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Broker 2

VS field	City Index cityindex.com Forex BrokerMulti Asset BrokerStock CFD	XTB xtb.com CFD BrokerForex BrokerForex
Decision summary
Overall score

Trust score	86	90

Cost score	82	94

Platform score	94	94

Withdrawal score	89	86

Best for	UK spread betting · CFD trading · forex trading	Strong low-cost multi-asset and CFD broker, but regional/entity differences are material: leverage, NBP, investor compensation, fees and country acceptance must be rendered per ju…

Watch out	Needs verification	Needs verification

Trust & regulation
Regulators	StoneX Financial Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Source	FSC Belize, KNF Poland, FCA UK, CNMV Spain and CySEC Cyprus are disclosed across official XTB pages. Source
License numbers	FCA Register Number: 446717 Source	Key disclosed numbers: FSC Registration No. 6442514 / FSC License No. 000302/438; FCA FRN 522157; CySEC CIF 169/12; UK company number 07227848. Source
Regulated entities	City Index is a trading name/trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd. Source	XTB Group entities include XTB International Limited (Belize/FSC), XTB S.A. (Poland/KNF), XTB Limited (UK/FCA), XTB Sucursal (Spain/CNMV), and XTB Limited (Cyprus/CySEC). Source
Negative balance protection	City Index advertises negative balance protection, with regional/classification caveats. Source	Negative balance protection is available for UK retail clients under XTB Limited, but international pages warn that losses can exceed deposits; treat as regional/entity dependent. Source
Investor compensation	FSCS member; up to £120,000 according to City Index UK. Source	UK retail clients may be entitled to FSCS compensation up to GBP 85,000; Cyprus legal page lists an Investor Compensation Fund document; international Belize compensation not found. Source
Restricted countries	No explicit restricted-country list found; general jurisdictional restriction disclosed. Source	XTB only accepts clients where it operates and with appropriate permits; XTB International accepted-country list is limited from March 2026; Brazil page is not created for Brazilian residents. Source

Trust & regulation

Regulators

StoneX Financial Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA.

Source

FSC Belize, KNF Poland, FCA UK, CNMV Spain and CySEC Cyprus are disclosed across official XTB pages.

Source

License numbers

FCA Register Number: 446717

Source

Key disclosed numbers: FSC Registration No. 6442514 / FSC License No. 000302/438; FCA FRN 522157; CySEC CIF 169/12; UK company number 07227848.

Source

Regulated entities

City Index is a trading name/trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.

Source

XTB Group entities include XTB International Limited (Belize/FSC), XTB S.A. (Poland/KNF), XTB Limited (UK/FCA), XTB Sucursal (Spain/CNMV), and XTB Limited (Cyprus/CySEC).

Source

Negative balance protection

City Index advertises negative balance protection, with regional/classification caveats.

Source

Negative balance protection is available for UK retail clients under XTB Limited, but international pages warn that losses can exceed deposits; treat as regional/entity dependent.

Source

Investor compensation

FSCS member; up to £120,000 according to City Index UK.

Source

UK retail clients may be entitled to FSCS compensation up to GBP 85,000; Cyprus legal page lists an Investor Compensation Fund document; international Belize compensation not found.

Source

Restricted countries

No explicit restricted-country list found; general jurisdictional restriction disclosed.

Source

XTB only accepts clients where it operates and with appropriate permits; XTB International accepted-country list is limited from March 2026; Brazil page is not created for Brazilian residents.

Source

Costs & account conditions
Minimum deposit	No minimum to open CFD/spread-bet accounts; card funding minimum 100 base-currency units; bank wire no minimum; MT4 page/search snippet says £100 to start trading. Source	No minimum deposit on the international page; UK page lists 0 GBP / no minimum deposit. Source
Spread from	Representative spreads vary by market/product: forex from 0.5 pts, indices from 0.4, US crude 0.4 points, gold 0.3 points. Source	Minimum spread is 0.5 on the international page and 0.3 on the UK page, so it is region/entity dependent. Source
Commission	No spread-bet commission; CFD commission only on shares with stated regional minimums. Source	Stocks/ETFs are commission-free up to EUR 100,000 monthly turnover, then 0.2% min EUR 10; CFD trading commission is advertised as 0%, with product-specific fees/markups in the fee table. Source
Maximum leverage	Retail margin from 3.33% on major FX (about 30:1 equivalent); varies by product/client/entity. Source	Leverage is region/product dependent: international pages state a maximum of 1:500 for individual clients; UK account page states 1:30; real stocks and ETFs are not leveraged. Source
Deposit fee	City Index deposit methods listed as free, subject to card issuer charges. Source	XTB advertises deposits as free, but international online payment fees include Skrill 2% and Neteller 1%; bank/payment-provider fees may apply. Source
Withdrawal fee	Withdrawals are free of charge. Source	International withdrawals above 50 USD are free and below 50 USD cost 30 USD; UK withdrawals are free; detailed fee table lists additional method-specific fees. Source
Inactivity fee	Monthly inactivity fee: £12 after 12+ months of inactivity, with equivalent fees for non-GBP accounts. Source	Account maintenance is free for active clients; otherwise a monthly fee of 10 EUR may be charged when stated inactivity conditions are met. Source

Costs & account conditions

Minimum deposit

No minimum to open CFD/spread-bet accounts; card funding minimum 100 base-currency units; bank wire no minimum; MT4 page/search snippet says £100 to start trading.

