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Head to head

Exness vs XChief

Exness is licensed by FSCA in South Africa, CMA (Kenya) in Kenya, CMA (UAE) in the United Arab Emirates, FCA in the United Kingdom and CySEC in the European Union, and also has an offshore registration. XChief has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. 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 $10 at Exness and $0 at XChief (the xPRIME account needs $500). Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Exness on 20 October 2026, XChief on 20 October 2026.

Exness profileXChief 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
ExnessOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
XChiefRead the profile
Comparing
ExnessSeychelles
XChiefxPRIME account

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • exness.com
  • exness.eu
  • exness.uk
  • exness.ke
  • xchief.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Exness (SC) Ltd
No licence listed
Regulator
FSA Seychelles
Seychelles
No licence listed
Regulation level
Offshore registration only
No licence listed
Licence number
SD025 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
Clients who sign up through exness.com (Exness assigns the company by country; it names it in the client agreement)
No licence listed
All licences held
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FSC (BVI) (British Virgin Islands)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • CMA (Kenya) (Kenya)
  • CMA (UAE) (United Arab Emirates)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
None
None

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
$70$7 per lot × 10 lots
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
$7
Spread from
No accounts listed
0.0 pips
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
0.1 pips
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
$6
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
0.3 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
0.2 pips
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 1:Unlimited on some accounts (offshore companies)
Up to 1:1000 on forex (lower as account equity rises)
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
  • Forex (equity under $3: 1:1000
  • Metals (equity under $3: 1:500
  • Commodities and indices (equity under $3: 1:50
  • Cryptocurrencies: 1:5
  • US shares: 1:2
Margin call level
60% (Standard); 30% (Pro, Zero, Raw Spread)
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
0% (stocks differ)
30% (CENT, Classic+, DirectFX); 50% (xPRIME)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
$500
Base currencies
No accounts listed
USD, EUR, GBP
Execution
No accounts listed
Market execution, MetaTrader 5, $3 / €3 / £3 commission per side on forex and metals

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • Exness Terminal
  • Exness Trade app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • xChief mobile app
Markets
Currency pairs, metals, cryptocurrencies, energies, stocks and indices as CFDs
Up to 32 currency pairs, metals, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies and 95 US share CFDs (xPRIME account)
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
Not yet checked
  • Bank transfer (SWIFT
  • SEPA
  • FPS)
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
No withdrawal fees from Exness; third-party fees may apply depending on the payment method
The deposit page lists 0% for bank transfer and crypto; the agreement allows extra fees if you deposit and withdraw without trading
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
$20 one-off, then $20 a month, while an account is inactive

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
24/7 by live chat, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and email

Our notes

Strengths
  • Licences confirmed with the FSCA in South Africa, the CMA in Kenya and the UAE's Capital Market Authority
  • Low $10 minimum deposit on the Standard account and no withdrawal fees from Exness
  • Exness says client money is held in segregated accounts and retail accounts have negative balance protection
  • Four account types, including a cent account with no minimum deposit
  • Negative balance protection and segregated client money are stated in its risk disclosure
  • Leverage is cut automatically as account equity grows, which limits the size of positions on larger accounts
Watch out for
  • Most retail clients join offshore companies (FSA Seychelles or BVI FSC), and the strictly regulated UK and Cyprus companies do not accept retail clients
  • Exness also says it holds licences from the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Exness B.V., 0003LSI), the FSC of Belize (Forexite Ltd., 9110312), the FSC of Mauritius (Exness (MU) Ltd, GB20025294), the Jordan Securities Commission (Exness Limited Jordan) and an FSCA ODP authorisation for Exness (SC) Ltd. We could not confirm these on the regulators' registers on 2026-10-20.
  • Leverage up to 1:Unlimited and a 0% stop-out mean a position can be closed only when your margin is gone
  • Says xChief Ltd holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023379; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20 (the register blocked automated access).
  • Says xChief ZA (Pty) Ltd is authorised by the FSCA as FSP 54829; we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20 (the register could not be reached). That company only introduces clients; accounts are opened with xChief Ltd in Comoros.
  • Leverage up to 1:1000 and heavy use of bonuses, no-deposit offers and trading credits
  • Inactive accounts pay $20 and then $20 a month

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:

  • Exness: Risk Warning: Our services relate to complex derivative instruments requiring appropriate knowledge and understanding. Their prices may fluctuate rapidly and may become valueless. Trading involves a high risk of loss, with traders likely to incur losses exceeding the potential for profits. Losses may extend up to the full amount of funds in the trading account. Under no circumstances shall Exness have any liability to any person or entity for any loss or damage in whole or part caused by, resulting from, or relating to any investing activity.

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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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