XTB review 2025 for Emiratis & Expats

XTB is a globally recognized online broker with a client base exceeding 1.6 million investors worldwide. Known for its transparency, responsive customer service, and user-friendly trading platforms, XTB has positioned itself as a solid choice for both beginner and experienced investors.

For UAE residents looking to invest in global stocks and ETFs, XTB offers an attractive proposition, including commission-free investing in stocks and ETFs (up to €100,000 in monthly volume) and access to a broad range of markets such as CFDs on stocks, ETFs, Forex, indices and commodities.

In this article, we’ll explore XTB’s offering from the perspective of UAE-based investors, highlighting the platform’s features, fees, advantages, and limitations to help you decide whether it's the right brokerage for your investment journey.

Overview

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, XTB has evolved from a CFD-focused trading platform into a diversified investment provider. While it continues to offer CFDs (Contracts for Difference), popular for short-term, leveraged trading, XTB now also allows UAE investors to buy and hold real stocks and ETFs with zero commission (within specific volume thresholds).

XTB provides two intuitive platforms: xStation 5 (desktop/web) and xStation Mobile (iOS and Android). Both platforms are packed with features designed to cater to different trading styles. While advanced investors will appreciate the powerful charting tools and technical indicators, newcomers might find the interface slightly overwhelming at first. Fortunately, XTB also offers a free demo account, allowing you to explore the tools without any financial risk.

For technical analysis, the xStation platform is particularly strong, offering a wide array of indicators, drawing tools, and customizable dashboards. On the fundamental side, XTB includes a “Market Analysis” tab that allows users to filter stocks and ETFs based on metrics like P/E ratio, EPS, ROE, and dividend yield, useful for long-term investors seeking value or growth opportunities.

Account registration with XTB is fully digital, fast, and straightforward. The platform supports local bank transfers, credit cards, and e-wallets for deposits, though availability may vary slightly based on your UAE bank. Withdrawals are processed quickly, usually within 1–2 business days. Moreover, the platform is available in multiple languages, including English and Arabic.

Apart from its multiple international regulatory approvals, XTB is also fully regulated in the UAE, operating under both the DFSA and SCA, and actively serving UAE investors through its dedicated local entities and offices, as better explained in the "Safety and regulation" section.

Highlights

Pros and cons

Pros

• 0% transaction fees on stocks and ETFs up to €100,000 in monthly trading volume
• Fractional shares (stocks and ETFs)
• Demo account
• Payment card (eWallet)
• Customizable investment platforms
• Low minimum investment in stocks and ETFs (starting from $15)
• Educational materials
• Interest on uninvested cash
• Automatic investment through investment plans

Cons

• The platform may be unintuitive for beginners
• Limited focus on fundamental analysis
• The company still relies on CFDs, which are riskier derivative instruments - this may be a downside for long-term "buy and hold" investors
• Relatively high currency conversion fee (0.5%)
• Absence of products such as bonds and options

Investment platforms

As mentioned above, XTB offers two investment platforms: xStation 5 (PC version) and xStation Mobile (mobile application). Let's start with the first one.

xStation 5

After registering and logging into the platform, the following page appears:

In the top left corner, you have several tabs where you can choose different financial products by "FAV" for favorites (if you have already pre-selected them), "HOT", and by asset classes.

For simplicity, you can use the search bar, which helps you find any financial product you want.

Let's search for CSPX (a S&P 500 ETF), which, as you can see, appears in the search bar:

On the right side, we have the following tabs: Charts, News, Calendar, Market Analysis, Education/Videos, Account History, and finally, Investment Plans.

We believe that most of these options are intuitive to understand after exploring each one.

xStation Mobile

The xStation Mobile is an adaptation of xStation 5 for mobile devices. Naturally, it has some limitations compared to the desktop version, but it is still useful for following the news, tracking portfolio performance, and even conducting technical analysis.

Here are some screenshots:

Markets and financial products

In the UAE, the range of products includes both real assets (stocks and ETFs) and financial derivatives (CFDs).

Below is the full list (with details provided below):

• Stocks: More than 2,300 assets available across 15+ stock exchanges worldwide. The minimum transaction amount is just $15 (fractional shares are available), and transactions are commission-free for amounts up to €100,000 per month. Includes free access to real-time quotes.
• ETFs: XTB offers over 270 ETFs across indices, sectors, and even commodities. The minimum transaction amount is $10, and trading is free for amounts up to €100,000 per month.
• Forex: Through CFDs, you can invest in over 60 currency pairs with leverage of up to 30x. Spreads start at 0.00008 pips, and you can trade from 0.01 lots.
• Indices: Via CFDs, you can leverage your investments up to 20x. Spreads start at 0.012 pips, and there are over 30 index CFDs available.
• Commodities: Using CFDs, you can leverage commodity investments up to 10x. Spreads start at 0.00008 pips, and there are over 25 CFDs available (including gold, silver, oil, and natural gas).

