Head to head
XTB vs eToro — which broker is better?
XTB or eToro? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
XTB
One of the strongest trading platforms in the commission-free bracket - xStation 5 is a professional workspace attached to a zero-commission share account.
- Stocks (per order)
- Free
- Minimum deposit
- None
- FX conversion
- 0.5 %
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
eToro
One of the most complete copy-trading products in Europe, wrapped in a notably simple broker app - and paid for through conversion charges rather than commissions.
- Stocks (per order)
- US$1
- Minimum deposit
- US$50
- FX conversion
- 0.75 %
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
The verdict in numbers
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall XTB takes it, 4.3 against 4.0 out of 5. XTB is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €0.00 there against €0.92. eToro scores 91 against 72 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Both cover 8 of 14 asset classes. On platform and app XTB is ahead, 4.6 against 4.2 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
XTB- 4.3 — Better
eToro- 4.0
XTB- €0.00 — Better
eToro- €0.92
XTB- 72 of 100
eToro- 91 of 100
XTB- 8/14
eToro- 8/14
XTB- 4.6 — Better
eToro- 4.2
Compare brokers side by side
Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | XTB 4.3 Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. | eToro 4.0 Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.3 — Better | 4.0 |
| Group index | 72 of 100 | 91 of 100 |
| Best for | Serious charting on a budgetCommission-free European stocksForex and index CFDsBeginners who will outgrow a toy appSmall starting balances | Copy tradingCrypto plus stocks in one accountFirst-time investorsFractional investingMobile-first users |
| Regulation | FCAKNFCySECCNMVDFSAFSCAFSC | FCAASICMASSECCySECFSRAMFSAFSAS |
| Top-tier licences | 1 | 4 — Better |
| Investor protection | £85,000 | £85,000 |
| Listed group | Yes | Yes |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | 4 | 1 |
| Founded | 2002 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Warsaw, PL | Tel Aviv, IL |
| Fees | 4.2 — Better | 3.4 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.2 | 4.6 — Better |
| Trading platform | 4.6 — Better | 3.8 |
| Product range | 3.9 | 4.2 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.5 | 4.6 — Better |
| Research | 4.2 — Better | 3.8 |
| Customer support | 4.4 — Better | 3.2 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.0 — Better | 3.8 |
| Account opening | 4.7 — Better | 4.6 |
| Education | 4.4 — Better | 4.3 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €0.00 — Better | €0.92 |
| Minimum deposit | None — Better | US$50 |
| Stocks (per order) | Free — Better | US$1 |
| US stocks | Free — Better | US$1 |
| ETFs | Free | Free |
| Options | n/a | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | Not offered |
| Crypto | in the spread | 1 % |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.9 pips | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | 0.5 % — Better | 0.75 % |
| Inactivity fee | €10 · after 12 months | None — Better |
| Custody fee | 0.2 % p.a. | None |
| Withdrawal fee | free — Better | US$5 |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 8 | 8 |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | No | No |
| Funds | No | No |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | Yes |
| Platforms | xStation 5 (web)xStation 5 (desktop)xStation mobile | eToro web platformeToro mobile appProCharts |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum leverage | 1:30 | 1:30 |
| Account opening | Usually the same day; fully digital onboarding with automated ID verification and no minimum deposit | Same day to about 3 business days; fully digital with automated ID and address verification |
| Account types | StandardProfessionalIslamic (swap-free)Stocks and Shares ISA | Retail accounteToro Club (Silver to Diamond)Professional clientIslamic account |
| Payment methods | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrill | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNetellerSofortiDEAL |
| Account currencies | EURUSDGBPPLN | USDEURGBPDKK |
| Deposit time | Instant for card and e-wallet; 1-2 business days for SEPA bank transfer | Instant for cards and e-wallets; 1-3 business days for bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time | Same business day if requested before the daily cut-off; 1-2 business days to arrive | Processed within about 1 business day; 2-8 business days to reach the account depending on method |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanPolishSpanishFrenchItalianPortugueseCzechRomanian | EnglishGermanFrenchSpanishItalianDutchPortuguesePolishArabicRussian+1 |
| Channels | PhoneEmailLive chat | Live chatTicket system |
| Availability | 24/5 during market hours, with local-language desks in XTB's main European markets | Live chat during market hours, ticket system around the clock; priority routing depends on eToro Club tier |
Strengths and weaknesses side by side
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
XTB
One of the strongest trading platforms in the commission-free bracket - xStation 5 is a professional workspace attached to a zero-commission share account.
