XTB Review (2026):
Zero-commission ETFs, Investment Plans, and the FX fee to know about
XTB offers 0% commission on stocks and ETFs up to €100,000/month and free automated Investment Plans — making it one of the most cost-efficient brokers in Europe for passive investors who stick to EUR-denominated funds. Here is what the fee structure actually looks like, and when it stops being competitive.
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TL;DR
- Passive investors buying EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs.
- Setting up automated Investment Plans and leaving them alone.
- Investors who want zero commission without a flat-fee model.
- Anyone who wants a full desktop platform alongside mobile.
- 0.5% FX fee — the highest among neobrokers we review.
- Trading-oriented platform that can overwhelm beginners.
- €10/month inactivity fee after 12 months.
- No banking licence — cash protection capped at €20,000.
What is XTB?
A publicly listed Polish broker founded in 2002 that has evolved from pure CFD trading into a genuine long-term investing platform.
XTB (originally X-Trade Brokers) serves over 1.7 million clients across more than 22 European countries. Its parent company, XTB SA, is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange — an unusual layer of financial transparency not found at most private neobrokers.
XTB is regulated by the FCA (UK), KNF (Poland), and CySEC (Cyprus). EU clients are primarily onboarded under the Polish entity, which provides investor protection up to €20,000 under the ICF. UK clients benefit from FSCS protection up to £85,000.
The core business originated in CFD trading. Over recent years XTB has built out a genuine long-term investing proposition alongside it: real stock and ETF ownership (not derivatives), Investment Plans for automated portfolio building, and cash interest on uninvested balances. Both product lines live in the same xStation 5 platform — which is the key tension point for passive investors.
How “zero commission” actually works — and the cost that matters more
XTB’s commission structure is genuinely competitive. But the FX fee is the number most investors overlook, and it compounds.
0% commission on real stocks and ETFs for monthly turnover up to €100,000. The limit resets every calendar month and includes both buys and sells.
An investor contributing €1,000/month to an ETF would take over 8 years to hit the threshold in a single month. In practice, zero commission applies for the overwhelming majority of retail investors indefinitely.
Applied any time you trade an instrument in a different currency from your account base currency. A EUR-account investor buying a USD stock pays 0.5% on every conversion. Dividends in foreign currencies also trigger it.
0.5% is higher than Lightyear (0.35%), Saxo (0.25%), and well above IBKR (~0.002%). But if you only buy EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs, you never pay it.
| Fee type | Amount | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Stock/ETF commission (≤€100k/month) | Free | Not the issue |
| Stock/ETF commission (>€100k/month) | 0.2% (min €10) | Rarely applies |
| FX conversion | 0.5% | Real drag on non-EUR assets |
| Investment Plans | Free | No additional cost |
| Account / custody fee | None | Not the issue |
| Deposit (bank transfer) | Free | — |
| Withdrawal | Free above €100; €10 below | Minor for most users |
| Inactivity fee | €10/month | After 12 months inactive + no deposit in 90 days |
| Cash interest (EUR) | ~2.3% p.a. | Positive for cash holders |
| Cash interest (GBP) | ~4.5% p.a. | Among most competitive available |
| Cash interest (USD) | ~1.8% p.a. | Positive for cash holders |
Fees verified March 2026. Rates are variable — confirm on XTB’s official pricing page before investing.
Investment Plans: the feature that makes XTB work for passive investors
Without automation, XTB is just another brokerage. With Investment Plans, it becomes a viable set-and-forget system.
- Up to 10 plans running simultaneously.
- Custom % allocation across multiple ETFs per plan.
- Auto-invest from as little as €15 per plan.
- Covers 1,900+ ETFs including all mainstream UCITS funds.
- Commission-free within the €100k monthly limit.
- Buried inside a platform designed for active traders.
- Setup takes more steps than Trade Republic’s Sparpläne.
- Less prominent in the mobile app than dedicated investing apps.
- Once set up, it runs reliably — but finding it initially takes effort.
Cash interest and investor protection: what you actually get
Paid automatically — no action required. Rates accrue daily, paid monthly.
- GBP: ~4.5% p.a. — among the most competitive at any European retail broker
- EUR: ~2.3% p.a. — higher than Trade Republic (1%) and Scalable (2%)
- USD: ~1.8% p.a.
No minimum or maximum balance limit. Rates are variable.
XTB is not a bank. It is a regulated investment firm. This distinction has a practical consequence for cash held with XTB.
- EU clients: up to €20,000 under the Investor Compensation Fund
- UK clients: up to £85,000 under FSCS
- Compare: Trade Republic and Scalable Capital hold banking licences — €100,000 deposit protection
For large uninvested cash balances, the €20,000 ceiling is a material difference.
