XTB

XTB is a top-rated online broker. The company offers leveraged forex and CFD trading opportunities, with services that suit strategies from scalping to pattern day trading and position trading. This 2024 XTB review will explore the firm’s login security, python API implementation, account types, platforms and more.

What Is XTB?

Company Details

XTB boasts 15+ years of combined service. Today, it is one of the largest stock exchange-listed FX and CFD brokers globally. Services are provided from 13 office locations across the globe, with regulatory authorisation from some of the leading supervisory providers. The broker has earned the trust of almost 400,000 customers, with more live accounts opened every day.

Technology and innovation are key values for the broker. The firm implements solutions and functionality advancements routinely on its trading platform and app.

Notable awards for XTB include; Best Customer Service (Forexbrokers.com 2021), Best Mobile App For Online Trading and Investing (Rankia Awards 2020) and Best Broker For Low-Cost Execution (Investopedia 2021).

History

XTB was founded in 2002. Below we highlight some early milestones in the broker’s journey:

• 2002 – X-Trade is incorporated as the first leveraged brokerage on the Polish market
• 2004 – X-Trade unifies to become ‘XTB’ to meet new Polish market regulations
• 2005 – Authorisation is granted by the Polish Financial Services Authority (KNF) to offer multi-asset products
• 2007 – The broker becomes a member of the Warsaw Stock Exchange
• 2007 – Establishment in Europe continues with the opening of offices in Germany, Romania and Spain
• 2009 – X-Trade is rebranded to become XTB Online Trading
• 2010 – Cross-border licensing is achieved with additional European branches established, including in the UK and France
• 2016 – The broker successfully lists on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, becoming a publicly listed company

Who Is It For?

XTB is suitable for all types of traders. Whether you are just starting your investment journey or are a more experienced trader seeking diversification in your portfolio. The company offers a decent number of instruments, though not as many as some competitors.

Nevertheless, our review found the website and services particularly user-friendly, with an award-winning proprietary platform. Investors can be assured of regulation across all trading entities, educational resources and a reliable customer service team.

Markets

The broker offers 2,100+ global trading instruments:

• ETFs – 130+ exchange-traded funds, tracking themes, exchanges and trends within the market
• Forex – 57 major, minor and exotic currency pairs. Opportunities include EUR/GBP, USD/CAD and GBP/JPY
• Stocks – 1,500+ shares from some of the world’s largest companies, including Amazon, Tesla, Google and Apple
• Indices – 35+ equity indices covering countries and industry sectors. For example, the DAX 40, UK 100 and US 30
• Commodities – 20+ soft and hard commodities, including precious metals like gold, energies like crude oil and agricultural products like sugar and cocoa

Other derivatives instruments like options and futures are not available. Trading instruments may vary by jurisdiction. Real stocks and ETFs are available for some European clients only.

XTB live trading hours may also vary by instrument. Typically, the forex market is available to trade 24 hours per day between Sunday to Friday. A calendar is offered on the trading platforms to stay up to date with upcoming public holidays and market closures.

XTB Trading Platforms

We were pleased to see XTB offers two trading platform options; xStation, a proprietary terminal, and MetaTrader 4. Both offer desktop trading app download clients and can be used directly via major web browsers.

xStation

The XTB proprietary platform is simple yet intuitive. The terminal has won many awards with its superior execution speeds, fully customisable interface and advanced tools. Clients can access all assets within a single interface. Station 5 is available in more than 15 languages, including Thai, Italian, Japanese and Arabic. The web trader is compatible with Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Opera.

The key functions of the platform include:

• One-click trading
• Economic calendar
• Range of chart types
• Customisable graphs
• Useful search function
• Alerts via email, SMS and push notifications
• Built-in calculators for profit, loss and cost estimation
• View global market sentiment from the broker’s clients
• Integrated live news streams from in-house analysis teams
• Easily modify stop-loss and take-profit levels directly from charts and graphs

xStation

The XTB platform supports several order types, including trailing stop-loss and take-profit orders. However, the broker does not offer guaranteed stop losses.

MetaTrader 4

Alternatively, XTB retail clients can utilise the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) terminal. This third-party platform is universally recognised in the global trading environment and is suitable from a beginner experience level through to professional.

