Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote vs XM Group, 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 1996, Swissquote stands as a trusted online broker with a Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded institution and a licensed bank, Swissquote offers clients an extensive hold of five Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a highly trusted status, and two Tier-2 licenses. This combination positions it as a reliable choice for those prioritizing regulatory safety and robust financial backing.
In contrast, XM Group, established in 2009, offers a solid option for traders but carries a different profile. With a Trust Score of 88, it is considered trusted and maintains four Tier-1 licenses alongside one Tier-2 license. Though not publicly traded or a bank like Swissquote, XM Group remains a viable contender for those seeking a dependable broker backed by notable regulatory credentials.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Swissquote and XM Group offer different benefits depending on your trading needs. Swissquote’s appeal largely stems from its position as a well-established Swiss banking conglomerate, although this prestige comes at a cost. Trading with Swissquote typically incurs higher fees, and its pricing structure tends to be less competitive compared to lower-cost forex brokers. Swissquote's UK entity offers a choice of accounts with varying deposit requirements; for example, the Elite account, suitable for active traders, demands a $10,000 deposit and features a $5 commission per round-turn trade. Spreads differ among its branches, with the UK accounts generally offering lighter fees than those from the Switzerland and Luxembourg branches. Swissquote has a 3.5-star rating for commissions and fees, placing it at #52 out of 62 brokers in this category.
On the other hand, XM Group provides a more attractive cost structure with a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking it at #33 out of 62 brokers. However, prospective XM traders should be aware that the standard account spreads are on the pricey side, and average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account are not disclosed. Despite this, XM Group remains a favored choice for its relatively better fees and commissions compared to Swissquote.
Ultimately, while Swissquote might be appealing for those who value the backing of a Swiss institution and are willing to pay a premium for it, XM Group's lower fee structure and higher ranking make it a compelling option for cost-conscious traders looking for a more financially efficient trading experience.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $5 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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 variety of investment options, Swissquote and XM Group both cater to diverse trader needs, yet they differ in their specific offerings. Swissquote provides access to 472 tradeable symbols, including 80 forex pairs, appealing to forex enthusiasts. In contrast, XM Group surpasses Swissquote in sheer numbers, with 1,394 tradeable symbols, albeit offering fewer forex pairs, totaling 55. Both brokers support forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, enabling users to engage in foreign exchange market movements.
Trading enthusiasts seeking traditional investment routes can purchase exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges through both Swissquote and XM Group. For investors interested in cryptocurrency, Swissquote stands out by allowing the purchase of real digital currencies, in addition to crypto derivatives. Meanwhile, XM Group supports cryptocurrency derivatives but does not offer the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. Both brokers provide copy trading, yet Swissquote receives a higher accolade, earning a 5-star rating and ranking second among 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. XM Group, with its broad array of symbols, garners a 4.5-star rating and ranks 23rd in the same category.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1394 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 55 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | 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 Swissquote and XM Group, both brokers provide strong trading platforms and tools to accommodate various trading styles. Swissquote stands out with its proprietary platform developed in-house, which complements its use of popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). XM Group, while not offering a proprietary platform, also supports MT4 and MT5, ensuring traders have access to familiar and reliable trading experiences. Both brokers cater to users who prefer desktop or web-based trading, offering Windows-based platforms and browser options. Additionally, both Swissquote and XM Group provide simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, allowing traders to hone their skills in a risk-free environment.
Swissquote shines in the realm of charting tools, providing 75 drawing tools compared to XM Group's 15, aiding users in technical analysis. Both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts, which can enhance trading efficiency. While neither broker offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, they do support copy trading, providing access to successful strategies from experienced traders. Swissquote's watch lists can display 11 fields, offering more customization than XM Group's seven. In terms of ratings, Swissquote enjoys a slightly higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to XM Group's 4 stars, and it is ranked 12th out of 62 brokers for trading platforms and tools by ForexBrokers.com, while XM Group holds the 30th position. Overall, Swissquote offers a more comprehensive suite of trading tools and customization options, making it a strong choice for traders seeking a versatile trading experience.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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) | 86 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 75 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Swissquote and XM Group both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring clients can trade on-the-go with ease. These apps are equipped with essential features such as stock or forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both platforms also provide access to 30 technical studies for chart analysis. However, XM Group has an advantage with watchlist symbol syncing, allowing users to seamlessly update their watchlists across mobile and online accounts. Swissquote, on the other hand, excels with its auto-save feature for chart drawings, enhancing the overall user experience.
When it comes to ratings, Swissquote has a slightly higher score of 4.5 stars compared to XM Group's 4 stars. Additionally, Swissquote is ranked #11 by ForexBrokers.com for mobile trading apps, significantly ahead of XM Group, which holds the #28 position. Both apps offer the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes, making them competitive choices for mobile traders. However, the better ranking and auto-save feature may give Swissquote the edge for those who value these aspects in their mobile trading app.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research offerings, both Swissquote and XM Group provide a variety of resources to support traders. Swissquote and XM Group equally deliver daily market commentary and forex news sourced from top-tier providers like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, Swissquote distinguishes itself by offering technical analysis tools from Autochartist, while XM Group takes advantage of Trading Central's resources. Additionally, XM Group offers a sentiment-based trading tool to provide insights into current market conditions, an option not available at Swissquote. Both brokers enrich their services with comprehensive economic calendars, ensuring traders stay updated on global events affecting markets.
Despite each broker’s unique features, XM Group holds a higher overall research rating with 5 stars compared to Swissquote's 4 stars. In terms of ranking among 62 brokers, XM Group achieves an impressive 8th position for their research offerings, while Swissquote is positioned at 16th according to ForexBrokers.com. This suggests that while both are strong contenders in market research, XM Group offers a slightly broader array of tools and insights for traders seeking extensive data-driven research support.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner traders, both Swissquote and XM Group present a variety of tools and learning materials. They each provide over ten educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars on the subjects of forex and CFDs. Furthermore, both offer regular webinars, with clients able to access at least one online session each month and revisit any session via a searchable archive. This consistency ensures that learners can stay informed with new and updated trading strategies.
However, some differences set these two brokers apart. Both Swissquote and XM Group provide over ten beginner-focused educational videos, and they even extend their libraries to cover advanced topics for experienced traders. Despite the shared breadth of offerings, Swissquote distinguishes itself by providing an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms, a feature that XM Group does not offer. In terms of education ratings, XM Group slightly outperforms Swissquote with a perfect score and stands out in the ForexBrokers.com education ranking, taking the 7th spot compared to Swissquote's 21st placement. These distinctions might guide beginners in deciding the platform that best meets their learning needs.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Swissquote is better than XM Group. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while XM Group finished with an overall rank of #17.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 88 |
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Swissquote allows investors to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, while XM Group only provides options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
Swissquote and XM Group both support Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, and bank wires for depositing and withdrawing funds, but Swissquote surpasses XM Group by also offering ACH, SEPA transfers, and PayPal as additional options.
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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2 of 5| Overall Rating | Swissquote | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 88 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 88 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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) | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1394 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | 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 | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 75 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Swissquote Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 88 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | XM Group Review |
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