Interactive Brokers vs XTB 2025
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 Interactive Brokers and XTB, both provide share and ETF trading. Interactive Brokers also offers crypto, funds, corporate and government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, while XTB does not. XTB does offer CFD trading, which Interactive Brokers does not; spread betting availability isn’t specified for either, and neither firm provides adviser services.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 out of 5 stars (ranked 2nd of 21), while XTB scores 4.5 out of 5 (ranked 13th). Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a wider range including crypto, funds, bonds, gilts, and trusts; choose XTB if your focus is CFDs alongside shares and ETFs.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | 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 |
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Comparing trading tools for UK traders, Interactive Brokers stands out for charting depth, offering 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators versus XTB’s 4 drawing tools and 13 indicators. Both brokers provide a browser-based platform. That said, XTB’s charts can display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), and let you add notes plus index and stock overlays—features not available with Interactive Brokers.
If price alerts matter, Interactive Brokers lets you set stock price alerts, while XTB does not. For live pricing, XTB supplies real-time market data; Interactive Brokers does not. In short: choose Interactive Brokers for extensive chart studies and alerts, or XTB for event-driven charting, overlays, notes, and real-time data.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 13 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 4 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
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 UK beginners comparing Interactive Brokers vs XTB on education, Interactive Brokers stands out with live and on-demand client webinars, plus learning materials on share trading, funds and retirement. XTB offers no webinars or on-demand archives and, while it covers share trading, it lacks funds and retirement content. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks 8th out of 21 for beginner education, edging XTB’s 4.5-star rating and 9th-place ranking.
| 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 |
| Education |
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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 | No | 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 | £25 | 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 | 94 | 13 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 4 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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 |