XM vs IG - Fees Review included
Which broker is better XM or IG? Our expert assessment conducted according to TU’s own methodology showed that XM is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 9 out of 10. IG is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 6.67 out of 10. Find out more about TU Overall Score.
| Feature | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
4.5 |
4.4 |
4.9 |
4.7 |
|
4.3 |
4.7 |
|
4.4 |
5 |
|
Investment Instruments |
4.4 |
3.9 |
Platforms and Charting Tools |
4.6 |
4.7 |
Deposit and Withdrawal |
4.7 |
4.0 |
Research |
5 |
4.5 |
Education |
5 |
4.2 |
Support |
4.6 |
4.8 |
Bonuses |
5 |
3.4 |
|
|
XM vs IG: Pros and Cons
XM Broker was founded in 2009. Initially, the company covered a narrow niche of the trader market, specializing exclusively in intermediary services at the foreign exchange market. It has since experienced considerable success and growth. XM is reliable and safe. It has diversified and is now an international broker operating in almost 190 countries around the world. For over a decade XM Broker has attracted 3,5 million traders, offering unique technological solutions. The company is now being recognised as the Fastest Growing Broker, the Best Forex Service Provider and various other contributing achievements. The team at XM Broker is committed to continually working hard to improve the quality of the services provided every year as they are committed to continually providing the best service to their traders.
The Forex broker IG Markets is a structural subdivision of the IG Group corporation. Its securities are listed on the London Stock Exchange and are included in the FTSE 250 index. IG Markets is a UK registered company created in 1974, but since its inception, its representative offices have appeared in some other European countries. Since 2014, a retail line of brokerage services has been opened. The international division of the broker is registered in Bermuda and licensed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority
| XM | IG | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Pros | Well-Regulated broker | reliability. IG Markets is part of the IG Group, founded in 1974. Its subsidiaries are also licensed by the British regulator FCA, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and the American regulators CFTC, and NFA |
| Strong research tools | 16,000 trading instruments, investments in IPOs and exchange-traded funds | |
| Strong education | relatively good spreads, from 0.6-1 pips depending on the type of instrument | |
| Big Forex bonuses | customer support is 24/7 | |
| Free deposit and withdrawal | ||
| Instant withdrawal | ||
| 1000+ trading assets | ||
| Overall Cons | High spreads | high threshold of entry which discourages private novice traders |
| complicated and unpleasant verification procedure. There are cases of refusal to open an account due to unconfirmed or low income | ||
| there are no products for passive investment, no bonus system is provided | ||
| a limited set of options for depositing and withdrawing money, which is not very convenient for global Forex traders |
XM vs IG: Safety and Regulation
| XM | IG | |
|---|---|---|
Max. Regulation Level |
Tier-1 |
Tier-1 |
Investor protection |
£85,000 €20,000 |
£85,000 €100,000 SGD 75,000 |
FCA UK Regulation |
No |
Yes |
FINRA (U.S) |
No |
No |
BaFin (Germany) |
No |
Yes |
ASIC (Australia) |
No |
Yes |
CFTC (U.S) |
No |
Yes |
MAS |
No |
Yes |
FSCA SA |
Yes |
Yes |
BVI FSC |
No |
No |
VFSC |
No |
No |
FSA (Seychelles) |
Yes |
No |
XM vs IG: Trading Conditions
| Trading Conditions | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit |
$5 |
$450 |
Trading Platforms |
MT4, MT5 |
MT4, IG Trading Platform, L2 dealer |
Max Leverage (Futures) |
1:888, 1:30 (for EU, UK clients) |
1-200 |
Supported Markets |
Forex, CFDs on indices, commodities, crypto, metals, stocks |
Forex, Crypto, commodities |
Trading assets |
1300+ |
16000+ |
Trading Accounts |
Micro, Standard, Ultra Low, Zero |
Demo, Standard |
Base Account Currencies |
USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, AUD, HUF, PLN, RUB, SGD, ZAR |
USD |
XM vs IG: Fees
| XM | IG | |
|---|---|---|
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, min pips |
0,7 |
0,6 |
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, max pips |
1,2 |
1,2 |
ECN Commission |
3,5 |
2,3 |
ECN Spread EUR/USD |
0,2 |
0,8 |
Deposit fee, % |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, % |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, USD |
No |
No |
Inactivity fee, $ |
10 |
No |
A conversion fee may be applied as withdrawals and deposits are conducted in USD. Any other currency will have to be converted.
