XTB vs Altcoin Trader: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between XTB and Altcoin Trader 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 August 19, 2025

XTB

Altcoin Trader

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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XTB is ideal if:

Beginners and hands-on learners will find XTB well-suited, thanks to its intuitive xStation platform and extensive educational tools designed to build confidence and trading skills.
Traders seeking a secure, transparent broker will appreciate that XTB is exchange-listed with strong regulation across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring accountability and trust.
Active traders looking for diverse assets can benefit from access to thousands of CFDs plus real stocks and ETFs, all within a modern, customizable environment built for efficiency.

Altcoin Trader is ideal if:

Ideal for newcomers seeking simplicity: Its intuitive interface and straightforward trading make onboarding smooth and stress‑free.
Perfect if you want seamless ZAR access: Supports direct South African Rand deposits and withdrawals tied to local banking systems.
Great for those who value passive earnings: Offers an interest‑bearing feature that lets you earn on crypto holdings without lock‑ins.

XTB isn’t ideal if:

You prefer passive investing or long-term mutual funds, as XTB focuses on active CFD and Forex trading—not traditional mutual funds or bonds.
You want to automate or mirror trades, since XTB lacks features like copy trading or social trading capabilities.
Advanced pro traders needing extreme platform customization (e.g. strategy backtesting or Level II data) might find xStation’s tooling a bit limited.

Altcoin Trader isn’t ideal if:

Not for multi-fiats or passive earners: Only accepts South African Rand and lacks earning tools like staking or interest accounts.
Not for advanced traders: Platform design is basic—missing advanced order types, robust charting, or professional trading tools.
Not optimal for large-volume traders: Lower liquidity and trading volume compared to big exchanges may affect execution of bigger trades.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

XTB doesn’t use a traditional maker/taker pricing model or native token discounts—instead, typical spot instruments are offered as CFDs, with costs embedded in floating spreads and without separate maker/taker fees or token-based rebates.

AltCoinTrader applies a flat fee of 0.10% for both maker and taker spot trades, regardless of your trading volume; there are no volume-based tiers or discounts for using any native token.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures or derivatives—like CFDs on commodities, indices, or crypto—don’t follow a maker/taker structure

The platform does not offer any futures or derivatives trading—so there are no associated maker/taker fees or funding costs to consider.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

On crypto CFDs like Bitcoin and Ethereum, spreads are competitive—starting around 0.22% of the market price on liquid pairs such as BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT—and vary dynamically with market liquidity.

AltCoinTrader does not publicly disclose average spreads for these pairs; given its focus on ZAR-based markets, spreads may vary, and the platform does not advertise this metric prominently.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Deposits via bank transfer, cards, and e-wallets (e.g. PayU, PayPal, Skrill) are generally free from XTB’s side; withdrawals above a certain amount are also free and processed quickly, while smaller withdrawals may incur a nominal fee.

You can deposit and withdraw South African Rand via EFT, bank transfer, Capitec Pay, and similar local methods—with deposit fees around 0.5% (capped at R95), and withdrawal fees set at 0.5% plus a fixed R16 (also capped at R95); deposits are typically credited within one to three days, depending on your bank.

On-chain Withdrawals

XTB doesn’t support direct on-chain cryptocurrency withdrawals—since trading is conducted via CFDs, there are no network-based crypto withdrawal fees (neither fixed nor variable).

Withdrawal fees for cryptocurrencies are network-based and vary by coin—e.g., a BTC withdrawal costs approximately 0.00057 BTC—indicating a fixed fee per network rather than dynamic gas-based pricing.

Hidden Costs

A modest currency conversion spread (around 0.5%) applies when trading in non-base currencies, and an inactivity fee may apply after prolonged dormancy, but there are no extra express KYC charges; overall, XTB emphasizes transparency in these miscellaneous costs.

Although there are no explicit inactivity or express KYC fees mentioned, non-ZAR conversions may involve indirect conversion costs, and fee transparency for different services (like instant processing) isn’t fully clear—so always check within your account before proceeding.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

For a €500 crypto-CFD purchase, you’d pay the spread embedded in the execution price (around 0.22%), and if you subsequently withdraw below the threshold, you might pay a small withdrawal fee—but there’s no separate trading commission or network fee, making it straightforward and relatively transparent.

Suppose you purchase the equivalent of €500 in BTC via the market; you’d pay roughly 0.10% in trading fee plus a spread embedded in the quote, and if withdrawing immediately you’d incur the fixed BTC withdrawal fee—altogether reflecting trading, conversion, and withdrawal without outlining exact amounts to keep it evergreen.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

XTB offers just over 40 crypto CFDs—including 9 major coins like BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC, BCH, and additional crosses—though only a handful (such as BTC/USD, ETH/USD) comprise the top-liquid 20 by trading volume.

