Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs XTB, 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.
Interactive Brokers and XTB are both well-established online brokers with impressive regulatory credentials. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers is publicly traded and holds 9 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting its high level of trust. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, Interactive Brokers is considered highly trustworthy. Despite not being a bank, its regulatory standing is robust, setting it apart as a leader in the industry.
XTB, established in 2002, is also publicly traded and holds 2 Tier-1 licenses, demonstrating a solid level of trust within the market. It shares the same number of Tier-2 licenses as Interactive Brokers, with 2 licenses that indicate trusted standing. XTB secures a Trust Score of 96 out of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, marking it as a highly trusted broker, just a notch below Interactive Brokers in terms of trustworthiness.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2002 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers edges out XTB on pure costs for active forex traders. IBKR earns 5.0/5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 for Commissions & Fees at ForexBrokers.com, while XTB scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #12. IBKR doesn’t publish average forex spreads, but in Q3 2024 the EUR/USD averaged about 0.19 pips raw, or roughly 0.59 pips all-in after commission. By comparison, XTB’s Standard (spread-only) account averaged 1.0 pip on EUR/USD in Q4 2023, which is around the industry average.
Interactive Brokers charges a commission rather than marking up the spread: 0.00002 (0.2 bps) of the USD trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), translating to about $8–$20 per million per side ($16–$40 round turn). On a typical $100,000 EUR/USD buy-and-sell, that minimum equals roughly 0.40 pips in commission on top of the raw spread. Trades below 100,000 units can feel pricier due to the $2 per-side minimum. High-volume traders can unlock lower minimums (down to $1 per order at very large monthly volumes), and large tickets can be handled via RFQ. IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro both support forex, but neither is commission-free.
XTB offers a spread-only Standard account for most clients, while its commission-based Professional account is reserved for elective professionals in the U.K. and EU and is being phased out. The Standard account is simple and often better for smaller trade sizes; the minimum deposit is 250 in your base currency. Active traders can get 5%–30% of the spread rebated via the Lower Spread Group once volume thresholds are met (about 20 to 1,000 lots). Overall, XTB’s pricing is straightforward but typically higher than IBKR’s observed all-in costs on EUR/USD for larger trades.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 0.92 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers vs XTB: both support forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts and both let you buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international exchanges. Interactive Brokers lists 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while XTB offers 7,184 symbols and 71 forex pairs. For digital assets, Interactive Brokers lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs; XTB offers crypto CFDs but not direct ownership. Neither broker provides copy trading.
Both earn 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments, yet their standings differ: out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is ranked #1 and XTB is ranked #15. If you want the broadest market access and the ability to own crypto, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you’re after a wide selection with forex, CFDs, and access to U.S. and international stocks, XTB remains a strong choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 7184 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 71 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
Interactive Brokers and XTB both check key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, a proprietary platform built in-house, and both a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform. You can place orders directly from charts on both. Neither broker provides copy trading, and neither supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5).
According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers, while XTB earns 4.5 stars and ranks #9. If platform power and tool variety are your top priorities, Interactive Brokers has the edge, while XTB remains a highly rated choice with convenient desktop and web platforms plus a free demo.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and XTB both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. A key difference is watchlists: Interactive Brokers syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while XTB does not. If you annotate charts, note that XTB auto-saves drawings, whereas Interactive Brokers does not.
For charting tools, Interactive Brokers offers 97 technical studies in its mobile app compared with XTB’s 39, giving more choices for indicator-based analysis. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while XTB earns 4.5 stars and ranks #8. Interactive Brokers suits traders who want deeper charting and cross-device watchlist syncing; XTB appeals to those who prefer a simpler setup with convenient auto-save for chart drawings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 39 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of Interactive Brokers and XTB, both platforms provide a solid foundation with daily market commentary and forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They also share the availability of sentiment-based trading tools and economic calendars to keep investors informed about global economic events. However, Interactive Brokers takes a competitive edge by offering research tools from Trading Central, comprehensive insights from TipRanks, and additional resources from Acuity Trading, which are not available with XTB.
Despite this, both brokers receive high ratings for their research capabilities, with each earning a 5-star rating. However, in a ranking of 63 brokers, Interactive Brokers stands out by securing the 3rd position in the research category, while XTB is slightly behind, noted as the 7th. This distinction highlights Interactive Brokers’ stronger emphasis on delivering diverse and comprehensive research tools, making it particularly appealing to those who seek detailed analysis and insights.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| 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 and XTB both offer beginner-friendly trading education with frequent live learning. Each broker hosts online client webinars at least once a month and provides large video libraries, including 10+ beginner videos to teach core trading ideas and platform basics, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. This mix of live sessions and on-demand lessons helps new traders learn at their own pace.
Both brokers earn 5 out of 5 stars for Education. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Education, while XTB ranks #11. If you want the higher-ranked curriculum, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you prefer an option that still delivers plenty of webinars and videos, XTB remains a strong pick for beginners.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XTB. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while XTB finished with an overall rank of #7.
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
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Interactive Brokers supports both buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trading cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas XTB offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not provide access to the underlying coins.
Interactive Brokers vs XTB: For deposit and withdrawal methods, Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not PayPal or Skrill, whereas XTB supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers but not ACH/SEPA.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2002 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 7184 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 0.92 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 39 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 39 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill