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Head to head

FP Markets vs XS.com

FP Markets is licensed by ASIC in Australia, 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 $100 at FP Markets and $0 at XS.com. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

FP 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
FP MarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XS.comOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
FP MarketsRaw account · Australia
XS.comInternational

Overview

Founded
2005
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
Eden Island, Seychelles (group companies in Cyprus, Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere)
Official websites
  • fpmarkets.com
  • fpmarkets.eu
  • fpmarkets.co.ke
  • xs.com
  • xsmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
First Prudential Markets Pty Ltd
XS Ltd
Regulator
ASIC
Australia
FSA Seychelles
International
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Offshore registration only
Licence number
AFSL 286354
Check the register
SD089 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Australian residents
Clients who open an account through xs.com
All licences held
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • 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
ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus company); none for the Australian, Seychelles or Saint Lucia companies
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
$79$7.9 per lot × 10 lots
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
$7.9
No accounts listed
Spread from
0.0 pips
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
0.2 pips
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
$6
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
0.5 pips
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
0.6 pips
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
10 cents
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Yes

Leverage and margin

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

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
$100
No accounts listed
Base currencies
Not yet checked
No accounts listed
Execution
Raw spread plus US$3 commission per lot each way (MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView)
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • cTrader
  • TradingView
  • WebTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • XS Trading App
Markets
70+ currency pairs, metals, indices, commodities, share CFDs and crypto 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
  • Bank wire
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
  • Broker-to-broker transfer
  • Bank transfer
  • Visa and Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
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
Not yet checked
Email support@xs.com and phone +248 432 3314

Our notes

Strengths
  • Licensed by ASIC and CySEC, with retail client money held separately from company funds
  • Publishes average spreads per account (EUR/USD 1.29 pips Standard, 0.19 pips Raw)
  • Wide platform choice, including cTrader and TradingView
  • 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
  • The international website is operated by FP Markets Ltd, a Saint Lucia company (registration 2025-00853) that holds no financial licence; check which company your client agreement names.
  • International clients may be placed with the Seychelles company (offshore tier), with leverage up to 1:500 and no compensation scheme
  • Says FP Markets (Pty) Ltd is an FSCA-authorised financial services provider (FSP 50926); we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20 because the register could not be reached.
  • 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:

  • FP Markets: Derivative products are highly leveraged, carry a high level of risk and may not be appropriate for all investors. The legal documents should be considered before entering into transactions with us.
  • 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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