XTB review in 2025: fees, safety, how it works & more!

XTB, an international broker with over 1 million clients, stands out for its transparency, good customer support, and a platform tailored for different investor profiles. XTB is ideal for those looking to invest in stocks and ETFs with zero execution fees (up to €100,000 in monthly trading volume), as well as for those interested in exploring other markets such as Forex, indices, or commodities.

In this article, we will analyze the features of XTB in Europe, including its fees, advantages, and disadvantages, helping you determine if this broker is the right choice for you.

Overview

Founded in 2002, XTB is a global online broker headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. The business model was initially designed for trading (buying and selling assets within a short period) through Contracts for Difference (CFDs), a type of leveraged investment. Over time, the company expanded its offerings to include stocks and ETFs (real assets, not derivatives).

XTB offers two investment platforms: xStation 5 (Web version) and xStation Mobile, both featuring strong research tools, a high level of customization, and an accessible interface for investors (though it may initially seem complex for beginners).

Most of the available tools are designed for technical analysis rather than fundamental analysis. However, for fundamental analysis, XTB provides the "market analysis" feature, which helps filter stocks and ETFs based on key fundamental indicators (EPS, P/E, ROE, etc.).

In addition to providing access to over 5,000 stocks and ETFs, XTB also offers CFDs on Forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

The account opening process is simple, with fast and easy deposits and withdrawals. Additionally, the demo account is an excellent tool to quickly familiarize yourself with the platform.

Highlights

Pros and cons

Pros

• 0% transaction fees on stocks and ETFs up to €100,000 in monthly trading volume
• Fractional shares (stocks and ETFs)
• Demo account
• Payment card (eWallet)
• Customizable investment platforms
• Low minimum investment in stocks and ETFs (starting from €10)
• Educational materials
• Interest on uninvested cash
• Automatic investment through investment plans

Cons

• The platform may be unintuitive for beginners
• Limited focus on fundamental analysis
• The company still relies on CFDs, which are riskier derivative instruments—this may be a downside for long-term "buy and hold" investors
• Relatively high currency conversion fee (0.5%)
• Absence of products such as bonds and options

Investment Platforms

As mentioned above, XTB offers two investment platforms: xStation 5 (PC version) and xStation Mobile (mobile application). Let's start with the first one.

xStation 5

After registering and logging into the platform, the following page appears:

In the top left corner, you have several tabs where you can choose different financial products by "FAV" for favorites (if you have already pre-selected them), "HOT", and by asset classes.

For simplicity, you can use the search bar, which helps you find any financial product you want.

Let's search for EUNL (a global equity ETF), which, as you can see, appears in the search bar:

On the right side, we have the following tabs: Charts, News, Calendar, Market Analysis, Education/Videos, Account History, and finally, Investment Plans.

We believe that most of these options are intuitive to understand after exploring each one.

xStation Mobile

The xStation Mobile is an adaptation of xStation 5 for mobile devices. Naturally, it has some limitations compared to the desktop version, but it is still useful for following the news, tracking portfolio performance, and even conducting technical analysis.

Here are some screenshots:

Markets and financial products

In Europe, the range of products includes both real assets (stocks and ETFs) and financial derivatives (CFDs).

Below is the full list (with details provided below):

• Stocks: More than 3,500 assets available across 15+ stock exchanges worldwide. The minimum transaction amount is just €10 (fractional shares are available), and transactions are commission-free for amounts up to €100,000 per month. Includes free access to real-time quotes.
• ETFs: XTB offers over 1,350 ETFs across indices, sectors, and even commodities. Just like stocks, the minimum transaction amount is €10, and trading is free for amounts up to €100,000 per month.
• Forex: Through CFDs, you can invest in over 70 currency pairs with leverage of up to 30x. Spreads start at 0.00008 pips, and you can trade from 0.01 lots.
• Indices: Via CFDs, you can leverage your investments up to 20x. Spreads start at 0.012 pips, and there are over 30 index CFDs available.
• Commodities: Using CFDs, you can leverage commodity investments up to 10x. Spreads start at 0.00008 pips, and there are over 25 CFDs available (including gold, silver, oil, and natural gas).
• Cryptocurrencies: Finally, you can also trade cryptocurrency CFDs (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Stellar, Dogecoin), with leverage of up to 2x. Spreads start at 0.22% of the market price, and there are over 45 cryptocurrency CFDs available.

