Comparing online share dealing platforms side by side is no small task. For our 2023 review of U.K. brokers, nearly 600 data points were collected over a 10-week period and used to score each broker. Let’s compare Capital.com and XTB.
Capital.com vs XTB Comparison
For our 2023 Review, we assessed the best trading platforms in the UK for online share dealing. Let's compare Capital.com vs XTB.
Is Capital.com a good broker?
Capital.com is a U.K. broker primarily known for CFDs (contracts for difference) and spread betting. While it previously offered the chance to buy and sell shares commission-free, you can no longer buy shares directly through Capital.com. Trading is limited to an unleveraged CFD account.
Is XTB a good broker?
XTB has set itself up as a strong competitor in commission-free share trading. Its low fees and solid educational content will make XTB particularly attractive to newer investors. It does not, however, offer an ISA or SIPP.
Which broker is less expensive?
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, XTB offers better pricing than Capital.com for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - Capital.com would cost N/A per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Capital.com would cost N/A per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Capital.com would cost N/A per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Capital.com would cost N/A per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Capital.com would cost £20.0 per year, while XTB would cost £0.0 per year.
How do Capital.com and XTB compare in terms of minimum deposits required?
Capital.com requires a minimum deposit of £20.0, while XTB requires a minimum deposit of £0.0. From our testing we found for accounts between £0 - £250,000 Capital.com charges annual custody fees of £0, while XTB charges annual custody fees of 0.
Which broker offers a wider range of investment options?
Capital.com offers investors access to Share Trading, CFD Trading and Spread Betting, while XTB offers investors access to Share Trading, CFD Trading, Funds, ETFs and Spread Betting. Neither have ISA, SIPP, Bonds - Corporate, Bonds - Government (Gilts), Investment Trusts, Crypto Trading and Advisor Services. Investing encompasses a wide variety of asset classes, so finding a broker that offers every investment type you are interested in is important.
Do Capital.com and XTB offer ISA or SIPP accounts?
Self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) and individual savings accounts (ISAs) are tax-advantaged savings accounts that are an important tool for many individual investors. You can read more about how these accounts operate at Gov.UK: Click here for SIPP information and here for ISA information. Our analysis finds that Unfortunately, neither Capital.com nor XTB offers ISA or SIPP accounts. Neither have SIPP and ISA.
Do Capital.com and XTB offer cryptocurrency?
In our analysis of top brokers for share dealing in the U.K., we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum, which is still a somewhat rare offering amongst major U.K. brokers. Our review finds that neither Capital.com nor XTB offer crypto investing.
Which broker offers a better website experience?
Our testing concluded that the website of Capital.com is better than the website of XTB. Capital.com offers more functionality, is cleanly designed, and is, overall, easier to use for beginners and casual investors.
Which stock trading app is better?
To compare the trading platforms of both Capital.com and XTB, we tested each broker's stock trading app. All features compared, our analysis finds that XTB offers a better mobile app. Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Do Capital.com and XTB offer educational resources?
Educational offerings are of particular importance to those who are newer to investing, and we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials in our analysis. Our research finds that Capital.com offers traders access to neither of these, while XTB offers access to Client Webinars, Client Webinars (Archived), Education (Share Trading) and Education (Funds). Neither have Education (Retirement).
Overall winner: XTB
Read Next: Best UK Trading Platforms 2023