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Head to head

Admirals (Admiral Markets) vs XS.com

Admirals (Admiral Markets) is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and CMA in Kenya, and also has an offshore registration. XS.com is licensed by CySEC in the European Union, ASIC in Australia and Labuan FSA in Malaysia (Labuan), and also has an offshore registration. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $25 at Admirals (Admiral Markets) and $0 at XS.com. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Admirals (Admiral Markets) on 20 October 2026, XS.com on 20 October 2026.

Admirals (Admiral Markets) profileXS.com profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
Admirals (Admiral Markets)Strictly regulatedRead the profile
XS.comOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
Admirals (Admiral Markets)United Kingdom
XS.comInternational

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Tallinn, Estonia (Admirals Group AS)
Eden Island, Seychelles (group companies in Cyprus, Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere)
Official websites
  • admiralmarkets.com
  • admirals.com
  • admiralmarkets.com.cy
  • xs.com
  • xsmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Admiral Markets UK Ltd
XS Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FSA Seychelles
International
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Offshore registration only
Licence number
595450
Check the register
SD089 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
Clients who open an account through xs.com
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • CMA (Kenya)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FSA Seychelles (International)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • Labuan FSA (Malaysia (Labuan))
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the Seychelles company
None for clients of XS Ltd (Seychelles); EU clients of XS Markets Ltd are covered by Cyprus's Investor Compensation Fund

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Spread from
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU); up to 1:1000 at the Seychelles company
Up to 1:2000 (XS Ltd, dynamic); 1:30 on major pairs for EU retail clients
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Currency pairs (Seychelles company): up to 1:1000
  • Indices (Seychelles company): up to 1:500
  • Major currency pairs (UK and EU companies): 1:30
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
40%
Stop-out level
30% (Seychelles company)
20%

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Base currencies
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Execution
No accounts listed
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • MetaTrader WebTrader
  • Admirals Platform
  • Admirals Mobile App
  • StereoTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • XS Trading App
Markets
80 currency pairs, metal, energy, index, stock, ETF and crypto CFDs, plus real stocks and ETFs on Invest.MT5
CFDs on forex, metals, energies, indices, cryptocurrencies, futures and shares
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Bank transfer
  • Debit or credit card
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
  • Bank transfer
  • Visa and Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
Withdrawal fee
One free withdrawal a month per payment method, then a fee by method (2% or 3% at the Seychelles company)
No XS fee; a fee of up to 3% can apply where there was no trading or abusive trading
Inactivity fee
10 EUR a month after 24 months without trades (only on a positive balance)
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
Email support@xs.com and phone +248 432 3314

Our notes

Strengths
  • UK and EU companies licensed by the FCA and CySEC, with client money in segregated accounts
  • Low minimum deposit (25 USD or EUR on Trade.MT5 and Zero.MT5, 1 USD or EUR on Invest.MT5)
  • Fees and charges page lists the inactivity, withdrawal and transfer fees in one place
  • Group companies licensed by CySEC (412/22), ASIC (374409) and Labuan FSA, all checked on the regulators' registers
  • Negative balance protection and segregated client accounts are in the XS Ltd client agreement
  • No minimum deposit on Standard, Cent and Micro accounts, and published average EUR/USD spreads for each account
Watch out for
  • International clients join Admirals SC Ltd, licensed only in the Seychelles (offshore tier), with leverage up to 1:1000
  • Says Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd is licensed by the FSCA; the FSCA's OTC derivative provider list shows it as Withdrawn, and we could not reach the FSCA FSP register on 2026-10-20 to check its FSP licence.
  • The group also names companies in Jordan, Canada and the UAE; we did not confirm those licences on 2026-10-20.
  • Only one free withdrawal a month per payment method; after 24 months without trades a 10 EUR monthly fee applies
  • Clients of xs.com join XS Ltd in Seychelles, an offshore licence with leverage up to 1:2000 and no compensation scheme
  • The ASIC licence covers wholesale clients only, and the CySEC company serves the EU through a different website
  • Says group companies hold licences from the FSCA (FSP 53199), FSC Mauritius (GB25204786), the UAE Capital Market Authority (20200000339) and Kuwait (513918); we could not confirm these on the regulators' registers on 2026-10-20 (FSCA and FSC sites unreachable, UAE and Kuwait not checked).

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • Admirals (Admiral Markets): CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
  • XS.com: Our products are traded on margin and carry a high level of risk and it is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved.

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Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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