AltCoinTrader supports approximately 37 unique cryptocurrencies across around 48 trading pairs, with the top 20 pairs by volume dominated by ZAR-based markets—including notable pairs like XRP/ZAR, BTC/ZAR, USDT/ZAR, and ETH/ZAR.

Product Range

XTB specializes in CFD-based crypto trading with spot-like long/short positions and modest leverage; it does not offer real crypto spot, perpetuals, options, ETFs, staking, lending, copy trading, bot strategies, or automated DCA features.

AltCoinTrader focuses on basic spot trading and includes a passive income product called “Easy Save,” but it does not offer margin or derivatives, crypto ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA tools.

Liquidity

While specific figures aren’t published, XTB provides competitive liquidity on its BTC and ETH CFDs—figures implied by tight, dynamic spreads and real-time execution suggest good 24-hour volume and depth, comparable with leading CFD brokers.

Liquidity is modest, with 24-hour trading volumes in the low-to-mid million-dollar range; although exact order book depth isn’t publicly shown, it’s likely thinner than on major global exchanges, especially for BTC and ETH markets.

Tools

XTB’s xStation platform includes limit, stop-loss, OCO, and take-profit automation; custom alerts; rich charting with technical indicators; but no public API or native TradingView integration, in line with its updated platform focus.

The platform provides market and limit orders, slightly more advanced charting via TradingView Basic, and API access; however, features such as stop or OCO orders, price alerts, WebSocket data, or advanced charting tools are notably limited or absent.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Depending on jurisdiction, some instrument types (like crypto CFDs or leveraged products) may be restricted—for instance, XTB may disable crypto trading in regions where regulations don’t permit such derivatives.

Being South African-based, AltCoinTrader’s features are tailored mainly to ZAR-speaking regions, with no support for derivatives or advanced instruments—there are no explicit regional blackouts, but advanced products simply aren’t offered anywhere.

Innovation

XTB does not feature crypto-native innovations like launchpads or launchpools, nor does it offer staking or earn products of any kind—its crypto offerings remain purely CFD-based with no yield-generating or token launch services.

AltCoinTrader doesn’t support token launch mechanisms or pools, but it does offer an innovative passive yield feature via Easy Save, which allows flexible, interest-like returns on idle crypto without lock-ins—offering a rare, flexible-earn option among regional exchanges.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

XTB is operated by XTB S.A., a publicly listed Polish joint-stock company founded in 2002 and headquartered in Warsaw, serving global clients across multiple licensed subsidiaries.

AltCoinTrader (Pty) Ltd, founded around 2015 and headquartered in South Africa, operates under South African law with a visible company registration—making it a locally regulated and established crypto service provider.

Licenses/Registration

It holds regulatory licenses from key authorities including Poland’s KNF, the UK’s FCA, and Cyprus’s CySEC, ensuring compliance across Europe, though it is not registered as a crypto-specific VASP (virtual asset service provider).

AltCoinTrader is officially licensed by the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) as a Category I/II Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP), and also registered as a Financial Service Provider (FSP), reflecting compliance with local and FATF-aligned regulatory standards.

Custody

As a CFD broker, XTB does not hold or custody real cryptocurrencies—instead, all client trading is synthetic, so there’s no need for cold storage, external custodian, or proof-of-reserves protocols.

AltCoinTrader manages its own custody of user assets, employs a statutory audit confirming that client reserves exceed liabilities, and holds a major portion of assets in cold storage—though it doesn’t publicly provide a full-proof of reserves report.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Client funds are safeguarded through strict segregation and, in certain regions like the UK, fall under compensation schemes, but there’s no direct insurance policy specifically for crypto assets.

There is no publicly detailed insurance policy or external protection fund advertised—such coverage is either not offered or not transparently disclosed on the platform.

Incident History

XTB has experienced regulatory scrutiny (e.g., fines for pricing practices) but no major hack or crypto breach; a recent allegation of unauthorized client trading prompted immediate tightening of security controls.

There are no known reports of major hacks or regulatory fines, although a small number of users have complained about account issues or fund access delays on review platforms—no confirmed systemic security breaches.

Risk Controls

The platform supports robust risk measures including encrypted connections, mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA), multi-contact verification, and cybersecurity monitoring—though API whitelists or sub-accounts aren’t broadly offered.

The platform enforces standard risk controls like two-factor authentication (2FA) and OTP-based withdrawal verification; more advanced tools such as whitelisting addresses, sub-account management, anti-phishing measures, or granular API permissions are not prominently featured.

Transparency

As a publicly traded entity, XTB publishes regular financial updates and reports; while there’s no public crypto wallet tracking or service-level-agreement metrics, overall operational transparency is solid.

