Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Exness vs XTB
Where Exness and XTB differ
| Compare |  Exness |  XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10 | €0 |
| Stock trade fee | $0 | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | €10 |
| Markets | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, Metals | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto |
| Regulators | FCA, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, FSCA | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no deposit or withdrawal fee | Free deposits; free withdrawals above 100 EUR/USD |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness Trade App | XStation 5, XStation Mobile |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:Unlimited | 1:30 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 77% |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5% |
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Key differences
- Exness scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only Exness offers FSA Seychelles, FSCA.
- Regulators: only XTB offers KNF.
- Founded is lower at XTB: 2002 vs 2008.
- Exness is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only Exness offers Metals.
- Markets: only XTB offers ETFs.
- Platforms: only Exness offers MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal.
- Platforms: only XTB offers XStation 5, XStation Mobile.
- Audience: only Exness offers Day traders.
Our verdict on each
Exness
Exness suits beginners and day traders who want to place stock trades without a dealing charge, with a stock trade fee of $0 and an inactivity fee of $0. Regulators listed are the FCA, CySEC, the FSA Seychelles and the FSCA, with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 stated for UK clients.
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 | Exness | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Higher | 9.1 |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.3 |
| Trust | 9.5 | 9.6Higher |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | Exness | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Metals | Yes | No |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Exness | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 259400HM2TR4U3LF5D43 | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| Poland | Not confirmed | |
| Seychelles | Not confirmed | |
| South Africa | FSCA 51024 | Not confirmed |
What we checked
Exness
- brokerchampion.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- brokeranalysis.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- e-trading.cn.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- exness.org: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- newyorkcityservers.com: 2 facts, 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 | Exness | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 45 of 490 | 3 of 490 |
| Forex brokers | 19 of 147 | 2 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 17 of 145 | 2 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 15 of 122 | 2 of 122 |
| Brokers for beginners | 18 of 88 | 1 of 88 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Exness | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Demo account, Mobile app, Crypto |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low fees | Commission free, Low fees |
| Audience | Beginners, Day tradersCovers more | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Exness (SC) Ltd | XTB Limited |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Cyprus |
| Founded | 2008 | 2002Lower |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Chat, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Exness | XTB | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0at the median | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 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
Exness
Pros
- A $0 stock trade fee, with the pricing model read as commission-free and low-fee.
- An inactivity fee of $0, so a dormant balance is not billed.
- Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge, so moving money costs nothing.
Cons
- Retail leverage is listed at 1:Unlimited, and 70.15% of retail accounts on this site lose money.
- Regulators listed include the FSA Seychelles and the FSCA alongside the FCA and CySEC, so the entity behind an account can differ by market.
- The market list, stocks, forex and cfds, stops short of ETFs and futures, so share investors wanting those should look elsewhere.
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
Exness
Who it suits
- Beginners and day traders, the audiences the brand names.
- Traders who want a $0 stock trade fee and an inactivity fee of $0 on the same account.
- Desktop and mobile users who want to trade across MT4, MT5 and Exness Terminal.
Who should look elsewhere
- CFI, where the minimum deposit is $0.
- Vantage, with a minimum deposit of $5.
- eToro, which also covers ETFs and futures beyond the markets listed here.
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
Exness
What does Exness charge to buy a stock?+
Share dealing runs at a stock trade fee of $0, and the pricing model is listed as commission-free and low-fee. On this site's stock trade fee ranking Exness sits at 1 of 161, so the per-trade cost sits at the cheap end of the brands compared. Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge either.
Does Exness charge an inactivity fee?+
The inactivity fee is $0, so a dormant account is not billed for sitting still. Exness ranks 1 of 56 on this measure, at the top of the table of brands compared. Some rivals charge for unused accounts, so this saves money for anyone who opens an account and leaves it quiet for a while.
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.
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