- EUR/USD cost1.2 pips
- RegulatorKNF
- Min. deposit0 PLN
Regulatory fines in the last 3 years: 30 Mar 2026 KNF — 20 000 000 zł
XTB Review 2026: Fees, Safety, 0% Stocks and the KNF Fine
XTB is a Polish investment firm listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It has been operating since 2004 and has held a brokerage licence in Poland since 2005. It offers real stocks and ETFs (including fractional shares), CFDs on forex, indices, commodities and crypto, investment plans and interest on uninvested cash — all on its own xStation platform. XTB says more than 2.9 million investors use it.
In short: XTB suits investors who want commission-free stocks and ETFs (up to €100,000 of monthly turnover), free withdrawals and a modern mobile app from a regulated, publicly listed broker. The drawbacks: a 0.5% currency conversion fee, a fee of up to €10 a month after a year without trading, no MetaTrader, and a final 2026 fine from Poland’s regulator KNF for client-protection failings in 2022–2023. We checked all figures against XTB’s documents and KNF announcements on 25 October 2026.
| XTB at a glance | Checked 25 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Company for EU clients | XTB S.A., Warsaw — supervised by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF); listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange |
| Company for UK clients | XTB Limited — FCA FRN 522157 |
| CFD risk warning | XTB S.A.: 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (XTB Limited, UK: 74%) |
| Investor compensation (XTB S.A.) | Polish scheme run by KDPW: 100% up to €3,000 and 90% above, up to €20,100 per client |
| Stocks and ETFs | 0% commission up to €100,000 monthly turnover, then 0.2% (min. €10); trades from 10 PLN |
| Currency conversion | 0.5% |
| CFDs | no commission (cost in the spread); leverage up to 1:30 for retail clients |
| Minimum deposit | none |
| Withdrawals | free |
| Inactivity fee | up to €10/month — only after 365 days without trading and 90 days without a deposit |
| Instruments | 12,700+ (stocks, ETFs, CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, crypto) |
| Platform | xStation (web, mobile, desktop); no MT4/MT5 |
📌 Table of Contents
- 1. Is XTB safe? Regulation and investor protection
- 2. The 2026 KNF fine — what happened
- 3. XTB fees and commissions
- 4. Stocks, ETFs, fractional shares and CFDs
- 5. xStation platform and app
- 6. Deposits and withdrawals
- 7. Pros, cons and verdict
- 8. Alternatives to XTB
- 9. How to open a XTB account — step by step
- 10. What trading with XTB really costs
- 11. Withdrawing money from XTB — how it works
- 12. XTB compared with other brokers
- 13. Leverage and client protection in the EU (ESMA)
- 14. Tax on profits from XTB
- 15. Glossary: terms to know before opening a XTB account
- 16. FAQ
1. Is XTB safe? Regulation and investor protection
Yes. XTB S.A., based in Warsaw, carries out brokerage activities under a licence granted by the Polish Securities and Exchange Commission and is supervised by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF). It serves clients across the EU, in some countries through local branches — for example, the French branch is supervised by the AMF. As a listed company, XTB publishes regular financial reports.
- Investor compensation: clients of XTB S.A. are covered by the Polish compensation scheme operated by KDPW — 100% of funds up to €3,000 and 90% of the excess, up to a maximum payout of €20,100 per client if the firm fails.
- Negative balance protection on CFDs for retail clients.
- Other group companies: according to XTB, the group holds licences from the KNF (Poland), FCA (UK — XTB Limited, FRN 522157), CySEC (Cyprus) and DFSA (Dubai). Check which company your account is with, as protections differ.
- Two-factor authentication for logging in.
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
2. The 2026 KNF fine — what happened
On 30 March 2026 the KNF imposed a fine of PLN 20,000,000 on XTB S.A. XTB asked for the case to be reconsidered, but on 28 August 2026 the KNF issued a final decision upholding the fine. According to the KNF, it relates to the period from 1 January 2022 to August–September 2023 and covers:
- failing to properly assess whether clients had the knowledge and experience to understand the risks of services and instruments;
- failing to define target markets appropriately for the nature and complexity of instruments;
- failing to properly identify conflicts of interest linked to the “HOT” list shown to clients;
- giving clients inaccurate and misleading information about instruments and the risks of CFDs.
The fine concerns how clients were assessed and informed, not how their money is held. Sources: KNF announcements “Nałożenie kary pieniężnej na XTB SA” and “Ostateczna decyzja ws. XTB SA” (in Polish).
