Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs BlackBull Markets, 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 BlackBull Markets, a quick overview reveals key differences in their regulatory footprints and trust ratings. Founded in 2009, XM Group holds an impressive four Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, contributing to a Trust Score of 88 out of 99. This score places it in the 'trusted' category according to ForexBrokers.com. While not listed on any stock exchange and not a bank, XM Group's multiple high-level licenses position it as a reliable choice for traders.
On the other hand, BlackBull Markets, established in 2014, has secured a single Tier-1 license and does not hold any Tier-2 licenses. As a result, it has a Trust Score of 78 out of 99, indicating an average risk according to ForexBrokers.com. Like XM Group, BlackBull Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank. Though both brokers offer trading platforms for different investor needs, XM Group edges ahead in trustworthiness based on regulatory backing.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, XM Group offers a standard account with higher spreads that may not appeal to cost-conscious traders. Although it features a commission-based XM Zero account, XM Group does not disclose average spread data for this option, making cost evaluation challenging. Earning 4 out of 5 stars, XM Group ranks 33rd out of 63 brokers for its fee structure according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, BlackBull Markets stands out with more competitive trading costs, although these vary depending on the account type chosen. The Prime account, in particular, offers a compelling option with an average spread of 0.16 on the EUR/USD. This account carries an all-in cost of 0.76 pips when factoring in a per-side commission of 0.3 pips or $6 per 10,000 units traded. The Standard account offers commission-free trading at the cost of higher spreads, while the ECN Institutional account caters to active traders with a substantial $20,000 minimum deposit. Overall, BlackBull Markets earns a commendable 4.5-star rating and is ranked 18th among 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
For traders evaluating their options, BlackBull Markets provides a more transparent fee structure, offering various account types to match different levels of investment and trading frequency. Its Prime account is particularly appealing for those willing to meet the $2,000 minimum deposit requirement to benefit from more competitive spreads. Both brokers offer distinct advantages, but for those prioritizing lower trading costs and transparency, BlackBull Markets might have the edge.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.71 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.71 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| 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 at XM Group and BlackBull Markets, both brokers offer forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. XM Group provides access to 1,394 tradeable symbols, including 55 forex pairs, while BlackBull Markets boasts a far more extensive offering with 26,000 tradeable symbols and 72 forex pairs. Both platforms enable clients to invest in exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, allowing you to buy shares like Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange. Additionally, both XM Group and BlackBull Markets support copy trading, giving investors a way to learn from and mirror successful traders.
Neither broker allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, but they both offer cryptocurrency derivatives. BlackBull Markets edges out XM Group in terms of variety and accessibility, as reflected in its perfect 5-star rating and No. 6 ranking for the Range of Investments by ForexBrokers.com, compared to XM Group’s 4.5 stars and No. 23 ranking. These factors make BlackBull Markets a more favorable option for those looking to explore a wide array of investment opportunities online.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 26000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 72 |
| 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 comparing the online trading platforms and tools of XM Group and BlackBull Markets, both brokers offer similar features like free virtual demo accounts, popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 access, and the ability to trade directly from stock charts. Neither company offers a proprietary platform, but they both provide Windows and web-based platforms, catering to diverse trader preferences. XM Group excels with seven columns for watch lists compared to BlackBull's six, and it offers 15 drawing tools, whereas BlackBull Markets leads significantly with 60 drawing tools for charting purposes. While both brokers support copy trading, only BlackBull Markets offers ZuluTrade, providing more social trading options to their users.
In terms of ratings and rankings, XM Group and BlackBull Markets both earn 4 stars for their trading platforms and tools. However, BlackBull Markets edges out slightly in a broader ranking, holding the 29th position compared to XM Group's 31st. This small difference in ranking reflects the minor variation in their offerings, though ultimately both brokers deliver competitive tools and platforms suited for traders of various levels. Overall, traders can expect comprehensive trading environments from both brokers, complete with essential features and capabilities to support effective trading strategies.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 109 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 60 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 6 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both XM Group and BlackBull Markets offer comprehensive mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring access for traders across most devices. Each app includes essential features like stock and forex price alerts, and the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. These watchlists stay updated thanks to symbol syncing, allowing seamless transitions between mobile and online trading accounts. Both platforms provide an impressive set of 30 technical studies for charting, alongside functionalities like drawing trendlines and viewing multiple timeframes. However, while BlackBull Markets auto-saves chart drawings, XM Group requires manual saving, adding a slight inconvenience for XM users.
When it comes to user ratings, both XM Group and BlackBull Markets earn solid scores, each receiving 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, XM Group is ranked #29 out of 63 in the Mobile Trading Apps category, while BlackBull Markets closely follows at #31. This slight difference in ranking highlights a competitive yet minor edge for XM Group in the realm of mobile trading experience. Overall, both brokerages offer feature-rich mobile apps, catering effectively to traders seeking convenience and functionality on-the-go.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| 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 BlackBull Markets provide traders with daily market commentary, ensuring that clients are well-informed about current market conditions. However, when it comes to sourcing forex news from renowned outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, only XM Group offers this service, giving them an edge in providing comprehensive market updates. Additionally, XM Group integrates Technical Analytics from Trading Central into its offerings, while BlackBull Markets lacks this partnership. On the other hand, BlackBull Markets benefits from having research tools such as Autochartist, which XM Group does not offer. Both brokers equip traders with sentiment-based trading tools and economic calendars, helping users make informed decisions. Neither broker offers tools from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, ensuring each offers a focused set of features for research.
When evaluating their market research offerings, XM Group stands out with a 5-star rating, reflecting its superior resources and tools, whereas BlackBull Markets holds a respectable 4-star rating. In a broader comparison among 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, XM Group is ranked 8th for research, showcasing its strong market position. BlackBull Markets is ranked 18th, still within the top tier but trailing behind XM Group in terms of overall research capabilities. Thus, while both brokers provide valuable resources, XM Group offers a slightly more extensive suite of research tools to support informed trading strategies.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, XM Group and BlackBull Markets both offer a variety of tools to help new traders navigate the world of forex and CFDs. Each platform provides over ten educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, focusing on forex and CFDs. Additionally, both XM Group and BlackBull Markets host online educational webinars at least once a month and maintain a searchable archive of these sessions for clients to access at their convenience. Beginner traders can benefit from at least 10 educational videos specifically designed to cover essential trading topics on both platforms.
However, there are some distinctions between the two brokers. While BlackBull Markets provides an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms to support newcomers in mastering industry jargon, XM Group does not offer this feature. Despite this, XM Group shines with a higher education rating of 5 stars compared to BlackBull Markets' 4 stars. Moreover, XM Group ranks at number 7 in the Education category on ForexBrokers.com among 63 brokers, whereas BlackBull Markets holds the 29th position. This ranking indicates that XM Group might offer a more comprehensive or well-regarded educational experience for its users.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 BlackBull Markets. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #17, while BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #24.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 78 |
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While both XM Group and BlackBull Markets do not provide options for purchasing actual delivered cryptocurrency, they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both XM Group and BlackBull Markets offer Visa or Mastercard, Skrill, and bank wires as options for depositing or withdrawing account funds, but neither broker supports ACH, SEPA transfers, or PayPal for these transactions.
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 | BlackBull Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | BlackBull Markets Review |
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| Regulation | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 88 | 78 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 26000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 72 | |
| 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 | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.71 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.71 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | No | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 6 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 109 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 60 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BlackBull Markets Review |
| Overall | XM Group | BlackBull Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | BlackBull Markets Review |
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