How many ISAs Can You Have in 2026?
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XTB
Review 2026
Overview, highlights & more!
Overview of XTB
In this YourWalletManager XTB review, we take a close look at one of Europe's largest listed brokers: a platform combining commission-free investing in stocks and ETFs with a free stocks and shares ISA for UK investors.
XTB's focus is on keeping investing low-cost and accessible: no dealing commission for most retail investors, no minimum deposit, and interest paid on cash you haven't invested yet.
It's important to note that this review is tailored to UK residents.
What you will find in this review:
Founded in Poland in 2002 as X-Trade Brokers, XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and serves well over a million clients worldwide. Its UK office opened in 2015, and in July 2023 the broker added commission-free real stocks and ETFs for UK investors, followed by a stocks and shares ISA in 2024.
Opening an account takes minutes, there's no minimum deposit, and fractional investing means you can start from as little as £10. A free demo account with £100,000 in virtual funds also lets you explore the platform before committing real money.
Platform Highlights
| 🗺️ Supported Countries | The United Kingdom (via XTB Limited) |
| 📊 Dealing commission | 0% on stocks & ETFs up to €100,000/month volume, then 0.2% (min £10) |
| 💲 FX conversion fee | 0.5% |
| ⏳ Inactivity fee | £10/month after 12 months of no trading (GIA only; the ISA is exempt) |
| 🏧 Withdrawal fee | £0 above £50 / £5 below £50 |
| 💵 Minimum Deposit | £0 (minimum trade £10) |
| 💡 Products offered | GIA, Stocks & Shares ISA, CFDs |
| 🎮 Demo Account | Yes, £100,000 in virtual funds |
| 📜 Regulatory entities | FCA (XTB Limited, FRN 522157) |
Through XTB you can invest in more than 6,600 stocks from 14 exchanges, including the London Stock Exchange, NYSE and Deutsche Börse, plus over 1,800 ETFs. Fractional shares are available, so even expensive stocks are within reach from £10.
Alongside self-directed investing, XTB offers 'Investment Plans' for automated ETF investing, interest on uninvested cash, and leveraged CFD trading aimed at experienced traders.
Dealing is commission-free up to €100,000 of monthly volume, after which 0.2% (minimum £10) applies. Fees are subject to change (information as of 11.07.2026).
XTB Offerings
XTB is a self-directed platform rather than a managed service: you choose your own investments. Its main products for UK investors are a general investment account, a stocks and shares ISA, Investment Plans, and CFD trading.
The Stocks & Shares ISA
Launched in 2024, XTB's ISA lets you invest up to £20,000 a year free of capital gains and dividend tax. There are no platform fees, and it's a flexible ISA: you can withdraw money and pay it back within the same tax year without losing your allowance. It can currently only be opened through the mobile app, and the £10 inactivity fee does not apply to it.
Investment Plans
Investment Plans are XTB's answer to ready-made portfolios. You build a personalised portfolio from a selection of around 500 ETFs, set your own weightings, and automate contributions from as little as £15. You can run up to 10 plans at once, and the feature is entirely free, a practical middle ground between full DIY investing and paying a robo-advisor's management fee.
Interest on Uninvested Cash
XTB pays interest on cash sitting in your account: 4.00% on GBP balances at the time of writing, calculated daily and paid out monthly. Rates are variable and can change, so it's worth checking XTB's website for the live figure.
CFD Trading (for Experienced Traders)
XTB began life as a CFD broker, and it still offers leveraged CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, stocks and ETFs. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage: 72% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with XTB (at the time of writing). If you're a long-term investor, you can simply ignore this side of the platform. Just take care to select the 'stock' version of an asset rather than its CFD when placing a trade.
For hands-off, fully managed investing, XTB isn’t the right tool either; a digital wealth manager will suit you better. Our Nutmeg review covers the UK’s largest robo-advisor if that’s the route you prefer.
When choosing between XTB’s products, consider your goals and tax position first: most long-term investors will want to make full use of the ISA before investing through the general account.
Advantages
Commission-free stocks and ETFs
There's no dealing commission on stock and ETF trades up to €100,000 of monthly volume, a threshold most retail investors will never approach.
Free, flexible stocks and shares ISA
XTB's ISA carries no platform or dealing fees, and its flexible status means withdrawals can be replaced within the same tax year without losing allowance.
Interest paid on uninvested cash
Idle cash earns a competitive variable rate of 4.00% on GBP at the time of writing, calculated daily and paid monthly.
Wide investment choice
More than 6,600 stocks from 14 exchanges and 1,800+ ETFs, with fractional investing available from £10.
Strong education and support
A 200+ lesson Trading Academy, a free demo account, and a dedicated account manager reachable by email and WhatsApp.
Invest in 6,600+ stocks and ETFs with 0% commission on XTB.
Disadvantages
No SIPP, funds or bonds
There's no pension product, and mutual funds, bonds and investment trusts aren't available, a real gap for retirement-focused investors.
Inactivity fee on the general account
A £10 monthly fee applies after 12 months without trading (and no deposits in 90 days). The ISA is exempt, but an idle general account can quietly rack up costs.
CFDs sit alongside real stocks
XTB's CFD heritage shows: both versions of an asset appear in search results, and beginners need to take care to pick the stock rather than the leveraged CFD.
