Trade Republic vs XM: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Trade Republic and XM This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 3, 2025

Trade Republic

XM

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Trade Republic is ideal if:

Perfect for mobile-first, long-term investors, offering automated savings plans and a clean, intuitive app for easy investing across stocks, ETFs, bonds, and crypto.
Well-suited for cost-conscious beginners, thanks to its ultra-transparent pricing—low flat fees or commission-free ETFs—and interest on idle cash for more consistent value preservation.
Reliable and secure choice, operating under strong German regulation with a full banking license and EU deposit protection, making it a trustworthy platform for building your portfolio gradually.

XM is ideal if:

For flexibility seekers: Ideal if you want access to a wide range of global markets (forex, CFDs, commodities, indices, stocks, crypto) across popular platforms like MT4 and MT5.
For fair-play traders: Perfect if you value consistent execution—no requotes or rejections—and the same conditions for all clients, regardless of account size.
For support-driven users: Great for those who appreciate multilingual, round-the-clock support and educational tools (like live webinars and market insights).

Trade Republic isn’t ideal if:

Not suited for active or technical traders — lacks advanced charting tools, desktop platform, algorithmic functions, and sophisticated order types.
Mobile-only design can be limiting — web interface is simplified, and recent app updates have frustrated users with reduced intuitiveness.
Customer support has known weaknesses — historical delays and limited responsiveness during critical market moments can disappoint when you need help quickly.

XM isn’t ideal if:

If you want full asset variety: XM lacks futures, physical stocks, and a broader crypto selection—so it's not the best fit if you're seeking non-CFD exposure or niche instruments.
If payment flexibility matters: No PayPal or similar e-wallet options, and withdrawing profits often requires bank transfers only.
If transparency is crucial: Being privately held, XM doesn’t publish public financial disclosures, which may concern traders looking for operational transparency.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Trade Republic applies a flat fee per crypto trade rather than calculating traditional maker or taker fees by volume, and there are currently no discounts tied to a native token.

XM does not use a maker-taker pricing model for spot crypto trading; instead, it offers crypto CFDs with transparent spreads rather than volume-based fees or native-token discounts.

Futures/Derivatives

Trade Republic currently focuses on spot instruments and does not support futures or derivatives trading, so these fee categories aren’t applicable.

XM provides CFD-based derivatives (including forex, commodities, indices, crypto) rather than traditional futures, with no separate maker/taker fees and funding costs rolled into overnight swap rates depending on account type and position.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Trade Republic incorporates a modest spread built into the quoted prices for crypto trades, meaning the market’s buy/sell difference serves as an implicit cost rather than a separately disclosed spread.

XM’s crypto spreads vary dynamically with market conditions, and while they aim to keep spreads competitive, specific figures for pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT are not publicly listed to ensure evergreen relevance.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat deposits and withdrawals are generally routed through bank transfers or debit/credit options, with minimal or no platform fees, and typically process within a couple of business days depending on your region.

Clients can deposit and withdraw using credit/debit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller, typically with no internal fees and processing that ranges from instant (e-wallets) to a few business days (cards or wire).

On-chain Withdrawals

Trade Republic does not allow direct blockchain withdrawals of crypto—meaning there is no mechanism to withdraw on-chain and no associated network fees.

XM does not offer on-chain crypto withdrawals—crypto exposure is available only via CFDs—so there are no network-level (like BTC, ETH, TRX) withdrawal fees.

Hidden Costs

Trade Republic maintains transparency, with no inactivity charges or surprise costs; currency conversion may apply if trading in a different base currency, and express KYC options aren’t separately priced.

XM imposes inactivity charges after a period without trading, and currency conversion fees may apply if your deposit or withdrawal currency differs from your account base; there are no known express-KYC charges.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you place a €500 crypto order, you’ll incur the flat execution fee and a small built-in price gap from the spread; since crypto cannot be withdrawn on-chain, there’s no actual withdrawal cost, keeping the transaction clear of extra recurring charges.

Because XM trades crypto via CFDs rather than outright purchases, a “€500 BTC buy” isn’t executed as a direct asset acquisition—costs would come from the spread and any overnight financing, with no actual crypto withdrawal involved.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Trade Republic offers over 50 cryptocurrencies for direct trading, including all major assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Solana, and others; the top 20 by volume approximate include these leading names plus others like XRP, TRX, LINK, DOT, and LTC.

