XM review
ForexA trusted global brand with a $30 entry bar and strong beginner support.
Beginners who want a low entry point and heavy educational hand-holding.
Scalpers chasing the absolute lowest spreads.
Fees, explained
The real cost of a trade is the spread plus any commission, plus funding and withdrawal fees, not just the headline number. According to XM, spreads start from 0.8 pips. We separately measure the real average from a funded account at live session times; a figure marked "testing in progress" is one we have not finished measuring ourselves.
Account types (XM published specs)
| Account | Spread from | Commission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | from 1.6 pips | None | 1 lot = 100,000 · min 0.01 lot |
| Micro | from 1.6 pips | None | 1 lot = 1,000 · min 0.1 lot |
| Ultra Low Standard | from 0.8 pips | None | 1 lot = 100,000 · min 0.01 lot |
| Shares | Per exchange | Yes | Stocks CFDs · USD base |
Fees and charges (XM published policy)
- Deposit & withdrawal fees
- XM states it charges no deposit or withdrawal fees on its side ("pay no fees"). Your own bank or an intermediary bank can still apply charges depending on the method.
- Inactivity / dormant fee
- After 90 calendar days with no trading, deposits or withdrawals, the account becomes dormant and is charged USD 5 per month, or the full free balance if that is under USD 5; there is no charge when the balance is zero.
- Trading cost
- The main cost is the spread, with no separate commission on Standard, Micro or Ultra Low. Published spreads: Standard and Micro from 1.6 pips, Ultra Low from 0.8 pips. We measured Standard EUR/USD at 2.0 pips (London session, 2026-09-07).
Source: XM Costs & Charges + Help Center (xm.com), checked 2026-09-13. Fees can change, so confirm the current schedule on XM's own site before you trade.
Measuring Every figure on this page is one XM publishes itself, read on the date shown. The Fee Ledger does not run its own funded-account tests, so nothing here is presented as our own measurement.
Regulation & safety
XM operates under 4 regulatory licences: CySEC (Cyprus), ASIC (Australia), DFSA (Dubai), FSC (Belize). Regulation is not a guarantee against loss - leverage and volatility do the damage - but it tells you who you can complain to and how client funds are meant to be handled. Always trade with the entity that actually onboards your country.
Opening an account
- Register with your email and verify it.
- Complete identity verification (KYC) - a government ID and proof of address.
- Fund the account using Bank transfer, Card, Skrill, Neteller.
- Start on a demo. Size positions small. Keep a trading journal from day one.
The honest cons
- Standard spreads wider than raw-spread rivals
- Not available to US residents
- Payouts twice weekly (slower cadence than some rivals)
What we like
- Low $30 entry to open an account
- Long-established brand with strong beginner education
- No-deposit welcome bonus in many regions
Open a XM account
Some venue links on The Fee Ledger are referral links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes what we write or the order anything appears in.
Risk warning: trading is high risk and most retail accounts lose money. Education only, not advice.