Admirals vs XTB (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Admirals is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad market access, user-friendly platforms, and integrated research and education. It provides a range of account options and risk management tools under established…
XTB is a forex and CFD broker offering a proprietary platform, broad instrument coverage, and integrated research and education. It is regulated in multiple jurisdictions.
Admirals (Estonia, founded 2001) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. XTB (Poland, founded 2002) holds 5 regulatory licences (DFSA, FCA, FSCA, IFSC, KNF), 1 of them tier-1, offers Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 46 countries; Admirals is available in 182 countries where XTB is not, and XTB in 2 where Admirals is not.
Verdict at a glance
Admirals leads on track record, platform choice, instrument range, country coverage and tier-1 licences.
XTB leads on trust rank.
Level on regulatory coverage and fee level.
Scored on 8 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.
Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Pros
Admirals
FCA, ASIC, CySEC regulation
MT4/MT5 with MetaTrader Supreme Edition
Zero Accounts with raw spreads and low commissions
Wide multi-asset range (FX, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, crypto CFDs)
Volatility Protection and negative balance protection
XTB
Tier-1 multi-jurisdiction regulation
Proprietary xStation 5 platform with advanced charting and one-click trading
Official xAPI for algorithmic trading and data access
Competitive FX spreads with commission-free Standard account
Publicly listed broker with audited financials
Cons
Admirals
Charges inactivity fee
Limited free withdrawals
No cTrader platform support
Leverage capped at 1:30 for EU/UK retail
Not available to U.S. residents
XTB
No MetaTrader 5 support
No guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLOs)
Inactivity fee after prolonged inactivity
Withdrawal fees for small amounts below minimum threshold
No integrated social/copy trading
Key features
Admirals
Forex and CFD trading on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
Invest MT5 real stocks and ETFs
Multi jurisdiction regulation and segregated client funds
Negative balance protection and volatility protection
Zero account raw spreads with market execution
MetaTrader Supreme Edition and premium analytics
XTB
Multi asset CFD trading Forex Indices Commodities Shares ETFs Crypto
Real stock and ETF investing zero commission up to monthly cap
xStation 5 proprietary platform advanced charting sentiment and risk tools
Publicly listed broker segregated client funds and negative balance protection
Tier one regulation including FCA and KNF
Extensive education research and market news resources
Country availability: Admirals vs XTB
Available at both (46): Angola, Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and 6 more.
Only Admirals (182): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei and 157 more.
Which trading platforms do Admirals and XTB offer?
Admirals offers MT4, MT5; XTB offers Proprietary.
Which has lower fees, Admirals or XTB?
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Which is older, Admirals or XTB?
Admirals is the older of the two, founded in 2001; XTB was founded in 2002.
Are Admirals and XTB available in the same countries?
They overlap in 46 countries. Admirals is additionally available in 182 countries (Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla and 176 more) and XTB in 2 countries (Belgium, Canada).
Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.