Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Saxo vs XTB
Saxo vs XTB: the differences
| Compare |  Saxo |  XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | CHF 0 | €0 |
| Stock trade fee | $1 | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | €0Lower | €10 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Bonds, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto |
| Regulators | Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 64% | 77% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.25%Lower | 0.5% |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free deposits and withdrawals | Free deposits; free withdrawals above 100 EUR/USD |
| Platforms | SaxoInvestor, SaxoTrader | XStation 5, XStation Mobile |
| Options contract fee | $2 | Not confirmed |
| Account types | Joint, Corporate | Not confirmed |
| Maximum retail leverage | Not confirmed | 1:30 |
Same on both: Account fee (€0), Investor protection (EU ICS up to EUR 20,000).
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Key differences
- Regulators: only Saxo offers Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA).
- Regulators: only XTB offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), KNF.
- Founded is lower at Saxo: 1992 vs 2002.
- XTB is licensed in 1 more country.
- Inactivity fee is lower at Saxo: €0 vs €10.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Saxo: 0.25% vs 0.5%.
- Markets: only Saxo offers Options, Futures, Bonds.
- Markets: only XTB offers Crypto.
- Platforms: only Saxo offers SaxoInvestor, SaxoTrader.
- Platforms: only XTB offers XStation 5, XStation Mobile.
Our verdict on each
Saxo
Saxo suits investors who want a Danish bank with no account or inactivity charge and a wide market list, but the stock trade fee is $1 and the FX fee is 0.25%. Costs stay predictable for long holders, less so for frequent traders.
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 | Saxo | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Account fee and inactivity fee are both €0 and €0, and the minimum deposit is CHF 0. Stock trades cost $1. | 9.1 |
| Offer | 9.3 | 9.3 |
| Trust | 9.5 | 9.6Higher |
What each covers
| Markets | Saxo | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | No |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
How they place
| Ranking | Saxo | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 78 of 471 | 3 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 33 of 147 | 2 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 31 of 145 | 2 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 25 of 122 | 2 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Saxo | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Fractional shares, Mobile app | Demo account, Mobile app, Crypto |
| Pricing model | Low fees | Commission free, Low feesCovers more |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Saxo Bank A/S | XTB Limited |
| Headquarters | Denmark | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1992Lower | 2002 |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Chat, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Saxo | XTB | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | €0at the median | €0at the median | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | €0below the median | €10above the median | €2.45 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 64%lowest quarter | 77%highest quarter | 72.05% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.25%below the median | 0.5%above the median | 0.45% |
| Options contract fee | $2highest quarter | Not confirmed | $0.625 |
Median across 52 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Saxo
Pros
- Account fee and inactivity fee are both €0 and €0
- Minimum deposit is CHF 0 and deposits and withdrawals carry no charge
- Regulated in Denmark by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority and in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority
Cons
- Stock trade fee of $1 sits well above the site median of €0
- FX fee of 0.25% applies on top of trading costs
- Investor protection is limited to the EU scheme 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
Saxo
Who it suits
- Investors holding stocks and ETFs long term who want no account or inactivity charge
- Traders who need forex, options, futures and CFDs on one account
- Joint and corporate account holders
Who should look elsewhere
- Beginners wanting commission-free share dealing, where eToro charges $0 per trade
- Small-balance traders unwilling to meet the Vantage minimum deposit of $5
- Frequent currency converters put off by the 0.25% FX fee
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
Saxo
What does Saxo charge to hold an account?+
The account fee is €0 and the inactivity fee is €0, so there is no annual or dormancy charge. Saxo ranks 1 of 138 on account fee and 1 of 56 on inactivity fee. That makes it a straightforward choice for long-term holdings.
How much does it cost to buy a stock?+
Stock trades cost $1 through Saxo. That places it at 107 of 161 on this measure, and above the site median of €0. Active share traders should weigh that before opening.
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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