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.
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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
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2002 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick on commissions and fees, earning 5 stars and ranking #1 out of 36 brokers. Its forex pricing is low for active traders, with EUR/USD average spreads reported at 0.19 pips in Q3 2024 and an estimated all-in spread of 0.59 pips after commission. IBKR charges commission-based forex pricing rather than marking up spreads, with a $2 minimum per order on smaller trades, so it tends to work best for larger trade sizes and frequent traders.
XTB is also reasonably priced, but it is not as cheap as Interactive Brokers overall. It holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. XTB’s main retail account is the spread-only Standard account, and its EUR/USD average spread was 1 pip based on Q4 2023 data. For active traders, XTB does offer spread rebates through its Lower Spread Group, but its pricing still generally trails the lowest-cost brokers in the market.
In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is the better choice if your main goal is keeping forex trading costs as low as possible, especially if you trade larger volumes. XTB is competitive enough for many retail traders, but Interactive Brokers has the edge on both published pricing and overall value in the commissions and fees category.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.06 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and XTB for range of investments, both online brokers give traders access to forex, U.S. exchange-listed shares, international stocks, and real cryptocurrency. Neither broker offers copy trading, and both let clients buy actual crypto rather than just a synthetic product. For range of investments overall, both are rated 5 out of 5 stars.
Interactive Brokers stands out for forex specialists, offering 100 currency pairs compared with XTB’s 71, and it is ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in this category. XTB, however, lists more tradeable symbols overall at 10,521 versus 8,500 at Interactive Brokers, and it also offers cryptocurrency CFDs, which Interactive Brokers does not. In the same ranking, XTB is placed #15 out of 36 brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 10521 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 71 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
Interactive Brokers and XTB both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including free paper trading accounts, in-house platforms, browser-based access, and the ability to trade directly from charts. Neither broker offers copy trading or supports MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, so traders looking for those tools will need to look elsewhere. Both also provide charting and watch list tools, making it easier to track markets and manage trades in one place.
The main difference is that Interactive Brokers adds a Windows desktop platform, while XTB does not. That extra desktop option, along with its higher Trading Platforms and Tools score of 5 stars versus XTB’s 4.5 stars, helps Interactive Brokers rank #2 out of 36 brokers in this category, ahead of XTB’s #9 ranking. For traders who want more platform flexibility, Interactive Brokers has the edge, while XTB still offers a solid, user-friendly setup for web-based trading.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 92 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and XTB both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each lets traders set stock or forex price alerts, sync watchlists with their online account, and draw trendlines on charts. For everyday mobile trading, both apps cover the basics well, making it easy to monitor markets and manage trades on the go.
Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in charting depth and overall app ratings. Its mobile app includes 155 technical studies, compared with 104 at XTB, and it is rated 5 stars for mobile trading apps versus XTB’s 4.5 stars. Interactive Brokers is also ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com for this category, coming in at #4 out of 36 brokers, while XTB places #8. One area where XTB has an edge is chart drawing, since it automatically saves drawings on mobile charts, while Interactive Brokers does not.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and XTB both give traders daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with key global events. Both also earn top marks for research, with each rated 5 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s research category, however, Interactive Brokers ranks higher at #3 out of 36 brokers, while XTB comes in at #9.
The main difference is in the depth of outside research sources. Interactive Brokers adds forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, along with Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre. XTB does not offer those same third-party research feeds, but it still provides useful market commentary and sentiment tools for traders who want a simpler research setup.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| 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 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
|
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
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XTB
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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Interactive Brokers and XTB both let you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, but only XTB also offers cryptocurrency CFDs, making it the more flexible choice for traders who want both direct crypto ownership and CFD trading.
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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
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| 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 | 8 | 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 CMA 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 | 10521 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.06 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | N/A | |
| 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 (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | 92 | |
| 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 Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 104 | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review |
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