Interactive Brokers vs XTB 2026
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.
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.
Your capital is at risk.
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.
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.
For UK investors comparing investment choices, Interactive Brokers and XTB both offer share trading, ETFs and CFD trading. Interactive Brokers additionally supports crypto trading, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts, which XTB does not offer. Neither firm provides adviser services.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 of 21 for Investment Choices, while XTB is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #12. If you want the broadest range of markets—shares, ETFs, CFDs, crypto, funds, bonds and investment trusts—Interactive Brokers stands out; if you mainly trade shares, ETFs and CFDs, XTB can cover the essentials.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Interactive Brokers vs XTB: For UK traders focused on charting, Interactive Brokers offers 85 drawing tools and 155 technical indicators, while XTB provides 4 drawing tools and 13 indicators. Both platforms let you display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) and add notes, plus use index and stock overlays.
Both offer a browser-based trading platform. Interactive Brokers supports price alerts, whereas XTB does not. For market data, XTB offers real-time quotes, while Interactive Brokers does not. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want extensive chart study and alerts; pick XTB if live prices in-platform matter more than advanced tools.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 13 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 4 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
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.
For UK traders comparing Interactive Brokers (IBKR) vs XTB mobile apps, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps. UK.StockBrokers.com rates IBKR’s app 5/5 stars and ranks it 5th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while XTB’s app earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks 9th. If third-party ratings and rankings matter most, Interactive Brokers edges XTB, though both cover iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing education, Interactive Brokers beats XTB on depth and access: it offers live client webinars with on‑demand replays, while XTB has no webinars. Both cover share trading, but only Interactive Brokers adds education on funds and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers scores 5/5 and ranks #4 of 21 for beginner education, versus XTB’s 4.5/5 and #8. If you want webinars and broader topics, Interactive Brokers is the better fit; if you only need share trading guidance, XTB still delivers.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Interactive Brokers vs XTB: For market research, UK investors get broader coverage with Interactive Brokers, which offers research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, fund research reports, and a tool to see your portfolio allocation by asset class. XTB provides research on shares and ETFs but lacks fund and bond research, does not publish fund research reports, and doesn’t show allocation by asset class. If you want deeper fund analysis and a clearer breakdown of your holdings, Interactive Brokers has the edge, while XTB suits those focused mainly on shares and ETFs.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
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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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 | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| 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) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | N/A | |
| 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 | £3 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | $30 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 13 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 4 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| 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 |