Note: In the UAE, the maximum leverage for CFDs is 1:30 for retail clients, according to the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) regulations.

CFDs list

They also offer Investment Plans, a solution that allows you to invest automatically in pre-defined assets (including the option of direct debit from your bank account).

Below is a practical explanation, as this is one of the most sought-after features by investors.

Investment plans - step by step

Investment Plans is a solution that enables automated investing in pre-defined assets (with the option of direct debit from your bank account).

Step 1: Go to the “Investment plans” tab and select “check our offer”.

Then, click in “Buy and invest for the future”:

After reading the legal disclaimer (investing in ETFs involves risk), click on “Got it”:

Step 2: Select the ETFs you want to include in your portfolio. In our case, as an illustrative example, we chose the “iShares Core S&P 500 UCITS” and the “iShares NASDAQ 100 UCITS”:

Step 3: Select the allocation. We set 70% in "iShares NASDAQ 100 UCITS" and 30% in "iShares Core S&P 500 UCITS". Click on “Create investment plan”:

The plan was created with the name “Long Term” and then click on “Top up an investment account":

Step 4: Select how you want to deposit into the plan. We will choose the "Auto invest" option to invest automatically.

Step 5: Select the payment method. You have three options: payment card (with a 0.7% fee), free funds (using the money already in your account), and bank transfer.

Then, just continue the process and that's it!

Finally, they also offer a multi-currency virtual card, which allows you to send and receive money, make payments, exchange currencies, and more.

Fees and commissions

XTB is very transparent with its fees, both for stocks and ETFs as well as for CFDs. Below is a detailed list:

For stocks and ETFs, you have no commissions on monthly turnover up to 100 000 EUR (after that 0.2%, min. 10 EUR):

Spreads vary between asset classes and within the same asset class. The spread is the difference between the buy price and the sell price. Using Index CFDs as an example, you can clearly see the disparity between them (which also depends on market conditions):

According to XTB's financial reports, the main source of revenue is CFDs:

Finally, the 0.50% currency conversion fee applies when you buy or sell an asset in a currency other than the dolar. For example, if you want to buy European stocks, XTB automatically converts your dollars into euros, and when you sell, your euros back into euros.

It's important to note that this cost is fully applied at the moment of purchase, as you can see from the 1% loss immediately after opening a position.

Safety and regulation

XTB subsidiaries are fully supervised by top-tier regulators around the globe such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA or KNF in Polish). In the UAE, it has the following licenses:

• DFSA (DIFC): Since July 2021, XTB MENA Limited has been operating under a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), allowing it to provide services within Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
• SCA (Mainland UAE): In early 2025, XTB secured a Category 5 license from the UAE Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA), enabling it to offer retail and institutional brokerage services across the broader UAE market, not just within the DIFC.

Besides, XTB has established a physical presence in Dubai with offices in DIFC (DFSA entity) and in DWTC (One Central, SCA entity), backed by local multilingual support.

When opening an account, you will sign up through one of the XTB subsidiaries:

Client funds are kept completely separate from XTB’s own funds, ensuring that, in the unlikely event of bankruptcy, client funds will be returned to them rather than being treated as recoverable assets by XTB’s general creditors.

Finally, XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) – WIG30 index, meaning it is required to regularly publish financial reports, comply with stricter regulatory requirements, and undergo greater scrutiny from various financial authorities.

This characteristic adds an extra layer of security for investors.

Educational content

Another focus of XTB is its educational offering. On xStation 5, under the “Education/Videos” tab, you can find a collection of videos produced by various experts, including a “weekly overview”.

Additionally, it also offers educational articles, market analysis, and daily webinars.

Final verdict: Is it worth investing with XTB?

XTB stands out as a well-established broker, offering a wide range of financial products, from commission-free stocks and ETFs to CFDs on Forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

The xStation 5 platform and the mobile app provide an intuitive and customizable investment experience, making them ideal for both beginner and experienced investors.

Although XTB has many advantages, such as fractional share investing and earning interest on uninvested cash, it also has some limitations, including a reduced focus on fundamental analysis and a relatively high currency conversion fee.

However, supervision by top regulators and the segregation of client funds add to the platform's security. Additionally, being listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange provides an extra layer of transparency and credibility.

In summary, XTB is an excellent choice for those looking for an accessible, secure, and diverse broker, particularly attractive to UAE investors thanks to its dedicated local support.‍

_{Disclaimer: The financial instruments we offer are risky. Most retail clients lose money when trading CFDs. Please make sure you fully understand how they work, and if necessary seek independent advice. XTB is regulated by the DFSA.}