XTB Review (2026):
Zero-commission ETFs, Investment Plans, and everything else to know
Fees verified September 2026 against official pricing pages — see our methodology
XTB offers 0% commission on stocks and ETFs up to €100,000 of monthly turnover 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. The FX fee, the country-by-country tax handling and the exit costs deserve a closer look before you commit — and French residents get a PEA that shifts the verdict.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up through them. This does not affect our reviews or recommendations — we only feature products we genuinely believe are useful for investors. This site provides educational content only, not personalized investment advice. Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own financial decisions and for confirming the tax and legal rules that apply in your country.
TL;DR
- Passive investors buying EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs.
- Automated Investment Plans — up to 10 plans mixing ETFs and stocks, from €15.
- Investors who want zero commission up to €100,000 of monthly turnover.
- Anyone who wants a desktop platform alongside mobile.
- French residents: zero-commission PEA with income-tax-free gains after 5 years (PEA section below).
- 0.5% FX fee on every trade that needs a currency conversion — twice when routed via USD.
- No German tax withholding — tax handling differs by country (tax section below).
- €25 per ISIN to transfer shares out (0.10%, min €100, for Spain-listed securities).
- €10/month inactivity fee after 12 months without trading and 90 days without a deposit — waived with an open position; none in XTB’s German branch schedule.
- Not a bank — investor compensation capped at €20,100 under the Polish KDPW scheme.
- Two fines from the Polish regulator, in 2018 and 2026.
What is XTB?
A Warsaw-listed Polish broker, operating since 2004, that has grown from CFD trading into a long-term investing platform — while keeping both product lines in the same interface.
XTB began operating as X-Trade Brokers in 2004, received its KNF brokerage licence in 2005 and rebranded to XTB in 2009. Its parent, XTB S.A., has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2016 and discloses earnings and cash reserves quarterly. XTB’s annual results put its client base at 2.16 million at the end of 2025.
EU clients are served by XTB S.A., a Polish investment firm authorised by the KNF, through local branches: Germany (registered with BaFin), France (controlled by the AMF and ACPR), Spain (CNMV no. 40) and Portugal (CMVM no. 341). XTB also states it is registered with the ASF in Romania. Dutch residents are the exception: they are routed to XTB Limited (Cyprus, CySEC), which offers CFDs only — no real stocks or ETFs.
Real stocks and ETFs arrived in XTB’s European branches in 2018, and the 0% commission offer in 2020. In the ForexBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards, XTB finished Best in Class (a top-seven finish) for Overall, Ease of Use and Beginners — though the xStation platform’s depth can feel like overkill for investors who only want to buy two ETFs a month.
How XTB makes money: XTB’s own results show CFDs generate the overwhelming majority of its trading revenue. In H1 2025, CFDs made up PLN 1,112.0m of a PLN 1,148.2m gross gain on financial instruments, against PLN 36.1m from shares and ETPs. The zero-commission stock and ETF offer sits alongside that business — which is why the platform surfaces CFD products next to long-term investments.
How “zero commission” actually works — and the cost that matters more
XTB’s commission structure is genuinely competitive. The FX fee is the number most investors overlook.
0% commission on real stocks and ETFs for cumulative monthly turnover up to €100,000 across all your accounts. The threshold resets every calendar month, counts both buys and sells, and includes Investment Plan purchases.
Above it, 0.2% (min €10) applies to the part over the threshold. XTB’s own example: four trades total €95,000 and the fifth is €7,500. Only €2,500 sits above the threshold, 0.2% of that is below the floor, so €10 is charged.
A 0.5% markup on XTB’s exchange rate applies to every stock or ETF trade — and every corporate action, including foreign dividends — that needs a currency conversion. Where no direct currency pair is quoted, XTB converts via USD and applies 0.5% at each step: 0.5% twice.
For comparison: Lightyear Europe charges 0.35% and Saxo 0.25%. At Interactive Brokers, automatic conversion costs 0.03% of trade value, or a manual spot FX order from 0.20 basis points with a USD 2 minimum. If you hold a EUR account and only buy EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs, you never pay it.
