Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of CMC Markets' UK entity and XTB's UK entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of CMC Markets' UK entity and XTB's UK entity.
CMC Markets
Regulated in your country CMC Markets is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
XTB
Regulated in your country XTB is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders CMC Markets and XTB are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.CMC Markets is better than XTB for high-volume traders and algo traders. Long-term investors, scalpers and swing traders can choose either CMC Markets or XTB.
| Overall score | CMC Markets 84 Best 78 | XTB 76 -8 76 -2 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise CMC Markets and the ones that supervise XTB.CMC Markets and XTB are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 100 | XTB 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that CMC Markets and XTB have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.Both CMC Markets and XTB offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. CMC Markets also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | CMC Markets 95 Best 95 Best | XTB 86 -9 86 -9 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1989 | 2002 |
| Parent company i | CMC Markets plc | XTB S.A. |
| CEO i | Peter Cruddas | Omar Arnaout |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds | Barclays, JP Morgan Chase |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 1,000,000 | 1,600,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$324,700,000 | US$260,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 10.5M monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with XTB in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.CMC Markets is better than XTB for CFD/FX costs, since CMC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$7.5 per lot (against XTB's US$10.6), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.5 points (against XTB's 0.59 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.2 points (against XTB's 0.89 points). Neither CMC Markets nor XTB charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
XTB is better than CMC Markets for real stock costs. Neither CMC Markets nor XTB charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
| Section score | CMC Markets 71 Best 44 -32 | XTB 53 -18 76 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | US$5 | Free |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$7.5 | US$10.6 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.59 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.2 points | 0.89 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | ||
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Free, Percentage | |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | Free | Free |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with CMC Markets and with XTB in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.XTB is better than CMC Markets for CFD/FX markets, since XTB offers CFDs on ETFs, which CMC Markets does not. Both CMC Markets and XTB offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, and let you own ETFs and stocks outright.
CMC Markets and XTB are equally good for real stock markets, since CMC Markets gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against XTB's 5,200). On the other hand, XTB offers CFDs on ETFs. Both CMC Markets and XTB let you own ETFs and stocks outright, and offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 65 -10 30 | XTB 75 Best 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 12,000 | 5,200 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i | ETF, Stocks | ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and XTB make available to their clients in United Kingdom.CMC Markets is better than XTB for platforms, because CMC Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and social trading, which XTB does not. CMC Markets and XTB both offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
| Section score | CMC Markets 97 Best 97 Best | XTB 75 -22 75 -22 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of CMC Markets and XTB in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.CMC Markets is better than XTB for mobile trading, since CMC Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app and the MetaTrader 4 app, which XTB does not. CMC Markets and XTB both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best 73 Best | XTB 67 -6 67 -6 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that CMC Markets and XTB allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.CMC Markets and XTB are close on CFD/FX trading features, as both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops. CMC Markets goes a step further, as it executes orders faster, within 9 ms (against XTB's 440 ms), and allows for automated trading.
XTB is better than CMC Markets for real stock trading features, because XTB offers fractional shares, which CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets and XTB both offer trailing stops.
| Section score | CMC Markets 69 71 -5 | XTB 67 -2 76 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | NDD |
| Average execution time i | 9 ms | 440 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | 28.05% | |
| Requotes occurrence i | 0.08% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | ||
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at CMC Markets and at XTB in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.CMC Markets is better than XTB for CFD/FX account types, as CMC Markets offers a corporate account, an unlimited demo account and a raw spread account, which XTB does not. Both CMC Markets and XTB offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
XTB is better than CMC Markets for real stock account types, as XTB offers a stock investing account, which CMC Markets does not. Both CMC Markets and XTB offer a demo account and a standard account.
| Section score | CMC Markets 53 Best 45 -4 | XTB 37 -16 49 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with CMC Markets and with XTB in United Kingdom.CMC Markets and XTB are equally good for account opening, as CMC Markets pays out withdrawals faster, within 2 days (against XTB's 3 days). On the other hand, XTB offers 3 account base currencies (against CMC Markets' 2), and credits deposits faster, within the same day (against CMC Markets' 2 days). Neither CMC Markets nor XTB requires a minimum deposit.
| Section score | CMC Markets 65 65 | XTB 65 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | ||
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | EUR, USD | GBP, EUR, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 2 business days | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 2 business days | up to 3 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and XTB in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.CMC Markets is better than XTB for customer care, because CMC Markets offers a dedicated account manager and priority support, which XTB does not. Both CMC Markets and XTB offer phone support and live chat.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best 73 Best | XTB 62 -11 62 -11 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 9 | 14 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, Czech, German, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, Greek, English, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that CMC Markets and XTB provide to their clients in United Kingdom.CMC Markets is better than XTB for learning, because CMC Markets offers professional reports, which XTB does not. Both CMC Markets and XTB offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 Best 100 Best | XTB 88 -12 88 -12 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
CMC Markets vs XTB: which one should you choose?
CMC Markets
CFD/FX Choose CMC Markets if you want a forex broker with low trading costs, a wide choice of markets and copy and social trading.
Stocks Choose CMC Markets if you want a share dealing service with a wide choice of markets and the MetaTrader platforms.
Open Account 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
XTB
CFD/FX Choose XTB if you want an online CFD broker with fast execution and room for automated strategies.
Stocks Choose XTB if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks and fast execution.
Open Account 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include CMC Markets or XTB, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
