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.
Founded in 2007, eToro stands as a publicly traded online broker with a high level of trustworthiness. It holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 96 out of 99, placing it in the highly trusted category. eToro is not a bank but boasts 3 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting significant regulatory backing. Additionally, it holds 1 Tier-2 license, further affirming its commitment to secure trading.
In comparison, XM Group, founded in 2009, is not publicly traded but maintains a reputable standing with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 88, marking it as trusted. Like eToro, XM Group is not a bank. However, it holds an impressive 4 Tier-1 licenses, indicating a strong regulatory framework. XM Group also possesses 1 Tier-2 license, underscoring its dedication to providing a secure trading environment.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing eToro and XM Group, both brokers offer unique advantages in terms of commissions and fees, albeit with distinct approaches. eToro, operating as a market-maker broker, typically lists a variable spread of about 1 pip on the EUR/USD pair, which stands slightly above the industry average. Retail traders often opt for eToro, not necessarily for the spreads, but for its advanced social copy trading platform. On the other hand, XM Group is known for its standard account with relatively expensive spreads while not publishing average spreads for its XM Zero account, which incorporates commissions. For commissions and fees, eToro boasts a 4.5-star rating, ranking 22nd out of 63 brokers, whereas XM Group follows with a 4-star rating and a ranking of 33rd.
eToro provides a tiered VIP club, known as the eToro Club, which includes five levels ranging from Silver to Diamond for traders holding account balances between $5,000 and $250,000. Each membership tier offers various benefits, such as access to Trading Central, reduced withdrawal and deposit fees, and a dedicated account manager. These exclusive perks are designed to enhance the overall trading experience for more active and higher-balance clients. Meanwhile, XM Group does not explicitly offer these VIP features but focuses on delivering a solid trading platform, albeit with steeper spreads on standard accounts.
Overall, eToro carves a niche with its comprehensive social trading features backed by competitive commissions and fees ratings, making it 11 positions higher than XM Group in ForexBrokers.com's rankings. XM Group, while rated favorably, is ideal for those prioritizing platform stability over lower spreads. Both brokers cater to different segments of the trading community, making the choice largely dependent on individual trading preferences and priorities.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $5 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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 eToro and XM Group, both online brokers offer a comprehensive range of investment options that cater to a variety of trading preferences. Each platform provides forex trading through both CFDs and spot contracts, with 55 tradeable forex pairs available to users. Additionally, both brokers grant access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, allowing investors to purchase well-known stocks such as Apple and Vodafone directly. Copy trading is another feature that both eToro and XM Group share, enabling users to replicate the trades of successful investors, potentially streamlining their decision-making processes.
Despite these similarities, eToro outshines XM Group in several aspects, particularly in the breadth of its offerings. With a staggering 5,461 tradeable symbols compared to XM Group's 1,394, eToro provides a wider array of investment opportunities. Moreover, eToro allows users to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, not just derivatives, setting it apart from XM Group, which only offers cryptocurrency derivatives. These distinctions contribute to eToro's five-star rating for Range of Investments, ranking it 10th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group holds a 4.5-star rating, positioned at 23rd.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5461 | 1394 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 55 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | 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 trading platforms and tools of eToro and XM Group, both brokers offer virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice trading without real financial risk. eToro stands out with its in-house developed proprietary platform, a browser-based setup that features an impressive 161 drawing tools for charting and six customizable columns for watch lists. While eToro doesn't support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), it offers unique functionalities like copy trading, though it lacks the option to trade directly from a stock chart. Despite these limitations, it receives a high 4.5-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, ranking #8 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, XM Group offers a Windows-based desktop platform and supports both MT4 and MT5, providing flexibility for traders who prefer these popular platforms. XM Group also allows trading directly from stock charts, a feature not available with eToro. However, its charting tools offer fewer options with only 15 drawing tools and seven columns for watch list customization. Despite the availability of these desktop platforms, XM Group garners a slightly lower satisfaction rating of four stars and ranks #31 out of 63 in the same ForexBrokers.com survey. Both brokers cater to different user preferences, with eToro excelling in browser-based, innovative features, while XM Group offers robust support for traditional platforms.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 104 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 161 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of eToro and XM Group, both are available on iPhone and Android devices and offer features such as stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing between the app and online account, and the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, eToro shines with 104 technical studies for charting compared to XM Group's 30. While XM Group allows for drawing trendlines on charts, a function missing in eToro, neither platform offers auto-saving of chart drawings. Both apps support viewing multiple time frames on stock or forex charts.
In terms of user ratings, eToro’s app enjoys a slightly higher score of 4.5 stars out of five, while XM Group's app has 4 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro holds the 10th spot among 63 evaluated brokers for mobile trading apps, significantly ahead of XM Group, which is ranked at 29. Whether you're prioritizing charting tools or user ratings, these factors can help you decide which platform better suits your mobile trading needs.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings between eToro and XM Group, both platforms have solid options for traders seeking insights. eToro provides daily market commentary and features tools from Trading Central that offer technical analytics. Additionally, eToro uses TipRanks for market research and contains a sentiment-based trading tool that reveals the overall mood of traders by showing the ratio of long or short positions. An economic calendar is also accessible on eToro, keeping users informed about global economic events. However, eToro lacks access to forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, as well as any research tools from companies like Autochartist or Acuity Trading.
Conversely, XM Group also offers daily market commentary and benefits from top-tier forex news sourcing from entities like Bloomberg and Reuters, filling a gap left by eToro. Like eToro, XM Group supports tools from Trading Central and includes a sentiment-based trading feature and an economic calendar. However, it does not offer market research from TipRanks or research tools from Autochartist or Acuity Trading. Despite these limitations, XM Group is recognized for its superior market research, earning a full 5-star rating and ranking 8th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, compared to eToro’s 4.5-star rating and 13th position.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | 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 beginner traders looking into forex or CFDs, both eToro and XM Group provide comprehensive offerings. eToro supplies a variety of educational materials including articles, videos, and archived webinars that specifically focus on forex and CFDs, making it easier for newcomers to get acquainted with trading concepts. They also host monthly webinars, and provide an extensive library of previously recorded ones, allowing users to learn at their own pace. For beginners, eToro offers over 10 trading videos that target those just starting out, as well as advanced content for more experienced traders. Additionally, eToro includes an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms to help clarify any jargon, a feature not offered by XM Group.
XM Group also delivers an impressive array of educational resources ideal for beginner traders. They provide access to a minimum of 10 pieces of educational content specifically about forex and CFDs, along with monthly webinars. Their searchable archive of recorded webinars enables users to access a wealth of past knowledge. XM Group collaborates their efforts with video content designed to cater to both beginners and advanced traders alike, ensuring there is something for everyone on their learning curve. While XM Group is rated 5 stars for Education as opposed to eToro’s 4.5 stars, eToro comes ahead in overall ranking, taking the 5th spot against XM Group's 7th place according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
eToro
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | No |
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 #17.
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
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 88 |
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eToro allows users to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, while XM Group only provides the option to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, not the actual cryptocurrency.
eToro provides a wider range of deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH, SEPA, and PayPal, compared to XM Group, which does not support these methods; both platforms, however, offer Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers for financial 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 | eToro | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 88 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 88 | |
| 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 | 3 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| 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 (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5461 | 1394 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | 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 | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| 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 | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 104 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 161 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | eToro Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | eToro | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 88 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | XM Group Review |
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