Manual transfers between your own currency accounts cost 0.5%, rising to 0.8% at weekends (Friday 22:00 to Sunday 23:00 CET/CEST) and on holidays when currencies aren’t quoted.
| Fee type (XTB S.A.) | Amount | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Stock/ETF commission (≤€100k/month) | Free | Not the issue |
| Stock/ETF commission (>€100k/month) | 0.2% (min €10) | On the part above the threshold only |
| FX conversion | 0.5% | Twice when converted via USD |
| Investment Plans | Free | Count toward the €100k cap |
| Account opening / closing | Free | — |
| Custody fee | 0.02% p.a. above €250,000 | Excess only, no minimum — €300,000 costs €0.80/month |
| Deposit by bank transfer (Germany) | Free | — |
| Card / PayPal deposit | Card 0.70% (EUR), PayPal 0.85% | Germany from 30.09.2026: card free, PayPal 0.85% |
| Withdrawal | Free | Your own bank may charge |
| Inactivity fee | €10/month | Only after 365 days without trading and 90 days without a deposit; waived with an open position; none in the German branch schedule |
| Portfolio transfer out | €25 per ISIN | Spain-listed: 0.10%, min €100 per ISIN |
| US dividend withholding | 30% | Omnibus custody — treaty relief isn’t applied |
Sources: XTB S.A. fee table of 29.06.2026 and XTB’s German branch schedules (29.06.2026, and valid from 30.09.2026), read September 2026. 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 per account.
- Up to 20 instruments per plan, each weighted between 5% and 100%.
- ETFs and stocks, including US stocks: ready-made (ETF-only), sector (stocks) or DIY (ETFs plus stocks) plans. In Germany, stock savings plans since 10 July 2026.
- From €15 per plan.
- Free to set up and run; commission-free within the €100k monthly cap.
- Created in the mobile app or the web platform; auto-invest tops up on the amount and period you choose.
- Lives inside a platform built for active traders.
- Plan components can execute at different times of day, following each exchange’s hours.
- Non-EUR holdings in a plan trigger the 0.5% FX fee on each purchase.
- Germany: recurring top-ups by PayU card cost 0.70% (EUR) from 30 September 2026 — bank transfer is free.
Investment Plans sit in the same platform as XTB’s CFDs — leveraged derivatives that let you speculate on price movements without owning the asset. The majority of retail CFD accounts lose money with this provider; XTB publishes its current figure in its risk warning. The platform will show CFD products next to your long-term investments.
If you’re here for passive, long-term investing: stick to real stocks, ETFs and Investment Plans. Ignore the CFD section entirely.
Cash interest and investor protection: what you actually get
Rates depend on the country branch. XTB’s German branch, read 23 September 2026: a preferential rate for the first 90 days after account opening on the first €100,000 across all accounts — 3.50% on EUR, 3.40% on USD. After 90 days, and above €100,000, the standard rate on XTB’s German interest page applies.
Rates are variable and can be updated weekly. Interest accrues daily and is paid within 5 working days of month end. Outside Germany, check your country’s XTB interest page before relying on a rate. Cash in the French PEA cash account earns no interest.
XTB is not a bank. XTB S.A. is an investment firm authorised by the KNF. Client money is segregated from XTB’s own funds, and holdings sit on an omnibus account with XTB’s partner custodian.
- Polish KDPW scheme: 100% up to €3,000, then 90% of the amount above that up to €22,000 — a maximum of €20,100 per investor. It does not cover Fractional Rights.
- Germany: XTB states cash on the clearing account is held on trust omnibus accounts at partner banks (currently including J.P. Morgan SE, Frankfurt), segregated, and covered in a bank failure by the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000.
Outside Germany, plan large idle balances around the €20,100 KDPW ceiling.
What XTB does — and doesn’t — do for your taxes
Tax handling at XTB depends on the country branch. This is what XTB itself states, country by country.
| Country | What XTB states |
|---|---|
| Germany | No German tax withheld — you declare it through self-assessment. XTB supplies an annual Erträgnisaufstellung, including interest income. |
| France | Standard account (CTO): XTB states the flat tax is 31.4% (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social charges). The PEA is covered below. |
| Spain | XTB supplies an “Estado Cartera 31 diciembre” statement for Modelo 720, listing shares and ETFs deposited outside Spain and uninvested cash held in Germany. |
| Portugal | Interest may be subject to income tax withheld by XTB S.A. |
| Every country | US dividends withheld at 30% (Czech and Portuguese 35%) — omnibus custody means treaty relief isn’t applied. |
Sources: XTB’s German, French, Spanish and Portuguese sites and the XTB S.A. fee table, read September 2026. Your full transaction history is available in the platform.
XTB’s PEA: the tax wrapper that changes the math for French residents
Launched in 2025, XTB’s PEA gives French tax residents a wrapper where gains become income-tax-free after five years.
