Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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 Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor 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.
Interactive Investor and XTB are popular online brokers in the UK, each offering distinct investment opportunities. Interactive Investor allows you to trade a variety of investment vehicles, including shares, ETFs, funds, corporate and government bonds, and investment trusts. It receives a top rating of five stars for its comprehensive investment choices and ranks third out of 21 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com.
In contrast, XTB also supports share and ETF trading but excels in CFD trading, an area not covered by Interactive Investor. XTB garners a respectable rating of 4.5 stars and ranks thirteenth in investment choices among 21 brokers. Whether you're looking for a broad range of traditional investment options or diversified CFD offerings, both Interactive Investor and XTB cater to different types of UK investors. However, for those interested in a wider selection of tradable securities, Interactive Investor might suit your needs better.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | ||
| 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 offered by Interactive Investor and XTB, both platforms provide the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on their charts, which is essential for keeping an eye on key financial milestones. While XTB edges out with 20 drawing tools for charting compared to Interactive Investor's 18, Interactive Investor excels with an impressive 104 technical indicators, leaving XTB's 39 in the dust. Both platforms allow users to add notes to charts, aiding in the personal analysis and tracking of trends.
Interactive Investor offers more comprehensive charting capabilities with the ability to add both index and stock overlays—features that are absent in XTB's offerings. Both platforms provide the convenience of browser-based trading platforms and enable users to set alerts for stock price updates alongside delivering real-time market data, ensuring traders never miss a beat. Overall, each broker offers a solid range of features, but Interactive Investor stands out with its extensive selection of technical indicators and chart overlay options, making it a strong choice for traders focused on detailed analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 39 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
For UK investors exploring online broker options for retirement accounts, both Interactive Investor and XTB offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs). However, when it comes to Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), Interactive Investor provides this option while XTB does not. This distinction could be crucial for those specifically seeking a platform to manage their retirement savings through a SIPP, making Interactive Investor a more comprehensive choice for retirement account options compared to XTB.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking mobile trading convenience, both Interactive Investor and XTB offer highly rated apps for iPhone and Android devices. These platforms ensure traders have seamless access to markets on the go. Interactive Investor and XTB each receive an impressive 4.5-star rating for their mobile apps according to UK.StockBrokers.com, showcasing user satisfaction and reliable performance. When ranked among 21 brokers, XTB secures a slightly better position at #6, compared to Interactive Investor at #7, highlighting a marginal edge in user preference. Users can feel confident in choosing either provider for mobile trading capabilities that meet modern investing needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK investors seeking educational resources, Interactive Investor and XTB provide distinct offerings. Interactive Investor excels with live and on-demand educational webinars, covering a wide array of topics including share trading, funds, and retirement. On the other hand, while XTB also delivers share trading education, it lacks educational content on funds and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor boasts a superior five-star rating and ranks second among 21 brokers for beginner education. Meanwhile, XTB receives a commendable 4.5-star rating but ranks ninth. This comparison highlights Interactive Investor as the more comprehensive option for novice investors eager to broaden their knowledge base.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features for UK investors, Interactive Investor and XTB both offer several tools to assist in informed investment decisions, though they vary in the breadth of their offerings. Interactive Investor provides comprehensive research covering shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, plus insightful reports for funds and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. This can be particularly beneficial for those looking to diversify their investment portfolios. In contrast, XTB also offers research on shares, ETFs, and CFDs, along with portfolio allocation by asset class, yet it lacks research support for funds and bonds. Therefore, if share and ETF research alongside CFDs is your priority, XTB fits the bill, but for broader market analysis, including funds and bonds, Interactive Investor might be more suitable.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or XTB? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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XTB
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While Interactive Investor does not offer crypto trading, XTB provides the option for its users to trade cryptocurrencies, highlighting a key difference between the two online brokers.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | ||
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | ||
| Spread Betting | Yes | ||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | 0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 39 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | XTB | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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