Note: The leverage levels mentioned for each asset class (ranging from 2x to 30x) have been set by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), as you can see here.

CFDs list

They also offer Investment Plans, a solution that allows you to invest automatically in pre-defined assets (including the option of direct debit from your bank account).

Below is a practical explanation, as this is one of the most sought-after features by investors.

Investment plans - step by step

Investment Plans is a solution that enables automated investing in pre-defined assets (with the option of direct debit from your bank account).

Step 1: Go to the “Investment plans” tab and select “verify offer”.

Then, click in “Start investing”:

After reading the legal disclaimer (investing in ETFs involves risk), click on “I understand”:

Step 2: Select the ETFs you want to include in your portfolio. In our case, as an illustrative example, we chose the “iShares Core S&P 500 UCITS” and the “iShares NASDAQ 100 UCITS”:

Step 3: Select the allocation. We set 70% in "iShares NASDAQ 100 UCITS" and 30% in "iShares Core S&P 500 UCITS". Click on “Create investment plan”:

The plan was created with the name “Long Term” and then click on “Reinforce Investment Plan":

Step 4: Select how you want to deposit into the plan. We will choose the "Auto invest" option to invest automatically.

Step 5: Select the payment method. You have three options: payment card (with a 0.7% fee), free funds (using the money already in your account), and bank transfer. In our example, we will use part of the €500 already available in the account.

Step 6: Select the recurring amount and the investment frequency. In our case, we set a €50 monthly investment, where €35 goes to the first ETF and €15 to the second ETF.

Step 7: Review the "Automatic Investment Summary" and confirm the order.

And that's it!

Finally, they also offer a multi-currency virtual card, which allows you to send and receive money, make payments, exchange currencies, and more.

Fees and commissions

XTB is very transparent with its fees, both for stocks and ETFs as well as for CFDs. Below is a detailed list:

Spreads vary between asset classes and within the same asset class. The spread is the difference between the buy price and the sell price. Using Index CFDs as an example, you can clearly see the disparity between them (which also depends on market conditions):

According to XTB's financial reports, the main source of revenue is CFDs.

Finally, the 0.50% currency conversion fee applies when you buy or sell an asset in a currency other than the euro. For example, if you want to buy U.S. stocks, XTB automatically converts your euros into dollars, and when you sell, your dollars back into euros.

It's important to note that this cost is fully applied at the moment of purchase, as you can see from the 1% loss immediately after opening a position.

Safety and regulation

XTB subsidiaries are fully supervised by top-tier regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA or KNF in Polish), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

When opening an account, you will sign up through one of the XTB subsidiaries. Here are the main ones:

According to European regulations, XTB, like other European brokers, is required to segregate client assets. What does this mean?

Client funds are kept completely separate from XTB’s own funds, ensuring that, in the unlikely event of bankruptcy, client funds will be returned to them rather than being treated as recoverable assets by XTB’s general creditors.

At XTB, your assets (cash + investments) are covered by the compensation fund of each entity as shown in the table above.

Finally, XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) – WIG30 index, meaning it is required to regularly publish financial reports, comply with stricter regulatory requirements, and undergo greater scrutiny from various financial authorities.

This characteristic adds an extra layer of security for investors.

Educational content

Another focus of XTB Europe is its educational offering. On xStation 5, under the “Education/Videos” tab, you can find a collection of videos produced by various experts, including a “weekly overview”.

Additionally, it also offers educational articles, market analysis, and daily webinars.

Final verdict: Is it worth investing with XTB?

XTB stands out as a well-established broker, offering a wide range of financial products, from commission-free stocks and ETFs to CFDs on Forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

The xStation 5 platform and the mobile app provide an intuitive and customizable investment experience, making them ideal for both beginner and experienced investors.

Although XTB has many advantages, such as fractional share investing and earning interest on uninvested cash, it also has some limitations, including a reduced focus on fundamental analysis and a relatively high currency conversion fee.

However, supervision by top regulators and the segregation of client funds add to the platform's security. Additionally, being listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange provides an extra layer of transparency and credibility.

In summary, XTB is an excellent choice for those looking for an accessible, secure, and diverse broker, particularly attractive to European investors thanks to its dedicated local support.‍

_{Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 76-85% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Past performance is not indicative of future results.}