The PEA (Plan d’Épargne en Actions) is open to adults tax-domiciled in France — one PEA per person, a maximum of two per tax household, and XTB doesn’t accept adults still attached to their parents’ tax household. The contribution ceiling is €150,000 (contributions only; growth is uncapped). Pricing: 0% commission up to €100,000 of monthly turnover, then 0.2% — XTB’s PEA page states no minimum on that fee. A 0.5% conversion fee may apply. There is no opening, account-keeping, custody, inactivity or closing fee, and shares and ETFs can be bought from €10.
XTB’s PEA FAQ lists 1,250+ eligible shares and 185 eligible ETFs (read September 2026). Funding takes two steps: deposit into your main XTB account, then transfer internally to the PEA cash account.
- After 5 years, gains are exempt from income tax — only the 18.6% social charges are due on withdrawal.
- Inside the plan, dividends and trades are untaxed while no withdrawal is made.
- 0% commission up to €100,000/month, with no minimum on the 0.2% above it.
- No opening, account-keeping, custody, inactivity or closing fee.
- Transfers in from another PEA provider aren’t available yet.
- Cash in the PEA cash account earns no interest.
- A 0.5% conversion fee may apply to non-EUR purchases.
- A withdrawal before year 5 generally closes the plan (exceptions exist).
What it costs to leave XTB
The exit economics deserve a look before you commit, especially if you plan to hold for many years and might want to switch later.
- Outgoing transfer: €25 per ISIN for most markets, and 0.10% of value (minimum €100) per ISIN for Spain-listed securities. Move five ETFs out and that’s €125.
- Between your own xStation accounts: 0.5% per ISIN, minimum €25.
- Account closure: free.
- Fractional Rights: the Polish KDPW compensation scheme does not cover them.
The alternative — selling to cash and re-buying at the new broker — avoids the per-ISIN fee, but selling may trigger capital gains tax depending on your country’s rules.
XTB vs Trade Republic vs Trading 212
How XTB stacks up against two other major European neobrokers for passive investors.
| Feature | XTB | Trade Republic | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock/ETF commission | 0% (up to €100k/mo) | €0 commission + €1 settlement flat rate per trade (not on savings plans) | 0% |
| Automated investing | Investment Plans: free, from €15, ETFs and stocks | Savings plans: free, €10 to €10,000 per execution | AutoInvest: Pies or single instruments (Sparplan) |
| FX conversion | 0.5% | Fixed margin in the quoted currency on foreign income; card spending €0 | 0.15% |
| Fractional minimum | €1 (Germany, Portugal) | From €1 | €1 |
| German tax handling | No withholding — annual Erträgnisaufstellung | Free annual tax certificate (Jahressteuerbescheinigung) | Withholds for German residents since 5 Jan 2026 |
| Portfolio transfer out | €25 per ISIN (Spain-listed 0.10%, min €100) | Free (third-party costs may apply) | No fee; whole shares only; not for German residents |
| Banking licence | No | Yes (BaFin-supervised credit institution) | No |
Sources: XTB S.A. fee table (29.06.2026) and German branch schedules; Trade Republic price list v11.2025 and customer agreement; Trading 212 EU Invest terms and Terms & Fees page. Read August–September 2026.
Who XTB fits — and who it doesn’t
- Passive investors buying EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs.
- Small one-off buyers who want to avoid Trade Republic’s €1 settlement flat rate.
- Investors who want a desktop platform, not just a mobile app.
- Anyone who wants plans mixing ETFs and stocks, up to 20 instruments each.
- French tax residents — the PEA makes gains income-tax-free after 5 years.
- Investors comfortable filing their own tax declarations.
- Frequent buyers of non-EUR assets — 0.5% per conversion, twice when routed via USD.
- Complete beginners who find a trading-first interface confusing.
- German residents who want tax withheld at source — XTB leaves it to self-assessment.
- Investors holding many positions they may move later — €25 per ISIN out.
- Anyone likely to go 12 months without trading and 90 days without a deposit while holding no open position (outside XTB’s German branch schedule).
- Dutch residents — the Cyprus entity offers CFDs only, no real stocks or ETFs.
XTB’s 0.5% FX fee is the ceiling on its cost efficiency for multi-currency investors. At Interactive Brokers, automatic currency conversion costs 0.03% of trade value, and a manual spot FX order starts at 0.20 basis points with a USD 2 minimum.
The trade-off: a steeper setup process and a less polished mobile experience. If you buy across currencies at scale, the FX gap is where the money is.
Ready to open an account?
Pick EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs, set up an Investment Plan with a monthly auto-invest, and leave it running. That’s the workflow that makes XTB genuinely competitive — and keeps costs near zero.