The key functions of the platform include:

• Nine timeframes
• Automated trading bots
• Pattern recognition tools
• One-click order execution
• Fully customisable indicators
• MQL4 programming language
• 30 built-in technical indicators
• Test and optimise strategies via the MT4 Strategy Tester

Note, the MetaTrader 4 platform is not available for any new traders. Existing clients may still access this terminal, though all new investors must use xStation. MT4 is available for Mac and Windows computers via online download.

MetaTrader 4

Our XTB trading platform review was pleased with the supporting resources and tools to ensure a successful user experience. The FAQ section also outlines some key platform queries, including copy and social trading functionality, scalping abilities, using the platforms after hours and one-click chart trading.

Mobile App

The XTB xStation mobile app is available to utilise the full functionality of the web platform from portable devices. This is available for free download to iOS and Android devices. It features a modern, easy-to-use design with simple, always-on navigation along the bottom of the screen. View transaction history while on the move and open, close and modify trades with ease.

Tools and features include:

• Dark or light mode
• Charting capabilities
• Customisable app layout
• Price alerts and notifications
• Set risk management strategies directly from charts

Finger recognition and password controls can be enabled for added login security. However, we were disappointed to see the application does not support two-factor authentication (2FA) options.

MetaTrader 4 is also available as a mobile app and can be downloaded free of charge from the relevant app store.

Trading Accounts

There is only one default account available for retail clients; the Standard Account. Access all 2,100+ instruments with market execution. There are no minimum deposit requirements. An Islamic account is also available for traders wanting to be compliant with Sharia law. There are no swap charges.

Standard Account

• xStation only
• Spreads from 0.35 pips
• 0.01 lot minimum order
• Personal account manager
• Automated trading supported
• Stock & ETF CFD commission from 0.08% per lot

The account opening process is quick and easy. Simply complete the online form to get started. Personal identification such as a passport or driving licence plus proof of residency is required under the broker’s KYC compliance. It is great to see that video verification is also available in some European areas.

Demo Account

XTB offers an online demo trading account available on both xStation5 and MT4. A simple online registration form is required to access four weeks of risk-free paper trading features. The functionality of the demo account is similar to alternatives. Clients can access up to £100,000 in virtual funds, 1,500+ trading instruments and tight spreads.

A masterclass trading game and competitions are occasionally hosted on the demo accounts, called the Trading Cup 2024.

XTB Leverage

Leverage opportunities vary with the entity you are trading under. For example, UK clients onboard under the authorisation of the FCA, thus are subject to ESMA leverage capping restrictions. Below we outline the leverage offers by the entity:

UK

• Forex – 1:20
• ETF CFDs – 1:10
• Index CFDs – 1:20
• Commodity CFDs – 1:10

EU

• Forex – 1:20
• ETF CFDs – 1:5
• Index CFDs – 1:20
• Commodity CFDs – 1:10

International

• Forex – 1:500
• ETF CFDs – 1:5
• Index CFDs – 1:200
• Commodity CFDs – 1:500

Fees

Trading Costs

Volume-based commissions apply to CFD stocks and ETFs only, starting from as little as 0.08% per lot. A minimum fee does apply, varying by asset. For example, CFD stock trading in the US market has a 0.08% commission fee per lot with an $8 minimum charge. Forex, indices and commodities trading do not incur a commission charge.

The broker operates on a floating spread mechanism with fees built in. We were offered an average of 1.0 pips for major forex pairs. Some peer reviews, including those on TradingView, indicate a slightly increased spread range when trading on the MT4 platform vs xStation 5.

Active traders can benefit from a spread rebate programme when a trading threshold is met. The reduction varies between 5 and 30%.

Non-Trading Costs

A €10 per month inactivity fee is applied after 12 months of dormancy. Overnight holding costs and rollover fees are also charged. A 0.5% currency conversion fee applies for trades on instruments denominated in a different currency.

Payments

Deposits

XTB online deposit options vary by jurisdiction. There are no minimum deposit requirements to open a live trading account from any country. You may open a trade once you have sufficient funds to meet the minimum trade size.

Payment methods include:

• UK – Bank wire transfer, credit/debit cards, Skrill
• EU – Bank wire transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill
• Non-EU/UK – Bank wire transfer, credit/debit cards, Neteller, Skrill

All deposits except bank wire transfers offer instant account funding. UK and EU wire transfers typically take one working day to be processed. However, international wire transfers can take up to five working days to appear in your trading account. Fees apply for e-wallet payments only, although additional third-party charges may apply.

