trading, tax-free investing and the ability to withdraw/replace funds makes it exceptionally versatile.

If you live in the UK and invest regularly in real stocks or ETFs, using an ISA before a standard account is almost always the more efficient choice.

Investment plans – passive investing

Interest on cash you are not currently investing

Interest rates in the United Kingdom and globally are relatively high at the moment, and XTB has decided to pass some of this to traders who are waiting for an opportunity and hold idle cash in their trading account.

What do you need to do to have your free cash earn interest?

Nothing is required. Interest is activated automatically for all clients with an uninvested cash balance.

J. Kuchař comments:

The rates are not particularly high after 90 days, but I think they are very attractive during the first 90 days. They allow traders to wait for the right opportunity while keeping cash immediately available in the trading account.

Although bank transfers have improved a lot and payments are now usually instant or within a few hours, having cash ready on your account when you see an opportunity can be key. You often need to act immediately. Earning interest on free cash directly with XTB can offset the interest you might receive in a savings account at a bank.

Education for beginners and advanced investors

There are over 1,000 educational articles available for traders at all levels. You can find them on the XTB website in the top menu => Education => Articles. XTB categorises articles, so it is easy to navigate. On the articles homepage you will see “Hot topics”, which respond to the latest updates at XTB and developments in the financial markets. A positive point is that XTB updates its materials regularly rather than leaving them unchanged.

An integral part of XTB’s education is its regular webinars in English. Upcoming dates can be found via the top menu => Education => Videos and live broadcasts. To watch webinars, you need an investment account with XTB — a demo account is sufficient and is free. The demo account closes automatically 30 days after opening, so in that respect real-account users are better off. There is no minimum deposit, so depositing even a small amount gives you access to webinars from professionals as long as your trading account has a positive balance.

Beginner articles we found useful

• Basics of currency trading for beginners
• Balanced portfolio – How to diversify an investment portfolio
• Fundamental analysis – What is fundamentals-based trading
• Technical analysis – The basics
• Trend trading
• What is the price action method and how to use it
• Gold trading – Investing in gold for beginners

Selected articles for more advanced traders

• Fibonacci retracement
• Advanced technical indicators and oscillators
• Elliott Wave Theory

Customer support – personal experience

XTB customer support works very well. It is available 24 hours a day, five days a week. My chat queries were answered immediately or within a few minutes, and the responses were direct and useful. Other brokers often paste canned text that does not answer your question, which is frustrating. That never happened to me with XTB.

You can also visit XTB in person by prior appointment at its office in London.

Besides live chat on the website, you can contact XTB customer support via the UK contact page at https://www.xtb.com/en/contact or by email using the contact form.

How XTB compares with competitors

Together with a colleague, we prepared a detailed comparison of XTB with key competitors — Trading 212, eToro and Interactive Brokers. In our comparisons with eToro, Trading 212 and Interactive Brokers, XTB comes out as a very strong choice based on our analysis and feedback from investors. Each broker has its strengths — Trading 212 stands out for ease of use, eToro offers social trading, and Interactive Brokers has a very broad product range. Overall, XTB distinguishes itself with a competitive fee structure, quality customer support, a clear and user-friendly trading platform, and a well-designed mobile app.

XTB review conclusion: is it worth trading here?

XTB is a high-quality broker and has rightly become one of the leading brokers in the United Kingdom. It operates as a trustworthy and modern platform with competitive fees, quality UK support and the xStation mobile and web application. Its main advantages include zero commission on shares and ETFs up to a traded volume of 100,000 EUR per month, interest on uninvested cash, multi-currency accounts, and a wide range of educational materials. Thanks to strong regulation, a long track record and millions of clients, it is also among the safer brokers in the United Kingdom and Europe.

On the downside, there is a fee for card deposits, a more limited range of ETFs in investment plans, and cryptocurrencies available only as CFDs. Despite this, XTB is a solid choice for both beginners and experienced investors.

Does this review not cover everything you were looking for? Leave us a comment and we will be happy to reply.

Frequently asked questions