Fee Structure at a Glance
Dealing commission
Buying and selling stocks and ETFs is free of commission provided your monthly turnover stays under €100,000. Above that, a 0.2% commission (minimum £10) applies to the excess. In practice, if you invest a few hundred pounds a month into ETFs, you’ll pay nothing at all in dealing charges.
There are also no platform or custody fees on accounts holding less than €250,000; above that, a small 0.02% annual custody charge applies.
Currency conversion and stamp duty
A 0.5% currency conversion fee applies when you buy assets priced in another currency, such as US shares. If you invest in international markets regularly, XTB’s USD and EUR denominated accounts let you sidestep repeated conversion charges.
Separately, UK share purchases attract 0.5% stamp duty, a government tax rather than an XTB fee, which isn’t charged on ETFs or AIM shares.
Other account fees
Withdrawals above £50 are free; below that, a £5 fee applies. Deposits by bank transfer are free, and card deposits are supported.
The £10 monthly inactivity fee only kicks in after 12 months without a trade and 90 days without a deposit, and it never applies to the ISA. Finally, remember that ETF providers charge their own ongoing fund fees, which apply on any platform.
XTB's Customer Support
Available customer support channels:
Accessibility is clearly a priority: between round-the-clock weekday support, in-app chat and a named point of contact, it’s easy to reach a human when something isn’t clear.
The investment industry hasn’t always covered itself in glory when it comes to customer service, particularly for smaller account holders, so it’s refreshing that XTB extends its account manager service to every client, not just large portfolios.
When you open an account, your account manager will typically reach out by email or WhatsApp to offer a walkthrough of the platform. It’s a genuinely useful welcome if you’re finding your feet, and if you’d rather not be contacted, you can simply say so.
This proactive approach to onboarding sets XTB apart within the online investment landscape, and it’s especially valuable for newer investors.
Account Setup Process
Opening an XTB account is quick: most people complete it in around 10–15 minutes, entirely online. Keep photo ID to hand, as identity verification is required by law.
This review covers XTB Limited, the FCA-regulated UK entity. When you register from the UK, your account is opened with this entity automatically.
You’ll be asked for personal details, your National Insurance number (needed for the ISA), and to verify your identity with photo ID and proof of address. There’s no charge for opening the account and no minimum deposit.
Because XTB also offers leveraged products, sign-up includes a short appropriateness questionnaire about your knowledge and experience. Answer honestly; it exists to protect you, and it doesn’t stop you from investing in regular stocks and ETFs.
- Register with your email and personal details
- Verify your identity and address
- Complete the appropriateness questionnaire
- Deposit by bank transfer or card (£0 minimum)
- Open your ISA via the Portfolio tab in the app
If you’d rather explore first, the demo account gives you £100,000 in virtual funds to practise with, a genuinely useful way to learn the platform without risking real money.
One quirk worth knowing: the stocks and shares ISA can currently only be opened in the mobile app. Go to ‘Portfolio’ at the bottom of the screen and select ISA. It’s not especially obvious, but it takes seconds once you know where to look.
Regulatory Safeguards
XTB Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA, FRN 522157); you can verify this yourself on the Financial Services Register. Client money is held in segregated bank accounts, entirely separate from company funds, and eligible clients are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for investment claims of up to £85,000 if the firm were to fail.
The wider XTB Group has been operating for more than two decades and is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, meaning it publishes audited accounts and meets ongoing transparency requirements. Do remember that regulation protects you against the firm failing, not against your investments falling in value.
XTB Alternatives
In our search for alternative investment platforms, we examined a range of factors to identify the strongest options for different investor needs. Here’s how the best XTB alternatives compare, depending on what matters most to you.
Best low-fee alternative
We compared the total cost of ownership: dealing commissions, FX fees, inactivity charges and spreads. Trading 212 matches XTB's zero-commission model and also offers a free flexible ISA.
Best alternatives for beginners
InvestEngine keeps things deliberately simple with an ETF-only platform and ready-made managed portfolios, a gentler starting point if XTB's trading tools feel like too much.
Best competitors with similar products
eToro is the closest like-for-like alternative: commission-free real stocks and ETFs alongside CFDs, with social and copy trading on top.
Most secure alternative
All our picks are FCA-regulated, but Vanguard's scale and fund-manager pedigree make it a natural home for cautious, long-term index investors.
Best competitors with highest user reviews & customer ratings
Real user experiences matter. Trading 212 consistently earns some of the highest user ratings among UK investment platforms on Trustpilot.
By considering these aspects, we aimed to provide viable alternatives tailored to different investment needs. Each platform was assessed on cost, ease of use, product range, regulation and user feedback, ensuring comparability with what XTB offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Closing Thoughts and Conclusion
XTB has grown from a specialist CFD broker into a credible all-round investment platform for UK investors, and a genuinely cheap one. Commission-free dealing, a free flexible ISA, interest on idle cash and automated Investment Plans add up to excellent value, all under FCA regulation and with the transparency of a listed company.
The trade-offs are real but manageable: there’s no SIPP, no funds or bonds, and beginners must stay alert to the difference between stocks and CFDs. If you want maximum simplicity, Trading 212 may feel friendlier; if you want managed investing, a robo-advisor is the better route. But for self-directed investors who want low costs and room to grow into more advanced tools, XTB earns a place on the shortlist.