XTB vs Trade Republic vs Trading 212
How XTB stacks up against the two other major European neobrokers for passive investors.
| Feature | XTB | Trade Republic | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock/ETF commission | 0% (up to €100k/mo) | €1 flat | Free |
| Automated investing | Investment Plans (free) | Sparpläne (free) | AutoInvest (free) |
| ETF catalogue | 1,900+ | Large | Large |
| FX conversion fee | 0.5% | 0.99% | 0.15% (free on Premium) |
| Cash interest (EUR) | ~2.3% p.a. | 1% p.a. | ~2–3% (varies) |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes (from €1) | Yes (from €1) |
| Banking licence | No | Yes (BaFin) | No |
| Cash protection | €20,000 (ICF) | €100,000 (deposit scheme) | €20,000 |
| Desktop platform | Yes (xStation 5) | No | Yes |
| Inactivity fee | €10/mo after 12 months | None | None |
| Countries (Europe) | 22+ | 17+ | Most of Europe |
Who XTB fits — and who it doesn’t
- Passive investors buying EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs exclusively.
- Anyone who wants zero commission without Trade Republic’s €1 flat fee.
- Investors who want a full desktop platform, not just a mobile app.
- Users in countries where Trade Republic isn’t yet available.
- Investors who want competitive EUR or GBP cash interest automatically.
- Investors who frequently buy non-EUR assets — 0.5% FX adds up fast.
- Complete beginners who find the trading-first interface confusing.
- Belgian investors — XTB is not available there.
- Anyone who needs banking-grade cash protection (€100k) — use Trade Republic or Scalable Capital.
- Investors who might go inactive for 12+ months and forget the €10/month fee.
XTB’s 0.5% FX fee is the ceiling on its cost efficiency for multi-currency investors. Interactive Brokers reduces FX conversion to ~0.002%, adds access to 150+ global markets, and scales without constraint as your portfolio grows.
The trade-off: a steeper setup process and a less polished mobile experience. If you’re willing to spend a few hours on account opening, IBKR saves real money at scale and you’ll never outgrow it.
Ready to open an account?
Pick EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs, set up an Investment Plan, and leave it running. That’s the workflow that makes XTB genuinely competitive.
Go deeper
Frequently asked questions
Does XTB charge commission on ETF trades?
No. XTB charges 0% commission on real stock and ETF trades up to €100,000 in monthly turnover. Above this threshold, a 0.2% fee applies with a minimum of €10. The vast majority of retail investors never reach the €100,000 monthly limit — effective trading costs are zero for most users indefinitely.
What are XTB’s Investment Plans?
XTB’s Investment Plans are a free automated investing feature that lets you build a custom ETF portfolio and invest in it automatically on a regular schedule. You can run up to 10 plans simultaneously, set percentage allocations across ETFs, and enable auto-invest from as little as €15. Plans are commission-free within the €100,000 monthly turnover limit.
Is XTB safe for European investors?
XTB is regulated by the FCA (UK), KNF (Poland), and CySEC (Cyprus). Its parent XTB SA is publicly listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, providing an additional layer of financial transparency. Client funds are held in segregated accounts. Investor protection is up to €20,000 under the ICF for most EU clients, or £85,000 under FSCS for UK clients. XTB does not hold a banking licence — cash protection is lower than at Trade Republic or Scalable Capital.
What is XTB’s FX conversion fee?
XTB charges a 0.5% currency conversion fee when you trade instruments denominated in a different currency from your account base currency. This applies to both trades and foreign-currency dividends. It is the highest FX fee among the neobrokers we review — but only affects investors who buy non-EUR instruments from a EUR account. Investors buying EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs (e.g. EUNL, VWCE) never encounter it.
Does XTB pay interest on uninvested cash?
Yes. XTB pays interest automatically with no action required. Rates as of early 2026 are approximately 4.5% p.a. on GBP, 2.3% p.a. on EUR, and 1.8% p.a. on USD. Rates are variable, paid monthly, and apply to any balance with no minimum or maximum limit.
Does XTB have an inactivity fee?
Yes. XTB charges €10 per month after 12 consecutive months of trading inactivity, provided no deposit has been made in the last 90 days. If you resume trading or make a deposit, the fee stops. Investors running automated Investment Plans are considered active and are not affected in practice.
QuantRoutine provides educational content only. Nothing on this page is an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any security or to open an account with any specific broker. Investments can lose value, and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own investment, tax, and legal decisions. Always review each broker’s current terms, fees, and eligibility on their official website before opening or funding an account.