3. XTB fees and commissions
| Fee | XTB S.A. (fee table from 27 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Account opening and maintenance | free for active clients |
| Stocks and ETFs (incl. fractional) | 0% up to €100,000 monthly turnover; above that 0.2%, min. €10 |
| Currency conversion on trades | 0.5% |
| CFDs (forex, indices, commodities, crypto) | no commission; spread + overnight swap |
| Withdrawals | free |
| Deposits by bank transfer, card, PayPal | free (cards and PayPal free from 27 Oct 2026) |
| Inactivity | up to €10 per month (conditions below) |
| Local taxes | e.g. French FTT 0.4%, UK stamp duty 0.5% on purchases |
When is the inactivity fee charged? Up to €10 a month, only if you have not opened or closed any position for 365 days and have not deposited money for 90 days. It is not charged while you hold an open position, if there are no free funds, or on Polish retirement accounts (IKE/IKZE).
4. Stocks, ETFs, fractional shares and CFDs
- Real stocks and ETFs from European and US exchanges, also as fractional shares (minimum trade value 10 PLN or the equivalent).
- CFDs on currencies, indices (e.g. S&P 500, DAX), commodities and cryptocurrencies, with leverage up to 1:30 for retail clients; minimum trade 0.01 lot.
- Investment plans for automatic, regular investing in stock and ETF portfolios, and interest on uninvested cash (the rate depends on currency and conditions).
- In total XTB lists more than 12,700 instruments.
5. xStation platform and app
XTB uses its own platform, xStation, in the browser, on desktop and as a mobile app, with charts, market news, an economic calendar and webinars on business days. XTB does not offer MetaTrader 4 or 5 — if you rely on MT4/MT5 Expert Advisors, choose another broker.
6. Deposits and withdrawals
- Deposits: bank transfer, cards and online payment methods (availability depends on country); no minimum deposit.
- Withdrawals: free, any amount, only to a bank account in your name added in the client office. EUR and USD withdrawals take up to 3 business days.
7. Pros, cons and verdict
✅ XTB pros
- EU-regulated (KNF) and publicly listed; investor compensation up to €20,100.
- 0% commission on stocks and ETFs up to €100,000 a month; fractional shares.
- Free withdrawals, no minimum deposit.
- Investment plans and interest on cash.
- Well-designed xStation platform and mobile app.
❌ XTB cons
- Final KNF fine of PLN 20 million (2026) for client-protection failings in 2022–2023.
- 0.5% conversion fee on trades in another currency.
- Up to €10 a month after a year without trading.
- No MetaTrader.
- 79% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
ForexRev verdict
XTB is one of the most complete low-cost brokers in Europe for stocks and ETFs, with a strong app, free withdrawals and EU regulation. The 2026 KNF fine is a reminder to treat CFDs and promoted “hot” instruments with caution, but it does not concern the safekeeping of client money. For long-term investing XTB is a very good choice; for MT4/MT5 automated trading it is not.
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
8. Alternatives to XTB
- DEGIRO — low-cost stocks and ETFs on many exchanges.
- Tickmill — forex and CFDs on MT4/MT5 with raw spreads from 0.0 pips.
- EXANTE — for larger portfolios: 50+ exchanges, futures and options.
Compare more in our forex broker ranking and ETF broker ranking.
9. How to open a XTB account — step by step
- Register on the XTB website — EU clients should be served by an EU company: XTB S.A., Warsaw — supervised by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF). Check the company name in your client agreement before depositing.
- Enter your personal details and complete the questionnaire. Before offering CFDs, an EU broker must assess your knowledge and experience (the MiFID II appropriateness test) and warn you if CFDs are not appropriate.
- Verify your identity with a passport or ID card and a proof of address (e.g. a utility bill or bank statement), as required by anti-money-laundering rules.
- Choose the account type and base currency. An account in the currency you deposit in saves conversion costs.
- Fund the account — minimum deposit according to the broker: none. Deposits are accepted only from accounts or cards in your own name.
- Install the platform (xStation (web, mobile, desktop)) or log in via your browser. Practise on a demo account first, if the broker offers one.
10. What trading with XTB really costs
Below are the costs from the summary table above — taken from XTB’s website and documents when we updated this review:
- Stocks and ETFs: 0% commission up to €100,000 monthly turnover, then 0.2% (min. €10); trades from 10 PLN
- CFDs: no commission (cost in the spread); leverage up to 1:30 for retail clients
- Withdrawals: free
How to work it out: on EUR/USD one pip on a 1-lot position (€100,000) is worth about $10, so a 1-pip spread costs about $10 when you open the trade. A commission quoted “per lot per side” is charged twice — on opening and on closing. Add overnight swaps for every night the position stays open and any currency conversion if your account currency differs from the instrument’s. On 0.1 lot all these amounts are ten times smaller.
