United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Netherlands
Australia
United Arab Emirates
Canada
Italy
Spain
Austria
Croatia
Serbia
Portugal
CyprusIG vs XTB
What each one charges, who licenses it, and how they rank against each other country by country.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The short version
We rank both for forex in 6 countries, and IG comes out ahead in every one of them.
We score each country separately, based on the company that would actually hold your account there, so check your own country in the table below.
Of the 3 fees we could compare, XTB is cheaper on 1 and 2 are the same.
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: IG from FCA, BaFin and ASIC, XTB from FCA.
- Both charge the same for US stock orders: $0 per order.
- XTB is cheaper for currency conversion: 0.5%, compared with 0.8% at IG.Edge: XTB
- Neither charges a withdrawal fee.
- We list IG in 9 of the 14 countries we cover and XTB in 7. They overlap in 6.Edge: IG
- Only IG supports TradingView and MetaTrader 4.
- IG gets more search attention than XTB (Market Signal 71 vs 63). That tells you how well known it is, not how good it is.
Where you can use each one
Where each one ranks on our list in every country we cover, its Coinish Score there, and the company that would hold your account. If a broker isn't allowed to take clients from a country, it isn't on that country's list.
Forex brokers
| Country | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | #1 of 2977/100Locally licensed IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 2968/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Italy | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 3168/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Portugal | #1 of 2977/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #5 of 2968/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Spain | #1 of 2977/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 2968/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| United Arab Emirates | #1 of 1175/100Locally licensed IG (DIFC branch) · DFSA | #5 of 1168/100Locally licensed XTB MENA Limited · DFSA |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 1777/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #4 of 1771/100Locally licensed XTB Limited · FCA |
| Australia | #1 of 1677/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | Not listed |
| Austria | #1 of 2877/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #4 of 2868/100Locally licensed XTB Ltd · CySEC |
| Netherlands | #1 of 2877/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
CFD brokers
| Country | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | #1 of 3177/100Locally licensed IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3168/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Italy | #1 of 3377/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3368/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Portugal | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 3168/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Spain | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3168/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| United Arab Emirates | #1 of 1275/100Locally licensed IG (DIFC branch) · DFSA | #6 of 1268/100Locally licensed XTB MENA Limited · DFSA |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 1877/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #5 of 1871/100Locally licensed XTB Limited · FCA |
| Australia | #1 of 1877/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | Not listed |
| Austria | #1 of 3077/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #5 of 3068/100Locally licensed XTB Ltd · CySEC |
| Netherlands | #1 of 3077/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
Stock brokers & investing apps
| Country | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | #2 of 776/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #5 of 771/100Locally licensed XTB Limited · FCA |
| Australia | #2 of 876/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | Not listed |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #3 of 969/100Locally licensed XTB Ltd · CySEC |
| Germany | Not listed | #3 of 1269/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Italy | Not listed | #3 of 1169/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Portugal | Not listed | #3 of 969/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| Spain | Not listed | #3 of 969/100EU passport XTB S.A. · KNF |
| United Arab Emirates | Not listed | #3 of 669/100Locally licensed XTB MENA Limited · DFSA |
Fees and features side by side
| IG | XTB | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Forex, CFDs, Stocks & ETFs, Options | Forex, CFDs, Stocks & ETFs |
| Owner | IG Group Holdings Plc | XTB S.A. (listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange) |
| EUR/USD all-in cost | 0.6 pips, CFD / spread bet (minimum spread 0.6, no commission) | Not verified yet |
| US stock commission | $0 per order | $0 per order |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Inactivity fee | CHF 18 per month after 24 consecutive months with no trading (Swiss accounts; amount differs by region) | €10 per month after 365 days with no trade and no deposit in the last 90 days |
| Withdrawal fee | None | None |
| Minimum deposit | $0 (IG Markets Ltd) | $0 (XTB Limited) |
| Instruments | 17,000+ | 11,900+ |
| Fractional shares | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Platforms | IG web platform, IG trading app, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, TradingView, MT4 | xStation web, xStation desktop, XTB mobile app |
| Deposit methods | Debit card, Credit card, Apple Pay, Bank transfer | Bank transfer, Credit/debit card (Visa, Mastercard) |
| Withdrawal time (stated) | card 2–5 bank working days; bank transfer 1–3 working days | same or next business day (bank transfer) |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Support | live chat · 24/7 except Fri 22:00–Sat 08:00 (UK) | live chat, email, phone · 24/5 |
Every figure comes from the broker's own pages or its regulator. You'll find the sources in each review (IG, XTB).
Licences
IG vs XTB: common questions
Which is better, IG or XTB?
We rank both for forex in 6 countries, and IG comes out ahead in every one of them. For reference, IG's best ranking is #1 of 33 CFD brokers in Italy, and XTB's best ranking is #3 of 12 stock brokers & investing apps in Germany.
Is IG cheaper than XTB?
Both charge the same for US stock orders: $0 per order. XTB is cheaper for currency conversion: 0.5%, compared with 0.8% at IG. Neither charges a withdrawal fee.
Is IG or XTB better regulated?
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: IG from FCA, BaFin and ASIC, XTB from FCA. Which company you actually sign up with depends on where you live; the country table on this page names it for each one.
Can I use both IG and XTB where I live?
We list IG in 9 of the 14 countries we cover and XTB in 7. They overlap in 6. For forex, you'll find both on our lists in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.