XTB is one of Europe's largest publicly listed brokers. 11,300+ instruments — real shares, ETFs and CFDs on one platform. Commission-free investing up to €100K monthly volume. Built for traders and investors alike.
FCA · CySEC · KNF regulated Warsaw Stock Exchange listed Best for Beginners 2026
The platform
xStation 5 — the platform that replaced MetaTrader.
Award-winning. Proprietary. Built from scratch by XTB engineers. No legacy bloat.
XTB · xStation 5 · Web, Desktop & Mobile
Everything in one platform. Without the MetaTrader headache.
xStation 5 is XTB's proprietary trading platform — and in 2026 it won Best in Class for Overall, Ease of Use and Beginners from ForexBrokers.com. Clean charts, built-in market sentiment, integrated risk calculator, performance statistics, and an education centre — all inside the platform. No plugins. No third-party installs. No 2002-era UI.
Real assets and CFDs side by side. Trade or invest — your choice, same platform.
Real Stocks
6,000+ real shares across 16 global exchanges. Apple, Tesla, LVMH, Alphabet — all commission-free up to €100K monthly volume. Fractional shares from €10.
Commission-free ≤ €100K/mo
Real ETFs
300+ ETFs covering major markets, sectors and themes. iShares, Vanguard, Amundi. Build a diversified portfolio without picking individual stocks.
Commission-free ≤ €100K/mo
Forex
70+ currency pairs. Spreads from 0.1 pips on Pro accounts. Major, minor and exotic pairs with competitive overnight fees.
From 0.1 pip · CFD
Indices
CFDs on major global indices — S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, DAX 40, FTSE 100 and more. Trade index movements without buying every constituent stock.
CFD · Global indices
Commodities
Gold, silver, oil, natural gas. Note: spread costs on commodities exceed the industry average — always check before trading.
CFD · Gold, Oil, Gas
Crypto CFDs
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and more as CFDs. Speculate on crypto price movements without custody risk. Not available for UK retail clients.
CFD · Not for UK retail
Platform Features
What makes xStation 5 different from MetaTrader.
Built for the modern trader. Not rebuilt from a 2003 codebase.
Advanced Charting
100+ technical indicators, drawing tools, multiple chart types. Faster and cleaner than MT4 for most use cases.
Market Sentiment 2.0
See how XTB clients are positioned on any instrument, and how that positioning evolves over time. Built-in contrarian signal.
Integrated Risk Calculator
Calculate position size, pip value and potential profit/loss before placing the trade. No spreadsheet required.
Performance Statistics
Track your win rate, average profit/loss, best and worst trades. Built into the platform — no third-party journal needed.
Built-in Trading Academy
Video courses, articles and market analysis inside the platform. Beginners don't need to look elsewhere to start learning.
Mobile App (iOS & Android)
Full functionality on mobile — same platform, same data, same alerts. Not a stripped-down companion app.
Investment Plans
Build automated portfolio contributions with regular deposits into real stocks and ETFs. Dollar-cost averaging built into the platform.
Asset Profiles
Fundamental data, earnings history, analyst ratings and company overview for every stock — without leaving xStation.
Honest Comparison
XTB vs the alternatives. Who wins where.
All four brokers are legitimate. The question is which one matches your trading style.
Feature
XTB
Tickmill
Vantage
Exante
Real Stocks & ETFs
✓ 6,000+ stocks
✗ CFD only
✗ CFD only
✓ 600K+ instruments
Commission-free stocks
✓ ≤ €100K/mo
✗ Not available
✗ Not available
✗ Not available
Forex spreads
From 0.1 pip
From 0.0 pip
From 0.0 pip
Competitive
Platform
xStation 5
MT4/MT5
MT4/MT5
Proprietary
Beginner-friendly
✓ Best in class
Moderate
Moderate
Advanced focus
Education
✓ Built-in academy
Basic
Basic
Minimal
Regulation
FCA · CySEC · KNF
FCA · CySEC
ASIC · FCA · CySEC
MFSA · CySEC
Listed company
✓ WSE listed
✗ Private
✗ Private
✗ Private
Min. deposit
€0
€100
$200
€10,000
Choose Tickmill or Vantage if raw spreads and MT4 are your priority. Choose XTB if you want real stock and ETF investing alongside CFDs, a better platform for beginners, and the transparency of a publicly listed company.
