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 of XM Group and Admirals, there are several key aspects to consider. Both brokers offer free virtual demo accounts, which is great for newcomers looking to practice trading without financial risk. While XM Group does not have a proprietary platform, Admirals boasts its own, offering a unique experience tailored by the broker. Both support popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 and provide access to web-based and Windows-based desktop platforms, making them versatile choices for traders with different needs. Additionally, copy trading is available with both brokers, although they do not support DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
In terms of charting and analysis, Admirals stands out with an impressive 106 drawing tools for technical analysis, compared to XM Group's 15. Both brokers offer the ability to trade directly from stock charts, which is a convenient feature for active traders. Each provides seven fields in their watch lists for tracking investments. When it comes to ratings, both brokers score four out of five stars for their trading platforms and tools. However, Admirals ranks higher, positioned at #19 out of 62 brokers in the Trading Platforms and Tools category by ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group is at #31. This suggests Admirals has a slight edge in overall platform versatility and tool offerings.
| 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.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of XM Group and Admirals, both offer strong features for iPhone and Android users. They provide stock or forex price alerts and allow drawing trendlines on charts. Both platforms enable users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, and each app includes 30 technical studies for charting. The ability to view various time frames on charts is also available in both apps. However, there are a few differences worth noting. While both apps have watchlists, only XM Group provides watchlist symbol syncing with the client’s online account, allowing changes to reflect across devices seamlessly. Conversely, Admirals stands out with its capability to automatically save chart drawings, a feature XM Group lacks.
Each app is rated four out of five stars for mobile trading, indicating a satisfying user experience for both platforms. Yet, when looking at rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Admirals holds a slightly better position, coming in at #23 compared to XM Group's #29 out of 62 brokers. This slight edge may appeal to users who prioritize platform recognition and performance reviews when choosing an app for their trading activities.
| 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 | Yes | |
| 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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