XM offers 58 crypto CFDs, covering many major and minor cryptocurrencies across USD, EUR, and GBP denominated pairs; top-volume pairs include BTC/USD, ETH/USD, XRP/USD, LTC/USD, and BCH/USD.

Product Range

Trade Republic supports only straightforward spot trading of real crypto assets, with automated investment plans (DCA-style) available—margin, perpetuals, options, lending, copy trading, grid bots, staking, and crypto ETFs aren’t offered.

XM provides CFDs only—no actual spot, futures/perps, options, ETFs, staking, lending, grid or DCA bots—though it does support copy trading via MQL5 alongside its usual CFD offerings.

Liquidity

Liquidity on Trade Republic is moderate—enough for retail-sized crypto purchases in BTC and ETH—but it doesn’t cater to high-volume trading or offer transparent order book depth like institutional-grade exchanges.

XM does not publish direct liquidity metrics like 24-hour volume or order-book depth, relying instead on its CFD pricing aligned with underlying markets via its partner liquidity providers.

Tools

The platform supports basic order types such as market, limit, and stop, along with price alerts, but lacks advanced charting, API/WebSocket access, or native TradingView integration for algorithmic or technical-heavy traders.

XM supports standard order types—including limit, stop, and OCO—offers alerts and advanced charting through MT4/MT5 platforms; it does not feature a proprietary TradingView interface or public API/WS, but use of Expert Advisors is permitted.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto trading is available only in certain European markets and is limited to spot; derivatives and advanced instruments are simply unavailable in most regions, and there are no special terrains where alternative products are accessible.

XM restricts certain products in specific regions—crypto CFDs and copy-trading are unavailable to clients in the UK and EEA, and access to CFDs depends on local regulator policies.

Innovation

While Trade Republic brings ease and innovation through automated savings plans and a clean mobile interface, it doesn’t offer features like launchpads, launchpools, or staking/earn programs—whether flexible or locked—so innovation remains focused on usability rather than asset-side experimentation.

XM does not offer launchpad, launchpool, staking pools, earn programs, or flexible-vs-locked yield products; its innovation focus remains on expanding CFD choices and platform features like copy trading.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Trade Republic operates under Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a German company founded in 2015 with headquarters in Berlin, fully integrated as a banking institution.

XM is run by Trading Point Holdings Ltd (founded 2009), headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, and operates through specialized regional entities tailored to the EU, Australia, Middle East, and global markets.

Licenses/Registration

The platform holds full banking licenses in Germany and has obtained a MiCA crypto-assets license via BaFin, enabling compliant crypto custody and trading across the entire EEA.

XM is regulated under CySEC (Cyprus / EU), ASIC (Australia), DFSA (Dubai), and IFSC (Belize), aligning with EU MiFID II standards but not specifically registered as a VASP under MiCA.

Custody

Crypto assets are securely held by BitGo Europe GmbH in cold storage under BaFin regulation, ensuring that client holdings remain separated and fully owned by the user.

XM entrusts client funds to top-tier third-party banks in segregated accounts, and although it mentions independent audits and risk controls, it does not provide public Proof of Reserves or disclose cold-storage percentages.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Fiat deposits are safeguarded via the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per client, while crypto assets are kept segregated in custody, though not formally insured by an additional fund.

EU-based clients via XM’s CySEC arm benefit from the Investor Compensation Fund (cap applies), and the broker enforces negative balance protection—but it does not highlight private insurance schemes.

Incident History

Trade Republic has maintained a clean incident record with no reported hacks, account freezes, or regulatory penalties tied to its operations or crypto services.

XM has maintained a largely clean record with no major hacks or enforcement actions reported by tier-1 regulators, and any operational interruptions are either internal or compliance-related, with no publicized fines.

Risk Controls

Security measures focus on core protections like two-factor authentication and awareness of phishing threats; advanced features such as whitelisting, subaccounts, and sophisticated API permissioning are not offered.

XM supports strong risk safeguards including mandatory KYC, negative balance protection, and secure execution infrastructure, though features like granular API permissions, IP whitelisting, or sub-account hierarchies are mostly available via MetaTrader plugin tools rather than a proprietary interface.

Transparency

While Trade Republic delivers clear regulatory disclosures and maintains user ownership clarity, it does not publish monthly proofs of reserves, operate public wallets, or provide service-level agreements in crypto.

XM provides detailed legal documents, execution statistics, and quarterly summaries available to clients, but does not publish public wallet addresses, real-time monthly financials, or explicit service-level agreements.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Trade Republic accepts fiat deposits via bank transfer only—no card or e-wallet options—which ensures security and simplicity; there’s no minimum deposit requirement, processing typically takes a few business days, and there are no platform fees.

