Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs Plus500, 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.
XTB (founded 2002) and Plus500 (founded 2008) are online brokers that are publicly traded on stock exchanges and are not banks. These points, along with each firm’s licenses and third‑party ratings, help show how they’re overseen and how safe they may be to use.
Regulation and trust differ between the two: XTB holds 2 Tier‑1 and 2 Tier‑2 licenses and has a 96/99 ForexBrokers.com Trust Score. Plus500 holds 7 Tier‑1 and 4 Tier‑2 licenses and scores 99/99. On the ForexBrokers.com scale—90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 should not be trusted at all—both land in the highly trusted range, with Plus500 showing broader top‑tier licensing.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, XTB offers a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Professional account that’s limited to elective professional clients in the U.K. and EU—and that Pro option is being phased out and no longer promoted in most regions. Using Q4 2023 data, XTB’s average EUR/USD spread was 1.0 pip. For smaller trade sizes, the Standard account tends to be cheaper; at higher volumes, pricing between Standard and Pro is similar. XTB also runs an active trader rebate program (Lower Spread Group) that returns 5%–30% of the spread once you trade 20–1,000 lots per month. Minimum deposit starts at 250 in your base currency. XTB is rated 4.5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Plus500’s pricing sits slightly above the industry average and lags leading brokers for active trader pricing. There are no retail discounts; only Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. In April 2024, the average EUR/USD spread at Plus500 was 1.5 pips, which is higher than the industry average. Plus500 is rated 4.0/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #24 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Bottom line: XTB typically delivers lower effective costs than Plus500 for many retail traders—especially at smaller sizes or if you qualify for XTB’s volume-based rebates—while Plus500 may appeal if you want straightforward pricing but can accept wider spreads unless you’re classified as a Professional client.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.92 | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XTB offers a wider range of investments than Plus500, with 10,900 tradeable symbols versus 5,500, and 71 forex pairs compared with Plus500’s 65. Both brokers support forex trading via contracts such as CFDs or spot, and both let clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international markets (for example, Apple and Vodafone). Each provides cryptocurrency trading through CFDs, but neither allows buying actual crypto. Copy trading is not available at either broker.
For Range of Investments, XTB is rated 5 stars and ranked #14 out of 63 by ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #16. If sheer variety matters most, XTB has the edge, though Plus500 still covers the core markets many traders look for.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10900 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
XTB and Plus500 both provide free demo (paper) trading and use proprietary, in-house platforms. If you prefer a downloadable Windows desktop platform, choose XTB; Plus500 doesn’t offer one. Both brokers provide web-based platforms you can access in your browser. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and neither offers copy trading.
XTB also supports trading directly from charts, while Plus500 does not. For trading platforms and tools, each broker earns 4.5 out of 5 stars, but XTB ranks higher overall—9th out of 63 brokers versus Plus500 at 14th—according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and Plus500 both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts and lets you draw trendlines on charts. A key difference is watchlists: Plus500 syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, while XTB does not.
For charting, Plus500 provides 115 technical indicators compared with XTB’s 39. XTB, however, auto-saves your chart drawings, while Plus500 does not. Both apps earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, XTB ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for its mobile app, while Plus500 ranks #14. Choose Plus500 if you value more indicators and synced watchlists, or XTB if auto-saving drawings matters more—either way, both are highly rated.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 115 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In an XTB vs Plus500 market research comparison, both brokers provide daily market commentary, an easy-to-read economic calendar, and a sentiment tool that shows the balance of long and short positions. XTB also offers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not. For built-in analytics, Plus500 includes Trading Central, but XTB does not. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
According to ForexBrokers.com, XTB is rated 5 stars for Research and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #16. Pick XTB if you value timely, high-quality news; pick Plus500 if Trading Central’s analysis matters more to you—both still cover the basics with daily commentary, sentiment data, and an economic calendar.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing XTB vs Plus500 for learning resources, both brokers make it easy for beginners to get started with forex and CFD education. Each offers a sizable library with at least 10 beginner-friendly videos, plus monthly live webinars to help you learn in real time. As you grow, both also provide at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced topics, so you can keep building skills over time.
For overall quality, XTB gets the edge: it earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 scores 4.5 stars and ranks #26. If you want the strongest learning path from first steps to advanced strategies, XTB is the better pick. That said, Plus500 still offers plenty of helpful content for new traders, including regular webinars and a solid video lineup.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that XTB is better than Plus500. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.
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
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Plus500
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 96 | 99 |
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XTB vs Plus500: neither broker allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
For deposits and withdrawals, XTB and Plus500 both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, do not offer ACH or SEPA, and have unspecified availability for Visa or Mastercard.
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 | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Plus500 | |
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| Regulation | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 7 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 4 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10900 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.92 | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 115 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XTB Review | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | XTB | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Plus500 Review |
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