Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs Admirals, 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.
Founded in 2009, XM Group is an online broker that does not trade publicly or act as a bank, holding 4 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, suggesting a trusted reputation in the industry. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 88, XM Group is considered a reliable option for those looking for a trustworthy trading platform despite not being publicly traded.
In comparison, Admirals, established in 2001, also remains private and functions outside the banking sector. Admirals matches XM Group with 4 Tier-1 licenses but exceeds in having 3 Tier-2 licenses. Furthermore, Admirals earns a higher ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 93, marking it as highly trusted. This makes Admirals a favorable choice for those prioritizing a slightly higher trust score in their online trading endeavors.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to evaluating commissions and fees, XM Group presents a mixed picture. It offers standard account spreads that tend to be on the higher side. For its commission-based XM Zero account, XM Group hasn't published its average spreads, which can be a point of concern for potential traders seeking transparency. Rated 4 out of 5 stars in the commissions and fees category, it ranks #33 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating there's room for improvement.
In contrast, Admirals shines with its competitive pricing structure. On the Admiral's Trade account, you can typically expect spreads of about 0.8, which is quite attractive for traders looking to minimize costs. Additionally, the Zero account type at Admirals offers similar pricing, making it a versatile option for those seeking cost-effective trading solutions. Admirals has earned a 4.5-star rating for its commissions and fees, ranking #17 out of 62 brokers, reflecting its strong market position in this category.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the range of investments offered by online brokers, XM Group and Admirals both provide a competitive variety for their clients. XM Group offers 1,394 tradeable symbols, giving traders a broad selection to choose from. Admirals, on the other hand, expands this offering significantly with 8,702 tradeable symbols. Both brokers allow investors to engage in forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, with XM Group providing access to 55 forex pairs and Admirals offering a slightly larger selection with 82 pairs. For those interested in exchange-traded securities, both brokers enable the purchase of U.S. shares like Apple as well as international stocks, such as Vodafone, enhancing their appeal to global investors. Additionally, both XM Group and Admirals support copy trading and the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, lacking only in offering actual delivery of cryptocurrencies.
Despite Admirals having a broader range of tradeable symbols, both XM Group and Admirals are evenly rated at 4.5 stars for their Range of Investments. Nonetheless, Admirals ranks slightly higher than XM Group in this category according to ForexBrokers.com, placing 19th out of 62 brokers, while XM Group ranks 23rd. Therefore, if the breadth of tradeable symbols is a priority, Admirals may present a more attractive option, but both offer a solid array of investment opportunities covering forex, stocks, and derivatives to meet diverse trading needs.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools offered by XM Group and Admirals, both brokers provide online traders with a range of options that cater to diverse trading needs. Each offers free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to test strategies before committing real money. They also support widely-used platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, accessible via both Windows desktop downloads and web-based interfaces. Admirals stands out with its proprietary platform, whereas XM Group relies on established third-party platforms. Both brokers also support copy trading features, though neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
In terms of customization and analytical tools, Admirals offers more drawing tools for charting with 106 compared to XM Group's 15, yet they both provide the ability to trade directly from stock charts and manage watch lists with seven columns each. Despite these differences, both brokers score 4 out of 5 stars for their trading platforms and tools. Admirals gains a slight edge in overall platform and tool rankings, placed at #20 compared to XM Group's #30 by ForexBrokers.com. These elements make both brokers strong contenders in the competitive online trading environment, but Admirals offers a slightly broader array of in-house tools.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both XM Group and Admirals provide iPhone and Android apps, allowing users to trade market assets easily from their mobile devices. They each offer features like stock or forex price alerts and comprehensive charting capabilities, including 30 technical studies, trendline drawing, and multiple time frame viewing. However, XM Group stands out with its watchlist symbol syncing, which synchronizes the watchlists between the mobile app and the client's online account, whereas Admirals does not. On the flip side, Admirals allows for the auto-saving of chart drawings, a feature not offered by XM Group.
Both brokers allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, which is vital for active traders keeping an eye on market fluctuations. In terms of user ratings, both XM Group and Admirals score 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading apps. When ranked by ForexBrokers.com, XM Group slightly edges ahead of Admirals, securing the 27th position compared to Admirals' 28th out of 62 brokers. These features and rankings suggest that both brokers offer compelling mobile trading experiences, with specific features that might make one more appealing than the other depending on individual preferences.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XM Group and Admirals are notable online brokers each offering a suite of market research features. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from respected sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They also offer tools from Trading Central, including technical analytics, and sentiment-based trading tools highlighting market position ratios. Each broker supplies an economic calendar to help traders stay informed about global economic events, ensuring their clients can stay ahead of market trends. However, neither broker currently offers tools from Autochartist.
While highly rated, XM Group stands out with a top-tier research rating of five stars and ranks 8th among 62 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com. Admirals follow closely with a commendable four-star rating and a 15th place ranking. Admirals does have an edge with its access to market research from TipRanks and additional tools from Acuity Trading, such as the Signal Centre. Despite these offerings, XM Group's stronger reputation and higher ranking suggest a slight advantage in market research services.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners at XM Group and Admirals, both brokers demonstrate a commitment to providing a solid foundation in forex and CFDs. XM Group impresses with a 5-star education rating and offers an extensive array of over ten educational pieces, which include articles, videos, and archived webinars. Admirals also meets this benchmark, providing similar educational materials. XM Group and Admirals both conduct online client webinars monthly, which are particularly helpful for beginners seeking interactive learning opportunities. Each broker provides a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing users to revisit and learn at their convenience. Additionally, both brokers have curated over ten beginner-focused educational videos to introduce new traders to the world of trading with ease.
For those looking for more advanced content, both brokers offer over ten videos aimed at experienced traders, ensuring continued learning as user expertise grows. Admirals stands out by including an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, which is an excellent resource for beginners looking to familiarize themselves with industry jargon. Despite this, XM Group edges out Admirals in overall educational excellence, achieving a higher education star rating and ranking 7th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared to Admirals’ ranking of 12th. In summary, both brokers cater well to beginners, but XM Group gains a slight edge with its higher-rated educational offerings.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that XM Group is better than Admirals. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #17, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XM Group
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Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 93 |
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Both XM Group and Admirals do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they both provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers XM Group and Admirals, it is important to consider that while both offer options such as Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires for depositing or withdrawing account funds, Admirals distinguishes itself by additionally providing ACH or SEPA transfers and PayPal, options not available with XM Group.
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 | XM Group | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Admirals Review |
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| Regulation | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 88 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | 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) | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XM Group Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | XM Group | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Admirals Review |
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