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 £136 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - IG would cost £96 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - IG would cost £108 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - IG would cost £360 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.
When considering the investment choices offered by IG and XTB, both online brokers provide robust options in share trading and CFDs. They allow investors to trade ETFs, but offerings like crypto trading, spread betting, funds trading, and various bonds are noticeably absent from both platforms. While IG gives an edge with the option to invest in trusts, XTB lacks this feature. Surprisingly, neither offers advisor services, keeping a streamlined approach to their brokerage services.
Rated at 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, both IG and XTB uphold strong reputations for their range of investment options. Nevertheless, IG holds a slight advantage, ranking 10th among 18 brokers, compared to XTB's 14th place standing. Investors seeking diversified trading possibilities may find IG more appealing, particularly for access to investment trusts, whereas XTB remains competitive with its high overall rating.
| 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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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools offered by IG and XTB, both platforms provide the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, making it easy for traders to keep track of important financial information. While IG offers 19 drawing tools for charting, XTB slightly edges out with 20. For those who rely on technical indicators, XTB offers a more extensive selection with 39 options, compared to IG’s 33. Both platforms support adding notes to charts, enhancing the ability for traders to personalize and annotate their analysis.
In terms of platform accessibility, IG and XTB both provide browser-based trading platforms, ensuring convenience and ease of use for traders. Users can create custom alerts for stock price updates on either platform, which is bolstered by the provision of real-time market data. However, neither IG nor XTB offers the ability to add index or stock overlays to charts, which may be a consideration for traders looking for such features. Overall, both platforms provide a comprehensive suite of tools that cater to the needs of various 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 accounts, IG stands out by offering both ISA (Individual Savings Account) and SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) accounts, making it a versatile choice for investors planning their retirement. XTB also provides ISA accounts, allowing users to benefit from tax-efficient investing, but it lacks the option for SIPP accounts, which might limit retirement planning flexibility for those seeking to manage their pension investments actively. Therefore, for customers looking for comprehensive retirement solutions, IG offers a broader range of account options than XTB.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
IG and XTB both provide robust mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to a wide audience of traders on the go. IG's mobile app is highly acclaimed, earning a perfect 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, and holds a strong 6th place ranking among 18 brokers in the mobile app category. XTB, offering equally impressive options for iPhone and Android, boasts a slightly lower rating at 4.5 stars and is ranked 10th. Both brokers deliver quality mobile platforms, making them solid choices for investors seeking reliable mobile trading experiences.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors offered by online brokers IG and XTB, IG stands out with a comprehensive approach. Offering educational webinars that are both live and available on-demand, IG ensures investors can learn at their own pace. In contrast, XTB does not provide webinars, limiting its offering in this regard. Both brokers offer educational content on share trading, but only IG covers retirement topics, creating a broader learning platform. Neither broker provides education on funds. Rated 5 stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com, IG ranks 7th among 18 brokers, slightly ahead of XTB, which earned 4.5 stars and an 8th place ranking.
| 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 the market research features of online brokers IG and XTB, both platforms offer extensive research on shares, ETFs, and CFDs, catering well to traders interested in these instruments. However, IG provides an added advantage with research reports for funds, a feature XTB does not offer. On the other hand, XTB excels in allowing users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, a capability that IG lacks. Neither IG nor XTB offers research on funds or bonds, making the choice between these brokers dependent on specific research needs and investment strategies.
| 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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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-£10 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £136 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £96 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £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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