XM accepts bank wires, Visa/MasterCard, and e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, Google Pay, and Apple Pay; the minimum deposit is around $5; e-wallet/top-up deposits are instantaneous, cards take up to a few business days, and bank wires typically reflect within 1–5 business days.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

You must complete full KYC upon registration—there are no tiered or anonymous levels; the app handles identity verification through ID and photo checks, enabling full trading access without low-volume restrictions.

XM enforces a full KYC flow requiring identity, selfie, and proof of address before enabling deposits and withdrawals; there is no tiered access—full verification is mandatory to unlock all account functionalities.

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawals are executed via SEPA bank transfer—fees are zero and funds typically arrive within one to two business days; crypto withdrawals to external networks are not permitted at all.

XM processes withdrawals via the same channel used for deposit (e-wallet, card, or wire), with processing typically within 24 hours and final receipt depending on method (e-wallets same day, cards/wires 2–5 business days); crypto networks aren’t used since XM operates via CFDs.

Customer Support

Support is available through in-app chat and email, with response times generally ranging from one to two business days, complemented by a self-help knowledge base—no telephone hotlines or 24/7 live chat available.

XM provides multilingual support via live chat and email, reportedly operational 24/5 (depending on your region), with relatively fast response times and a rich repository of educational content and FAQs online.

Languages & Localization

The app supports Spanish (among other languages) depending on your device settings, displays all fees in euros, and operates under local compliance frameworks—offering a well-localized experience for Spanish-speaking EU users.

XM supports Spanish-language interfaces and customer support, displays pricing in your account’s base currency (including EUR), and operates under local regulatory regimes to ensure compliance in each jurisdiction.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app is highly rated for stability and ease of use, with a smooth interface and regular updates; user-reported crash instances are rare and generally tied to extreme market conditions.

XM’s mobile and web apps—built on the tried-and-true MetaTrader frameworks—are praised for reliable performance and regular updates; while exact crash data isn’t public, user feedback indicates smooth stability and ongoing enhancements.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Trade Republic offers a clean, intuitive mobile-first interface ideal for newcomers, with no separate Lite or Pro modes—every user sees the same simple layout, making it easy to start investing quickly.

XM exclusively uses MetaTrader platforms—MT4, MT5, WebTrader, and mobile apps—without separate “Lite” or “Pro” versions. MT4 offers a smooth start for beginners, while MT5 brings deeper tools, though mastering either still requires some adaptation to their interfaces.

Performance

Orders execute swiftly under normal conditions, though there have been occasional glitches during high-volatility periods; the streamlined mobile app keeps the user flow smooth, and KYC queues remain minimal—even during bull markets, new users typically onboard quickly.

XM leverages MetaTrader’s known reliability, delivering fast executions with minimal delays—even during busy periods. While traffic surges or market jitters can slightly slow processes, major slowdowns are rare, and KYC flows remain consistent, avoiding backlog surges during bull runs.

Education

While the platform includes helpful in-app guides and tooltips, it lacks a formal academy, demo account, or simulator; however, many UI elements and descriptions are available in Spanish to assist native speakers.

XM provides a free demo environment with live-market simulation and unlimited practice funds. Educational resources include multilingual webinars, live trading rooms, and webinars—many available in Spanish alongside a full demo system for hands-on learning.

Community

Trade Republic doesn’t maintain its own public forums or chat channels, but offers a user-friendly referral program within the app, encouraging word-of-mouth growth over open community engagement.

XM fosters a growing community via its multilingual referral initiative—with cash rewards for both referrer and referee. While it lacks its own Discord or Telegram groups, it maintains active engagement through webinars, its “Refer a Friend” program, and content hubs.

Integrations

The platform doesn’t support external integrations—no TradingView, bots, tax tools, or accounting systems—so all activity is contained within the app’s native ecosystem.

XM supports algorithmic automation via Expert Advisors within MetaTrader, but does not provide native TradingView integration, tax-report tools, or accounting dashboards—external utilities must be linked manually.

Who Each One Is Best For

This tool shines for cost-conscious, long-term investors who value simplicity and automation—especially beginners or casual users looking for a fuss-free, mobile-first way to build a diversified portfolio over time.

XM is perfect for traders who value platform flexibility and automation (via MT5/MT4), appreciate structured learning with multilingual education, and thrive in a regulated, straightforward CFD trading environment—without the need for fancy separate modes or built-in finance tools.