AltCoinTrader does not appear to publish monthly financial or transparency reports, does not offer publicly auditable wallet addresses, nor sets formal SLAs—though it does voluntarily participate in regulatory audits and maintains compliance processes under financial law.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

XTB supports deposits via bank transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller (depending on your region); there’s no fixed minimum deposit set by the broker, card and e-wallet deposits are usually instant, while bank transfers can take from same day up to 2–5 business days depending on origin.

AltCoinTrader accepts fiat deposits via local bank transfers and Ozow instant EFT, requiring a minimum of around R100 (approx. $6), with no stated maximum; processing usually happens within a few hours to one business day, depending on method and bank operations.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

XTB requires full KYC completion—identity and bank verification—for live accounts; there’s no tiered “basic” or “advanced” structure openly published—all clients must verify identity to deposit or withdraw, with no anonymous access.

AltCoinTrader uses multi-tiered verification

Withdrawals

Withdrawals go only to your verified bank account, and are free above thresholds like €50–100 depending on the entity; requests before local cut-off (~1 pm) are usually processed same-day (or next-day depending on entity), with processing time typically within 1 business day.

Crypto withdrawals depend on the chosen network (ERC-20, TRC-20, etc.) and follow standard network protocols; fiat ZAR withdrawals offer a “near-instant” service (R250K max outside banking hours; R5M during) taking 5–15 minutes to process but up to 24 hours to reflect, and must be sent to a personal bank account in your name.

Customer Support

XTB offers 24/5 live chat, email support, and an extensive self-service help center via its Client Office; response times are typically efficient, backed by a well-organized knowledge base for common queries.

Support is available via email, tickets, and phone during South African business hours (typically weekdays, 9

Languages & Localization

The platform is fully localized in Spanish, with fees and balances shown in Europe-centric currencies (€, £, $) depending on your region, and adheres to local regulatory frameworks across its European branches.

The platform is presented in English, displays fees and balances in ZAR, and is fully oriented toward South African regulatory standards, offering smooth localization for users in that region while showing limited adaptability for others.

App Quality & Stability

The xStation mobile app is stable and regularly updated across Android and iOS, offering dark mode, push alerts, Apple Watch support, and smooth performance with rare crashes—designed for reliable trading on the go.

AltCoinTrader’s mobile app is generally stable and feature-rich in terms of basic trading, earning a middling performance score; while it supports TradingView charts, APIs, and indicators, there’s no public data on crash rates—user feedback indicates reliable stability but limited advanced features.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The xStation platform is praised for its intuitive design and fully customizable layout, enabling users to quickly personalize their workspace with different chart layouts and toolbars—though there’s no explicit “Lite” or “Pro” mode toggle; instead, functionality scales naturally as you explore deeper features.

AltCoinTrader features a clean, beginner-friendly interface with a shallow learning curve and no separate Lite or Pro modes—making it simple and consistent for users of all levels.

Performance

Execution is generally fast and stable, with xStation optimized for smooth performance even during active market conditions—though, as with any platform, extreme volumes may slow onboarding slightly, but no widespread order delays or KYC bottlenecks have been reported recently.

The exchange typically handles order submissions quickly and remains solid even during market swings, though occasional slowdowns or verification delays may occur during surges of activity or peak trading periods.

Education

XTB excels in educational offerings with a robust Trading Academy featuring video courses and tiered modules (beginner/intermediate/advanced), a fully functional unlimited demo environment to practice with virtual funds, and frequent webinars; while much is available in English, key materials are also localized in Spanish.

While the platform offers helpful webinars, detailed FAQs, and guided support, it lacks a built-in demo or simulator and currently doesn’t provide structured educational content in Spanish.

Community

XTB does not appear to host official Discord or Telegram communities, and while it maintains a trading referral program, its community engagement centers more on its webinars, market articles, and internal support channels rather than external forums or social chat groups.

AltCoinTrader does not host public forums or Discord/Telegram channels, but it does run a referral program alongside its support-driven community engagement through its helpdesk and email support.

Integrations

The platform does not natively integrate with TradingView or external bots, nor does it offer built-in tax or accounting tools—traders must rely on external services if they need direct charting or bookkeeping support.

The platform includes basic charting with TradingView Lite integration, but it doesn’t yet support external trading bots, tax tools, or accounting package integrations.

Who Each One Is Best For

XTB works best for traders who value a sleek, beginner-friendly interface with strong educational backing, want a self-guided experience without external bots or social trading distractions, and prefer a platform where everything—from analytics to execution—is centralized and streamlined.

AltCoinTrader is ideal for South African beginners or casual traders seeking secure, straightforward ZAR-based buying and basic earning, but less suitable for advanced traders craving sophisticated tools or broader language and automation support.