Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 vs Xtrade, 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.
When comparing online brokers, particularly focusing on regulatory aspects, both Plus500 and Xtrade present distinct profiles. Plus500, established in 2008 and publicly traded, stands out with a remarkable ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99. This score signifies it as a highly trusted choice. The broker boasts six Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, highlighting its strong regulatory framework and commitment to providing a secure trading environment. Plus500 is not a bank, but its credentials offer reassurance for those seeking a reliable platform.
On the other hand, Xtrade, founded in 2003, is privately held and holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 74, categorizing it as average risk. Xtrade possesses one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, indicating it meets standard regulatory requirements but may not have the same level of oversight as Plus500. Similar to Plus500, Xtrade is not a bank. While Xtrade offers a safe experience with compliance to necessary regulations, traders focused on trust and transparency might find Plus500's higher licensing and trust score appealing.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2003 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Plus500 comes out ahead of Xtrade based on available data. Plus500’s pricing sits slightly above the industry average, and its EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips in April 2024. It doesn’t offer retail discounts, but Professional clients who qualify can receive cash rebates. Plus500 earns 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked 24th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Xtrade provides less transparency on pricing—average spread data isn’t available—making it harder to gauge day-to-day trading costs. Reflecting this, Xtrade holds a lower 2.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked 64th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
In short, Plus500 offers clearer pricing and a stronger score than Xtrade for costs, though its spreads are still above average. Traders seeking the sharpest pricing for active trading may also compare leaders such as IG or Saxo. Always check live spreads and terms in your region before you trade.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $250 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing Plus500 vs Xtrade for range of investments, Plus500 offers far more choice with 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while Xtrade lists 482 symbols and 56 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs, but neither provides delivered crypto or copy trading.
Plus500 also stands out by offering access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international stock exchanges, whereas Xtrade does not offer real shares (non-CFDs). Reflecting this broader lineup, Plus500 earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #22 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Xtrade’s 3.5/5 stars and #50 ranking.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 482 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 56 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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). 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 Xtrade both offer proprietary, web-based trading platforms and free demo accounts for paper trading, but neither provides a Windows desktop download, copy trading, or support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). A key difference is chart trading: Xtrade allows placing orders directly from charts, while Plus500 does not. The number of built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns for each platform is not specified.
For trading platforms and tools, Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #59. If you want a higher-rated web platform with a strong overall tools experience, Plus500 stands out. If placing trades straight from charts is essential to your workflow, Xtrade may appeal despite its lower overall rating.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | N/A |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and Xtrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. The key differences appear in day-to-day usability: Plus500 supports price alerts and syncs your watchlists between the app and your online account, while Xtrade does not offer alerts or watchlist syncing. If you rely on notifications and like seeing the same watchlist across devices, Plus500 has the edge.
For charting, Plus500’s mobile app includes 115 technical studies and lets you draw trendlines; Xtrade does not provide a count of indicators and does not support drawing trendlines. Neither app auto-saves chart drawings. In independent evaluations, Plus500 earned 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #14 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade received 4 stars and ranked #54. Traders who want alerts, synced watchlists, and deeper chart tools will likely prefer Plus500, though both cover the basics on iOS and Android.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Plus500 vs Xtrade for market research: both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar. Xtrade stands out for streaming forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not include this feed. On the other hand, Plus500 offers Trading Central tools and a sentiment indicator showing the ratio of long vs short positions, features that Xtrade doesn’t provide. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
In independent evaluations, Plus500 earns 4.0 stars for research and ranks #19 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #53. In short: choose Plus500 if you want in-platform analysis tools and sentiment data; pick Xtrade if built-in premium news coverage is your priority.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing education for beginners, Plus500 offers a clearer learning path than Xtrade. Plus500 runs client webinars at least once a month and provides large video libraries for both newcomers and experienced traders, with at least 10 videos in each category. Xtrade does not host monthly webinars and does not meet the 10‑video mark for beginner or advanced topics, so its on‑platform learning options are more limited.
Ratings reflect this gap: Plus500 scores 4.0 out of 5 for Education and ranks 31st out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade scores 3.5 out of 5 and ranks 46th. If you want regular live sessions and plenty of videos to build confidence step by step, Plus500 is the stronger choice; Xtrade may suit those who only need a quick introduction.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
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 Xtrade. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while Xtrade finished with an overall rank of #60.
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
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Xtrade
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 74 |
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Plus500 vs Xtrade: both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading, but neither allows buying or taking delivery of actual (non-CFD) cryptocurrencies.
Plus500 vs Xtrade: For deposits and withdrawals, Plus500 supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers but not ACH/SEPA, while Xtrade also does not support ACH/SEPA and its availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified; Visa/Mastercard availability for Plus500 is also not specified.
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 | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Xtrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 74 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2003 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 482 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 56 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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). 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $250 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | N/A | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Xtrade Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Xtrade Review |
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