Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs Exness, 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.
XTB (founded 2002) and Exness (founded 2008) are regulated online brokers with different profiles. XTB is publicly traded, while Exness is privately held; neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, XTB’s Trust Score is 96, placing it in the highly trusted range (90–99), whereas Exness scores 80, which is considered trusted (80–89).
On regulation, both hold two Tier-1 licenses, the most reputable category for investor protection. XTB also holds two Tier-2 licenses, while Exness holds three. In short, both are well regulated, with XTB earning the higher overall trust rating and Exness offering one additional Tier-2 authorization.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
XTB and Exness both offer pricing that can work for active forex traders, but they take different approaches to commissions and fees. XTB mainly uses a spread-only Standard account, while its commission-based Professional account is limited to eligible clients in the U.K. and Europe and is being phased out in many regions. XTB’s typical EUR/USD spread was 1 pip in Q4 2023, which puts its pricing around the industry average, though not among the very cheapest options. XTB earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers in this category.
Exness gives traders more account choices, including standard, professional, zero spread, and raw pricing models. Its trading costs vary more by account type: the Standard Cent and Standard accounts are commission-free but usually come with wider spreads, while the Pro account offers lower spreads, and the Zero Spread and Raw accounts charge commissions in exchange for tighter pricing. This makes Exness flexible for different trading styles, especially for traders who want to choose between spread-based and commission-based pricing. Exness is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #33 out of 36 brokers.
In simple terms, XTB may appeal more to traders who want straightforward spread-only pricing and stronger overall value in this category, while Exness may suit traders who want more account types and are willing to compare spread and commission costs closely. For commissions and fees overall, XTB has the edge in both rating and ranking.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.06 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XTB offers a wider range of investments than Exness, with 10,521 tradeable symbols compared with Exness’s 239. Both brokers support forex trading as either a CFD or spot contract, and Exness lists slightly more forex pairs overall, with 78 versus XTB’s 71. For traders looking beyond forex, XTB has a clear edge because it offers exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while Exness does not offer these markets.
XTB also stands out for cryptocurrency access, as it lets clients buy actual crypto as well as crypto CFDs, while Exness only offers crypto CFDs. Neither broker offers copy trading. Overall, XTB is rated 5 out of 5 for Range of Investments and ranked #15 out of 36 by ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 and ranked #37, making XTB the stronger choice for investors who want more market variety.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10521 | 239 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 78 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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.
XTB and Exness both give traders useful platform options, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, and their own in-house platforms. Each broker also lets you trade directly from a chart, which can make order entry quicker and easier. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, XTB earns a higher rating of 4.5 stars and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while Exness scores 4 stars and ranks #15.
The biggest difference is in desktop and third-party platform support. Exness offers a Windows desktop platform plus both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want familiar tools and more platform choice. XTB does not offer a Windows download platform or MT4/MT5, and it also does not support copy trading. Exness also does not offer copy trading, so both brokers are similar there, but Exness has the edge for traders who want MetaTrader access.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 92 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and Exness both make mobile trading easy for iPhone and Android users, and each app includes stock or forex price alerts, watchlist syncing with the client’s online account, and trendline drawing on charts. For chart analysis, XTB has a slight edge with 104 technical studies in its mobile app compared with 100 at Exness, which may matter for traders who want a little more chart detail on the go.
One key difference is that XTB’s mobile app automatically saves chart drawings, while Exness does not. That small convenience, along with XTB’s 4.5-star mobile trading rating and #8 ranking out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, puts it ahead of Exness, which has a 4-star rating and ranks #18. Overall, both apps cover the basics well, but XTB offers a slightly better mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XTB and Exness both give traders daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so each broker offers useful day-to-day updates on market events. XTB also stands out with a sentiment tool that shows the split between long and short positions across currency pairs and other instruments, which can help traders gauge market mood at a glance. However, it does not provide forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg or Reuters, and it does not include tools from Autochartist or Trading Central.
Exness takes the lead in research depth by offering forex news from top-tier sources and Trading Central tools, giving traders more outside analysis to work with. That said, it does not offer a sentiment tool like XTB, and it also lacks Autochartist, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools. Based on ForexBrokers.com, XTB earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while Exness is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #34, making XTB the stronger choice overall for market research.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex and CFD trading, both XTB and Exness provide a wide range of educational content. Each broker offers at least 10 learning pieces focused on forex or CFDs, runs online client webinars at least once a month, and has 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. This means new traders can find basic lessons to get started, along with more detailed material as their knowledge grows.
That said, XTB comes out ahead for education overall. It holds a 5-star Education rating and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness has a 3.5-star rating and ranks #20. In simple terms, both brokers give beginners helpful learning tools, but XTB appears to offer a stronger educational experience overall.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XTB is better than Exness. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
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Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 80 |
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XTB allows traders to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Exness offers cryptocurrency CFDs only and does not provide access to buying actual cryptocurrency.
In the XTB vs Exness funding comparison, neither broker supports ACH/SEPA, both accept Skrill and bank wire transfers, and only XTB supports PayPal.
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 | XTB | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Exness | |
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| Regulation | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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) | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10521 | 239 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 78 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.06 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 92 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XTB Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | XTB | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Exness Review |
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