Pros
- xStation 5 is one of the strongest platforms in the commission-free bracket - a real screener, market heat map, sentiment data, economic calendar and news in one workspace, on web, desktop and mobile with near-identical features.
- Commission-free real stocks and ETFs up to EUR 100,000 of turnover per calendar month; above that only the excess is charged at 0.2% with a EUR 10 minimum.
- No minimum deposit at all, plus fractional shares, so a monthly savings plan can start at almost any amount.
- Listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2016 under XTB, with audited financials and a KNF licence held continuously since 2005.
- EUR/USD spreads averaging around 0.9 pips on the Standard account with no separate forex commission - competitive for a spread-only model.
- Support is genuinely multi-channel including a phone line, with local-language desks across its main European markets - a real differentiator against the chat-only app brokers.
- The mobile app keeps the analysis tools rather than stripping them out, so charting and screening actually work away from a desk.
Cons
- The 0.5% currency conversion charge (0.8% at weekends and on public holidays) applies whenever the instrument currency differs from your account currency. For a EUR investor buying US stocks it is charged on the way in and again on the way out, and it dwarfs the commission it replaces.
- A EUR 10 monthly inactivity fee kicks in after 365 days without a trade and 90 days without a deposit - a charge Trading 212 and eToro have both abolished.
- Four disclosed regulatory actions since 2018: a PLN 9.9m KNF fine for asymmetric slippage (2018), a EUR 300,000 AMF fine for compliance failures and misleading advertising (2021), a Brazilian CVM stop order (2023) and a PLN 20m KNF fine over MiFID II CFD sales breaches (2026).
- No exchange-traded futures, no individual bonds and no mutual funds. Options exist but only around 140 contracts on US stocks and ETFs, with no headline per-contract price published.
- At the Cyprus entity, withdrawals below EUR 100 cost EUR 10 - a 10% haircut on a EUR 99 withdrawal, which penalises exactly the small accounts the no-minimum-deposit policy attracts. The Polish entity, which books most EEA clients, charges nothing.
- The Belize entity (XTB International Limited, FSC licence 000302/438) is a tier-3 offshore licence with materially weaker recourse than the Polish or UK entities. Check which entity you are onboarded to.
Best for
eToro
One of the most complete copy-trading products in Europe, wrapped in a notably simple broker app - and paid for through conversion charges rather than commissions.
Pros
- CopyTrader is one of the most mature copy-trading products in Europe: no separate fee on top of normal trading costs, a USD 200 minimum per copied trader, and up to 100 traders copied at once.
- Nasdaq-listed since May 2025 under ETOR, which forces quarterly audited disclosure that most retail brokers never publish.
- Licensed by the FCA (583263), CySEC (109/10), ASIC (491139), MAS (CMS101824) and the SEC (8-70212) - a genuinely multi-jurisdictional stack rather than a single offshore licence.
- 300+ ETFs with zero eToro commission and fractional investing from USD 10, so small monthly contributions are not swallowed by minimum ticket sizes.
- The inactivity fee was removed in 2026; dormant accounts now cost nothing to hold.
- 150+ cryptoassets held as real coins on the investing account rather than only as CFDs, with coins transferable out to the eToro Money wallet for a 2% fee.
- The demo account carries all 11,000+ instruments and every platform feature, which makes it a usable rehearsal rather than a stripped-down toy.
Cons
- Currency conversion costs 0.75% each way between a European local-currency account and USD, before Club discounts whose size eToro's own pages state differently - for a broker whose core product is USD-denominated, that is the one number you most need.
- Stock orders cost USD 1-2 in most countries. On a EUR 200 monthly savings order that is a 0.5-1.0% drag before any conversion cost, which is expensive against Trading 212 or XTB at zero.
- Crypto costs 1.00% per position for Bronze, Silver and Gold members - charged on the way in and again on the way out. Only Platinum and above see meaningful discounts.
- No exchange-traded options or futures outside the US entity, no individual bonds and no mutual funds. The range is wide across asset classes but shallow within them.
- Withdrawals from a USD account cost USD 5 with a USD 30 minimum; only local-currency accounts (EUR, GBP, DKK) escape the charge.
- Support is chat and ticket only, with no general retail phone line, and priority routing is tied to Club tier - so the smallest accounts get the slowest service.
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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