Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs XM Group, 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.
Comparing eToro vs XM Group on trust and regulation: eToro, founded in 2007, is publicly traded, while XM Group, founded in 2009, is not; neither is a bank. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, eToro scores 97 and XM Group 93—both in the 90–99 range, which indicates a highly trusted broker.
Both brokers hold four Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted). eToro also holds one Tier-2 license, while XM Group holds three Tier-2 licenses (trusted). In short, each offers strong top-tier oversight, with XM Group carrying more mid-tier approvals and eToro being exchange-listed.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | 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 commissions and fees, eToro comes out ahead of XM Group for most everyday traders. eToro is a market-maker broker with a typical variable spread of 1 pip on EUR/USD, which is a little above the industry average. That said, many retail traders are drawn to eToro more for its social copy trading tools than for low spreads. eToro earns 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #22 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in this category.
XM Group, by comparison, is less competitive on pricing. Its Standard account spreads are considered expensive, and it does not publish average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account. This makes it harder for traders to judge costs up front. XM Group receives 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #34 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
For traders focused mainly on trading costs, eToro is the better option of the two, though it is still not the cheapest broker in the market. eToro also offers an eToro Club VIP program with five tiers, from Silver to Diamond, for balances between $5,000 and $250,000. These tiers can include extras such as Trading Central access, lower deposit and withdrawal fees, and a dedicated account manager.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, eToro offers a wider choice than XM Group. eToro lists 7,441 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with XM Group’s 1,429 symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both also offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, so you can buy real shares such as Apple or Vodafone rather than only trading derivatives.
Both platforms also support copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, but eToro goes a step further by letting clients buy actual cryptocurrency as well. That extra choice helps explain why eToro earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group scores 4.5 stars and ranks #19.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 1429 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
eToro and XM Group both give traders a simple way to practice first, since each offers a free demo account. They also both support web-based trading, copy trading, and trading directly from charts, which makes them easy to use for people who want to get started without a steep learning curve. eToro stands out for its own in-house platform, while XM Group does not offer a proprietary platform.
When it comes to desktop and popular third-party tools, XM Group has the edge because it offers a Windows desktop platform plus MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while eToro does not support those options. In independent ratings for Trading Platforms and Tools, eToro scores 4.5 out of 5 and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers, compared with XM Group’s 4 out of 5 and #27 ranking, so eToro gets the higher overall mark even though XM Group offers more platform choices.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
eToro and XM Group both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, making it easy to trade and monitor markets on the go. Each app also supports stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing with the client’s online account, and trendline drawing on charts. One shared drawback is that drawings do not auto-save in either app, so users may need to re-add them later.
Where the two differ most is in charting depth and overall app ratings. eToro provides 104 technical studies in its mobile charting tools, compared with 30 at XM Group, giving eToro users more options for technical analysis. eToro also earns a higher Mobile Trading Apps score at 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group is rated 4 stars and ranks #26. For traders who want a stronger mobile charting experience, eToro has the edge, while XM Group still covers the core mobile trading features many users need.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
eToro and XM Group both give traders useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, forex news from well-known sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools, but eToro stands out for including TipRanks research, which XM Group does not.
XM Group has the edge overall for research depth because it also offers Trading Central tools, while eToro does not. That added feature helps explain XM Group’s higher research score, with a 5-star rating and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with eToro’s 4.5-star rating and #12 ranking.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to learning support for beginners, both eToro and XM Group give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex and CFDs education, hosts online educational webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner and advanced videos on trading topics. That means either platform can help someone start with the basics and keep learning as they gain experience.
That said, eToro has the edge in overall education quality. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group is rated 5 stars but ranks #5. In simple terms, both brokers are strong choices for education, but eToro is the better pick if you want the higher overall education ranking, while XM Group also stands out with a top star rating.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that eToro is better than XM Group. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
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XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 93 |
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eToro offers both real (delivered) cryptocurrency purchases and cryptocurrency CFDs, while XM Group supports only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not provide access to buying actual (delivered) crypto.
Comparing online brokers eToro and XM Group: eToro supports ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal (which XM Group does not), while both brokers offer Skrill and bank wire deposits and withdrawals.
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 | eToro | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 97 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | 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) | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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) | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 1429 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | eToro Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | eToro | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | XM Group Review |
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