Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
Comparing online brokers Plus500 and XM Group: Plus500 was founded in 2008 and is publicly traded, while XM Group started in 2009 and is privately held. Neither broker is a bank.
On regulation and safety, Plus500 holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses; XM Group holds 4 Tier-1 and 3 Tier-2 licenses. According to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 earns a Trust Score of 99/99 and XM Group scores 93/99—both fall in the 90–99 “highly trusted” range.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Plus500 comes out ahead of XM Group, though neither is a low-cost leader. Plus500’s pricing is slightly above the industry average and lags behind top active-trader options such as IG and Saxo. For the EUR/USD pair, Plus500 reported average spreads of 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the industry average. It does not offer discounts to retail clients, but some Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. Plus500 earns 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
XM Group is less competitive on pricing. Its standard account spreads are considered expensive, and average spreads for the commission-based XM Zero account are not published, which makes direct cost comparison harder. XM Group receives 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #36 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Overall, Plus500 has the edge over XM Group for commissions and fees, especially for traders who care about clearer pricing and a better overall cost profile. However, traders who plan to trade actively should still compare both brokers carefully against lower-cost peers before opening an account.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | 0.7+ |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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 comparing Plus500 and XM Group for range of investments, both brokers give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, plus the ability to buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international exchanges. They also both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual delivered crypto. Each broker earns a 4.5-star rating for Range of Investments, so both are solid choices if you want a broad mix of markets.
Where Plus500 stands out is its larger product list, with 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with XM Group’s 1,583 symbols and 54 forex pairs. XM Group does have one extra feature that Plus500 does not: copy trading. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings for Range of Investments, Plus500 places higher at #16 out of 36 brokers, while XM Group ranks #19, making Plus500 the wider pick overall for traders who want more market options.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 54 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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.
Plus500 and XM Group both give traders a free demo account, so beginners can practice before using real money. Plus500 stands out for its own in-house platform and easy-to-use web trading experience, while XM Group offers a wider range of platform choices, including a Windows desktop app, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. If you want copy trading or the ability to trade directly from charts, XM Group has those features, while Plus500 does not.
For trading platforms and tools, Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with XM Group’s 4 out of 5 stars and #29 ranking. In simple terms, Plus500 may appeal to traders who want a cleaner, broker-built platform, while XM Group is better suited to people who prefer more platform options and extra trading tools.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and XM Group both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, along with price alerts and watchlist syncing so your mobile watchlists can stay in step with your online account. Each app also lets you draw trendlines on charts, which is helpful for tracking price moves and planning trades. One area where neither app has an edge is chart drawing auto-save, since that feature is not available on either platform.
For charting depth, Plus500 has the upper hand with 115 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 100 at XM Group. That difference helps explain why Plus500 earns a higher mobile trading apps score at 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #26. In short, both apps cover the basics well, but Plus500 offers a slightly stronger mobile charting experience overall.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Plus500 and XM Group both give traders useful market research features, including daily market commentary, Trading Central tools, sentiment data showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with global news events. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research tools. The biggest difference is in news coverage: XM Group provides forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not.
When it comes to overall research quality, XM Group has the edge. It is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Plus500’s 4.5-star rating and #16 ranking. For traders who want a wider mix of market news and stronger research coverage, XM Group comes out ahead, though Plus500 still offers a solid set of basic research tools.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Plus500 and XM Group both give beginners a good range of learning tools, including forex and CFD education with at least 10 relevant educational pieces, monthly online webinars, and 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. This means both brokers cover the basics and also offer material for traders who want to keep learning as they gain experience. For someone just starting out, either platform provides a solid set of resources to help explain trading terms, strategies, and market ideas in a simple way.
That said, XM Group comes out ahead overall for education. It has a 5-star education rating and is ranked #5 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #27. In plain terms, both brokers support beginner learning well, but XM Group offers the stronger educational package if your main focus is studying before you trade.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than XM Group. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #11, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Plus500 vs XM Group: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
In a Plus500 vs XM Group funding comparison, neither supports ACH or SEPA, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, only Plus500 supports PayPal, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | 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) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 54 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | 0.7+ | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Plus500 Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | XM Group Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
Capital.com
AvaTrade
XM
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill
HFM Markets