Inactivity fee: up to €10/month — only after 365 days without trading and 90 days without a deposit. If you plan a long break from trading, withdraw your funds or close the account so the fee does not eat into your balance.
11. Withdrawing money from XTB — how it works
You request a withdrawal in the client area. Under anti-money-laundering rules, funds usually go back via the method used to deposit (e.g. to the card up to the amount deposited by card) and only to an account or card in your own name. The first withdrawal may require full account verification, so upload your documents right after registering. Only free funds that are not used as margin can be withdrawn.
12. XTB compared with other brokers
For comparison, here is XTB next to other brokers whose reviews we updated in October 2026. Figures come from their summary tables — see the full reviews for details.
| Broker | Company / regulator | Minimum deposit | Inactivity fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| XTB | XTB S.A., Warsaw | none | up to €10/month — only after 365 days without trading and 90 days without a… |
| Pepperstone | Pepperstone EU Limited (Cyprus) | €10 (cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal) | none |
| Admirals | Admirals Europe Ltd (Limassol, Cyprus) | Trade and Zero: €100 / $100 | €10 per month after 24 months without trading (positive balances only) |
| FOREX.com | StoneX Europe Ltd (Nicosia, Cyprus) | 100 units of the account currency | €15 per month after 12 months without trades or open positions |
| Dukascopy | Dukascopy Europe IBS AS (Riga, Latvia) | $100 | up to €50 per 180 days without trading (after the first 180 days) |
13. Leverage and client protection in the EU (ESMA)
As an EU investment firm, XTB applies the restrictions introduced by ESMA and adopted permanently by national regulators to retail clients:
- leverage up to 1:30 on major currency pairs, 1:20 on other pairs, gold and major indices, 1:10 on other commodities and indices, 1:5 on shares and 1:2 on crypto;
- margin close-out at 50% of required margin;
- negative balance protection — retail clients cannot lose more than they deposited;
- a ban on bonuses and trading incentives for retail CFD clients;
- a mandatory risk warning with the share of losing retail accounts — for XTB: XTB S.A.: 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (XTB Limited, UK: 74%).
Higher leverage is only available to professional clients who meet the MiFID II criteria — at the cost of some protections, including negative balance protection.
14. Tax on profits from XTB
XTB is a Polish entity and issues a PIT-8C tax statement by the end of February; Polish residents report profits in the PIT-38 return (19% tax). Residents of other countries should follow their local rules.
15. Glossary: terms to know before opening a XTB account
- Spread — the difference between the buy and sell price, paid on every trade.
- Pip — the smallest typical price move of a currency pair (0.0001 for EUR/USD).
- Lot — the standard position size: 1 forex lot is 100,000 units of the base currency; 0.01 lot (micro lot) is 1,000.
- Commission — a fixed fee per trade, usually on raw-spread (ECN/Raw) accounts.
- Swap — the daily cost or credit for holding a position overnight, based on the interest-rate differential.
- Margin — the part of the position value set aside as collateral; at 1:30 leverage about 3.33% of the position.
- Margin call and stop out — a warning and automatic closing of positions when equity falls relative to required margin.
- Slippage — execution at a different price than requested, common around news releases and price gaps.
16. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Is XTB safe and regulated?
Why was XTB fined by the KNF?
Is XTB really commission-free?
Does XTB charge an inactivity fee?
What is the minimum deposit at XTB?
Does XTB offer MetaTrader?
How do I open a XTB account?
What leverage does XTB offer?
Does XTB issue tax statements?
🛡️ How we checked this review
On 25 October 2026 we checked XTB S.A.’s fee and commission table of 20 October 2026 (effective 27 October 2026) and the previous one of 30 September 2026, XTB’s “Account and fees” page, company history and risk warnings on xtb.com, the UK entity details and the KNF announcements on the fine (13 April and 1 September 2026). Fees can change — check the current table before opening an account. Updated on 3 November 2026: the share of XTB S.A. retail accounts losing money on CFDs (79%) and the number of instruments (12,700+).
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with XTB S.A. (74% with XTB Limited, UK). You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This review is for information only and is not investment advice or a recommendation.
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