XTB vs IG

XTB is the better choice for most UK investors, while IG is the better broker for serious active traders.

Choose XTB if your priority is buying shares and ETFs cheaply, using a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, building a simple long-term portfolio or trading CFDs through an easy proprietary platform.

Choose IG if you need spread betting, a substantially wider trading-market range, advanced charting, algorithmic trading, direct market access or platforms such as MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime and TradingView.

The biggest deciding factor is what you actually intend to do. If you primarily invest, XTB has the edge. If you primarily trade, IG has the edge.

Overall winner for most UK users: XTB.

Best for advanced trading: IG.

XTB vs IG at a glance

XTB currently offers 0% commission on real shares and ETFs up to €100,000 equivalent of monthly turnover, after which a 0.2% commission applies with a minimum charge. XTB also charges a 0.5% currency-conversion fee where conversion is required.

IG's current UK charges page lists £0 investing commission, no platform or custody/inactivity fee and a 0.7% FX conversion charge. IG also provides access to more than 15,000 trading markets.

Is XTB or IG better overall?

That distinction matters more than trying to award one broker an arbitrary score out of ten.

XTB has developed into considerably more than a CFD broker. UK customers can buy real shares and ETFs, use a Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, hold a Flexible Cash ISA and build automated portfolios using Investment Plans. XTB's Stocks and Shares ISA currently gives access to more than 9,100 stocks and ETFs.

IG has the broader overall financial-market ecosystem. Alongside share dealing and an ISA, IG offers a Junior ISA and SIPP, while its trading operation covers spread betting, CFDs, specialist markets and a much deeper selection of professional trading tools.

So the practical verdict is simple:

• Long-term investor: choose XTB.
• Beginner wanting shares, ETFs and occasional CFDs: choose XTB.
• Spread bettor: choose IG.
• Advanced technical or algorithmic trader: choose IG.
• Trader requiring DMA or Level 2 data: choose IG.
• Investor needing a Junior ISA or SIPP: choose IG.

XTB vs IG fees: which broker is cheaper?

Both brokers now have aggressive commission-free investing propositions, so comparing only the headline dealing commission misses one of the costs that can matter most.

XTB charges 0% commission on real stocks and ETFs until total monthly turnover exceeds the equivalent of €100,000. Turnover above that threshold is charged at 0.2%, subject to a minimum £10 charge. Currency conversion costs 0.5% where required.

IG currently advertises commission-free investing alongside a 0.7% FX fee and no platform, custody or investing inactivity fee.

What does the FX fee difference actually cost?

Suppose a UK investor converts £5,000 into US dollars to buy a US-listed share.

At a 0.5% FX fee:

XTB conversion cost: approximately £25.

At a 0.7% FX fee:

IG conversion cost: approximately £35.

If the investment is later sold and the proceeds are converted back into sterling, currency conversion can apply again. Ignoring changes in the investment price and exchange rate, the rough round-trip difference would therefore be around £50 with XTB versus £70 with IG.

That £20 difference is not enormous on a single £5,000 trade, but repeated international investing makes the FX rate considerably more important than a £0 dealing-commission headline.

There is one freshness wrinkle worth knowing. Some IG Help Centre pages still display a reduced 0.49% FX fee, but those pages state that the promotional rate was guaranteed only until at least 4 September 2026. IG's current main charges page now displays 0.7%, so 0.7% is the figure used in this comparison.

Is XTB or IG cheaper for CFD trading?

Forex, index and commodity CFDs are normally priced through spreads, while share CFDs can involve commissions. Overnight positions can also incur financing charges.

IG currently publishes minimum spreads from 0.6 points on forex and 0.1 on some index markets, while individual markets have their own spreads and funding calculations.

XTB advertises CFD spreads from 0.3 pips across its offering, but a broker's lowest advertised spread is not the same thing as the average all-in cost of trading the specific instrument you use.

For an active CFD trader, the better test is to compare the same instrument, at the same trading hours, at your normal position size, then include overnight funding if you typically hold positions past the daily funding cut-off.

Choosing a broker because one homepage says "spreads from 0.3" and another says "from 0.6" is too crude.

IG is much better if you want spread betting

XTB explicitly states that spread betting is not available through XTB. IG offers spread betting alongside its CFD business.

That can be commercially significant for UK traders.

HMRC states that ordinary financial spread betting by an individual does not create a chargeable capital gain or an allowable capital loss. The treatment can differ where betting activity forms part of a trade or is used for a commercial purpose, so individual circumstances still matter.

If spread betting is already part of your trading strategy, there is little reason to overcomplicate the XTB vs IG comparison. IG is the relevant broker of the two.

Which has more markets, XTB or IG?

IG offers the broader trading range.

IG currently advertises access to more than 15,000 markets, covering shares, forex, indices, commodities, ETFs and additional specialist markets.

XTB's current UK CFD offering provides access to more than 2,600 CFD instruments, while its wider investment offering includes thousands of real stocks and ETFs.

The numbers are not perfectly like-for-like because brokers count markets and instruments differently. The useful conclusion is still clear: IG has substantially greater depth for active traders looking beyond mainstream shares, ETFs, forex and indices.

For a normal investor buying a global ETF and a handful of shares, however, thousands of additional derivative markets provide little practical benefit.

