Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
CFI vs XTB
CFI vs XTB: the differences
| Compare |  CFI |  XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 | €0 |
| Regulators | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, FCA | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 66% | 77% |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | No deposit fees | Free deposits; free withdrawals above 100 EUR/USD |
| Platforms | MT5, TradingView, CFI Multi Asset, CFI Trading App | XStation 5, XStation Mobile |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | €10 |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5% |
| Maximum retail leverage | Not confirmed | 1:30 |
Same on both: Markets (Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto), Investor protection (EU ICS up to EUR 20,000).
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Key differences
- CFI scores higher overall: 9.6 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only CFI offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Regulators: only XTB offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), KNF.
- Founded is lower at CFI: 1998 vs 2002.
- XTB is licensed in 1 more country.
- Platforms: only CFI offers MT5, TradingView, CFI Multi Asset.
- Platforms: only XTB offers XStation 5, XStation Mobile.
- Features: only XTB offers Crypto.
- Pricing model: only XTB offers Low fees.
Our verdict on each
CFI
CFI suits traders who want one account covering stocks, etfs and forex on a commission-free model commission free, with a minimum deposit of $0 and a Cyprus entity licensed by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA. Note that 66% of retail accounts lose money, and protection under the EU scheme is limited.
XTB
XTB suits retail traders who want to hold stocks, ETFs, forex, CFDs and crypto under one Cyprus-based account without a monthly charge. The account fee is €0, deposits cost nothing, and CySEC, FCA and KNF authorisations sit behind a legal entity founded in 2002.
Score breakdown
| Area | CFI | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.7Higher | 9.1 |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.3 |
| Trust | 9.4 | 9.6Higher |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | CFI | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 259400HM2TR4U3LF5D43 | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| Poland | Not confirmed |
Where these facts come from
CFI
- media.cfifinancial.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- play.google.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- dailyforex.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- forex.wikibit.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- investinglive.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
XTB
- xtb.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- hello-brokers.com: 5 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- eupersonalfinance.eu: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- linkedin.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | CFI | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 34 of 490 | 3 of 490 |
| Forex brokers | 12 of 147 | 2 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 10 of 145 | 2 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 11 of 122 | 2 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | CFI | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app | Demo account, Mobile app, CryptoCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free, Low feesCovers more |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd | XTB Limited |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1998Lower | 2002 |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Chat, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | CFI | XTB | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | €0below the median | €1 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0at the median | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | €10above the median | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 66%below the median | 77%highest quarter | 70.375% |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5%above the median | 0.4% |
Median across 38 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
CFI
Pros
- No minimum deposit, at $0, and No deposit fees, so funding does not cost a fee and the account can open at any size.
- Regulated on both sides of Europe: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA, with the Cyprus entity named as Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd.
- A single account covers stocks, etfs and forex rather than forcing separate apps per asset class.
Cons
- Protection caps out at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 on the Cyprus entity, so balances above that sit outside the scheme.
- 66% of retail accounts lose money, which is the risk that matters most for anyone sizing a position.
- Leverage sits alongside shares and ETFs in stocks, etfs and forex, so a single account mixes instruments with very different risk levels.
XTB
Pros
- Account fee of €0 on the standard account, and stock trades cost €0.
- Minimum deposit of €0, so the account opens without a funding floor.
- Regulated by CySEC, the FCA and KNF across Cyprus, the UK and Poland.
Cons
- An inactivity fee of €10 applies, unlike eToro, which has no such charge.
- Forex and CFD trading is not cost free: fx trading costs 0.5%.
- CFDs carry a high proportion of losing retail accounts, and XTB's own figure is 77%.
Who each suits
CFI
Who it suits
- People who want stocks, etfs and forex held in one place instead of several broker accounts.
- Traders who prefer the commission-free model commission free and a minimum deposit of $0 over a larger entry threshold.
- Savers who want a Cyprus or UK regulated option, given Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA and the Cyprus licence 179/12.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone wanting a wider asset list, since stocks, etfs and forex runs to futures as well and CFI's list is stocks, etfs and forex.
- EU traders who want a rival with a low entry point, such as XTB at €0.
- Traders put off by losses in the retail book, where 66% lose money and the median here is 70.15%.
XTB
Who it suits
- Retail traders in the UK and Europe who want stocks, ETFs, forex, CFDs and crypto in one account
- Beginners who want a demo account and a mobile app before committing money
- Cost conscious traders who will not hold a balance large enough to trigger the inactivity fee
Who should look elsewhere
- Vantage, if a small minimum deposit of $5 suits a smaller starting balance better
- CFI, for traders who want forex and CFDs without paying an fx charge of 0.5%
- Anyone who plans to hold an idle balance for a long period, given the inactivity fee of €10
Questions about each
CFI
What is the minimum deposit to open a CFI account?+
The minimum deposit is $0, so an account can be opened at any size and a first deposit does not have to clear a threshold. For comparison, Vantage lists $5 and XTB €0. The median minimum across the brands ranked is €4.64, and the highest reaches €26,308.87. CFI places 1 of 213 on that measure.
Does CFI charge commission on trades?+
CFI trades on a commission-free model, commission free, so positions are opened without a per-trade commission charge. The cost of a trade therefore sits in the spread and the market rather than in a commission line. Commission-free models are common in the field, appearing for 69.8% of the brands compared. Low-fee models sit alongside them at 40.5%.
XTB
What does XTB charge to open and hold an account?+
The account fee is €0, so there is no monthly or annual cost to keeping the account open. A stock trade costs €0 on the same account. The only recurring charge to watch is an inactivity fee of €10 for traders whose balance sits idle.
Is there a minimum deposit at XTB?+
The minimum deposit is €0, which means the account can be opened and funded with a small amount. It is a lower floor than the $5 asked by Vantage, so it suits a trader testing the platform before scaling up.
Other options to compare
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