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Head to head

Swissquote vs XChief

Swissquote is licensed by FINMA in Switzerland; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; SFC in Hong Kong and DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE. 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.

On its cheapest account per lot, Swissquote costs about $12 per standard lot on EUR/USD (Prime account: 1.2 pips, no commission); XChief costs about $7 (xPRIME account: 0.1 pips plus $6 commission). On these typical figures XChief is $5 cheaper per lot, or $50 a month at 10 lots. Swap and other fees are extra.

Minimum deposits start at $1,000 at Swissquote (the Prime account needs $50,000) and $0 at XChief (the xPRIME account needs $500). Only XChief offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Swissquote 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
SwissquoteStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XChiefRead the profile
Comparing
SwissquotePrime account · Switzerland
XChiefxPRIME account

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Switzerland
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • swissquote.com
  • swissquote.ch
  • swissquote.co.uk
  • swissquote.eu
  • swissquote.cy
  • xchief.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Swissquote Bank Ltd (Swissquote Bank SA)
No licence listed
Regulator
FINMA
Switzerland
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
Bank licence
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
Swiss residents and international clients not served by a local Swissquote company
No licence listed
All licences held
  • FINMA (Switzerland)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • SFC (Hong Kong)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
None listed
Segregated client money
No
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000 (Swissquote Bank); FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus)
None

Costs

Your monthly cost
$120$12 per lot × 10 lots
$70$7 per lot × 10 lots
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
$12
$7
Spread from
1.1 pips
0.0 pips
Typical EUR/USD spread
1.2 pips
0.1 pips
Commission per lot (round turn)
None
$6
Typical GBP/USD spread
1.6 pips
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); 1:100 standard at Swissquote Bank
Up to 1:1000 on forex (lower as account equity rises)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • EUR/USD and other major pairs (Swissquote Bank): 1:100 (1% margin)
  • Gold (Swissquote Bank): 1:50 (2% margin)
  • 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
100% (maintenance margin)
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
30%
30% (CENT, Classic+, DirectFX); 50% (xPRIME)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
$50,000
$500
Base currencies
Not yet checked
USD, EUR, GBP
Execution
Spread only, minimum trade 1 lot
Market execution, MetaTrader 5, $3 / €3 / £3 commission per side on forex and metals

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • CFXD
  • TradingView
  • FIX API
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • xChief mobile app
Markets
About 130 currency pairs, metals and CFDs on indices, commodities and bonds
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
  • 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
10 units of the account currency a month after 6 months without activity
$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
  • Forex accounts held with a Swiss bank supervised by FINMA, with Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000
  • Subsidiaries licensed by the FCA, CySEC and Hong Kong's SFC
  • Spread-only pricing with no commission on forex, and live spreads shown per account on its website
  • 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
  • High entry level: $1,000 for Standard, $10,000 for Premium and $50,000 for Prime.
  • At Swissquote Bank, Swissquote warns that losses are in theory unlimited and you may have to pay in more if your balance falls below margin
  • Inactivity fee of 10 a month in the account currency after only 6 months
  • Says Swissquote South Africa (Pty) Ltd holds FSCA licence 43908 (advice and intermediary services); we could not confirm it on the FSCA register 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:

  • Swissquote: Trading leveraged products on the Forex platform, such as foreign exchange, spot precious metals and Contracts for Difference (CFDs), involves significant risk of loss due to the leverage and may not be suitable for all investors. Prior to opening an account with Swissquote, consider your level of experience, investment objectives, assets, income and risk appetite. Losses are in theory unlimited and you may be required to make additional payments if your account balance falls below the required margin level and therefore you should not speculate, invest or hedge with capital you cannot afford to lose, that is borrowed or urgently needed or necessary for personal or family subsistence. Over the past 12 months, 68.22% of retail investors have either lost money when trading CFDs, experienced a total loss of their margin at the closing of their position or ended up with a negative balance after closing their position.

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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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