XM Group vs Alpari 2025
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs Alpari, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs Alpari, 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.
When comparing online brokers XM Group and Alpari, it’s important to consider their regulatory credentials and trust scores. XM Group, which was established in 2009, holds four Tier-1 licenses, categorizing it as highly trusted, alongside a Trust Score of 93 from ForexBrokers.com. On the other hand, Alpari, founded in 1998, doesn’t possess any Tier-1 licenses and holds a Trust Score of 68, indicating a higher risk. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank.
These regulatory differences are significant for traders looking for a trustworthy platform. XM Group’s commitment to compliance with top-tier regulators reflects a stronger level of reassurance for potential investors. Meanwhile, Alpari, with no Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses, indicates a comparatively lower level of assurance regarding its regulatory compliance and trustworthiness. For those prioritizing security, XM Group presents a more favorable option.
| Feature |
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
If you’re comparing commissions and fees at XM Group and Alpari, both earn 4 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. XM Group ranks #34 out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category, while Alpari ranks #42 out of 63, giving XM a slight edge despite the same star rating.
XM Group: Standard account spreads are described as expensive, and the broker does not publish average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account. Without average spread data, it’s harder to estimate typical trading costs in advance, which can matter if you trade frequently or are spread-sensitive.
Alpari: Average spread data is not available, which limits transparency for everyday pricing and makes direct cost comparisons difficult. With a 4-star score but a lower #42 ranking, Alpari trails XM Group on commissions and fees even though both share the same overall rating.
| Feature |
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Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $20 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.6 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XM Group and Alpari both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot. XM Group offers a much wider selection, with 1,394 tradable instruments and 55 forex pairs, compared with Alpari’s 105 instruments and 46 pairs. Both brokers support copy trading, so you can follow strategies from other traders if you choose.
For real shares (not CFDs), XM Group gives access to U.S. exchanges as well as international markets, while Alpari offers international listed shares but not U.S. stocks. Neither broker lets you buy actual crypto, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs. According to ForexBrokers.com’s “Range of Investments” ratings, XM Group scores 4.5 stars and ranks 25th, while Alpari earns 3 stars and ranks 64th.
| Feature |
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
XM Group and Alpari both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools: each offers a free demo account for paper trading, Windows desktop and web-based platforms, copy trading, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can place trades directly from charts with either broker. The main platform difference is that Alpari also provides a proprietary, in-house platform, while XM Group sticks to MetaTrader only.
In independent ratings for Trading Platforms and Tools, both brokers earn 4 stars. However, XM Group ranks higher overall at #33 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari sits at #56. If you want the familiar MetaTrader experience without extra platform options, XM Group is a straightforward choice. If you prefer having a broker-built platform alongside MT4 and MT5, Alpari offers that added option.
| Feature |
|
Alpari
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|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XM Group and Alpari both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, and the ability to draw trendlines. One shared limitation is that neither app auto-saves chart drawings, so annotations may not persist after you close the app or switch contexts.
The key difference is watchlist syncing: XM Group syncs your watchlists between mobile and your online account, while Alpari does not. Both apps are rated 4 out of 5 stars, yet XM Group ranks 31st out of 63 for mobile trading apps, compared with Alpari at 57th. If synced watchlists and a stronger category ranking matter to you, XM Group has the edge; if you only need alerts and solid charting tools, both apps will cover the basics.
| Feature |
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Alpari
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|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing XM Group vs Alpari for market research, XM Group comes out ahead for everyday insights. XM Group provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg/Reuters-class providers), Trading Central research, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Alpari skips daily commentary but does include premium news and an economic calendar, plus Autochartist for technical ideas; however, it lacks Trading Central and a sentiment tool. Availability of TipRanks and Acuity Trading tools at Alpari is not specified.
Independent ratings back up the gap: XM Group earns 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari holds 3 stars and ranks #58. If you want frequent commentary and a wider mix of research tools, XM Group is the stronger pick; if you mainly need Autochartist and standard news with an economic calendar, Alpari may suffice.
| Feature |
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
XM Group and Alpari both provide forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, making them workable starting points for new traders. For beginners who like live guidance, XM Group runs client webinars at least once a month, and its library includes 10+ beginner videos plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. Alpari also delivers 10+ beginner videos and general learning materials, but it does not host monthly educational webinars and does not reach the same depth for advanced topics.
In independent reviews, XM Group earns 5 stars for Education and ranks 7th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari holds 3 stars and ranks 48th. If you want a fuller learning path with live sessions and advanced lessons, XM Group is the stronger pick; if you just need basic, self-paced lessons, Alpari can do the job.
| Feature |
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
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 Alpari. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #17, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
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Alpari
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 93 | 68 |
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XM Group and Alpari do not offer buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both brokers provide trading in cryptocurrency CFDs instead.
Comparing online brokers XM Group and Alpari: both do not offer ACH or SEPA for deposits or withdrawals; XM Group supports Skrill and bank wire transfers but not PayPal, while Alpari’s availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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 | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.6 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | XM Group | Alpari | |
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| Research |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review |