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Head to head

Saxo vs XChief

Saxo is licensed by Danish FSA (Finanstilsynet) in Denmark / European Union, FCA in the United Kingdom, FINMA in Switzerland, MAS in Singapore, CONSOB in Italy and JFSA in Japan. 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 Saxo and $0 at XChief (the xPRIME account needs $500). Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Saxo 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
SaxoStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XChiefRead the profile
Comparing
SaxoDenmark / European Union
XChiefxPRIME account

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Hellerup, Denmark
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • home.saxo
  • www.home.saxo
  • bgsaxo.it
  • xchief.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Saxo Bank A/S
No licence listed
Regulator
Danish FSA (Finanstilsynet)
Denmark / European Union
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
Bank licence 1149
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
Clients in Denmark and other countries not served by a local Saxo subsidiary, including those served through its French, Dutch, Belgian and Czech branches
No licence listed
All licences held
  • Danish FSA (Finanstilsynet) (Denmark / European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • FINMA (Switzerland)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • CONSOB (Italy)
  • JFSA (Japan)
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
Danish Guarantee Fund: cash deposits up to €100,000 and investor cover up to €20,000 (Saxo Bank A/S); FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); local schemes for other subsidiaries
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)
Up to 1:1000 on forex (lower as account equity rises)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • EUR/USD (3.33% initial margin, UK): 1:30
  • GBP/USD and USD/JPY (4% initial margin, UK): 1:25
  • 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% (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
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
  • SaxoTraderGO
  • SaxoTraderPRO
  • SaxoInvestor
  • Mobile app
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • xChief mobile app
Markets
185+ FX pairs, FX options, CFDs, 23,000+ stocks, 7,400+ ETFs, bonds, futures and listed options
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)
Not yet checked
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
  • Bank transfer (SWIFT
  • SEPA
  • FPS)
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
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-hour support while markets are open; relationship managers for larger clients
24/7 by live chat, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and email

Our notes

Strengths
  • Parent company is a Danish bank classed as systemically important, with bank licences in Denmark and Switzerland
  • Every listed company is authorised by a strict regulator
  • No minimum funding in the UK, and negative balance protection for retail clients
  • Forex, stocks, bonds, futures and options in one account
  • 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
  • Saxo publishes minimum spreads, not typical spreads, and prices vary by account tier and country
  • No MetaTrader; trading runs on Saxo's own platforms or TradingView
  • BG SAXO SIM was checked on CONSOB's published list of registered SIMs (February 2025 edition); the live CONSOB register blocked our access on 2026-10-20
  • 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:

  • Saxo: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 61% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how 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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