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Interactive Brokers vs XM Group 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
XM Group
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $5
  • Trust Score: 88
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1394

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers and XM Group are both prominent online brokers with distinct histories and regulatory standings. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers is a veteran in the industry and holds a leading position with a high Trust Score of 99 out of 99, as rated by ForexBrokers.com. This score highlights its status as a highly trusted brokerage firm. Notably, Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, having amassed a strong reputation over the years with 9 Tier-1 licenses, affirming its credibility on an international scale. It also operates under 2 Tier-2 licenses, adding to its reputable regulatory framework.

On the other hand, XM Group, founded in 2009, has carved out its own space in the financial market with a Trust Score of 88, which positions it as a trusted broker, according to ForexBrokers.com. XM Group maintains its recognition through owning 4 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, ensuring a considerable level of trust and reliability, despite not being publicly traded. Both brokers are not classified as banks, focusing instead on delivering brokerage services under their respective regulatory guidelines, which highlights their specialization in the industry.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Year Founded info 1977 2009
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

Interactive Brokers stands out for its competitively low trading costs, particularly in the forex market. Forex traders can expect commissions starting as low as 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value, with a minimum of $2 per order. This can decrease to 0.08 basis points for more active traders, making it an appealing option for high-volume forex enthusiasts. However, trading smaller lots becomes relatively pricier due to the minimum charge. Interactive Brokers pools rates from 17 global interbank forex dealers, offering a commission ranging from $16 to $40 per million round turn. These features contribute to their high rating of 5 stars and rank them at #2 in ForexBrokers.com's Commissions and Fees category.

On the other hand, XM Group offers a slightly less competitive fee structure, earning them a 4-star rating in commissions and fees. They don't specifically publish average spreads for their XM Zero account, which is based on commissions. For those using a standard account, the spreads are comparatively higher, impacting its appeal to cost-sensitive traders. XM Group is positioned at #33 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for the Commissions and Fees category.

In summary, if you're a trader prioritizing low commissions, Interactive Brokers provides a more attractive structure thanks to their per-trade commission model and volume-based discounts. However, if you are looking for a straightforward pricing plan, XM Group has its merits, though it may not be as cost-effective for every trading style compared to Interactive Brokers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Minimum Deposit info $0 $5
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 1.6 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info 0.8 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and XM Group both offer a variety of investments suited for different trading needs, including forex trading available as both CFDs and spot contracts. Interactive Brokers stands out with 8,500 tradeable symbols, dwarfing XM Group’s offering of 1,394 symbols, making it a preferable choice for traders seeking diverse options. When it comes to forex pairs, Interactive Brokers supports trading in 90 pairs, offering more variety compared to XM Group's 55 pairs. Both brokers allow clients to invest in exchange-traded securities in U.S. and international markets, letting traders buy shares such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Vodafone (VOD-GB: London Stock Exchange). However, only Interactive Brokers permits the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, whereas both platforms offer the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.

While Interactive Brokers refrains from offering copy trading, this feature is available with XM Group. Despite this, Interactive Brokers is celebrated for its extensive investment range, boasting a five-star rating and securing the top spot out of 63 brokers in the Range of Investments category. In contrast, while XM Group creates a reliable investment platform with a 4.5-star rating, it holds the #23 ranking in the same category. This distinction highlights Interactive Brokers as a primary choice for investors looking for expansive trading opportunities across various markets.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1394
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 55
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

When comparing Interactive Brokers and XM Group based on their trading platforms and tools, several key differences emerge that can help traders decide which broker better suits their needs. Both brokers offer simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice strategies without risking real money. However, Interactive Brokers has the edge when it comes to proprietary platforms with its in-house developed systems, whereas XM Group relies on popular external platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers provide downloadable Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading portals, but only XM Group offers copy trading. While Interactive Brokers does not support MetaTrader, it compensates with extensive charting capabilities featuring 85 drawing tools and the ability to trade directly from a stock chart.

Interactive Brokers further distinguishes itself with a remarkable 659 columns available for personalizing watch lists, a stark contrast to XM Group's 7 columns. This extensive customization helps more advanced traders tailor their interface to their specific needs. In terms of overall ratings for trading tools, Interactive Brokers excels with a full 5-star rating, ranking 3rd out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group holds a respectable 4-star rating, placing 31st. These contrasts highlight Interactive Brokers as a preferred choice for those seeking comprehensive tools and platform versatility, whereas XM Group may appeal to traders looking for traditional tools with MetaTrader support and copy trading opportunities.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 7
View More

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Both Interactive Brokers and XM Group provide user-friendly mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users. Traders utilizing either app can receive real-time stock and forex price alerts and enjoy watchlist symbol syncing across devices, ensuring seamless updates between their mobile app and online account. However, Interactive Brokers excels with an impressive 97 technical studies available for charting, compared to XM Group's 30. Both apps allow users to draw trendlines and view charts across various time frames, such as daily, weekly, or intraday. However, neither app saves chart drawings automatically.

For those focused on creating detailed watchlists with real-time quotes, both platforms deliver this feature efficiently. Interactive Brokers is recognized for its superior mobile app, earning a perfect 5-star rating and ranking 4th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, XM Group holds a respectable 4-star rating but falls behind in rankings, placed 29th. For traders prioritizing advanced technical analysis and overall mobile experience, Interactive Brokers might have the edge over XM Group.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No No
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

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 logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Interactive Brokers and XM Group shine brightly. They each provide a wide variety of learning materials specifically geared towards new traders. Both platforms offer more than 10 educational pieces, covering the essentials of forex and CFDs through articles, videos, and webinars. They also host monthly webinars and maintain a comprehensive archive of past webinars that users can access at any time. Additionally, Interactive Brokers and XM Group provide over 10 beginner videos on trading, offering a structured path for those just starting out.

For traders looking to deepen their understanding, both brokers cater to advanced learners with educational videos targeted at experienced traders. One notable difference is that Interactive Brokers includes an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms, a feature not available with XM Group. This distinction may appeal to new investors wanting to become familiar with industry terminology. Despite this, both brokers maintain a stellar reputation for education, each earning a 5-star rating. However, Interactive Brokers edges slightly ahead in rankings, holding the #3 spot compared to XM Group's #7, as rated by ForexBrokers.com.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

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 #17.

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 logoInteractive Brokers
XM Group logoXM Group
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 88
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or XM Group?

Interactive Brokers allows users to purchase actual, delivered cryptocurrency, as well as cryptocurrency derivatives, while XM Group only provides options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives and does not offer the purchase of actual cryptocurrency.

What funding options does each broker offer?

In comparing the deposit and withdrawal options of Interactive Brokers and XM Group, Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers but does not offer PayPal, Skrill, Visa, or Mastercard, while XM Group does not offer ACH or SEPA, but supports Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers; neither broker provides the option to use PayPal.




announcementPlease 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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers XM Group
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 88
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review XM Group Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers XM Group
Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) info
Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) info
Research Gallery (click to expand) info
Education Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation Interactive Brokers XM Group
Trust Score info 99 88
Year Founded info 1977 2009
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers XM Group
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers XM Group
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info No No
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No No
Investments Interactive Brokers XM Group
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1394
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 55
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 info 0.59 info 1.6 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info 0.8 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers XM Group
Minimum Deposit info $0 $5
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers XM Group
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers XM Group
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers XM Group
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No No
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers XM Group
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers XM Group
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers XM Group
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review Interactive Brokers Review XM Group Review
Overall Interactive Brokers XM Group
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 88
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review XM Group Review
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