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Interactive Brokers vs XTB 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025
  Fact Checked

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.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
XTB
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0 info
  • Trust Score: 96
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 10900 info

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 XTB are well-known online brokers. Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977, while XTB launched in 2002. Both are publicly traded companies and neither is a bank.

When it comes to regulation and trust, Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses; XTB holds 2 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses (Tier-1 is considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com). On ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale, both fall in the “highly trusted” range of 90–99: Interactive Brokers scores 99/99 and XTB scores 96/99.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Year Founded info 1977 2002
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 2
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2

Fees

Interactive Brokers comes out ahead on commissions and fees, especially for forex traders who want low pricing and strong execution. Its EUR/USD spread was 0.19 pips in Q3 2024, with an estimated all-in cost of 0.59 pips after commission. IBKR charges commission-based forex pricing rather than marking up spreads, with rates that can be especially attractive for larger or more active traders. It earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.

XTB offers a simpler pricing setup, with a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Professional account that is limited to certain clients in the U.K. and Europe. On EUR/USD, its average spread was 1 pip in Q4 2023, which is higher than Interactive Brokers. For most retail traders, the Standard account is usually the more practical choice, while active traders may qualify for spread rebates through XTB’s Lower Spread Group. XTB is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.

Overall, Interactive Brokers is the lower-cost option for many forex traders, especially those trading larger volumes or looking for commission-based pricing. XTB is still competitive, but its fees are generally closer to the industry average. If commissions and spreads are your main concern, IBKR has the edge; if you prefer a more straightforward account structure, XTB may still be worth considering.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0 info
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.226 info 0.92 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.226 info 0.92 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

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Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and XTB both give traders access to forex trading, exchange-traded stocks on U.S. and international exchanges, and a wide mix of markets, but they differ in what else they let you trade. XTB lists more tradeable symbols overall, with 10,900 compared with Interactive Brokers’ 8,500, while Interactive Brokers offers more forex pairs, with 90 versus XTB’s 71. Neither broker offers copy trading, and both let you invest in real shares rather than only CFDs.

Where the two stand out most is in crypto access and overall market range. Interactive Brokers lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, but does not offer crypto CFDs, while XTB does the opposite by offering cryptocurrency CFDs but not delivered crypto. Both brokers are rated 5 out of 5 for Range of Investments, but ForexBrokers.com ranks Interactive Brokers #1 out of 36 brokers in this category, compared with XTB at #14, making Interactive Brokers the stronger choice for traders who want the broadest selection of investment products.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 10900 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 71
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info No 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

Interactive Brokers and XTB both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including free paper trading, a broker-built platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based platform. Each one also lets you trade straight from a stock chart, which can make it easier to place orders while watching price moves. Neither broker offers copy trading or supports MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, so traders looking for those third-party platforms will need to look elsewhere.

In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead with a 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 36 brokers, while XTB earns 4.5 stars and ranks #9. Based on that, Interactive Brokers appears to have the edge for platform quality and trading tools overall, though XTB still offers a solid platform lineup for everyday traders.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 39
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and XTB both offer iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts, so either broker gives mobile traders the basics they need to stay connected on the go. Both apps also let you draw trendlines on charts, which is helpful for tracking price moves and planning trades. Where Interactive Brokers stands out is watchlist syncing between the mobile app and online account, so your lists stay updated across devices. XTB does not offer this feature, but it does have one useful edge: chart drawings save automatically in the mobile app, while Interactive Brokers does not.

For charting, Interactive Brokers offers far more technical studies in its mobile app, with 155 compared with XTB’s 39. That wider set of tools, along with a 5-star rating for mobile trading apps and a #4 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, gives Interactive Brokers the lead overall. XTB still performs well, earning 4.5 stars and a #8 ranking, but for traders who want more chart tools and smoother watchlist syncing, Interactive Brokers is the stronger mobile app choice.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 39
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and XTB both do well when it comes to market research. Each one offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows how traders are positioned, and an economic calendar that tracks upcoming global events. Both brokers also earn a 5-star rating for research, showing that each gives traders plenty of useful market information.

The main difference is that Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of extra research tools. It includes Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading, while XTB does not offer these features. Neither broker offers Autochartist. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research category, Interactive Brokers ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, while XTB ranks #9, giving Interactive Brokers the edge for traders who want more research options.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Acuity Trading info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and XTB both give beginners plenty of ways to learn, including forex and CFD education, monthly client webinars, and a large library of videos for both new and experienced traders. Each broker also earns a 5-star Education rating, so at a glance, both are strong choices for anyone who wants to build trading knowledge before placing trades.

The main difference is in the overall ranking: Interactive Brokers is ranked #1 out of 36 brokers for Education by ForexBrokers.com, while XTB is ranked #11. That puts Interactive Brokers ahead for educational support, especially for beginners who want access to a wide range of learning materials and live online sessions, although XTB still offers a solid set of beginner-friendly resources.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

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 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 logoInteractive Brokers
XTB logoXTB
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or XTB?

In the Interactive Brokers vs XTB comparison for cryptocurrency trading, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does not offer crypto CFDs, while XTB does not provide access to real (delivered) crypto yet enables trading in cryptocurrency CFDs.

What funding options does each broker offer?

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.

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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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers XTB
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review XTB Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers XTB
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
XTB xStation mobile trading app sentiment XTB xStation 5 web platform XTB website news headlines and sentiment. XTB educational course intermediate article lesson details
Regulation Interactive Brokers XTB
Trust Score info 99 96
Year Founded info 1977 2002
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 2
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers XTB
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
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 XTB
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info Yes Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers XTB
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 10900 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 71
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info No 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 info 0.226 info 0.92 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.226 info 0.92 info
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers XTB
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0 info
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers XTB
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers XTB
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 39
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers XTB
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 39
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers XTB
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers XTB
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers XTB
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review Interactive Brokers Review XTB Review
Overall Interactive Brokers XTB
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review XTB Review
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