Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs XTB, 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.
CMC Markets and XTB are two well-established online brokers that are both publicly traded, offering a layer of transparency and credibility. Founded in 1989, CMC Markets has built its reputation over decades and holds five Tier-1 licenses, which are the most trusted by ForexBrokers.com. This contributes to their impressive Trust Score of 99, signaling they are highly trusted. In contrast, XTB was founded in 2002 and holds two Tier-1 licenses, earning them a Trust Score of 96, which also categorizes them as a highly trusted broker.
Both brokers are non-banking institutions and comply with regulatory requirements across various jurisdictions. CMC Markets also maintains one Tier-2 license, which is considered trusted, while XTB holds two Tier-2 licenses. These credentials reflect their commitment to client protection and regulatory adherence, solidifying their positions as credible options in the world of online trading.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2002 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When it comes to comparing CMC Markets and XTB on their commissions and fees, CMC Markets stands out as a clear leader, having secured the #1 position in our 2025 Annual Awards for Commissions and Fees due to its consistently low spreads available across all customer segments and account types. The broker boasts an impressive average spread of 0.61 pips on EUR/USD, according to August 2023 data, and features a competitive active trader program through its Price Plus Scheme. Additionally, the FX Active pricing structure, available in various regions, combines a commission of $2.50 per side with zero pips minimum spreads, resulting in highly competitive all-in costs for traders.
In contrast, XTB offers a more standardized pricing approach, with its average forex spreads on the EUR/USD at 1 pip as of the fourth quarter of 2023. XTB provides both a spread-only Standard account, which is often preferred by retail traders, and a commission-based Professional account for selected clients in Europe and the U.K. The commission-based option, however, is being gradually phased out. For active traders, XTB's Lower Spread Group program allows rebates on spreads ranging from 5% to 30%, depending on trading volume, making it competitive yet trailing behind top-tier brokers like CMC Markets.
In terms of ratings, CMC Markets earns a full 5 stars for its commissions and fees, securing the top spot among 63 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, XTB, with its 4.5-star rating, holds the #11 position. This comparison highlights CMC Markets' strong pricing advantage, making it a top choice for traders focused on cost efficiency.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 1.00 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | 1.00 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
CMC Markets and XTB both excel in offering a wide range of investment options to traders, but there are some notable differences. CMC Markets provides an impressive 11,925 tradeable symbols, including 156 forex pairs, allowing for extensive diversification. XTB, while offering a more streamlined selection with 7,184 symbols and 71 forex pairs, still covers a broad array of investment opportunities. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and allow clients to invest in exchange-traded securities on major U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares. However, a key differentiator is that CMC Markets offers copy trading, which XTB does not.
For cryptocurrency enthusiasts, both CMC Markets and XTB provide access to cryptocurrency derivatives but do not facilitate the purchase of actual digital currencies. In terms of ratings, both brokers receive 5 stars for their range of investments, reflecting their strong offerings. However, in rankings by ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets holds a higher position at #9, compared to XTB's #14, indicating a slightly broader or more favorable investment range according to this source. Overall, both platforms cater to a variety of trading needs but may appeal to different types of investors depending on specific preferences such as the desire for copy trading or a larger selection of forex pairs.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 7184 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 CMC Markets and XTB, both brokers deliver platforms and tools that cater to traders of all levels. They each provide a proprietary trading platform, a web-based platform, and a desktop platform compatible with Windows. Traders at both CMC Markets and XTB can try their hand at a free virtual demo account, enhancing their experience with simulated trading. However, CMC Markets offers copy trading, a feature absent from XTB's toolset. Additionally, CMC Markets supports both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while XTB does not offer these popular platforms.
For charting capabilities, CMC Markets offers an impressive 40 drawing tools compared to XTB's 32. Both allow traders to execute trades directly from stock charts. When it comes to creating watch lists, CMC Markets also holds an advantage with 11 available columns, as opposed to XTB's 8. In terms of recognition, CMC Markets receives a 5-star rating for its platforms and tools and is ranked 4th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, XTB holds a 4.5-star rating and is ranked 9th in the same category, signifying both platforms are highly regarded but with CMC Markets slightly pulling ahead.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 39 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 32 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both CMC Markets and XTB provide traders with iPhone and Android options, offering a wide range of capabilities. Both apps enable users to receive stock or forex price alerts, view multiple time frames, create watchlists with real-time quotes, and auto-save drawings on charts. Additionally, they both support trendline drawing. However, CMC Markets has an edge with watchlist symbol syncing, allowing seamless integration of watchlist changes between the mobile app and the online account. In comparison, XTB does not offer this feature.
For technical studies, XTB offers a broader range with 39 options compared to CMC Markets’ 29. Despite this, CMC Markets boasts a higher overall rating with a perfect 5 stars, ranking 5th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, XTB holds a solid 4.5-star rating and is ranked 8th. These distinctions highlight CMC Markets as the slightly more favored choice for mobile trading among these two brokers, although both offer comprehensive features that cater effectively to traders' needs.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 39 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing CMC Markets and XTB in terms of market research, both brokers stand out for offering daily market commentary and providing forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They also each serve traders with sentiment-based tools that display long and short positioning across currency pairs. Both firms feature an economic calendar for keeping track of important global news events. However, only CMC Markets provides technical analysis tools from Autochartist, which could be a deciding factor for traders who rely on such resources. Neither broker currently provides resources through Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
Both CMC Markets and XTB are highly rated, each receiving 5 stars for research from ForexBrokers.com. However, CMC Markets holds a slightly higher rank, coming in at #6 out of 63 brokers, while XTB follows closely at #7. This small difference in ranking could sway traders who prioritize a broker's standing in research. Ultimately, the choice between CMC Markets and XTB may come down to specific research tool preferences and the individual needs of the trader.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | 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 comparing the educational offerings for beginners from CMC Markets and XTB, both brokers provide a solid foundation with their resources. CMC Markets delivers an impressive suite of educational content for forex and CFDs, with a wealth of articles, videos, and a valuable searchable archive of recorded webinars. Moreover, they provide a comprehensive investor dictionary boasting definitions of more than 50 investing terms. However, CMC Markets falls short when it comes to live monthly webinars, which can be a crucial tool for interactive learning.
XTB matches CMC Markets in providing extensive educational content, catering well to those new to trading as well as experienced traders. XTB offers the added advantage of hosting regular monthly live webinars, enhancing the learning experience by allowing participants to engage with experts in real-time. While XTB lacks an extensive investor dictionary, their continuous live webinar offerings can provide beginners with an edge through dynamic, ongoing education. Both CMC Markets and XTB hold a top-tier five-star rating for education and are closely ranked by ForexBrokers.com's educational criteria, with CMC Markets at #10 and XTB closely behind at #11 out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that CMC Markets is better than XTB. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while XTB finished with an overall rank of #7.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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CMC Markets and XTB both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither provides the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets offers more versatility for account transactions with options like ACH, SEPA, PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, while XTB supports PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, but lacks ACH and SEPA transfer options.
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 | CMC Markets | XTB | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
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| Review | CMC Markets Review | XTB Review |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2002 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 7184 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 1.00 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | 1.00 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 39 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 32 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 29 | 39 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | CMC Markets Review | XTB Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | XTB | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | XTB Review |
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