• UK – Skrill 2% fee
• EU – PayPal & Skrill free
• Non-EU/UK – Skrill 2% & Neteller 1% charge

Simply log in to your client terminal or click the deposit option via the trading platforms to add funds.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals can be made to bank accounts only. This must be authorised with bank statement verification for your first withdrawal. There are no fees to remove funds from a trading account, so long as minimum amounts are met. These vary by jurisdiction, including £60/$80 under XTB Limited UK and €100 under XTB Limited CY. All withdrawals are typically processed within one working day.

XTB Regulation

Several financial authorities regulate the various entities of the XTB Group. Additionally, many of the agencies are reputable, imposing rigorous regulations on brokers in their jurisdictions. See below for an outline of the firm’s regulatory status:

• XTB Limited UK: regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• XTB Sucursal: regulated by the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV)
• XTB MENA Limited: regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)
• XTB Limited CY: regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
• X Trade Brokers Dom Maklerski SA: regulated by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF)
• XTB International Limited: regulated by the International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC)

Protection and compensation schemes will vary by regulator. For example, clients in the UK will be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to the value of £85,000 in the case of business insolvency. Swing trading clients can also be assured of negative balance protection across all entities and funds held in segregated accounts.

Security

The broker adopts the latest technology and practices to maintain full data security on each account. The personal and financial data of each user is also encrypted. XTB completes annual audits to evaluate its security processes and the solvency of liquidity providers to conclude whether they should continue to be associated.

Both platforms also have significant data privacy protocols in place. Two-factor authentication (2FA) can be added to MT4 accounts, though it is not currently available on the xStation terminal. This additional layer of security uses a verification code every time you log in to your online account via an authenticator app or email address prompts.

Infringements

In 2019, XTB saw itself under scrutiny from the Trading Jam Session Foundation. Activists held protests outside the Warsaw (PL) offices following the 2017 investigations of the brokerage breaching best execution rules. The KNF also fined the broker PLN 9 million. There were claims that the broker did not pass on positive price movements contracts between confirmation of an order and execution.

XTB Customer Service

The broker’s customer support page is extensive, with several methods to contact the team. These can be split by global jurisdiction and local language. Contact options include email, telephone and local office address. Support is available 24/5. A live chat option is also available and we noted fast response times.

Additionally, XTB hosts a comprehensive FAQ service on the website. Questions are organised into useful topics including why trading may be disabled on an account, integrating the API Python and how to open a paper trading account.

Education & Analysis

Educational resources are of high quality, which is something that differentiates the top brokers. A designated XTB trading academy is available on the company website. This is classified into trader knowledge level; from basic to expert. You can split online courses by level or subject category, so it is easy to navigate and specialise in specific subjects. Training styles include ebook, online test, masterclass tutorial, articles or YouTube video content. Online courses and live webinars are also available for all clients. Moreover, clients can meet others and discuss strategies in a weekly trading club in the broker’s London headquarters.

The broker also publishes useful market news, price tables and an economic calendar. XTB analysts post real-time ideas and analysis in clear charts and graphs to help you understand price prediction data. A market sentiment by instrument tool is also available to help you understand current seller and buyer trends. These tools are available in many local languages, including Arabic, Chinese and English.

XTB Promotions

XTB does not offer any promotions or bonus incentives to UK or European clients. This is due to FCA and ESMA online trading regulations restricting the use of financial enticements. However, this may vary by jurisdiction. Our review found a 50% welcome bonus available to swing trading clients under the IFSC Belize entity. Terms and conditions include a minimum initial deposit amount of $100. However, the broker does not offer any no deposit bonuses.

Advantages

Benefits of opening an XTB account include:

• Mobile app
• Market analysis access
• Islamic account available
• Negative balance protection
• Comprehensive training academy
• No minimum deposit requirements
• High-end regulation by trading entity
• Innovative proprietary trading terminal
• Demo account available with up to £100k virtual funds

Disadvantages

Downsides of registering with XTB include:

• No US Clients
• Customer support not 24/7
• Commissions on some CFDs
• No futures, options or bonds
• MT4 not available for new clients
• Withdrawals limited to bank accounts

XTB Verdict

XTB is a competitive online broker that specialises in forex and CFD day, formation and swing trading. Several financial authorities across the globe regulate the broker, ensuring that it acts in the best interest of its clients. We were pleased with xStation’s innovative features, as well as the responsive customer support channels and comprehensive training academy. However, the product range is sightly limited and MT4 cannot be used by any new traders. Check out the demo account today to see if XTB is the broker for you.

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