XM vs IG: Trading Assets
| Asset Name | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
1300+ |
16000+ |
Forex |
Yes |
Yes |
Stocks |
Yes |
No |
Metals |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Cryptocurrencies |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Energy |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Indices |
Yes (CFD) |
No |
ETFs |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes |
Bonds |
No |
No |
Mutual funds |
No |
No |
Stock options |
No |
No |
Futures Trading |
No |
No |
Binary Options |
No |
No |
XM or IG: Investment Programs
| Asset Name | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Copy Trading |
Yes |
No |
MAM/PAMM |
No |
No |
Managed Accounts |
No |
No |
Other |
No |
Investing in IPOs |
Trading Platforms: IG or XM
| XM | IG | |
|---|---|---|
MT4 |
Yes |
Yes |
MT5 |
Yes |
No |
cTrader |
No |
No |
Appropriate platform |
No |
IG Trading Platform |
Others |
No |
L2 dealer |
|
|
XM vs IG: Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
| XM | IG | |
|---|---|---|
Bank Wire |
Yes |
Yes |
Bank Card |
Yes |
Yes |
Neteller |
Yes |
Yes |
BTC |
Yes |
Yes |
Wise |
No |
No |
Payoneer |
No |
No |
USDT |
Yes |
Yes |
XM vs IG: Research
| Research Type | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
News Feed |
Yes |
Yes |
Fundamental Data |
Yes |
Yes |
Chart Analysis |
Yes |
Yes |
Trading Ideas |
Yes |
No |
E-Mail Reports |
Yes |
No |
XM vs IG: Education
| Education Type | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Demo-account/Paper Trading |
Yes |
Yes |
Webinars |
Yes |
Yes |
Articles |
Yes |
Yes |
Videos |
Yes |
Yes |
Cent account |
Yes |
No |
IG vs XM: Support
| Support Features | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Working Days |
24/5 |
24/7 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Phone |
Yes |
Yes |
Online chat |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
No |
No |
XM vs IG: Forex Bonuses and Promo
| Promo | XM | IG |
|---|---|---|
Forex Bonus |
up to $5000 forex bonus, up to 100% forex deposit bonus |
No |
Affiliate Program |
Multi tier affiliate program |
"Invite a friend". The partner receives $100 for each attracted referral who must carry out 5 transactions of the corresponding volume (possibly, 5 lots are implied) within 6 months. |
Other Promos |
No |
|
|
|
Top 5 Reviews on IG
-
Comment
The absence of a minimum deposit limit when opening an account with IG Markets is an undoubted plus. This makes trading accessible for beginners who do not want to risk large sums. However, the impossibility to use e-wallets is a disadvantage. IG Markets does not accept funds through payment systems, including cryptocurrencies. This can be inconvenient for those traders who prefer to use these payment methods. Overall, IG Markets is a reliable broker with a number of advantages, but some traders should pay attention to the limitations related to account opening and payment methods.
-
Comment
Right from the start, IG Markets inspired confidence in me. It is clear that the broker has money and this is not a bucket shop with two employees. The level of the service is high here. Plus, having a dedicated manager to help with everything is a big advantage. Overall, there are just so many benefits that make trading with them enjoyable. In my opinion, choosing a broker with a large client base is a smart move. This suggests that people trust the broker.
-
Comment
It’s a decent company, I do most of my trading here, but I have an account with another company. There are no particular complaints. If you know how to trade, I can confidently recommend IG Markets.
