Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs XM Group, 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.
OANDA and XM Group are both highly trusted online brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com. On the 99‑point Trust Score scale—where 90–99 means highly trusted—OANDA scores 92 and XM Group scores 93. In terms of regulation, OANDA holds 7 Tier‑1 licenses, while XM Group holds 4 Tier‑1 licenses and 3 Tier‑2 licenses, signaling extensive oversight from top regulators.
OANDA was founded in 1996, and XM Group in 2009. Neither broker is publicly traded, and neither operates as a bank. If regulatory coverage matters to you, OANDA offers a larger number of Tier‑1 approvals, while XM Group balances multiple Tier‑1 approvals with additional Tier‑2 licenses.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
OANDA and XM Group both charge more than the cheapest forex brokers when it comes to trading costs, but OANDA has the edge overall. OANDA’s default spreads are fairly high, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.61 pips in July 2024, and its core pricing account lowers spreads but adds commission charges that still keep costs above the lowest-cost options. OANDA is rated 4 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #32 out of 36 brokers.
XM Group is less favorable in this category. Its standard account spreads are expensive, and it does not publish average spread data for its commission-based XM Zero account, which makes it harder to judge true trading costs. XM Group is rated 3.5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #36 out of 36 brokers.
In simple terms, OANDA is the better pick of the two for commissions and fees, mainly because it is more transparent and generally offers slightly better all-in pricing than XM Group. That said, neither broker is considered a low-cost leader, so active traders should compare spreads and commissions closely before opening an account.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.68 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.69 | 0.7+ |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, OANDA and XM Group both give traders access to forex as either CFDs or spot contracts, plus copy trading and shares on both U.S. and international exchanges. They also each offer cryptocurrency CFDs, so you can trade on crypto price movements without owning the coins themselves. In this area, both brokers are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, showing a strong selection of markets for most everyday traders.
The main difference is choice. OANDA lists 4,172 tradeable symbols and 69 forex pairs, while XM Group offers 1,583 symbols and 54 forex pairs. OANDA also stands out by allowing clients to buy actual cryptocurrency, not just crypto CFDs, which XM Group does not support. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for Range of Investments, XM Group is slightly ahead at #19 out of 36 brokers, compared with OANDA at #20.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 1583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 54 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
OANDA and XM Group both give traders a solid mix of platform choices and tools, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let users trade directly from charts, which can make order entry quicker and easier for active traders. For everyday use, this means either broker can suit beginners who want to practice first as well as more experienced traders looking for familiar platform options.
One key difference is that OANDA offers its own in-house trading platform, while XM Group does not. That extra proprietary platform may appeal to traders who want a broker-built experience alongside the standard third-party platforms. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, but OANDA places higher in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for this category, coming in at #16 out of 36 brokers compared with XM Group at #29.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
OANDA and XM Group both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, and each offers stock or forex price alerts plus the ability to draw trendlines on charts. OANDA’s mobile app stands out for saving chart drawings automatically, while XM Group’s app adds watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the app or online account stay updated across both. For charting tools, OANDA offers 30 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with XM Group’s 100, giving XM Group a wider set of indicators for traders who want more chart options.
In overall mobile trading app quality, OANDA comes out ahead with a 5-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #7 out of 36 brokers. XM Group is also a solid choice, but it is rated 4 stars and ranked #26 out of 36 in the same category. If you want a cleaner app experience with automatic drawing saves and a stronger mobile rating, OANDA has the edge; if you prefer more technical studies and watchlist syncing, XM Group may fit better.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
OANDA and XM Group both do well when it comes to market research. Each broker offers daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with key global events. Both are also rated 5 out of 5 stars for Research, which points to a strong overall research experience for traders looking for regular market updates and trade ideas.
The main difference is in the extra research tools they provide. OANDA includes Autochartist, while XM Group offers Trading Central instead. Neither broker supports TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research ranking, OANDA comes in at #4 out of 36 brokers, ahead of XM Group at #8, giving OANDA a slight edge for market research overall.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex and CFD trading, both OANDA and XM Group offer plenty of educational support. Each broker provides forex and CFD learning materials, online webinars at least once a month, and a large video library with 10 or more beginner-focused videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. Both are also rated 5 out of 5 stars for Education, so either one gives new traders a strong place to start.
The main difference is in outside rankings, where XM Group comes out ahead. ForexBrokers.com places XM Group at #5 out of 36 brokers for Education, while OANDA is ranked #18. That makes XM Group the better pick if you want a broker with a higher-rated education offering, though OANDA still provides a solid mix of beginner-friendly learning tools.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
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 OANDA is better than XM Group. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #14, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16.
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 92 | 93 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
OANDA vs XM Group: OANDA lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while XM Group offers crypto exposure only through CFDs and does not support purchasing real, delivered crypto.
Among online brokers, OANDA supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal for deposits and withdrawals—options XM Group doesn’t offer—while both OANDA and XM Group provide Skrill and bank wire transfers.
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 | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 92 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 1583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 54 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.68 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.69 | 0.7+ | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | OANDA Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | OANDA | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 92 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | XM Group Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
Capital.com
AvaTrade
XM
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill
HFM Markets