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Head to head

Pepperstone vs XChief

Pepperstone is licensed by ASIC in Australia; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; BaFin in Germany; DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE and SCB in The Bahamas. 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 $0 at Pepperstone and $0 at XChief (the xPRIME account needs $500). Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Pepperstone 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
PepperstoneStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XChiefRead the profile
Comparing
PepperstoneAustralia
XChiefxPRIME account

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Melbourne, Australia
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • pepperstone.com
  • xchief.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Pepperstone Group Limited
No licence listed
Regulator
ASIC
Australia
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
AFSL 414530
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
Australian residents
No licence listed
All licences held
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • BaFin (Germany)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • SCB (The Bahamas)
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Pepperstone EU); none for the Bahamas company
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
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Up to 1:1000 on forex (lower as account equity rises)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • 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
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% (MT4 and MT5)
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
  • cTrader
  • TradingView
  • Pepperstone platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • xChief mobile app
Markets
90+ forex pairs, indices, commodities, share CFDs, ETFs, currency indices and crypto CFDs (not for UK retail)
Up to 32 currency pairs, metals, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies and 95 US share CFDs (xPRIME account)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
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 card
  • Credit card
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Bank transfer
  • Bank transfer (SWIFT
  • SEPA
  • FPS)
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
Free by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank transfer (UK)
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
24 hours Monday to Friday and 18 hours at weekends
24/7 by live chat, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and email

Our notes

Strengths
  • Licensed by four strict regulators (ASIC, FCA, CySEC, BaFin), with retail money held in segregated accounts
  • Negative balance protection for retail clients
  • Razor account commission is published per currency (for example £2.25 per lot per side on GBP accounts)
  • No minimum deposit for bank transfers in the UK, and free withdrawals
  • 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
  • Says Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited holds CMA licence 128; we could not confirm it on the Capital Markets Authority register on 2026-10-20 because the CMA website was unavailable.
  • Says Pepperstone Financial Services LLC holds UAE CMA licence 20200000358 for introduction and financial consultation; we could not confirm it on the regulator's register on 2026-10-20.
  • Clients outside the UK, EU and Australia may be placed with the Bahamas company, which has no compensation scheme
  • Pepperstone publishes minimum spreads, not typical spreads; Pro clients lose negative balance protection
  • 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:

  • Pepperstone: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 73.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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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