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Head to head
Skilling or XM? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
A Scandinavian-founded, Cyprus-licensed CFD broker with an unusually clean platform — and a currency charge that outweighs its spreads.
A teaching-first CFD broker with a USD 5 door and spreads that make you pay for the welcome.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall XM takes it, 3.7 against 3.4 out of 5. On commissions there is little between them — €5.00 against €5.00 for a reference EUR 5,000 order. XM scores 74 against 49 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Skilling covers more ground with 8 of 14 asset classes against 7. On platform and app Skilling is ahead, 3.9 against 3.7 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.4 | 3.7 — Better |
| Group index | 49 of 100 | 74 of 100 |
| Best for | cTrader usersBeginners wanting a simple platformCopy-trading followersLow-deposit CFD tradersCrypto CFD traders | BeginnersMicro-lot position sizingMultilingual supportLearning by webinarVery small starting capital |
| Regulation | CySECFSA | ASICCySECDFSAFSCAFSC |
| Top-tier licences | 0 | 1 — Better |
| Investor protection | €20,000 | €20,000 |
| Listed group | No | No |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | Yes |
| Audited financials | No | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | None |
| Founded | 2016 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Limassol, CY | Limassol, CY |
| Fees | 3.6 — Better | 3.4 |
| Safety & regulation | 3.0 | 3.6 — Better |
| Trading platform | 3.8 — Better | 3.6 |
| Product range | 3.3 | 3.8 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.0 — Better | 3.7 |
| Research | 2.8 | 3.9 — Better |
| Customer support | 3.4 | 4.3 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.4 | 4.0 — Better |
| Account opening | 4.4 — Better | 4.0 |
| Education | 3.0 | 4.5 — Better |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €5.00 | €5.00 |
| Minimum deposit | €100 | US$5 — Better |
| Stocks (per order) | in the spread | in the spread |
| US stocks | n/a | in the spread |
| ETFs | in the spread | Not offered |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | Not offered |
| Crypto | in the spread | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | 1.2 pips — Better | 1.6 pips |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | 0.5 points |
| FX conversion | 0.7 % | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | n/a | US$5 · after 3 months |
| Custody fee | n/a | n/a |
| Withdrawal fee | free | free |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 8 — Better | 7 |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | No | No |
| Funds | No | No |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Skilling TradercTraderMetaTrader 4Skilling mobile apps | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5XM WebTraderXM AppXM Copy Trading |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | No | No |
| Maximum leverage | 1:500 · Pro 1:500 | 1:30 · Pro 1:500 |
| Account opening | Registration takes under a minute; live trading requires ID and proof of address, typically verified within one business day | Online form in about 10 minutes; document verification usually clears in 1–3 business days, though some regions report up to a week |
| Account types | StandardPremium | MicroStandardXM Ultra LowZeroShares |
| Payment methods | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller | Credit cardDebit cardBank transferSEPASkrillNeteller |
| Account currencies | EURUSD | USDEURGBPJPYCHFAUDHUFPLN |
| Deposit time | Instant on cards and e-wallets; up to 7 business days on wire transfer | Instant for cards and e-wallets; 2–5 business days for bank wire |
| Withdrawal time | 24 hours to 7 business days depending on the payment processor | Processed within 24 hours; 2–5 business days to reach a bank account |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishSpanishFrenchPortugueseArabicRussianChineseMalayThai | EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchItalianPortugueseRussianArabicChineseJapanese+10 |
| Channels | Live chatEmailPhone | Live chatEmailPhone |
| Availability | Monday to Friday, 04:00–22:00 — not the 24/5 coverage most CFD brokers offer | 24/7 live chat; phone cover on business days |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Skilling
A Scandinavian-founded, Cyprus-licensed CFD broker with an unusually clean platform — and a currency charge that outweighs its spreads.
Pros
Cons
Best for
XM
A teaching-first CFD broker with a USD 5 door and spreads that make you pay for the welcome.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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