The broker cost calculator is offline while our UK spread captures are pending. It returns when figures for this market are verified.
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Read the relevant Key Information Document (KID) before opening an account.
Our verdict on XTB
Pros
- xStation 5 proprietary platform with deep charting and fast order entry
- Commission-free real shares and ETFs up to 100,000 euros of monthly turnover
- £0 minimum deposit
- FCA-authorised with FSCS cover, backed by a Warsaw-listed parent
- Same-day withdrawal processing for requests before 1pm (broker site, accessed 10 July 2026)
- Large share CFD and real-investing range
Cons
- MT4 was removed from XTB's UK offer in March 2024
- No MT5, cTrader or TradingView
- CFD-and-investing focus rather than a raw-account specialism
- EUR/USD advertises a spread floor.
XTB score breakdown
4/5 · Great
The overall CFB Score comes from the full methodology, more than 100 data points per broker. The category ratings summarise each area and do not reconcile by simple average.
How is our rating calculated?XTB scores 77/100 . Figures shown are the broker's advertised spreads. Our own spread captures for this market are pending.
XTB suits UK traders who want one polished platform for CFDs and commission-free investing. xStation 5 pairs with a £0 minimum deposit under XTB Limited’s FCA authorisation, FRN 522157. Anyone committed to MetaTrader should skip it: MT4 left the UK offer in March 2024 and never came back.
I rate XTB for three reasons that matter to a UK trader. Its proprietary xStation 5 platform gives you deep charting and fast order entry. The investing side offers real shares and ETFs commission-free up to 100,000 euros of monthly turnover, which keeps a first portfolio cheap. And trust rests on a Warsaw-listed parent, segregated client money and FSCS cover.
The cost trade-off is the spread. XTB offers commission-free CFD trading, so you pay only the spread. Our own UK spread captures are pending and cost comparisons will return with them. I would send you to XTB for the platform and investing, not for the cheapest CFD ticket.
I recommend XTB to traders who want a polished proprietary platform and commission-free investing. If you are committed to MetaTrader, you need a different broker. XTB removed MT4 from its UK offer in March 2024, and there is no MT5, cTrader or TradingView.
XTB quick facts
XTB Limited is the FCA-authorised entity behind the UK offer. The table below collects the figures I would check first as a UK trader.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| UK regulator | FCA, Firm Reference Number 522157 |
| UK entity | XTB Limited |
| Parent | XTB S.A., listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange |
| Year founded | 2004 |
| Trading platforms | xStation 5 only; no MetaTrader, cTrader or TradingView |
| Account types | Single account covering CFDs and commission-free real investing |
| Minimum deposit | £0 |
| Maximum retail leverage | 30:1 major FX and government bonds from the UK, eurozone, US, Japan, Canada or Switzerland, 20:1 non-majors, gold and major indices, 10:1 other commodities, 5:1 shares and anything unlisted |
| Spreads (EUR/USD) | Our own UK spread captures are pending |
| Commission | None on CFDs; real investing free to 100,000 euros monthly turnover, then 0.2% with a £10 minimum |
| Negative balance protection | Yes, for UK retail accounts |
| FSCS cover | Up to £85,000 per eligible person |
| Financial Ombudsman Service | Yes, complaints eligible |
| Demo account | Yes, free |
XTB fees
XTB prices CFDs through a floating spread with no separate commission on its core account, so you pay only the spread. Our spread-testing protocol and the evidence tier behind this review are documented in full.
CFD and investing costs
Our own UK spread captures are pending. XTB advertises a EUR/USD spread from 0.8 pips. The broker offers commission-free CFD trading on its core account, meaning you pay only the spread. You get xStation 5 and commission-free investing in return, with no commission to add back.
Real stock and ETF investing costs 0% up to 100,000 euros of monthly turnover, then 0.2% with a £10 minimum, and a 0.5% currency conversion cost can apply (broker site, accessed 10 July 2026). For a first portfolio traded in modest size, that is effectively free.
