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Head to head

Alpari vs XS.com

Alpari has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. 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 $30 at Alpari and $0 at XS.com. Only XS.com offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Alpari on 20 October 2026, XS.com on 20 October 2026.

Alpari 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
AlpariRead the profile
XS.comOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
Alpari
XS.comInternational

Overview

Founded
1998
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Fomboni, Mohéli, Comoros
Eden Island, Seychelles (group companies in Cyprus, Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere)
Official websites
  • alpari.com
  • xs.com
  • xsmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
No licence listed
XS Ltd
Regulator
No licence listed
FSA Seychelles
International
Regulation level
No licence listed
Offshore registration only
Licence number
No licence listed
SD089 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
No licence listed
Clients who open an account through xs.com
All licences held
None listed
  • FSA Seychelles (International)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • Labuan FSA (Malaysia (Labuan))
Segregated client money
No
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
None
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
Up to 1:3000 (ECN and Pro ECN); 1:1000 on Standard; 1:500 on Micro
Up to 1:2000 (XS Ltd, dynamic); 1:30 on major pairs for EU retail clients
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Micro account: Up to 1:500
  • Standard account: Up to 1:1000
  • ECN and Pro ECN accounts: Up to 1:3000 (floating)
Not yet checked
Margin call level
50% on Micro and Standard; 80% on ECN and Pro ECN
40%
Stop-out level
20% on Micro and Standard; 50% on ECN and Pro ECN
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
  • Alpari trading app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • XS Trading App
Markets
Forex, metals, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, stocks, ETF, futures and crosses CFDs
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
  • Debit or credit card
  • Bank wire
  • E-wallet
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Local payment methods
  • Bank transfer
  • Visa and Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
Withdrawal fee
Varies by method; the fee is taken from the amount withdrawn
No XS fee; a fee of up to 3% can apply where there was no trading or abusive trading
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Live chat, chatbot, messengers and phone helpline
Email support@xs.com and phone +248 432 3314

Our notes

Strengths
  • Four account types, from a $30 Micro account to a raw-spread Pro ECN account
  • Commission-free Micro, Standard and ECN accounts
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, PAMM investing and a demo account
  • 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
  • Says it holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023236; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20, because the register sits behind a bot check
  • No licence from a strict regulator; not available to UK or EU residents
  • We found no statement on its site about segregated client money or negative balance protection
  • Leverage up to 1:3000, and deposit bonuses that come with conditions
  • 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:

  • Alpari: Before trading, you should ensure that you've undergone sufficient preparation and fully understand the risks involved in margin trading.
  • 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.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

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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