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Head to head

Saxo vs XS.com

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. 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 $0 at Saxo and $0 at XS.com. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Saxo 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
SaxoStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XS.comOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
SaxoDenmark / European Union
XS.comInternational

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Hellerup, Denmark
Eden Island, Seychelles (group companies in Cyprus, Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere)
Official websites
  • home.saxo
  • www.home.saxo
  • bgsaxo.it
  • xs.com
  • xsmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Saxo Bank A/S
XS Ltd
Regulator
Danish FSA (Finanstilsynet)
Denmark / European Union
FSA Seychelles
International
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Offshore registration only
Licence number
Bank licence 1149
Check the register
SD089 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
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
Clients who open an account through xs.com
All licences held
  • Danish FSA (Finanstilsynet) (Denmark / European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • FINMA (Switzerland)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • CONSOB (Italy)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • FSA Seychelles (International)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • Labuan FSA (Malaysia (Labuan))
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 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
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU)
Up to 1:2000 (XS Ltd, dynamic); 1:30 on major pairs for EU retail clients
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
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
40%
Stop-out level
50% (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
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
  • SaxoTraderGO
  • SaxoTraderPRO
  • SaxoInvestor
  • Mobile app
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • XS Trading App
Markets
185+ FX pairs, FX options, CFDs, 23,000+ stocks, 7,400+ ETFs, bonds, futures and listed options
CFDs on forex, metals, energies, indices, cryptocurrencies, futures and shares
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
  • 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
24-hour support while markets are open; relationship managers for larger clients
Email support@xs.com and phone +248 432 3314

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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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:

  • 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.
  • 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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