Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs Swissquote, 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 the regulatory frameworks of XTB and Swissquote reveals significant differences. Founded in 2002, XTB is a publicly traded company but not a bank. It holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, achieving a Trust Score of 96 out of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, indicating high trust. In contrast, Swissquote, established in 1996, is both publicly traded and a licensed bank. It boasts 5 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, earning a near-perfect Trust Score of 99, showing its exceptional trustworthiness.
Both XTB and Swissquote are listed on stock exchanges, underscoring their transparency and reliability in the financial sector. However, Swissquote's status as a bank, combined with its greater number of Tier-1 licenses, gives it a notable edge in regulatory trustworthiness. While XTB is highly trusted, Swissquote's almost perfect trust rating and banking status may offer potential clients an additional layer of security.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 1996 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 5 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
XTB comes out ahead of Swissquote on commissions and fees overall. XTB earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers for this category at ForexBrokers.com. Its pricing is generally around the industry average, with the spread-only Standard account usually the better pick for retail traders. Based on Q4 2023 data, XTB’s average EUR/USD spread was 1 pip, and active traders can also qualify for spread rebates through its Lower Spread Group program.
Swissquote is more expensive by comparison, reflecting its Swiss banking brand and broader regional account setup. It is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #36 out of 36 for commissions and fees. Costs vary by entity, but in general Swissquote’s U.K., Luxembourg, and Swiss offerings all sit above the cheapest forex brokers. For example, its U.K. Standard account starts at 1.3 pips on EUR/USD, while lower-spread accounts usually require larger deposits and, in some cases, commission charges.
In simple terms, XTB is the better value choice for most cost-conscious traders, while Swissquote may appeal more to people who want the reputation of a Swiss banking group and are willing to pay a premium for it. If commissions and fees are your top priority, XTB has the clear edge.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.06 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| 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 Swissquote both give traders access to forex as either CFDs or spot contracts, along with exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international markets. Each also lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs, so investors can choose between direct ownership and derivative-style trading. Both brokers earn 5 out of 5 stars for range of investments, making them strong choices for traders who want access to multiple asset types.
The main difference is in size and extras. XTB offers a much larger overall selection, with 10,521 tradeable symbols compared with Swissquote’s 472, while Swissquote has a slight edge in forex pairs, offering 80 versus XTB’s 71. Swissquote also supports copy trading, which XTB does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s range of investments ranking, Swissquote places higher at #2 out of 36 brokers, while XTB ranks #14.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10521 | 472 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 80 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
XTB and Swissquote both give traders a free demo account, a web-based platform, and their own in-house trading platform, so each broker covers the basics well for online trading. Both also let you place trades directly from a chart, which can make it easier to act quickly while watching price moves. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools review, both brokers are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, showing that each offers a strong overall experience for traders.
The main differences come down to desktop software and extra trading features. Swissquote offers a Windows desktop platform, plus MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading, while XTB does not offer these options. That gives Swissquote more choices for traders who want a downloadable platform or prefer MT4 and MT5. XTB still stands out with a solid platform setup and ranks higher in this category overall, placing #9 out of 36 brokers compared with Swissquote at #12.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | 92 | 86 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and Swissquote both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings in each mobile platform. Both brokers also earn the same 4.5-star rating for mobile trading apps, so either one gives users a solid experience for basic trading and charting on a phone or tablet.
Where XTB pulls ahead is in app depth and syncing. Its mobile app offers 104 technical studies, compared with 30 at Swissquote, and it also syncs watchlists with the online account so changes carry over between devices. That extra convenience helps explain XTB’s higher mobile apps ranking from ForexBrokers.com, where it placed #8 out of 36 brokers versus Swissquote at #12.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XTB and Swissquote both give traders daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so each platform covers the basics for following news and planned events. Where they differ is in extra research sources: Swissquote includes forex news from major providers like Bloomberg and Reuters, plus Autochartist tools, while XTB does not. On the other hand, XTB offers a sentiment tool that shows the balance of long and short positions, which Swissquote does not.
Overall, XTB has the edge for market research, with a 5-star rating and a #9 ranking out of 36 brokers for the Research category. Swissquote also performs well, earning 4.5 stars and placing #15, but its research offering is a little less broad in key areas like sentiment analysis.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning, both XTB and Swissquote give new traders plenty of support. Each broker offers more than 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, along with monthly live webinars and at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos covering trading topics. That means both platforms give users a solid mix of written lessons, videos, and live teaching to help them build knowledge at their own pace.
XTB has the edge for education overall. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com Education category, while Swissquote scores 4.5 stars and ranks #19. For beginners looking for a broker with slightly stronger educational support, XTB comes out ahead, though Swissquote still offers a good range of learning tools.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Swissquote. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11.
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 offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
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Swissquote
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 99 |
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Both XTB and Swissquote let investors buy actual delivered cryptocurrency as well as trade cryptocurrency CFDs, giving traders access to both direct crypto ownership and derivative-based speculation.
When comparing online brokers XTB and Swissquote, both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, but only Swissquote offers ACH/SEPA transfers, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | XTB | Swissquote | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Swissquote Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Swissquote | |
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| Regulation | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 5 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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) | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10521 | 472 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 80 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.06 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 92 | 86 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Swissquote Review |
| Overall | XTB | Swissquote | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Swissquote Review |
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