CMC Markets vs XS
A side-by-side comparison built from each broker's own published record — licenses checked against official registers, terms quoted from their own pages, with the source linked on every claim.
| Open account | ||
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | FCA · FCA · ASIC · ASIC · BaFin · MAS | ASIC · CySEC · CMA · FSCA · FSA · LFSA · FSC · MOCI |
| License no. | FCA CMC Markets UK plc — Register No. 173730 FCA CMC Markets Investments Limited — Register No. 948126 ASIC CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty Ltd — ABN 11 100 058 213, AFSL No. 238054 ASIC CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited — ABN 69 081 002 851, AFSL No. 246381 (stockbroking) BaFin CMC Markets Germany GmbH — Registernummer 154814 MAS CMC Markets Singapore — licence number not printed on cited page | ASIC 374409 CySEC 412/22 CMA 20200000339 (licence category not stated on XS's page) FSCA 53199 FSA SD089 LFSA MB/21/0081 FSC GB25204786 MOCI 513918 on the regulations page; the site footer shows MOCI 2024/786 |
| Founded | 1989 | 2010 |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 |
| EUR/USD spread from | 0.5 pips (standard CFD/spread betting account); from 0.0 pips on EUR/USD with FX Active account + 0.0025% commission per transaction — https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-gb/forex | 0.1 pips average on the Elite account (plus $6 round-turn commission, $500 minimum); 0.7 pips average on Pro ($500 minimum, no commission); 1.1 pips average on Standard (no minimum deposit, no commission) — averages as published by XS |
| Leverage | FCA (UK): Published as margin rates rather than a ratio: from 3.34% forex, 5% indices and commodities, 20% shares and ETFs | not specified on the page: Up to 1:2000 with dynamic leverage; margin call 40%, stop out 20% |
| Gulf Payments | ||
| Platforms | Next Generation (CMC proprietary web platform), Mobile trading app, MetaTrader 4 (MT4, incl. WebTrader) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, XS Trading App |
| Broker-published claim | Withdrawals to a registered bank account requested before the cut-off time (4pm UK; 11am outside the UK) are processed the same day. Card withdrawals: some card issuers within an hour, others up to five working days. Standard bank withdrawals: UK domestic one to two working days; international three to five working days (subject to UK banking hours). No charges for card or standard bank transfer withdrawals. [Source] | Published processing times: Neteller instant; Skrill 1 business day; bank transfer 1-7 working days; Visa & MasterCard 7-10 working days. XS states it charges no internal fees for deposits or withdrawals, but reserves the right to apply a withdrawal fee of up to 3% where there has been no trading activity or it identifies abuse. [Source] |
| Withdrawal methods | Debit/credit card, Bank transfer | Bank transfer, Visa & MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller |
| Crypto deposits/withdrawals | No | No |
| Islamic Accounts | No | Yes |
| Measured by us | Testing in progress | Testing in progress |
| Accepts clients from | Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Italy, United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey |
| Open account | Open account |
We do not name a winner here. The two records sit side by side because the right answer depends on where you live, what you trade, and which entity would onboard you — all of which the table shows.
By Country
- CMC Markets + XS: United Arab Emirates
- CMC Markets Yes / XS No: Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Italy
- XS Yes / CMC Markets No: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey
Is CMC Markets or XS better?
Neither is better in the abstract. Compare the rows that apply to you: whether each broker accepts clients from your country, which entity and regulator you would be onboarded under, the minimum deposit, and how withdrawals work on the rail you would actually use.
Which is safer, CMC Markets or XS?
Safety follows the entity that holds your money, not the brand. Both records list every regulator and license number each broker publishes — check which entity serves your country, then verify that license on the regulator's own register.