Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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 Interactive Brokers 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers 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 investment options in the UK, Interactive Brokers and XTB each offer distinct advantages for traders. Interactive Brokers provides a comprehensive array of choices, including share trading, cryptocurrency trading, ETFs, CFDs, funds, and bonds, both corporate and government. Notably absent from their offerings, however, are advisor services and spread betting. In contrast, XTB also supports share trading, ETFs, and CFDs but lacks access to cryptocurrencies, funds, and bond markets. For traders interested in a wide variety of investment options, Interactive Brokers could be particularly appealing.
Both platforms have been evaluated for their investment options, with Interactive Brokers receiving a top-tier rating of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. It ranks second out of 21 brokers for investment choices, indicating a favourable standing in the industry. XTB, while offering notable services, holds a rating of 4.5 stars and ranks 13th overall. Despite this, XTB remains a competent choice for those who primarily focus on shares and ETFs or who wish to avoid the complexities of crypto and bond trading.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | 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 Interactive Brokers and XTB, UK investors will find distinct differences between the two. Both brokers allow the display of corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends on charts and enable users to add notes. However, Interactive Brokers stands out with a comprehensive selection of 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators, compared to XTB’s 20 drawing tools and 39 indicators. Moreover, Interactive Brokers offers more advanced chart functionalities, allowing both index and stock overlays, which are not available with XTB charts. Both platforms provide browser-based trading and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, but Interactive Brokers lacks real-time market data, a feature provided by XTB.
UK investors looking for in-depth charting options and customization might prefer Interactive Brokers for its extensive toolbox and advanced capabilities, like adding complex overlays. On the other hand, those who prioritize real-time market data could lean towards XTB despite its more limited charting tools, making it suitable for traders who value timely updates over extensive chart features. Both platforms serve their purposes well, depending on the trader's focus on either comprehensive analytical tools or swift market updates.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 39 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers Interactive Brokers and XTB for UK users interested in retirement accounts, it's important to consider the available options. Interactive Brokers supports both Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP), providing a comprehensive suite for those planning their financial futures. Alternatively, XTB caters to individuals looking solely for ISA accounts, as they do not offer SIPP options. This distinction makes Interactive Brokers a more versatile choice for those seeking a wider range of retirement investment accounts.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing mobile apps for online trading, both Interactive Brokers and XTB offer iPhone and Android apps, making them accessible options for UK traders. Interactive Brokers excels with a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 4th out of 21 brokers for its mobile app offering. Meanwhile, XTB also provides a competitive mobile experience, earning a 4.5-star rating and ranking 6th. Both platforms ensure easy access to trading on the go, but Interactive Brokers edges out with slightly higher ratings, suggesting a slightly better user experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK seeking educational resources, Interactive Brokers and XTB each offer distinct strengths. Interactive Brokers provides a range of learning tools, including live and on-demand webinars, and covers a broad spectrum of topics such as share trading, investment funds, and retirement planning. While XTB also offers education in share trading, it lacks resources in funds and retirement, and does not provide webinars, live or archived. Both brokers are well-regarded, each earning 4.5 stars for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com. However, Interactive Brokers is ranked slightly higher at #8 compared to XTB's #9 among 21 brokers assessed.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features, Interactive Brokers and XTB both offer insights into shares, ETFs, and CFDs, ensuring investors can stay informed across various investment types. Both platforms also allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, aiding in diversified investment strategies. However, Interactive Brokers stands out for offering research reports for funds and bonds, which XTB does not provide. This makes Interactive Brokers a more comprehensive choice for investors in the UK seeking detailed research on a wider array of financial instruments, including valuable insights into funds and bonds that are absent from XTB's offerings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or XTB? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
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XTB
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When comparing online brokers, Interactive Brokers offers the advantage of crypto trading, whereas XTB does not provide this feature, making Interactive Brokers a more versatile option for those interested in cryptocurrency investments.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | 0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 39 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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