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 of cumulative monthly turnover across your accounts. Above that, 0.2% with a €10 minimum applies to the part over the threshold. The threshold resets every calendar month and counts both buys and sells, and Investment Plan purchases count toward it.
What are XTB’s Investment Plans?
Investment Plans are XTB’s free automated investing feature. You can run up to 10 plans per account, each holding up to 20 instruments, ETFs and stocks including US stocks, with each weighted between 5% and 100%. Plans start from €15, can be created in the mobile app or the web platform, and top up automatically on the amount and period you choose. Purchases are commission-free within the €100,000 monthly cap; the 0.5% FX fee may apply to non-EUR instruments.
Is XTB safe for European investors?
XTB S.A. is a Polish investment firm authorised by the KNF and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2016; it serves EU clients through local branches. It is not a bank. Client money is segregated from XTB’s own funds, and XTB S.A. clients are covered by the Polish KDPW compensation scheme up to €20,100 per investor, which does not cover Fractional Rights. In Germany, XTB states cash is held in trust at partner banks covered by the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000. The KNF fined XTB PLN 9.9 million in 2018 over execution practices in 2014 and 2015, a decision upheld by Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court in 2023, and PLN 20 million in 2026 over appropriateness, target-market, conflict-of-interest and CFD risk-disclosure breaches in 2022 and 2023.
What is XTB’s FX conversion fee?
XTB adds 0.5% to its exchange rate whenever a stock or ETF trade, or a corporate action such as a foreign dividend, needs a currency conversion. Where no direct currency pair is quoted, it converts via USD and charges 0.5% at each step. Manual transfers between your own currency accounts cost 0.5%, or 0.8% at weekends and on holidays. If you hold a EUR account and buy EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs, the fee never applies.
Does XTB pay interest on uninvested cash?
Yes, but rates vary by country. XTB’s German branch pays a preferential rate for the first 90 days after account opening on the first €100,000 across all accounts, then a standard rate published on its interest page. Rates are variable and can change weekly; interest accrues daily and is paid within 5 working days of month end. Cash in the French PEA cash account earns no interest.
Does XTB have an inactivity fee?
Under XTB S.A.’s fee table, €10 per month is charged only if you have opened or closed no position in the last 365 days and made no deposit in the last 90 days. It is not charged while you hold an open position on any account, and it never exceeds your remaining free funds. XTB’s German branch schedule charges no inactivity fee, and the French PEA has none.
Does XTB handle taxes for me?
It depends on the country. In Germany, XTB does not withhold tax: you declare it through self-assessment, working from the annual Erträgnisaufstellung XTB supplies. In Spain, XTB supplies a year-end portfolio statement for Modelo 720. In Portugal, interest may be subject to income tax withheld by XTB S.A. In France, XTB states the flat tax on a standard account is 31.4%, while PEA gains become income-tax-free after five years. In every country, US dividends are withheld at 30% because omnibus custody means treaty relief isn’t applied.
Can I transfer my XTB portfolio to another broker?
Yes. Outgoing transfers cost €25 per ISIN for most markets and 0.10% of value (minimum €100) per ISIN for Spain-listed securities. Transfers between your own xStation accounts cost 0.5% per ISIN (minimum €25), and closing the account is free. The alternative, selling to cash and re-buying elsewhere, avoids the fee but may trigger capital gains tax in your country.
Can Dutch residents buy real stocks and ETFs with XTB?
No. XTB routes Dutch residents to XTB Limited (Cyprus), which offers stock and ETF CFDs but not real stocks or ETFs; XTB support confirmed this in September 2026. Investment Plans, which buy real ETFs and stocks, are therefore not available to Dutch residents.
What is the XTB PEA and who can open one?
XTB’s PEA, launched in 2025, is open to adults tax-domiciled in France: one per person, two per tax household, and not to adults still attached to their parents’ tax household. Contributions are capped at €150,000. Pricing is 0% commission up to €100,000 of monthly turnover, then 0.2% with no minimum, and there is no opening, account-keeping, custody, inactivity or closing fee. XTB’s FAQ lists 1,250+ eligible shares and 185 eligible ETFs. After 5 years, gains are exempt from income tax, with only the 18.6% social charges due. Transfers in from another PEA provider aren’t available yet.
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Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up through them. This does not affect our reviews or recommendations — we only feature products we genuinely believe are useful for investors. This site provides educational content only, not personalized investment advice. Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own financial decisions and for confirming the tax and legal rules that apply in your country.
Investing involves risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up, and you may lose part or all of your invested capital.