-
Comment
Personally, what attracts me the most is the access to options with a low deposit at IG Markets broker. However, everything comes with a price: commissions and premiums are higher compared to companies with higher margin requirements. By the way, with a minimum deposit of $200 for options, you won't get much leverage. So, to feel more comfortable, you need to deposit at least 10 times more money into your account.
-
Comment
I can briefly share my experience. Overall, if you don't dwell on withdrawal issues, everything is fine. I withdraw funds to my card or in USDT almost every month. Initially, I had doubts about IG Markets, but after several consistent withdrawals to my card, I started to trust them more. Although the profit is not that great because the amount constantly circulates in the balance: I deposit, trade, withdraw profit. But I enjoy the trading process itself, so I have no complaints about IG Markets broker.
Top 5 Reviews on XM
-
Comment
I've been trading with XM Group for just over a year. I chose this broker based on reviews and the fact that it holds multiple licenses — ASIC, CySEC, FSC, and DFSA. I really liked the low minimum deposit of just $5, which meant I didn’t have to risk a large amount. I started with a micro account where 1 lot equals 1,000 units — perfect for beginners. I’m satisfied with the spreads: on EUR/USD they start from 0.8 pips, and there are no fees for deposits or withdrawals, which is quite rare. Over the year, I’ve withdrawn about $900 in profit — the funds arrived quickly, with a maximum wait of 2 days.
-
Comment
XM Group is a great choice for active trading thanks to its transparent commission policy and no requotes. Over 5 million traders have chosen this broker — an impressive number. I made about 70 trades in a month, all executed in under a second with no requotes. MQL5 trading signals can be integrated directly into the terminal, making it easy to test ideas from other traders. A $5 minimum deposit and a wide range of assets make XM Group a versatile option for both beginners and professionals.
-
Comment
I liked that XM Group operates under licenses from four regulators at once: ASIC, CySEC, FSC, and DFSA. This inspires confidence. Fast execution was important to me — the broker claims 100% order execution, and in practice trades close at the prices I see in the terminal. Spreads are minimal — for major pairs they stay around 0.8–1 pip. Support is always available on weekends and helped me with account verification questions.
-
Comment
I chose XM Group for their professional approach to order execution. They have a stop-out set at 20%, which helps keep risks under control. I use a micro account with a 0.01 lot size, making it convenient to test scalping strategies on real quotes. Withdrawals are processed within the day, and I’ve never experienced delays. The minimum deposit of $5 is an ideal start for beginners.
-
Comment
One of XM Group’s strengths is its wide range of instruments. The platform offers over 1,000 assets, including more than 55 currency pairs, metals, indices, commodities, and stocks. Personally, I often use MetaTrader 5 and appreciate the depth of market and fast price feeds. XM Group charges no commissions for deposits and withdrawals, and all payments are processed quickly. Customer support responds to inquiries during business hours — that’s another definite plus.
FAQs
What should I start Forex trading with?
It is desirable for novice traders to explore trading using a demo account to learn the market and how to work on the trading platform without the risk of suffering losses. At the same time, it is advisable to review the educational materials of the broker, learn trading basics. Then you can deposit the minimum required amount to perform a small number of transactions. If you manage to close several months in a row in the black, without substantial drawdowns on the account, then you can try increasing your deposit. Also trying to copy trades automatically is a good option for a start.
What amount should I start trading with?
The minimum deposit of $10 may be enough to trade on the cent account. However, for trading on Standard/ECT accounts, experts recommend starting with at least $200-500. With this amount, you can use not a very big leverage. Remember, getting carried away with the margin is the main cause of losses among beginners.
What should I take into consideration when choosing a broker?
Experts recommend looking at the broker’s reliability first and foremost. The other important features include basic trading conditions, commissions and fees, customer reviews. If brokers are approximately the same in terms of basic criteria, you need to choose based on your experience and tasks. One broker may be good for professionals and another – for novice traders.
Is it possible to be scammed by a broker with a license from a reputable regulator?
In theory, yes. But in practice, it takes so much time and money to comply with the requirements of reputable regulators that it is not worth it for scammers to bother obtaining a legitimate license.
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.