Source

No minimum deposit on the international page; UK page lists 0 GBP / no minimum deposit.

Source

Spread from

Representative spreads vary by market/product: forex from 0.5 pts, indices from 0.4, US crude 0.4 points, gold 0.3 points.

Source

Minimum spread is 0.5 on the international page and 0.3 on the UK page, so it is region/entity dependent.

Source

Commission

No spread-bet commission; CFD commission only on shares with stated regional minimums.

Source

Stocks/ETFs are commission-free up to EUR 100,000 monthly turnover, then 0.2% min EUR 10; CFD trading commission is advertised as 0%, with product-specific fees/markups in the fee table.

Source

Maximum leverage

Retail margin from 3.33% on major FX (about 30:1 equivalent); varies by product/client/entity.

Source

Leverage is region/product dependent: international pages state a maximum of 1:500 for individual clients; UK account page states 1:30; real stocks and ETFs are not leveraged.

Source

Deposit fee

City Index deposit methods listed as free, subject to card issuer charges.

Source

XTB advertises deposits as free, but international online payment fees include Skrill 2% and Neteller 1%; bank/payment-provider fees may apply.

Source

Withdrawal fee

Withdrawals are free of charge.

Source

International withdrawals above 50 USD are free and below 50 USD cost 30 USD; UK withdrawals are free; detailed fee table lists additional method-specific fees.

Source

Inactivity fee

Monthly inactivity fee: £12 after 12+ months of inactivity, with equivalent fees for non-GBP accounts.

Source

Account maintenance is free for active clients; otherwise a monthly fee of 10 EUR may be charged when stated inactivity conditions are met.

Source

Markets, platforms & payments
Tradable assets	Spread bet and trade CFDs across indices, shares, forex, commodities and other markets; pricing page lists metals, bonds, interest rates and options/futures references. Source	Official pages list real stocks and ETFs, Investment Plans, and CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, stocks/ETFs and cryptocurrencies. Source
Trading platforms	Web Trader, mobile app, TradingView and MT4. Source	XTB promotes an award-winning mobile application and web platform; account pages list Mobile, Desktop, Tablet availability and web app links go to xStation5. Source
Account types	Standard, MT4 and Corporate accounts; demo offered with virtual funds. Source	XTB markets one simple account, offers swap-free accounts for certain eligible countries/entities, and offers a free training/demo account. Source
Deposit methods	Debit/credit cards and bank transfer. Source	Deposits are available by card, bank transfer, and online payments including Skrill and Neteller on the international page; UK page lists cards and bank transfer. Source
Withdrawal methods	Withdrawals return to original funding sources; card/bank supported; PayPal legacy withdrawals only. Source	Main withdrawal route on pages is a bank account in the client's name; the international fee table also lists withdrawal fees for credit cards and Skrill/Neteller/PayRetailers, implying availability in some contexts. Source
Withdrawal processing time	Cards 3–5 working days; domestic bank transfers normally 1–2 working days. Source	Withdrawal processing is same/next business day on official pages, with UK payment allocation up to 3 business days. Source

Markets, platforms & payments

Tradable assets

Spread bet and trade CFDs across indices, shares, forex, commodities and other markets; pricing page lists metals, bonds, interest rates and options/futures references.

Source

Official pages list real stocks and ETFs, Investment Plans, and CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, stocks/ETFs and cryptocurrencies.

Source

Trading platforms

Web Trader, mobile app, TradingView and MT4.

Source

XTB promotes an award-winning mobile application and web platform; account pages list Mobile, Desktop, Tablet availability and web app links go to xStation5.

Source

Account types

Standard, MT4 and Corporate accounts; demo offered with virtual funds.

Source

XTB markets one simple account, offers swap-free accounts for certain eligible countries/entities, and offers a free training/demo account.

Source

Deposit methods

Debit/credit cards and bank transfer.

Source

Deposits are available by card, bank transfer, and online payments including Skrill and Neteller on the international page; UK page lists cards and bank transfer.

Source

Withdrawal methods

Withdrawals return to original funding sources; card/bank supported; PayPal legacy withdrawals only.

Source

Main withdrawal route on pages is a bank account in the client's name; the international fee table also lists withdrawal fees for credit cards and Skrill/Neteller/PayRetailers, implying availability in some contexts.

Source

Withdrawal processing time

Cards 3–5 working days; domestic bank transfers normally 1–2 working days.

Source

Withdrawal processing is same/next business day on official pages, with UK payment allocation up to 3 business days.

Source

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