Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Swissquote vs XTB
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Swissquote |  XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $1,000 | €0 |
| Stock trade fee | $20 | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | €10 |
| Markets | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, CryptoCovers more |
| Regulators | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:100 | 1:30 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 77% |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5% |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Not confirmed | Free deposits; free withdrawals above 100 EUR/USD |
| Platforms | Not confirmed | XStation 5, XStation Mobile |
Same on both: Investor protection (EU ICS up to EUR 20,000).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- XTB scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Swissquote offers Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).
- Regulators: only XTB offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), FCA, KNF.
- Founded is lower at Swissquote: 1996 vs 2002.
- XTB is licensed in 2 more countries.
- Markets: only XTB offers ETFs.
- Support channels: only Swissquote offers Help centre.
- Support channels: only XTB offers Email, Chat.
- Features: only XTB offers Crypto.
Our verdict on each
Swissquote
Swissquote runs a Swiss bank entity under CSSF supervision with EU investor compensation, so it suits traders who want a bank behind the account. The trade-off is entry cost: a stock trade fee of $20 and a minimum deposit of $1,000 sit well above cheaper rivals.
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 | Swissquote | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.3Costs run high: stock trade fee $20, minimum deposit $1,000 and inactivity fee $10 sit above site medians. | 9.1Higher |
| Offer | 9.0 | 9.3Higher |
| Trust | 9.0 | 9.6Higher |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | Swissquote | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
How they place
| Ranking | Swissquote | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 187 of 471 | 3 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 80 of 147 | 2 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 78 of 145 | 2 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 67 of 122 | 2 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Swissquote | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app | Demo account, Mobile app, CryptoCovers more |
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Commission free, Low fees |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Swissquote Bank Europe SA | XTB Limited |
| Headquarters | Luxembourg | Cyprus |
| Founded | 1996Lower | 2002 |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre | Email, Chat, Phone |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Swissquote | XTB |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio types | ESG | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Swissquote | XTB | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0at the median | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 77%highest quarter | 72.05% |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0.5%above the median | 0.45% |
Median across 52 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Swissquote
Pros
- Regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg, with the legal entity named as Swissquote Bank Europe SA.
- Covers stocks, forex, CFDs and crypto on a single account, with retail leverage of 1:100.
- A demo account and a mobile app are both listed features, so you can test before committing.
Cons
- Costs are high for a retail account: a stock trade fee of $20 against a site median of €0.
- The minimum deposit of $1,000 ranks 191 of 213, far above the site median of €4.64.
- An inactivity fee of $10 applies, where the site median is €0.
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
Swissquote
Who it suits
- Traders moving between forex, CFDs, crypto and shares on a single account
- Investors who put weight on a supervised bank entity and investor compensation
- People who want to practise on a demo account before risking money
Who should look elsewhere
- Newcomers with a small starting balance, since the minimum deposit is $1,000
- Share buyers focused on trading costs, given the stock trade fee of $20 against eToro at $0
- Passive long term investors, because the portfolio options listed are esg
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
Swissquote
How much does it cost to trade shares with Swissquote?+
The stock trade fee is $20, which is well above the site median of €0. Swissquote ranks 161 of 161 on this measure, so share dealing here is costly. eToro, by contrast, charges $0 per trade.
What is the minimum deposit to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is $1,000, which is a high bar for a first account. On our data Swissquote ranks 191 of 213 on this measure, against a site median of €4.64. Vantage asks for $5 and CFI for $0.
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
Other matchups
- XTB vs Afranga
- XTB vs Nectaro
- Swissquote vs Charles Schwab
- Swissquote vs Saxo
- Swissquote vs Wealthyhood
- Swissquote vs EC Markets
- Swissquote vs VT Markets
- Swissquote vs IC Markets
- Swissquote vs Interactive Brokers
- Swissquote vs Trading 212
- Swissquote vs Tradier
- Swissquote vs LiteFinance
- Swissquote vs quantfury
- Swissquote vs Capital.com
- Swissquote vs LYNX
- Swissquote vs Freedom24
- Swissquote vs Trade Nation
- Swissquote vs Wealthfront
- Swissquote vs Exness
- Swissquote vs Tradu
- XTB vs ActivTrades
- XTB vs DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank)
- XTB vs NAGA
- XTB vs UNest
- XTB vs eToro
- XTB vs Linxea
- XTB vs bunq
- Swissquote vs Mintos
- XTB vs Robinhood
- XTB vs Empower Personal Dashboard
- XTB vs Kraken
- XTB vs EBC Financial Group
- XTB vs BlackBull Markets