Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.
FBS
Regulated in your country FBS is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
XM
Not regulated in your country XM does not accept residents in Australia because it is not regulated by ASIC.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders FBS and XM are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.FBS is better than XM for professional traders, while XM is better for long-term investors and swing traders. Scalpers, news traders and algo traders can choose either FBS or XM.
| Overall score | FBS 75 not offered | XM 74 -1 73 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise FBS and the ones that supervise XM.Only FBS is regulated in Australia, by ASIC. XM holds no licence in Australia and is regulated by CySEC.
| Section score | FBS 100 Best not offered | XM 90 -10 90 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that FBS and XM have in place to protect your money in Australia.FBS and XM both offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | FBS 65 not offered | XM 65 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2009 | 2009 |
| Parent company i | FBS Markets Inc | Trading Point Holdings |
| CEO i | Christos Kakourides | Tasos Anastasiou |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | N/A | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 27,000,000 | 20,000,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$1,000,000,000 | |
| Monthly website search traffic i | ||
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with FBS and with XM in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.FBS is better than XM for CFD/FX costs, as FBS is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$9.5 per lot (against XM's US$20), has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.23 points (against XM's 0.55 points), and does not charge inactivity fees, unlike XM. Neither FBS nor XM charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
Only XM can be assessed for real stock costs, since FBS is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | FBS 67 Best not offered | XM 26 -41 72 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | US$6 | |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$9.5 | US$20 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 1.5 points | 0.6 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.23 points | 0.55 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$100 | US$40 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$14 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Percentage, Spread | Commission, Percentage, Spread |
| US stocks fees (real) i | US$2.8 | |
| ETF fees (real) i | ||
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | ||
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with FBS and with XM in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.FBS and XM are close on CFD/FX markets. Both FBS and XM offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks. XM goes a step further, as it offers CFDs on ETFs, and gives access to 1,400 tradable symbols (against FBS's 139).
XM and FBS cannot be compared for real stock markets, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while FBS is a CFD broker.
| Section score | FBS 75 not offered | XM 75 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 139 | 1,400 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i | Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that FBS and XM make available to their clients in Australia.XM is better than FBS for platforms, because XM offers MetaTrader 4 and copy trading, which FBS does not. FBS and XM both offer MetaTrader 5 and one-click trading.
FBS does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so XM and FBS cannot be compared for platforms.
| Section score | FBS 57 -6 not offered | XM 63 Best 63 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of FBS and XM in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.XM is better than FBS for mobile trading, given that XM offers the MetaTrader 4 app and a mobile watchlist, which FBS does not. Both FBS and XM offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
There is no like-for-like comparison for mobile trading, as FBS is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | FBS 80 -6 not offered | XM 86 Best 86 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that FBS and XM allow on their platforms in Australia.XM is better than FBS for CFD/FX trading features, given that XM executes orders faster, within 66 ms (against FBS's 400 ms), and offers trailing stops and tier-1 liquidity providers, which FBS does not. FBS and XM both offer negative balance protection and VPS hosting. The leverage shown for XM is set by its Belize entity and exceeds the retail limit in Australia (30:1 on major currency pairs).
FBS does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so XM and FBS cannot be compared for real stock trading features.
| Section score | FBS 69 -18 not offered | XM 87 Best 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 400 ms | 66 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0% | 0% |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 1000:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 1000:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 500:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 250:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 1000:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 400:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 20:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 1000:1 |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at FBS and at XM in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.XM is better than FBS for CFD/FX account types, since XM offers a corporate account, a managed account and a micro account, which FBS does not. Both FBS and XM offer a demo account and an Islamic account.
FBS does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so XM and FBS cannot be compared for real stock account types.
| Section score | FBS 54 -6 not offered | XM 60 Best 68 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with FBS and with XM in Australia.XM is better than FBS for account opening, since XM requires a lower minimum deposit, at US$5 (against FBS's US$35), offers 10 account base currencies (against FBS's 3), and supports e-wallets, which FBS does not. FBS and XM both offer credit cards and debit cards. XM holds no licence in Australia.
There is no like-for-like comparison for account opening, as FBS is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks. XM holds no licence in Australia.
| Section score | FBS 62 -33 not offered | XM 95 Best 95 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$35 | US$5 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$5 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | Neteller, Skrill | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, EUR, USD | AUD, CHF, EUR, GBP, HUF, PLN, RUB, SGD, USD, ZAR |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 2 business days | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 2 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of FBS and XM in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.FBS and XM are equally good for customer care, as FBS offers priority support. On the other hand, XM offers customer support in 20 languages (against FBS's 1), and has a website in 19 languages (against FBS's 15). FBS and XM both offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
XM and FBS cannot be compared for customer care, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while FBS is a CFD broker.
| Section score | FBS 80 not offered | XM 78 -2 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 15 | 20 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Chinese | Arabic, Czech, German, Greek, English, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | English | Arabic, Czech, German, Greek, English, French, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that FBS and XM provide to their clients in Australia.XM is better than FBS for learning, because XM offers traders' sentiment, which FBS does not. Both FBS and XM offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as FBS is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | FBS 83 -5 not offered | XM 88 Best 88 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
FBS vs XM: which one should you choose?
FBS
CFD/FX Choose FBS if you want a CFD and forex broker regulated in Australia by ASIC, with cent accounts and raw spread accounts.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
XM
CFD/FX Choose XM if you want an online CFD broker for high-frequency trading, with fast execution, a small minimum deposit and a wide choice of markets and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Stocks Choose XM if you want a share dealing service with a small minimum deposit and MetaTrader 5 and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Not licensed in Australia CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include FBS or XM, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