XTB vs IG trading platforms

XTB's proprietary trading environment is available through the web and iOS and Android applications. It includes charting, technical-analysis tools, real-time portfolio management, market data and an economic calendar. XTB currently states that it does not offer MT4 or MT5 as part of its current platform offering.

That simplicity is an advantage for many users. You do not need to decide between half a dozen interfaces before making your first investment or trade.

IG is the opposite.

Alongside its own web and mobile platforms, IG supports specialist integrations and platforms including MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer and TradingView. IG's L2 Dealer provides direct market access to exchange order books for share dealing and share CFDs, while forex DMA is available to qualifying professional clients.

IG also supports automated strategies through ProRealTime and MT4. ProRealTime normally costs £30 per month after the first month, although IG waives the fee when qualifying trading activity generates sufficient spread or commission revenue.

Which platform is better?

A newer investor is unlikely to benefit from DMA order books, imported trading systems or algorithmic execution. An experienced trader may consider those features essential.

This is why declaring either platform "better" without defining the user is meaningless.

XTB is stronger for simple passive investing

XTB has an interesting advantage that gets lost when XTB and IG are compared purely as CFD brokers: Investment Plans.

XTB Investment Plans allow users to construct portfolios using stocks and ETFs and invest according to a predefined allocation. Creating and maintaining a plan is free, and the same €100,000 monthly commission-free threshold applies. XTB currently lists a minimum Investment Plan amount of £15.

That gives XTB a useful middle ground between manually buying individual ETFs and paying for a traditional managed portfolio.

For someone whose objective is simply to invest into a diversified ETF portfolio every month, that feature is more relevant than whether their broker supports professional forex DMA.

IG has the better choice of UK investment account types

XTB currently offers UK customers a Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA and Flexible Cash ISA.

IG's investment range includes share dealing, a Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior ISA and SIPP.

An investor building their own portfolio may prefer XTB's cheaper FX and simpler interface, but a household consolidating pensions, children's investments and adult investment accounts may find IG's wrapper selection more useful.

Is IG or XTB safer?

XTB Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under FRN 522157.

IG uses different regulated entities for different products. IG Trading and Investments Limited, IG Markets Limited and IG Index Limited are FCA-authorised, with share dealing, CFDs and spread betting provided through different legal entities.

One point deserves clarification because broker comparisons regularly get it wrong.

The FSCS increased its deposit and savings protection limit to £120,000 on 1 December 2025, but the FSCS explicitly says that this £120,000 figure applies to deposits with eligible banks, building societies and credit unions. It should not be treated as a blanket £120,000 guarantee on every investment held with a broker.

IG, for example, states that if IG itself enters liquidation, eligible clients may receive compensation for an investment-firm shortfall of up to £85,000 through the FSCS.

The correct question is therefore not simply "is this broker FSCS protected?" It is which legal entity holds the money or asset, what type of product is involved and what exactly has failed?

XTB vs IG for beginners

The reason is not that beginners need fewer features. It is that unnecessary trading functionality creates complexity without adding much value to a straightforward investment portfolio.

XTB combines real shares, ETFs, an ISA, Investment Plans and CFDs within one proprietary ecosystem. IG's much broader platform and derivatives stack becomes valuable when a trader knows why they need it.

A beginner specifically interested in spread betting is the exception. Between these two brokers, IG is the only choice because XTB does not provide the product.

XTB vs IG pros and cons

XTB vs IG: final verdict

For the largest group of UK users comparing these brokers, XTB is the better overall choice. Its 0.5% FX conversion rate, commission-free stock and ETF allowance, Flexible Stocks and Shares ISA and simple investment ecosystem make more sense for someone building and managing their own portfolio.

IG is the better trading broker. Its 15,000+ market range, spread betting, MT4, ProRealTime, TradingView and L2 Dealer put it comfortably ahead for experienced users whose requirements extend beyond normal share and ETF investing.

The decision therefore comes down to a simple rule:

If you want to own investments, start with XTB. If you want to actively trade markets, start with IG.

For an active trader who is still undecided, open the demo accounts and test the exact instruments you normally trade rather than comparing headline spreads. For an investor, check that the specific shares or ETFs you intend to hold are available in the account wrapper you want before transferring meaningful capital.

Frequently asked questions

Is XTB better than IG?

XTB is better for most UK investors, while IG is better for advanced active traders. XTB has a simple investment platform, 0% stock and ETF commission up to its monthly threshold and a 0.5% FX conversion fee. IG offers more trading markets, spread betting and a much broader selection of professional trading platforms.

Is XTB cheaper than IG?

XTB is currently cheaper for many foreign-currency investments because its published FX conversion fee is 0.5%, compared with the 0.7% shown on IG's current UK charges page. Trading costs for CFDs must be compared instrument by instrument because spreads and financing charges vary.

Does XTB offer spread betting?

No. XTB does not currently offer spread betting. IG does offer spread betting to eligible UK customers.

Does XTB support MetaTrader 4?

Which is better for an ISA, XTB or IG?

XTB is the stronger choice for a straightforward adult Stocks and Shares ISA, while IG has the advantage if you need a Junior ISA or SIPP as part of a broader family investment setup. XTB's Stocks and Shares ISA is flexible and uses the same low-cost share and ETF pricing available across its investment platform.

Risk warning: investments can fall as well as rise. Leveraged products carry substantially greater risk. At the time of this review, XTB states that 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with it, while IG states that 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with it. These percentages can change and should not be interpreted as a direct measure of which broker is better.