Regulation & Safety
Five regulators. Public company. Full transparency.
XTB publishes quarterly financials as a listed company — a level of transparency almost no retail broker can match.
FCA
United Kingdom
CySEC
Cyprus · EU passport
KNF
Poland (home regulator)
FSCA
South Africa
DFSA
Dubai (DIFC)
WSE Listed
Warsaw Stock Exchange
Founded
2002 · Warsaw, Poland
1M+
Active clients globally
13+
Countries served
Segregated
Client funds protected
For Malta-based clients: XTB serves EU clients through its CySEC-regulated entity, which holds an EU MiFID II passport. This means negative balance protection, segregated client funds, and EU-standard investor protections apply. No minimum deposit.
Open your XTB account. Start with €0.
No minimum deposit. Commission-free stocks and ETFs up to €100K monthly volume. Demo account available — practice with virtual funds before going live.
What is XTB and how is it different from Tickmill or Vantage?
XTB is a publicly listed European broker (Warsaw Stock Exchange: XTB) founded in 2002, regulated by FCA, CySEC and KNF. The key difference: XTB is built for both traders and investors. Tickmill and Vantage are optimised for active CFD and forex traders who want the tightest spreads and fastest execution. XTB sits in a different lane — it offers commission-free real stocks and ETFs alongside CFDs, a proprietary platform (xStation 5) that is genuinely easier to use than MetaTrader, and strong educational content for newer traders. If you want raw spreads and MT4/MT5, Tickmill wins. If you want a modern platform, real share investing and a lower learning curve, XTB wins.
Is commission-free stock trading at XTB genuinely free?
Yes — up to €100,000 monthly trading volume, XTB charges zero commission on real stocks and ETFs. Above that threshold, a 0.2% commission applies (minimum €10). For the vast majority of retail investors, the €100K monthly threshold is more than sufficient. Currency conversion fees apply when trading non-EUR stocks. Spreads on CFDs and forex are how XTB earns on the trading side — always check the spread before entering a position.
What is xStation 5 and is it better than MetaTrader?
xStation 5 is XTB's proprietary trading platform — available on web, desktop and mobile. In 2026, it won Best in Class for Ease of Use and Best for Beginners from ForexBrokers.com. The honest comparison: MetaTrader (MT4/MT5) has a larger ecosystem of third-party indicators and expert advisors (EAs). xStation 5 is cleaner, faster and more intuitive — built-in market sentiment, performance statistics, integrated calculator, and a genuinely modern UI. For algo traders who rely on custom EAs, MT4 is still the tool. For everyone else, xStation 5 is the better daily experience.
What can I trade on XTB?
Over 11,300 instruments: 70+ forex pairs, 6,000+ real stocks across 16 global exchanges, 300+ real ETFs, indices, commodities (gold, oil, natural gas), and crypto CFDs. Real shares and ETFs are available in supported regions — EU clients including Malta have full access. Fractional shares available from €10 minimum. Note: availability varies by country and regulatory entity. US clients are not accepted.
Is XTB regulated and safe for Malta-based traders?
Yes. XTB holds licences from FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus — the EU passport regulator), KNF (Poland), FSCA (South Africa) and DFSA (Dubai). CySEC regulation means full MiFID II compliance and EU-standard client protection — including negative balance protection and segregated client funds. As a publicly listed company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, XTB publishes quarterly financials and is subject to public market scrutiny. That level of transparency is rare among retail brokers.
Does XTB have an education or training offer?
Yes — and it's one of XTB's genuine differentiators. The platform includes a built-in trading academy with video courses, articles and market analysis. Beginners can use a free demo account with virtual funds before risking real money. The education content covers basic investing concepts through to technical analysis and risk management. For traders coming from zero, this removes the need for third-party learning resources — everything is inside xStation.
FreeMalta earns a commission if you open an account through our links — at no cost to you. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74–89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This page is educational content and does not constitute financial advice.
