Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs XTB, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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 IG 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 - IG would cost £0 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
IG and XTB are two online brokers that cater to UK investors by offering a variety of trading options. Both platforms provide opportunities for share trading and ETF investments, enabling investors to diversify their portfolios effectively. Additionally, both IG and XTB support CFD trading, appealing to those interested in engaging with more dynamic investment styles. However, if you're looking to include investment trusts in your strategy, IG offers this option, whereas XTB does not. Neither broker offers crypto trading, spread betting, trading of bonds, or advisor services.
Despite their similarities, IG and XTB have some differences reflected in their rankings and reviews. Both brokers are rated 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for their range of investment choices, indicating a high level of satisfaction among users. In terms of the overall ranking among 18 evaluated brokers, IG is positioned at 11, while XTB is at 13. This subtle difference may influence your decision based on what specific features are most important to your investment strategy.
| Feature |
IG
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of IG and XTB, both brokers offer the visualization of corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends on their charts, ensuring investors can keep track of vital corporate changes. XTB edges slightly ahead with 20 drawing tools for charting, just one more than IG's 19. For technical traders, XTB also offers a broader suite of technical indicators with 39 available, compared to IG's 33. Both platforms allow traders to add notes on charts and provide a seamless browser-based trading environment, ensuring ease of access and flexibility for UK traders.
Neither IG nor XTB provides the option to add index or stock overlays, maintaining a streamlined charting experience. However, essential features such as the ability to set alerts for stock price updates and access to real-time market data are available on both platforms. These common features allow traders to effectively monitor market developments and make informed decisions without missing a beat. Whether you prefer IG or XTB, both brokers offer strong charting and trading tools that cater to the needs of most traders.
| Feature |
IG
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 39 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers IG and XTB for retirement account options in the UK, IG stands out for offering both ISA and SIPP accounts, providing flexibility for investors planning their retirement. Although XTB matches IG in offering ISA accounts, it doesn't support SIPP accounts, which could be a deciding factor for those specifically looking to include this type of pension in their retirement strategy. Both platforms cater to UK investors seeking tax-efficient savings through ISAs, but IG's additional SIPP offering may make it more appealing for those aiming for comprehensive retirement planning.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Choosing between IG and XTB for mobile trading in the UK can hinge on app performance and availability. IG and XTB both offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, ensuring accessibility on major mobile platforms. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG's mobile app is highly praised with a rating of 5 out of 5 stars and ranks 2nd among 18 brokers for mobile apps. Meanwhile, XTB's mobile app holds a commendable rating of 4.5 stars, securing the 6th spot in the same ranking. This suggests that while both brokers offer reliable mobile trading experiences, IG slightly edges out XTB in app satisfaction and general performance.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing IG and XTB's educational resources for beginner investors, IG takes the lead with its wide range of offerings. IG provides client webinars that are archived for on-demand viewing, which can be a convenient resource for those eager to learn at their own pace. XTB, on the other hand, does not offer client webinars, either live or archived. Both IG and XTB provide education on share trading, but when it comes to retirement education, only IG addresses this crucial topic. Neither platform currently offers educational content on funds. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG has been awarded a 5-star rating and is ranked first out of 18 brokers for its beginner education, while XTB holds a respectable 4.5-star rating and ranks ninth. For UK investors new to trading, IG appears to offer a more comprehensive educational experience.
| Feature |
IG
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research features for UK users between online brokers IG and XTB, there are notable differences and similarities to consider. IG provides research reports for funds, a feature not available with XTB. However, XTB allows users to see their portfolio allocation by asset class, which IG does not offer. Both brokers excel in providing comprehensive research across shares, ETFs, and CFDs, but neither offers research on bonds or funds. This comparison highlights IG’s advantage in fund research and XTB's strength in visualising portfolio allocation, catering to different investor needs.
| Feature |
IG
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, IG or XTB? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.
IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.
| Feature |
IG
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XTB
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|---|---|---|
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When comparing online brokers IG and XTB, it is important to note that neither provider offers crypto trading options, which may influence the decision of traders interested in cryptocurrency investments.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | XTB | |
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| Review | IG Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | IG | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Funds | No | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | IG | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 / £96 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 / £96 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 / £96 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 / £96 | 0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 - £8 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 - £8 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | XTB | |
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| Platforms & Tools | IG | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 39 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | IG | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | No | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | IG | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | IG | XTB | |
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| Review | IG Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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