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<p>Alison Heyerdahl is the Head of Content at FxScouts, a Chartered Market Technician (CMT), and an experienced trader, as well as a financial writer with extensive expertise in Forex trading, broker analysis, and market research. She has reviewed 100+ brokers, publishes weekly YouTube trading videos, and co-hosts the “Let’s Talk Forex” podcast.</p>
In the fast-paced world of forex trading, choosing the right broker is crucial. IG and XM are two popular options, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. This comparison will dive into the key features of both platforms,helping you decide which one best suits your trading style and goals.
The radar chart above illustrates the comparison between IG and XM across several key metrics, with the highest possible score being 100 in each category.
At FxScouts, our mission is to assist traders in finding the broker that best suits their needs. Comparing brokers side-by-side is an effective method to achieve this goal. We evaluated IG and XM, using our standard criteria: trust and regulation, trading platforms, costs and trading conditions, and educational and market analysis resources.
Trust and regulation are crucial when selecting a Forex broker. A broker’s credibility is largely built on its regulatory status. We spend considerable time verifying the safety of each broker by examining their regulatory licenses. We also consider numerous factors when deciding which tier a regulator belongs to. Regulators that we rank as the world’s top regulators, gets a tier 1 rank, while regulators who only scores a tier 5-rank, provide virtually no regulatory oversight. The more top-tier authorities regulating a broker, the higher its trust rating. Read more about regulation and our tier system here.
In our comparison:
Based on these findings, IG earned a higher trust rating than XM.
When comparing brokers, trading costs are a significant factor. We consider the minimum deposit required to open an account and ongoing costs, including spreads and commissions. We measure the cost to trade one lot of EUR/USD using the broker’s account with the lowest minimum deposit, including both the spread and any commission charged.
We found that IG and XM have the same trading costs.
Trading Platforms Offered Traders prefer brokers that offer a variety of trading platforms. We rate brokers higher if they support multiple platforms like MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, cTrader, and proprietary platforms.
Copy trading is beneficial for beginner traders or those unable to trade full-time. In this case both IG and XM offer copy trading.
A broader range of CFD instruments provides more trading opportunities. IG offers a greater variety of instruments compared to XM:
For those interested in trading cryptocurrencies, IG offers 10 cryptocurrencies, while XM offers 0 cryptocurrencies. Therefore, IG is the better choice for cryptocurrency trading.
Traders prefer brokers with quick and cost-effective deposit and withdrawal processes. We favor brokers that process withdrawals within 24 hours using multiple methods without charging fees.We found that neither IG nor XM charges a withdrawal fee. Overall, IG has better deposit and withdrawal processes than XM.
We often find that brokers offer very little in the way of educational materials, forcing traders to use other third-party sites or self-educate elsewhere. Beginner traders need well-structured, well-presented materials in multiple formats to get a good start at trading. More experienced traders also benefit from webinars led by experts in the field and advanced trading strategy sections with new trading ideas.
IG and XM both have very good educational support. Both IG and XM offer educational support for more experienced traders.Access to frequent and high-quality market research and analysis is crucial.
We found that IG offers better research analysis than XM and that both IG and XM offer frequent webinars.
Founded in London in 1974, IG is one of the world’s most established brokers, known for its transparent pricing, powerful platforms, and exceptional market access. In Australia, IG operates as IG Markets Limited, authorised and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) — one of the most respected financial regulators globally.
Australian traders benefit from IG’s full product range of over 17,000 markets, including forex, indices, shares, commodities, ETFs, bonds, and options. Leverage is capped at 1:30 for major forex pairs in line with ASIC rules, ensuring a safer trading environment for retail clients. All markets are available on IG’s award-winning proprietary web platform, MetaTrader 4, TradingView integration, and the L2 Dealer platform for direct market access.
IG offers a single multi-asset CFD account for Australian clients, with no minimum deposit requirement and competitive spreads from 0.6 pips on major forex pairs. Traders also have access to advanced tools such as ProRealTime charting, Autochartist, and integrated Reuters news, alongside one of the most comprehensive educational and research libraries in the industry.
XM no longer accepts clients resident in Australia. This review is for informational purporses only
A popular global broker with a large customer base and a good reputation, XM is a good option for most Australian traders. It has some of the lowest fees in the industry, provides excellent research and education, and has a beginner-friendly trading app. It also has an outstanding range of trading tools, and its customer service is responsive and well-trained.
Because ASIC regulates XM in Australia, Australian traders can be sure they will be treated fairly. Their funds are segregated at top-tier banks, and they are granted automatic negative balance protection.
For more detailed reviews, please read our comprehensive assessments of IG and XM.
Select another broker to another broker to compare features, fees, and platforms side by side.
Alison and Chris cover a range of topics, including how to choose a Forex broker, safety and regulation, how to reduce your risk, trading psychology, trading platforms, and trading strategies, among others.
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