Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of StoneX Trading 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.
StoneX Trading and XM Group are both online brokers, but StoneX Trading stands out on regulation and trust. Founded in 1983, StoneX Trading is publicly traded, is not a bank, and holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, earning a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99. By contrast, XM Group was founded in 2009, is not publicly traded, is not a bank, and holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses, with a Trust Score of 93 out of 99.
In simple terms, both brokers are considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, since scores of 90 to 99 fall in the highest trust range. Still, StoneX Trading has the stronger regulatory profile thanks to its longer track record, stock exchange listing, and higher number of top-tier licenses, while XM Group remains a well-regarded choice with solid oversight and a strong overall trust rating.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, StoneX Trading is the cheaper of the two overall. Its pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread-betting products is generally in line with the industry average, and traders can often get the best rates by using StoneX Trading’s own platforms or MetaTrader. For example, its EUR/USD spread averaged 0.74 pips as of July 2023, which keeps the all-in cost around the market average. StoneX Trading also offers active trader rebates, with discounts for higher-volume professional traders in the U.K. and Australia.
XM Group, by comparison, is less appealing on price. Its standard account spreads are considered expensive, and average spreads are not published for its commission-based XM Zero account, making it harder to judge the true cost upfront. In simple terms, XM Group is usually the pricier choice for everyday trading costs.
Based on ForexBrokers.com’s commissions and fees ratings, StoneX Trading earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers, while XM Group earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #35 out of 36. That makes StoneX Trading the stronger option for cost-conscious traders looking for lower trading fees.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing StoneX Trading and XM Group for range of investments, StoneX Trading offers a much wider selection overall. StoneX lists 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, while XM Group offers 1,583 tradeable symbols and 54 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both include copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
The biggest difference is in shares and listed securities. XM Group gives clients access to exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, so you can buy real stocks such as Apple or Vodafone. StoneX Trading does not offer exchange traded securities on either U.S. or international exchanges. Based on ForexBrokers.com, StoneX Trading earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers, while XM Group is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #19 out of 36.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 54 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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.
StoneX Trading and XM Group both give traders a wide choice of platform options, including free demo accounts for simulated trading, web-based platforms, Windows desktop downloads, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart. Both brokers also support trading tools that can help beginners and active traders test strategies before using real money. The biggest difference is that StoneX Trading also offers a proprietary, in-house platform, while XM Group does not. XM Group, on the other hand, supports MetaTrader 5, which StoneX Trading does not.
In ratings for trading platforms and tools, StoneX Trading comes out ahead with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #11 out of 36 brokers, compared with XM Group’s 4 out of 5 stars and #28 ranking. For traders comparing platform choice and tool quality, both brokers cover the basics well, but StoneX Trading has the edge overall thanks to its custom platform and stronger category score.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
StoneX Trading and XM Group both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and watchlist symbol syncing, so users can track markets and keep their lists updated across devices. Each app also lets traders draw trendlines on charts, making it easier to study price action on the go.
Where StoneX Trading stands out is in charting and app quality. Its mobile app includes 88 technical studies, compared with 30 for XM Group, and it can auto-save chart drawings, which XM Group does not. StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while XM Group is rated 4 stars and ranks #26, giving StoneX Trading the edge for mobile trading features and overall app experience.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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 | 88 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
StoneX Trading and XM Group both give traders a well-rounded set of market research tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Trading Central research, sentiment tools that show long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, so their research lineup is closely matched on the basics that many everyday traders use to follow the markets.
There are only slight differences in overall research quality. StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group scores a full 5 stars and ranks #8. In simple terms, both brokers are strong choices for market research, but XM Group edges ahead based on its higher rating and slightly better ranking.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | 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.
For beginners looking for help learning to trade, both StoneX Trading and XM Group provide a wide range of educational content. Each broker offers forex or CFDs education with at least 10 learning pieces, plus monthly client webinars, at least 10 beginner trading videos, and at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. That means new traders can find basic lessons, live learning events, and more in-depth material at either firm.
That said, XM Group has the edge in education overall. It is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #9 out of 36. In simple terms, both brokers are strong choices for learning, but XM Group offers a slightly better education experience for beginners based on these results.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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 StoneX Trading is better than XM Group. StoneX Trading finished with an overall rank of #8, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16.
Backed by StoneX Group and formerly named City Index, StoneX Trading is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
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XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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StoneX Trading and XM Group both allow traders to speculate on cryptocurrency prices through CFDs, but neither broker offers the ability to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
StoneX Trading supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, while XM Group offers Skrill and bank wires but does not support ACH/SEPA transfers or PayPal.
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 | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 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 | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 54 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | StoneX Trading | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | StoneX Trading | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | XM Group Review |
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