Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is Admiral Markets better than XM Group? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 39 of the best forex brokers, Admiral Markets is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 87 out of 99. XM Group is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 90 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
| Overall Rating | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | |||
| Commissions & Fees | |||
| Offering of Investments | |||
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile Trading | |||
| Research | |||
| Education | |||
| Trust Score | 87 | 90 | 99 |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admiral Markets Review | XM Group Review | IG Review |
| Regulation | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 87 | 90 | 99 |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2009 | 1974 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | Yes |
| Bank | No | No | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Authorised in European Union | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| About Regulation | A “Yes” for any individual regulator indicates that the broker has at least one brand or entity that is licensed and/or authorized by that regulator within its group/organizational structure. Learn more about Trust Score. | A “Yes” for any individual regulator indicates that the broker has at least one brand or entity that is licensed and/or authorized by that regulator within its group/organizational structure. Learn more about Trust Score. |
| Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust) | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIC Authorised (Australia) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IIROC Authorised (Canada) | No | No | No |
| SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) | No | No | No |
| CBI Authorised (Ireland) | No | No | No |
| FSA Authorised (Japan) | No | No | Yes |
| MAS Authorised (Singapore) | No | No | Yes |
| FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) | No | No | Yes |
| FCA Authorised (U.K.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | Yes | Yes |
| FMA Authorised (New Zealand) | No | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust) | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBRC Authorised (China) | No | No | No |
| CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) | Yes | Yes | No |
| SEBI Authorised (India) | No | No | No |
| ISA Authorised (Israel) | No | No | No |
| CBR Authorised (Russia) | No | No | No |
| FSCA Authorised (South Africa) | No | No | Yes |
| SEC Authorised (Thailand) | No | No | No |
| DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) | No | No | Yes |
| Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust) | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | No | No |
| IFSC Authorised (Belize) | No | Yes | No |
| CIMA Authorised (Cayman Islands) | No | No | No |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No | Yes |
| FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) | No | No | No |
| FSC Authorised (Mauritius) | No | No | No |
| VFSC Authorised (Vanuatu) | No | No | No |
| Investments | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8425 | 1372 | 19537 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 50 | 57 | 100 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFD) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 (July 2021) | 1.6 (Aug 2020) | 0.86 (September 2022) |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 (July 2021) | 0.8 (Aug 2021) | 0.5957 (September 2022) |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | Yes |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | Yes |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Initial Deposit | $100 | $5 | £250.00 |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | No |
| cTrader | No | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | 33 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | Yes |
| Forex Calendar | No | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has Education - Forex or CFDs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Review | Admiral Markets Review | XM Group Review | IG Review |
| Overall | Admiral Markets | XM Group | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | |||
| Commissions & Fees | |||
| Offering of Investments | |||
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile Trading | |||
| Research | |||
| Education | |||
| Trust Score | 87 | 90 | 99 |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admiral Markets Review | XM Group Review | IG Review |
Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2022 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 39 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare Admiral Markets vs XM Group.
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spreads data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough annual assessment, IG offers better pricing overall for traders.
At ForexBrokers.com, we track where each forex and CFD broker is regulated across over 23 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. Both Admiral Markets and XM Group hold 2 global Tier-1 licenses. Both Admiral Markets and XM Group hold 1 global Tier-2 licenses. In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, XM Group earned a higher Trust Score than Admiral Markets.
To compare the trading platforms of both Admiral Markets and XM Group, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, IG offers a better experience. With research, IG offers superior market research. Finally, we found IG to provide better mobile trading apps.
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. Both Admiral Markets and XM Group offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4).Admiral Markets and XM Group both offer copy trading.
XM Group provides traders 57 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to Admiral Markets's 50 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, Admiral Markets offers traders access to 8425 CFDs while XM Group has 1372 available CFDs, a difference of 7053.
Admiral Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Admiral Markets is authorised by two tier-1 regulators (high trust), two tier-2 regulators (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). Admiral Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).
XM Group is not publicly-traded and does not operate a bank. XM Group is authorised by three tier-1 regulators (high trust), two tier-2 regulator (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust). XM Group is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and, via its parent company's other brand Trading.com, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Traders choose Admiral Markets (Admirals) for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
Overall winner: IG
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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