Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs Plus500, 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.
XTB and Plus500 are both prominent online brokerage firms that provide various trading services to investors around the world. Founded in 2002, XTB is a publicly traded company and is not a bank. Similarly, Plus500, which began operations in 2008, is also publicly traded and not a bank. Both companies are transparent and regulated, but there are differences in their regulatory standings and trust ratings. XTB holds two highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and two trusted Tier-2 licenses, earning a very high Trust Score of 96 on ForexBrokers.com.
Comparatively, Plus500 surpasses XTB with six highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and three trusted Tier-2 licenses, culminating in a near-perfect Trust Score of 99. Both brokers are subject to rigorous regulatory oversight, providing a secure environment for traders. While XTB offers a strong level of trust and reliability, Plus500 takes a slight edge by holding more licenses and scoring the highest possible trust rating. This makes Plus500 a compelling choice for those prioritizing regulatory assurance and trust in their online brokerage.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 6 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
For commissions and fees, XTB earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #12 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 scores 4.0/5 stars and ranks #24. In simple terms, XTB’s pricing sits around the industry average, whereas Plus500 is slightly above average. That difference shows up most clearly in their typical spreads.
XTB offers a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Professional account that’s largely being phased out and not promoted (available mainly to qualifying elected Professionals in the U.K. and EU or certain legacy clients). Using Q4 2023 data, XTB’s average EUR/USD spread was about 1.0 pip. The Standard account is usually cheaper for smaller trade sizes, with pricing converging at higher volumes. Minimum deposit starts at 250 in your base currency. Active traders can get spread rebates through XTB’s Lower Spread Group, returning about 5% to 30% of the spread once monthly volumes reach 20 to 1000 lots; in the EU, eligibility may require elective professional status.
Plus500’s pricing is a bit higher than average and it doesn’t offer retail discounts. The average EUR/USD spread was about 1.5 pips in April 2024. Cash rebates may be available only if you qualify as a Professional client. Bottom line: XTB typically comes out cheaper on core forex pairs and also offers potential rebates for high-volume traders, whereas Plus500 keeps a simple spread-only model that tends to cost a little more for most retail traders.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XTB and Plus500 both let you trade forex via CFDs or spot, and both provide access to exchange-traded shares in the U.S. and on international markets. XTB lists 7,184 tradeable symbols versus Plus500’s 5,500. For currency traders, XTB offers 71 forex pairs compared with 65 at Plus500. Neither broker supports copy trading. Both offer crypto exposure through cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual coins.
On range of investments, XTB earns 5 stars and ranks 15th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks 22nd. If having more symbols and slightly more forex pairs matters to you, XTB pulls ahead; if you want a wide selection with crypto CFDs and global shares, both are strong choices.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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). | 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. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
XTB and Plus500 both provide free demo (paper) trading and use proprietary, in-house platforms. If you prefer a downloadable Windows desktop platform, choose XTB; Plus500 doesn’t offer one. Both brokers provide web-based platforms you can access in your browser. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and neither offers copy trading.
XTB also supports trading directly from charts, while Plus500 does not. For trading platforms and tools, each broker earns 4.5 out of 5 stars, but XTB ranks higher overall—9th out of 63 brokers versus Plus500 at 14th—according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 39 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and Plus500 both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts and lets you draw trendlines on charts. A key difference is watchlists: Plus500 syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, while XTB does not.
For charting, Plus500 provides 115 technical indicators compared with XTB’s 39. XTB, however, auto-saves your chart drawings, while Plus500 does not. Both apps earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, XTB ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for its mobile app, while Plus500 ranks #14. Choose Plus500 if you value more indicators and synced watchlists, or XTB if auto-saving drawings matters more—either way, both are highly rated.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 115 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to providing daily market insights, both XTB and Plus500 stand out as they each offer daily market commentary to keep traders informed. However, when delving into specialized market news, XTB takes a lead by incorporating forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, which Plus500 lacks. Though both platforms lack tools from Autochartist, Plus500 compensates with research features from Trading Central, offering technical analytics not available on XTB. For traders interested in market sentiment, both platforms offer sentiment-based trading tools that highlight trading positions across various instruments, ensuring users stay in tune with market trends.
In terms of specialized market research, neither XTB nor Plus500 offers resources from TipRanks or Acuity Trading. However, both platforms provide an economic calendar that highlights key global events, helping traders stay ahead of economic changes. Despite some similarities, XTB is favored for research capabilities, boasting a stellar 5-star rating and ranking 7th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Plus500, while still competitive with a 4-star rating, follows behind in 19th place. For traders focused on research-driven strategies, XTB's superior integration of high-quality forex news and higher industry ratings make it a more appealing choice.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | 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.
XTB and Plus500 both give beginners plenty to learn from. Each broker offers a sizable library focused on forex and CFDs, including more than 10 beginner videos and more than 10 advanced videos, plus monthly educational webinars. Where they differ is quality and recognition: XTB holds a 5-star Education rating and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.0 stars and ranks #31.
If learning is your top priority, XTB stands out thanks to its higher rating and stronger placement in industry rankings, which signals a deeper, more polished learning path from basics to advanced topics. Plus500 still delivers a solid education experience—with plenty of videos and regular webinars—making it a good choice if you want straightforward materials without getting overwhelmed.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XTB is better than Plus500. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 96 | 99 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
XTB vs Plus500: neither broker allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
For deposits and withdrawals, XTB and Plus500 both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, do not offer ACH or SEPA, and have unspecified availability for Visa or Mastercard.
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 | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 6 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| 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). | 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. |
| Cost | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 115 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XTB Review | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Plus500 Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill