Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs XM Group, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Interactive Brokers and XM Group are both prominent players in the online trading space, each offering unique advantages. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers is a veteran in the industry and is publicly traded, reflecting a high level of transparency and investor confidence. In contrast, XM Group, established in 2009, operates as a private entity. While neither firm is a bank, Interactive Brokers holds an edge in regulatory standing with an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, signifying a strong foundation of trust and reliability. XM Group, meanwhile, holds four Tier-1 licenses, which is still commendable but trails behind Interactive Brokers.
When considering their overall trustworthiness, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers at a top-tier Trust Score of 99 out of 99, appealing to those seeking a highly reliable trading partner. XM Group is not far behind with a Trust Score of 93, indicating a solid degree of trustworthiness. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers also holds two Tier-2 licenses, broadening its regulatory scope compared to XM Group's single Tier-2 license. For traders evaluating these brokers, the regulatory credentials and Trust Scores are pivotal in making an informed choice between these two well-regarded institutions.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers and XM Group take different approaches to pricing. Interactive Brokers uses tight market pricing plus a separate commission, while XM’s Standard account relies on wider spreads and its commission-based XM Zero account doesn’t publish average spreads. Based on available data, Interactive Brokers generally offers lower potential costs for forex, earning 5/5 stars and ranking #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees. XM Group earns 4/5 stars and ranks #34 of 63.
At Interactive Brokers, forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), comparable to $16–$40 per million round turn ($8–$20 per side). Very active traders can see rates drop to 0.08 basis points, and the minimum can fall from $2 to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume, and to $1 at $5 billion. IBKR aggregates prices from 17 major liquidity providers and does not mark up spreads. In Q3 2024, the average EUR/USD spread we obtained was 0.19 pips; after commission, the effective all-in cost was about 0.59 pips. Example: buying then selling $100,000 of EUR/USD at IBKR equates to roughly 0.40 pips in commission plus the prevailing spread. Note: the $2 minimum makes smaller trade sizes proportionally more expensive, and IBKR Lite and Pro are not commission-free for forex.
XM Group’s Standard account spreads are on the higher side, and because average spreads aren’t published for XM Zero, it’s harder to estimate all-in costs there. The upshot: if you prioritize transparent, low-cost forex pricing—especially for larger or more active trading—Interactive Brokers is likely the better value, while XM Group may appeal more if you prefer spread-only pricing but can accept potentially higher average costs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers vs. XM Group: For sheer range of investments, Interactive Brokers stands out with 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with XM Group’s 1,394 symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot and let you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges. When it comes to crypto, Interactive Brokers offers both actual cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs, while XM Group offers crypto CFDs only.
Feature differences include copy trading, which XM Group supports but Interactive Brokers does not. In independent evaluations of range of investments, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group earns 4.5 stars and ranks #19. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the widest market access and the option to own crypto directly; pick XM Group if copy trading and a more streamlined selection fit your style.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1394 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers vs XM Group: both brokers offer free demo (paper) accounts, web and Windows desktop platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The big differences are platform choice and social features. Interactive Brokers provides its own in-house platform and does not support MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, and it doesn’t offer copy trading. XM Group, by contrast, does not have a proprietary platform, but it supports MT4 and MT5 and includes copy trading for those who want to mirror other traders.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers at 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers, while XM Group earns 4 stars and ranks #27. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a top-rated in-house platform with paper trading and chart trading. Pick XM Group if MetaTrader and copy trading are must-haves, along with a web and Windows app and a free demo account.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and XM Group both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts and lets you sync watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, so changes carry over wherever you sign in.
For charting, Interactive Brokers provides 97 technical studies compared to XM Group’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines, though neither app auto-saves drawings. In ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers, while XM Group earns 4 stars and ranks #26. If you want deeper built-in analysis, Interactive Brokers stands out; if you need the basics for on-the-go trading, XM Group covers the essentials.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing market research offerings between Interactive Brokers and XM Group, both platforms provide daily market commentary and offer news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Both brokers use tools from Trading Central for technical analysis, enabling their clients to make more informed decisions. Additionally, Interactive Brokers stands out by providing exclusive access to sentiment-based trading tools and market research from TipRanks, setting itself apart from XM Group, which does not offer these features. Moreover, Interactive Brokers includes research tools from Acuity Trading, such as the Signal Centre, which XM Group lacks. Both brokers offer an economic calendar to help traders keep abreast of global financial events.
In terms of research quality, both Interactive Brokers and XM Group have earned a solid reputation, each garnering a 5-star rating. However, when ranked by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers has a slight edge, securing the 3rd position out of 63 brokers, while XM Group ranks 8th. This indicates that while both brokers excel, Interactive Brokers has a more comprehensive suite of research tools that could give users an upper hand in their trading strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers vs XM Group: For beginners, both brokers make learning to trade straightforward. Each hosts online client webinars at least once a month and offers a sizable library of videos—10+ for beginners and 10+ for advanced topics—so you can build skills step by step. Both earn a 5-star Education rating from ForexBrokers.com, with Interactive Brokers ranked #1 out of 63 brokers and XM Group ranked #5.
If you want the top-ranked education experience, Interactive Brokers edges out XM Group thanks to its overall standing, which can be reassuring if you plan to progress from beginner lessons into more advanced material. XM Group remains an excellent option for newcomers, pairing frequent webinars with plenty of beginner-friendly videos that can help you understand trading concepts, including those relevant to forex and CFDs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than XM Group. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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XM Group
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Interactive Brokers enables buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trading cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas XM Group does not support buying delivered crypto but does offer crypto CFDs.
Interactive Brokers vs XM Group for deposits and withdrawals: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not PayPal or Skrill, while XM Group offers bank wires and Skrill but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability for both 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 | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1394 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | 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 | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XM Group Review |
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