Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
IG vs XTB
Where IG and XTB differ
| Compare |  IG |  XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | £0 | €0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread bettingCovers more | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto |
| Regulators | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 69% | 77% |
| Platforms | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView | XStation 5, XStation Mobile |
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | €10 |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5% |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Not confirmed | Free deposits; free withdrawals above 100 EUR/USD |
| Maximum retail leverage | Not confirmed | 1:30 |
| Interest on cash | 2.5% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Account fee (€0), Investor protection (EU ICS up to EUR 20,000).
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Key differences
- IG scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only IG offers Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC.
- Regulators: only XTB offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF.
- XTB is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only IG offers Options, Futures, Spread betting.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
- Platforms: only XTB offers XStation 5, XStation Mobile.
- Features: only IG offers Fractional shares.
- Features: only XTB offers Crypto.
- Pricing model: only XTB offers Low fees.
Our verdict on each
IG
IG suits traders who want shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting under a single roof, with an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5% on uninvested balances. Share dealing runs commission-free, while the retail loss rate is 69%.
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 | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Higher | 9.1 |
| Offer | 9.6HigherCommission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. | 9.3 |
| Trust | 9.5 | 9.6Higher |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Spread betting | Yes | No |
Availability and regulation
| Country | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 259400HM2TR4U3LF5D43 |
| Germany | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 | Not confirmed |
| Poland | Not confirmed | |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed | |
| United States | SIPC SIPC member 71021 | Not confirmed |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 39 of 490 | 3 of 490 |
| Forex brokers | 15 of 147 | 2 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 13 of 145 | 2 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 12 of 122 | 2 of 122 |
What we checked
IG
- ig.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 4 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
Every fact side by side
| Fact | IG | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional shares | Demo account, Mobile app, Crypto |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free, Low feesCovers more |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | IG Europe GmbH | XTB Limited |
| Headquarters | Germany | Cyprus |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2002 |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Chat, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | IG | XTB | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | €0below the median | €1 |
| Account fee | €0at the median | €0at the median | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | €10above the median | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 69%below the median | 77%highest quarter | 70.375% |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5%above the median | 0.4% |
| Interest on cash | 2.5%below the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 38 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
IG
Pros
- Markets list stocks, etfs and forex, so shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting sit together.
- Regulated by Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, with client protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
- Platform choice runs Mobile trading, L2 Dealer and ProRealTime.
Cons
- Retail accounts that lose money come to 69%.
- The commission-free model in commission free applies to share dealing, and it does not extend to trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options or futures.
- Accounts sit with IG Europe GmbH in Germany, so compensation stops at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
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
IG
Who it suits
- Traders who want stocks, etfs and forex reachable from the same account rather than several platforms.
- Share buyers who want dealing on a commission-free basis, since commission free covers their trades.
- EU clients who weight regulation and compensation, given Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC and EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a platform built around share dealing and crypto alone should compare CFI, whose stocks, etfs and forex is a shorter, simpler list.
- Investors priced in dollars rather than euros should weigh eToro, where the stock trade fee is $0.
- Anyone weighing only the account charge should know Vantage lists $0, so IG's €0 is not the only way to hold an account cheaply.
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
IG
What does it cost to trade shares with IG?+
Share dealing runs on a commission-free model, with a stock trade fee of £0 and an account fee of €0. Those are the two figures that matter for holding and trading, and both sit at the floor of the site tables. Trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options and futures are quoted apart from share dealing.
Who regulates IG and is my money protected?+
The regulators are Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, and the licences listed are MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 and SIPC member 71021. Client protection in the EU is EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, so a claim against the firm is covered only up to that ceiling. Any balance above the cap is your own exposure.
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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