Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM 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.
When comparing the online brokers FXCM and XM Group, each firm stands out in different ways. FXCM, established in 1999, is publicly listed and holds an impressive ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 95. This rating reflects its status as a highly trusted broker with four Tier-1 licenses, known for their reliability, alongside two Tier-2 licenses. Despite not being a bank, FXCM has cemented its reputable position in the trading community with its secure and established regulatory backing.
Meanwhile, XM Group, founded a decade later in 2009, offers a similarly strong presence in the market with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 93. Although not publicly traded, XM Group also benefits from four sought-after Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, highlighting its commitment to trustworthiness. Both brokers align closely in terms of regulatory security, providing traders excellent options backed by stringent regulatory compliance.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
FXCM’s commissions and fees are slightly higher than the industry average. In May 2024, average EUR/USD spreads were 0.78 pips for its EU, U.K., and Australia entities, and 1.38 pips for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based accounts showed low raw spreads around 0.28 pips (excluding commissions), with an effective cost near 0.74 pips once commissions are added. As with most brokers, spreads can widen during rollover or when markets are unusually volatile.
For high-volume traders, FXCM offers an Active Trader Rebate Program (not available in the U.K. or EU) with five tiers. If you trade at least $10 million per month, rebates range from $5 to $25 per million traded. In one U.K. example, keeping a $25,000 balance and trading $50 million monthly can reduce the commission to $2.50 per side ($5 round turn), putting the effective EUR/USD cost near 0.78 pips (based on a 0.28-pip core price). Discounts vary by entity and monthly volume.
XM Group’s standard account spreads are on the expensive side, and it does not publish average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account, which makes apples-to-apples cost comparisons harder. For commissions and fees, FXCM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #17 out of 63 brokers, while XM Group is also rated 4 out of 5 stars but ranks #34 out of 63. In short: FXCM provides clearer cost data and potential rebates for eligible high-volume traders, whereas XM’s higher standard spreads and limited transparency on XM Zero may lead to higher or less predictable costs for some traders.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 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.
FXCM and XM Group both support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. XM Group offers a wider range of markets overall, with 1,394 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs, compared to FXCM’s 440 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both brokers also offer crypto via CFDs (not actual coins).
When it comes to real shares, FXCM does not offer exchange-traded U.S. or international stocks, while XM Group lets clients buy listed shares on both U.S. and global exchanges. Copy trading is available at both brokers. For range of investments, FXCM earns 3.5 stars and ranks 21st out of 63 brokers, while XM Group scores 4.5 stars and ranks 19th—making XM Group the stronger pick if you want more markets and access to real stocks, and FXCM a fit for those focused on forex and CFD trading.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1394 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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.
FXCM and XM Group both make it easy to get started with a free demo account and support trading on Windows desktop and in the browser. Each broker offers copy trading and MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Only FXCM has its own in-house platform, while XM Group does not. If you want MetaTrader 5 (MT5), XM Group offers it and FXCM does not. Both brokers let you place trades directly from charts.
When it comes to platform quality and tools, FXCM earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group earns 4 stars and ranks #27. In short: choose FXCM if top-tier platform ratings matter most, or pick XM Group if MT5 access is a priority alongside MT4 and web/desktop options.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and XM Group both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts and watchlist syncing between mobile and web. Each app supports drawing trendlines on charts. FXCM offers a wider range of technical studies/indicators (59) compared with XM Group (30), which can help if you like to fine‑tune your chart analysis. Another key difference is chart annotations: FXCM auto‑saves your drawings, while XM Group does not.
For ratings, FXCM scores 4.5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. XM Group earns 4 stars and ranks #26 out of 63. If deeper charting tools and saved drawings matter to you, FXCM has the edge. If you mainly want the essentials—iPhone or Android access, alerts, synced watchlists, and core charting—XM Group still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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 | 59 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM and XM Group both deliver essential market insights, offering daily market commentary and top-tier forex news sourced from respected names like Bloomberg and Reuters. While both brokers provide sentiment-based trading tools to show the ratios of long or short positions on various instruments, only FXCM extends its offerings with market research from TipRanks. Additionally, both brokers offer technical analysis support through Trading Central, though neither incorporates Autochartist or Acuity Trading's Signal Centre in their suite of research tools. Each platform provides an economic calendar to keep traders updated on significant global events.
When analyzing their research performance, XM Group holds a slight edge with a 5-star rating, compared to FXCM's 4.5 stars. Ranked by ForexBrokers.com, XM Group is placed at #8 out of 63 brokers, while FXCM is at #11. Both platforms deliver a robust framework for market research, but XM Group's slightly superior ranking indicates its broader appeal in this category.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you’re a beginner choosing between FXCM and XM Group for forex and CFD education, both deliver a lot of learning content. Each offers well over 10 educational pieces, hosts monthly client webinars, and provides 10+ beginner videos plus 10+ advanced videos. That means you’ll find step‑by‑step tutorials to get started, live sessions to ask questions, and deeper lessons as your skills grow.
Where they differ is recognition and rankings. XM Group earns a 5/5 Education rating and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while FXCM scores 4.5/5 and ranks #13. If you want the highest‑rated all‑around education experience, XM Group has the edge. FXCM is still a strong choice with plentiful videos and regular webinars. Either way, beginners can learn the basics and progress to more advanced trading topics with confidence.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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 FXCM is better than XM Group. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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XM Group
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 93 |
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FXCM vs XM Group: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing FXCM vs XM Group for deposit and withdrawal methods: FXCM supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while XM Group supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability for both brokers is not specified.
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 | FXCM | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | 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 | 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) | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1394 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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 | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $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 | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | 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 | 59 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | 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 | FXCM Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | FXCM | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | XM Group Review |
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