Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB 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 2002, XTB stands as a publicly traded online broker, a significant factor contributing to its high transparency. It holds two Tier-1 licenses, regarded as highly trusted, and two Tier-2 licenses, which signals a solid regulatory standing in the industry. With a Trust Score of 96, XTB is considered highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com, showcasing its commitment to providing a secure trading environment.
Admirals, established in 2001, is not publicly traded but demonstrates its reliability with four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, placing it among well-regulated brokers. Admirals holds a Trust Score of 93, indicating a strong level of trustworthiness. Both XTB and Admirals do not operate as banks, focusing solely on brokerage services, but their strong regulatory portfolios ensure trader confidence and safety.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When it comes to comparing the commission and fee structures of XTB and Admirals, each broker presents distinct options catered to different trading needs. XTB provides two main account types: a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Professional account, the latter being available only to elected professionals in the U.K. and Europe. The average forex spread on the EUR/USD for the Standard account is around 1 pip, which aligns with the industry average. XTB's Standard account is typically recommended for retail forex traders, primarily due to the phasing out of the Pro account in most regions. Furthermore, XTB offers an active trader discount through its Lower Spread Group, rebating up to 30% of the spread to high-volume traders.
Admirals, in comparison, offers competitive pricing with typical spreads of 0.8 on its Trade account, matched by similar pricing on its Zero account type. This ensures cost-effective trading for those seeking tight spreads without the need for complex account requirements. Admirals also presents a simple fee structure that appeals to traders looking for straightforward pricing without enrollment in additional programs for discounts.
In the ratings by ForexBrokers.com, both XTB and Admirals receive an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars for their commissions and fees. However, XTB holds a slight edge in the rankings, standing at #11 out of 62 brokers, compared to Admirals' position at #17. This indicates a marginal preference for XTB in the realm of commissions and fees, though both platforms provide strong offerings for traders.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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 comparing the range of investments between XTB and Admirals, both platforms offer a comprehensive selection but with some distinctions. XTB provides access to 7,184 tradeable symbols, whereas Admirals surpasses this with 8,702 symbols. In the realm of forex, XTB offers trading in 71 currency pairs, while Admirals provides a slightly broader selection with 82 pairs. Both brokers facilitate forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. For those interested in stock markets, both XTB and Admirals allow trading in U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, making it possible to invest in companies like Apple or Vodafone directly.
In terms of additional features, Admirals holds an edge with the availability of copy trading, a feature absent in XTB. However, neither platform supports purchasing actual cryptocurrencies, though they do offer cryptocurrency derivatives. Despite Admirals having a higher number of tradeable symbols, XTB receives a slightly higher rating for its range of investments, earning 5 stars compared to Admirals' 4.5 stars. On ForexBrokers.com, XTB ranks at #14 in the Range of Investments category, while Admirals is positioned at #19 among 62 brokers.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 considering online trading platforms, XTB and Admirals both provide strong offerings, but they cater to different needs. Both brokers offer simulated trading, allowing new and experienced traders to practice with virtual demo accounts. XTB’s proprietary platform stands out with a higher rating of 4.5 stars, offering 32 drawing tools and enabling trades directly from stock charts, which is ideal for those who prioritize a personalized trading environment with technical depth. Admirals, on the other hand, shines with its compatibility with MetaTrader 4 and 5, and their proprietary platform, although rated slightly lower at 4 stars, supports copy trading and includes a more extensive selection of 106 drawing tools, appealing to traders who value comprehensive charting capabilities and community-driven strategies.
Both XTB and Admirals support Windows-based desktop and web-based trading platforms, making them accessible for users across different devices. XTB leads with a higher ranking at #9 in ForexBrokers.com's Trading Platforms and Tools category, while Admirals is ranked at #20, reflecting XTB’s slightly superior integration of trading tools and personalized user experience. However, Admirals' offerings of MetaTrader platforms equip traders with industry-standard solutions and popular community features, which can be particularly compelling for those keen on automated trading and social trading features. Ultimately, the choice between XTB and Admirals would depend on whether a trader values advanced proprietary tools or seeks the versatility of third-party trading platforms.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and Admirals both provide mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to those who want to trade on the go. Each platform ensures users have access to stock or forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, view multiple time frames, and create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, neither of these apps offer watchlist symbol syncing, which means any changes you make won't automatically sync between your mobile app and your online account. When it comes to charting features, XTB takes the lead by offering 39 technical studies, compared to Admirals' 30.
In terms of user ratings and rankings, XTB's mobile trading app is rated at 4.5 stars, standing out with an impressive #8 rank out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Admirals, while also offering a solid mobile trading experience, has a rating of 4 stars and is positioned at #28 in the same ranking. Both apps are user-friendly, but XTB appears to edge out with more favorable ratings and greater functionality in technical analysis features.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of online brokers XTB and Admirals, both platforms provide daily market commentary and keep traders updated with forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, Admirals takes a slight edge in research tools by partnering with companies such as Trading Central and Acuity Trading, offering traders access to advanced analytical support. XTB, while lacking these particular resources, still provides a sentiment-based trading tool that gauges market interest in various instruments and boasts a highly rated economic calendar for global economic developments.
Despite Admirals' additional features from third-party companies such as TipRanks for further market insights, XTB emerges as the higher-rated option in the Research category by ForexBrokers.com. XTB holds a 5-star rating and ranks 7th out of 62 brokers, while Admirals, although benefiting from a broader range of analytical tools, only achieves a 4-star rating, placing it at 15th. This suggests that even though Admirals offers more varied tools, XTB delivers a highly commendable research experience overall.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | 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 it comes to educational resources for beginners in the online trading realm, both XTB and Admirals are well-equipped. They each offer over ten pieces of educational content focused on forex or CFDs, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. Both brokers provide frequent online webinars, with at least one session available each month. What’s more, past webinar recordings are easily accessible through searchable archives, making it convenient for learners to catch up on any missed sessions. For those just getting started in trading, both platforms also deliver a collection of beginner-friendly videos covering essential concepts.
Despite these similarities, there is a distinct difference between XTB and Admirals. Admirals provides an investor dictionary with definitions for over fifty investing terms, a feature not offered by XTB. Even with this additional resource, XTB slightly edges out Admirals with a 5-star education rating compared to Admirals’ 4 stars. Additionally, XTB takes a higher spot on ForexBrokers.com, ranking 11th in the Education category among 62 brokers, just ahead of Admirals, which sits at the 12th spot.
| Feature |
XTB
|
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 XTB is better than Admirals. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
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’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 93 |
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Both XTB and Admirals do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but they do provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
In the comparison of online brokers, Admirals stands out by offering ACH or SEPA transfers for funding and withdrawing account funds, a feature not available with XTB; both brokers provide options for PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, ensuring multiple convenient methods for managing finances.
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 | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Admirals Review |
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| Regulation | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | 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) | 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 | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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 | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | 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 | XTB | 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 | XTB Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | XTB | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Admirals Review |
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