Our own UK spread captures are pending. Once available, we will compare XTB’s spreads with other FCA-regulated brokers. Raw accounts quote tighter spreads but charge a commission on top, so the spread alone understates what you pay:
| Broker | EUR/USD spread (pending) | Account |
|---|---|---|
| Eightcap | 0.10 | Raw, plus commission |
| Pepperstone | 0.10 | Razor, plus commission |
| FxPro | 0.64 | Raw+, plus commission |
| CMC Markets | 0.65 | FX Active, plus commission |
| XTB | 0.92 | Standard, no commission |
| OANDA | 0.94 | Standard, no commission |
| IG Markets | 1.13 | IG Trading, no commission |
Other fees UK traders should check
XTB charges nothing on funding in either direction, and no CFD commission, so the spread is very nearly the whole trading cost. I would flag two extra costs. A 0.5% currency conversion cost can apply on the investing side, which matters if you buy US or European shares from a GBP balance. Real investing is only free to 100,000 euros of monthly turnover; past that it is 0.2% with a £10 minimum, so if you are an active investor rather than a trader, model that threshold.
Trading platform
The platform is xStation 5, a proprietary system with deep charting and fast execution. It replaced MetaTrader entirely: XTB removed MT4 from its UK offer on 15 March 2024 and moved existing MT4 accounts onto xStation (broker site, accessed 10 July 2026). There is no MT5, cTrader or TradingView, so choosing XTB means committing to xStation. That is the single biggest decision on this page: no other broker in our set has removed MetaTrader outright, and our best UK trading apps comparison covers how xStation’s mobile build stacks up against the field.
xStation 5 is built around fast order entry, and XTB publishes its order-execution and best-execution policy documents on its UK site rather than a single headline fill-speed figure, so we quote no latency number.
Is XTB safe? FCA FRN 522157
XTB Limited holds its own FCA authorisation under a Warsaw-listed parent.
FCA regulation
XTB Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 522157 (FCA register record, checked 16 July 2026), part of XTB S.A., listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Retail leverage follows the FCA caps and negative balance protection applies. XTB’s own instrument pages list 30:1 on both EUR/USD and GBP/USD for retail clients (broker site, accessed 10 July 2026), which matches the FCA ceiling rather than undercutting it.
Client money, FSCS and negative balance protection
XTB Limited reports into a Warsaw-listed parent, so group accounts are public even though the UK company is what you contract with. I see the listing as a transparency plus. Client money is held in segregated accounts under the FCA’s CASS rules, separate from the firm’s own funds. Negative balance protection applies to retail CFD accounts, so a position cannot leave you owing more than your balance. If the firm failed, FSCS cover runs up to £85,000 per eligible person, covering shortfalls in client money and assets rather than trading losses or falls in the value of your investments. Disputes you cannot settle reach the Financial Ombudsman Service, and how FCA rules protect clients covers the award limits.
History and ownership
XTB dates to 2004 and its parent, XTB S.A., is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, so it publishes audited accounts. I would note that a listed parent is a stronger disclosure position than most brokers in this set offer, though it is a Warsaw listing rather than a London one, which is worth knowing if UK-domiciled ownership matters to you.
Public reviews
Trustpilot rates XTB Online Investing 3.7 out of 5 from 2,790 reviews (Trustpilot profile, captured August 2026). That sits in the lower half of the FCA-regulated brokers we cover, where the range runs from 2.0 to 4.6, and below the beginner-focused apps it competes with. Read it as a brand-level signal rather than a UK verdict: Trustpilot profiles cover the whole brand across every market it serves, not the FCA-authorised UK entity on its own. Scores also move, so treat the figure as a August 2026 snapshot.
Account types and minimum deposit
A single account covers CFDs and commission-free investing.
Account options for UK clients
I like that one account covers both CFD trading and real investing. There is no tier to pick and no separate platform to learn. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and can change.
XTB minimum deposit
The minimum deposit at XTB is £0 (broker site, accessed 10 July 2026), so there is nothing to fund before you can explore xStation.
Funding and withdrawals
XTB charges nothing either way, with same-day withdrawal processing before 1pm.
Deposit methods (UK clients)
Card and bank-transfer deposits are free, although your own bank can charge for transfers (broker site, accessed 10 July 2026).
| Method | Deposit fee | Withdrawal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Free | Free |
| Card | Free | Free |
Withdrawals
XTB lists withdrawals as free on its account and fees page, in GBP, EUR and USD alike, with no minimum-withdrawal charge on the UK entity (XTB account and fees, checked 5 August 2026). Withdrawal requests made before 1pm are processed the same business day; later requests are processed the next business day.
