Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs HFM, 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 and HFM are two prominent online brokers catering to diverse trading preferences. Founded in 2002, XTB distinguishes itself by being publicly traded, which enhances its transparency for investors. Meanwhile, HFM, established in 2010, remains a privately-held entity. Neither of these brokers functions as a traditional bank. When it comes to trustworthiness, XTB holds a Trust Score of 96 out of 99 as rated by ForexBrokers.com, signaling a high level of trust. In contrast, HFM scores an 86, marking them as a trusted broker but slightly behind XTB in this regard.
Both brokers have secured two Tier-1 licenses, a testament to their commitment to regulatory adherence and highly trusted status. However, HFM surpasses XTB in Tier-2 licenses with three compared to XTB's two, showing its broader reach in trusted regulatory compliance. While both brokers offer a secure trading environment, potential investors might consider XTB's higher Trust Score and public trading status as factors in their decision-making process.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2010 |
| 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 | 2 |
Looking at commissions and fees, XTB generally comes out more cost-effective for everyday forex traders than HFM. XTB earns 4.5 stars and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers for this category, while HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #32. XTB’s pricing sits around the industry average and trails the very cheapest brokers, whereas HFM’s costs are slightly above the industry average.
XTB offers a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Professional account (the Pro option is being phased out and is largely limited to eligible professional clients in the U.K. and EU). Based on Q4 2023 data, the average EUR/USD spread on the Standard account was 1.0 pip. Minimum deposits start at $/£/€250. High-volume traders can get spread rebates of 5% to 30% through XTB’s Lower Spread Group once they trade 20 to 1,000 lots per month, which can narrow costs further.
HFM lists a typical 1.2-pip spread on its Standard account (no date range provided), and its Zero account can show an effective 0.7-pip spread after commission—though this figure isn’t an average. In practical terms, XTB’s documented 1.0-pip average on EUR/USD suggests slightly sharper day-to-day pricing than HFM’s Standard account, while HFM’s Zero account may offer lower effective costs at times, depending on commission and market conditions.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 0.7 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | 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.
Comparing XTB vs HFM for range of investments, both support forex trading (either as CFDs or spot) and let you trade crypto derivatives, though neither lets you buy actual coins. XTB stands out for sheer variety with 7,184 tradeable symbols, plus access to real exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international exchanges. HFM offers about 500 symbols and does not provide real share dealing, but it does include copy trading (XTB does not). When it comes to currency markets, HFM lists 102 forex pairs, while XTB offers 71.
For overall breadth, XTB earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #15 of 63 brokers for Range of Investments on ForexBrokers.com. HFM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #37 of 63. In short: choose XTB if you want a large multi-asset lineup and access to real stocks; pick HFM if copy trading and a bigger selection of forex pairs are higher on your list.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 102 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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.
Comparing XTB vs HFM for trading platforms and tools: both brokers offer free demo accounts, in-house platforms, and access via Windows desktop downloads and web browsers. The big split is MetaTrader and copy trading. HFM supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 and offers copy trading, while XTB does not support MT4/MT5 and does not offer copy trading.
For charting and usability, both let you place trades directly from charts. XTB includes 32 drawing tools versus 30 at HFM, and its watchlists support 8 columns compared to HFM’s 7. Indicator counts aren’t specified. Independent ratings favor XTB for platforms and tools: XTB scores 4.5/5 and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers, while HFM scores 4/5 and ranks #43. If you want MetaTrader and copy trading, HFM is the fit; if you prefer a highly rated, proprietary platform with more drawing tools and slightly richer watchlists, XTB stands out.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and HFM both deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, drawing trendlines, multiple time frames (intraday to weekly), and auto-saving your chart drawings. One shared drawback is that watchlists do not sync between the mobile app and the web platform, so list changes made in one place won’t appear in the other.
For charting depth, XTB offers 39 technical studies versus HFM’s 30, giving XTB a wider toolkit for analyzing stocks and forex. Independent ratings reflect this edge: XTB scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 8th out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM earns 4 stars and ranks 40th. If you want more built-in indicators and a higher-rated mobile experience, XTB has the advantage; if you only need core features, HFM covers the essentials.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 |
| 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 XTB and HFM for market research offerings, both platforms provide daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring that traders stay informed with reliable insights. Additionally, they both offer sentiment-based trading tools, allowing users to see the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, as well as economic calendars that display key global news events, helping traders make informed decisions. However, when it comes to specialized analysis tools from companies like Autochartist and Trading Central, HFM stands out by offering Autochartist resources, whereas XTB does not support tools from either Autochartist or Trading Central.
Despite both brokers offering similar news and analysis, XTB emerges as the stronger contender in overall research quality, evidenced by its 5-star research rating and a commendable #7 rank out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, HFM has a 4-star rating and is ranked #20 among its peers. While both brokers offer valuable research tools, XTB's higher rating and ranking indicate a superior reputation in delivering quality market insights, which could be a crucial deciding factor for traders focusing on extensive research capabilities.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| 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 choosing between XTB and HFM for educational resources tailored to beginners, there are several factors to consider. Both XTB and HFM provide a wide variety of educational content, including articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs, ensuring newcomers have access to essential learning materials. These brokers also host online webinars at least once a month and maintain searchable archives of past sessions, making it easy for beginners to revisit and learn at their own pace. Additionally, each platform offers more than ten videos specifically aimed at beginner traders to help them grasp the basics of trading strategies.
Despite these similarities, there are some differences that might influence your decision. XTB excels in delivering more comprehensive advanced educational content for those looking to deepen their trading expertise. However, one downside is that XTB does not provide an investor dictionary, unlike HFM, which offers a dictionary with definitions for over 50 terms, an excellent resource for understanding trading jargon. In terms of user ratings and rankings, XTB stands out with a perfect 5-star rating for education, holding the impressive 11th position out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, HFM earns a respectable 4-star rating but is placed at 37th in the same category. These distinctions may guide beginners in selecting the platform that best fits their educational needs.
| Feature |
XTB
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | 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 HFM. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #30.
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’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
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HFM
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 86 |
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Both XTB and HFM do not provide options for buying actual, delivered cryptocurrencies, but they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers XTB and HFM, both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers for account transactions, XTB allows deposits and withdrawals via PayPal whereas HFM does not, both brokers support Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, highlighting XTB's advantage with the inclusion of PayPal for its users.
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 | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | HFM | |
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| Regulation | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2010 | |
| 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 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 102 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 0.7 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| 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 | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 | |
| 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 | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | XTB | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | HFM Review |
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