XM vs Firstrade

XM or Firstrade – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare XM and Firstrade in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

XM vs Firstrade Comparison Table 2024
XM Firstrade
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4.4
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4
XM is ranked #91 among CFD brokers. Firstrade is ranked #66 among UK brokers.
XM has closed or no longer accepts UK clients.
XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 10+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been delivering low trading fees across its growing roster of 1000+ instruments. It’s also highly regulated, including by ASIC and CySEC and offers a comprehensive MetaTrader experience.
Firstrade is a US-headquartered discount broker-dealer with authorization from the SEC. The company is also a member of FINRA/SIPC. With welcome bonuses, powerful tools and apps, plus commission-free trading, Firstrade Securities is a popular and top-tier online brokerage. It is also quick and easy to open a new account.
Pros
  • XM’s Zero account is ideal for trading with spreads from 0.0 pips, 99.35% of orders executed in <1 second, and no requotes or rejections.
  • XM stands out for its commitment to trader education, with a wealth of well-presented resources, including webinars, tutorials, and even real-time trading sessions through XM Live.
  • XM’s customer support has delivered over years of testing, with 24/5 assistance in 25 languages, response times of <2 minutes and now a growing Telegram channel.
  • XM’s growing roster of 1,000+ instruments provides diverse short-term trading opportunities, with unique turbo stocks, fractional shares, and more recently thematic indices.
  • Enhanced stock trading environment with overnight trading and fractional shares added
  • One of the first brokers to add AI-powered analysis through FirstradeGPT
  • Excellent broker for budget-conscious traders with low OTC fees
  • Highly trusted US-regulated brokerage and SIPC member
Cons
  • XM relies solely on the MetaTrader platforms for desktop trading, so there’s no in-house downloadable or web-accessible solution for a more beginner-friendly user experience with unique features.
  • Although trusted and generally well-regulated, the XM global entity is registered with the weak IFSC regulator and UK clients are no longer accepted, reducing its market reach.
  • While the XM app stands out for its usability and exclusive copy trading products, the selection of technical analysis tools needs to be improved to meet the needs of advanced traders.
  • XM is falling behind the curve by not offering cTrader and TradingView which are increasingly being favored over MetaTrader for their smoother user experience and superior charting packages.
  • Firstrade focuses on stocks at the expense of forex, limiting diversification opportunities
  • No demo/paper trading account found at over 90% of alternatives evaluated
  • Customer support still needs work following testing with no 24/7 assistance
  • Visa credit/debit card deposits and withdrawals are not accepted
Awards
  • Outstanding Customer Service Global 2024 - Capital Finance International Magazine
  • Best FX Service Provider 2024 - City of London Wealth Management Awards
  • Best FX Broker, Europe 2023 - World Finance Forex Awards
  • Best CFD Provider 2023 - City of London Wealth Management Awards
  • The Best Crypto CFDs 2022 - Financial Expo Egypt
  • Best FX Service Provider 2022 - City of London Wealth Management Awards
  • Best MT4/MT5 Broker 2021 - DayTrading.com
  • Best FX Educational Broker in the MENA region 2021 - Dubai Expo Awards
  • Best for ETF & Active Investor Commission & Fees - 2019
FCA Regulated
No No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies Stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Cryptos, Fixed
Demo Account
Yes No
Minimum Deposit
$5 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $1
Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, IFSC SEC, FINRA
Mobile Apps
iOS, Android & Windows iOS & Android
Trading App

XM offer a mobile app for both Android and iOS that has been specifically tailored to each platform, maximizing the functionality of both. The app delivers the MT4 and MT5 software on the move, with full access to the broker’s 1,000+ instruments. Where they shine is their dependability with minimal glitches and delays during testing. The built-in news, trading journal and push notifications also ensure you have everything you need to trade from your hand.

iOS App Rating
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4.7
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Android App Rating
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rating full
3.9
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Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
0.2% 4.50%
MetaTrader 4
Yes No
MetaTrader 5
Yes No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes Yes
STP Account
Yes No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes No
Market Maker
Yes Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes No
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
XM offers copy trading through its intuitive app with exclusive crypto pairs. XM global offers a pre-integrated signals service via the MT5 platform. Aspiring investors can view detailed performance metrics and copy the trades of strategy managers. It's easy to set up, only requiring a handful of steps after logging in to your MQL5 community account.
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
Yes No
Demo Competitions
Yes No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No Yes
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$5 $0
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • USD
Commodities
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Copper
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
CFD
XM delivers for CFD traders with flexible leverage and a huge range of markets, including bespoke thematic indices for exposure to popular sectors like artificial intelligence. The MT4/MT5 platforms are also fast and dependable while a free VPS is available to qualifying XM traders running algo trading strategies.
Leverage
1:30
FTSE Spread
1.4
GBPUSD Spread<
0.8
Oil Spread
0.03
Stocks Spread
0.002 $0 per trade
Forex
XM offers a strong selection of currency pairs with no re-quotes or hidden charges, while spreads have come down over the years, now starting from 0.8 pips on the EUR/USD in the commission-free account.
Assets
55+
GBPUSD Spread
0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.8
EURGBP Spread
1.5
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
XM offers a handful of cryptocurrencies against the USD via the South African entity only. These are tradable via CFDs with very high leverage up to 1:500, amplifying potential returns but also losses. You can trade major tokens like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple, though the suite of tokens trails the 120+ crypto derivatives at Eightcap. Take positions on dozens of leading cryptocurrencies with low fees and 24/7 investing. Traders need just $1 to start speculating on popular tokens like Bitcoin. Clients can also buy cryptos instantly in a few straightforward steps.
Spread
Variable Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • BCH
  • ALGO
  • AVAX
  • BAT
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ADA
  • LINK
  • ATOM
  • CRO
  • CRV
  • MANA
  • DOGE
  • ETH
  • ETC
  • FTM
  • LTC
  • LRC
  • MATIC
  • REN
  • SHIB
  • SOL
  • XLM
  • SUSHI
  • GRT
  • UNI
  • YFI
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
XM Firstrade
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