Inactivity and custody fees
Two charges sit outside the trading cost and neither is triggered by normal use. XTB applies a £10 monthly inactivity fee, but only when both conditions hold: no position opened or closed in the last 365 days, and no deposit in the last 90 days. The charge stops as soon as you trade again, it is never taken from a zero balance, and it does not apply to ISA accounts (XTB help centre, updated 8 June 2026, checked 5 August 2026). Custody on the investing side is free to 250,000 euros of holdings, above which XTB charges 0.02% a year with a £10 minimum (XTB account and fees, checked 5 August 2026).
Account opening
You open online, with identity and address verification under the FCA’s client-onboarding rules. The £0 minimum means you do not have to fund anything up front.
Product range
You can trade forex, indices, commodities and share CFDs, plus commission-free real shares and ETFs. I would send you to the CFD market hub for depth on each asset class.
| Asset class | Available to UK retail | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Forex | Yes | |
| Indices | Yes | Major global benchmarks |
| Commodities | Yes | Metals and energies |
| Share CFDs | Yes | 5:1 retail leverage |
| Real shares and ETFs | Yes | Commission-free to 100,000 euros monthly turnover |
| Crypto | No | Banned for UK retail clients by the FCA |
You will not find any crypto product that XTB markets elsewhere, because the FCA banned the sale of crypto derivatives to UK retail consumers from 6 January 2021. No crypto tier appears in the leverage list because the FCA caps do not include one.
Share CFDs and real investing
XTB’s equity offer spans CFDs and real shares in one account. I think this combination makes it a credible first broker. Our UK share CFD brokers compares commissions and leverage across the FCA-regulated set. The investing side keeps the cost of a first portfolio low, which is why XTB appears in our guide to the best forex brokers for beginners.
Leverage for UK traders
Retail leverage at XTB follows the FCA’s standardised caps. For you, that means the caps are the same as at any FCA broker, and how the FCA caps leverage explains the margin that follows.
| Market | Retail leverage cap |
|---|---|
| Major currency pairs | 30:1 |
| Non-major pairs, gold, major indices | 20:1 |
| Other commodities, non-major indices | 10:1 |
| Government bonds from the UK, eurozone, US, Japan, Canada or Switzerland | 30:1 |
| Individual shares, and any asset not listed above | 5:1 |
Customer service
You can reach XTB’s UK support by live chat, phone and email. I would start with the online help centre for account and platform questions.
| Channel | Availability |
|---|---|
| Live chat | Market hours |
| Phone | Market hours |
| Market hours, response times not assessed by us | |
| Help centre | Always available |
We have not run timed response tests on the UK desk, so I cannot score support from our own contact. The details here come from XTB’s published information.
Research and education
I rate XTB’s research and education highly. It runs one of the larger learning libraries in this set, spanning a trading academy, regular webinars and market analysis on its UK site, with news and charting built into xStation 5 rather than bolted on. Paired with the £0 minimum and real investing, it makes a credible first-broker package. We describe the offer from XTB’s published material pending a live assessment.
How XTB compares to alternatives
| If you value… | Consider |
|---|---|
| Raw spreads and full platform choice | Pepperstone |
| Commission-free investing with copy trading | eToro |
| Zero-commission investing on a simple app | Trading 212 |
Pepperstone answers both XTB objections at once, with raw pricing and every platform XTB dropped. If the investing side is the draw, eToro adds copy trading to it and Trading 212 pairs it with an ISA on a simpler app. The FCA brokers we rate highest are ranked together.
Should you open an account with XTB?
Yes, I recommend XTB for traders committed to one polished proprietary platform. xStation 5 replaced MetaTrader entirely, and real investing rides beside the CFDs commission-free, with nothing to deposit up front and FCA authorisation under FRN 522157 behind a Warsaw-listed parent. As a first-broker package it is credible.
I would not send MetaTrader users or raw-spread hunters to XTB. MT4 left the UK offer in March 2024 and never came back, and the advertised 0.8-pip spread sits wider than the raw leaders, though those add a commission XTB does not charge.
The xStation demo is free, and our guide to practising first covers what to test before you fund. If the platform and the investing side fit how you trade, open an XTB demo account to try xStation 5 before funding a live one (affiliate link, see our advertiser disclosure).
FAQs
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Related pages
About the author
Justin Grossbard is the co-founder and CEO at CompareForexBrokers. He has traded forex since 1998, leads UK broker research and has personally reviewed every FCA-regulated broker on this site. His work has appeared in Forbes, Kiplinger and Finance Magnates, and he holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Master of Marketing.