Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs Admirals, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
XM Group and Admirals are two prominent online brokers in the financial trading industry, both with strong regulatory credentials. Founded in 2009, XM Group holds four Tier-1 licenses, which speaks to its high level of trust for clients. Admirals, founded in 2001, also boasts four Tier-1 licenses. Both firms have achieved a Trust Score of 93 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, categorizing them as highly trusted brokers. Neither company is publicly traded or operates as a bank, providing a straightforward offering focused on online trading services.
XM Group has one Tier-2 license, while Admirals holds three Tier-2 licenses, which indicates their additional compliance with trusted regulatory standards. These brokers have prioritized securing licenses from top regulatory bodies to ensure transparency and customer protection. Although their founding years differ, and there are slight variations in their regulatory compositions, both XM Group and Admirals present a similar profile of trustworthiness to potential investors, making them reliable options for those venturing into online trading.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing XM Group and Admirals for commissions and fees, each broker offers distinct pricing structures. XM Group's standard account features relatively high spreads, with costs being less transparent on their commission-based XM Zero account due to unpublished average spreads. In contrast, Admirals provides more competitive pricing, with typical spreads of 0.8 on the Trade account and similar pricing structures on their Zero account.
Both XM Group and Admirals are solid options for traders, but there are notable differences in their ratings and rankings. XM Group has a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking #33 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Admirals, on the other hand, has a slightly higher rating of 4.5 stars and ranks #17 in the same category.
For those weighing options based on fees and commissions, Admirals appears to offer more competitive pricing, which is reflected in its higher ranking and rating. Meanwhile, XM Group remains a reputable choice with its strengths in other areas, despite its relatively higher fees and less transparent pricing on some accounts.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments offered by XM Group and Admirals, both brokers support forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, providing traders with flexible options in the forex market. XM Group offers access to 1,394 tradeable symbols, which includes 55 forex pairs, while Admirals provides an impressive 8,702 tradeable symbols with 82 forex pairs available. This makes Admirals particularly appealing to those who seek a broader selection of trading assets. Despite the difference in the volume of tradeable symbols, both brokers allow investors to engage in exchange-traded securities for U.S. stocks like Apple and international stocks like Vodafone, ensuring a well-rounded investment portfolio.
In terms of additional features, both XM Group and Admirals offer copy trading, enabling users to mimic the trades of successful investors, and both brokers provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. They each receive a 4.5-star rating for their range of investments, indicating strong performance in this category. However, according to ForexBrokers.com, Admirals ranks slightly higher at #19 compared to XM Group, which stands at #24 out of 63 brokers, suggesting Admirals might have a slight edge in overall investment variety and satisfaction.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, both XM Group and Admirals shine with robust offerings. Both brokers provide free virtual demo accounts, allowing new traders to practice and refine their strategies without risk. While neither XM Group nor Admirals have developed a proprietary platform, they both support popular platforms MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, accessible via Windows desktop and web browsers. Besides, both brokers support copy trading, enhancing social experiences among traders. However, neither offers unique options like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Admirals stands out with a significant edge in charting tools, boasting 106 drawing tools compared to XM Group's 15.
Both XM Group and Admirals allow trades directly from a stock chart and offer seven columns in their watch lists. Despite the similarities, there is a distinction in their ranking and rating. XM Group achieved a respectable 4-star rating for its trading platforms and tools and is ranked #32 by ForexBrokers.com. Admirals shares the same star rating but is ranked higher at #19, suggesting a slightly enhanced trading experience. For traders seeking a solid platform with comprehensive tools, both brokers provide excellent options, though Admirals garners a slightly higher preference in industry rankings.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both XM Group and Admirals provide mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders to access stock and forex markets on the go. Users can receive real-time alerts and create customizable watchlists with synchronized data. This feature lets XM Group users maintain consistent watchlists across platforms, whereas Admirals lacks this syncing capability. Both apps support multiple time frames and have 30 technical studies, offering a rich array of tools for analyzing market trends. Admirals has an edge in convenience by auto-saving drawings on charts, a feature XM Group's app does not offer.
Rated four stars for their mobile trading applications, both brokers are acknowledged for their performance; however, Admirals stands out slightly by securing the 23rd spot, compared to XM Group's 30th ranking in a list of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Whether you prefer the seamless syncing of watchlists with XM Group or the automatic saving of chart drawings with Admirals, both platforms cater to traders looking for comprehensive and accessible mobile trading experiences.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both XM Group and Admirals provide their users with daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Alongside this, they offer technical analysis tools from Trading Central, helping traders make informed decisions. Their offerings also include sentiment-based trading tools showing the ratio of long and short positions on currency pairs, as well as economic calendars detailing global news events, ensuring that traders have access to critical information for their strategies.
While both brokers excel in providing essential market insights, there are notable differences. Admirals enhances its platform with research tools from Acuity Trading and market insights from TipRanks, resources that XM Group does not feature. Despite this, XM Group achieves a 5-star research rating compared to Admirals' 4-star rating, largely contributing to its higher ranking of #8 on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Admirals stands at #15. This distinction illustrates XM's strong reputation in market research, although both platforms serve as valuable resources for traders seeking comprehensive market analysis.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources for beginners offered by XM Group and Admirals, both online brokers provide a comprehensive collection of materials designed to assist newcomers in understanding forex and CFDs trading. They each offer a variety of educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, with a focus on forex and CFDs, and also host regular live webinars to further support their clients' learning journeys. Additionally, both brokers maintain searchable archives of these webinars, offering accessibility to past sessions for ongoing learning.
While both XM Group and Admirals excel in providing beginner-friendly and advanced educational videos, XM Group slightly edges ahead, earning a five-star rating compared to Admirals' four-star rating. Furthermore, XM Group ranks higher by ForexBrokers.com, coming in at #7 compared to Admirals at #12 for education resources. One notable difference, however, is that Admirals provides an investor dictionary with definitions of over 50 investing terms, catering to those who seek a glossary to complement their learning. Despite this, XM Group is rated higher overall for their educational offerings.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that XM Group is better than Admirals. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #17, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 93 |
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Both XM Group and Admirals do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they both provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers XM Group and Admirals, it is important to consider that while both offer options such as Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires for depositing or withdrawing account funds, Admirals distinguishes itself by additionally providing ACH or SEPA transfers and PayPal, options not available with XM Group.
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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XM Group | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Admirals Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | Admirals | |
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| Regulation | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
| Cost | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XM Group Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | XM Group | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Admirals Review |
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