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Compare
Exness vs XM: deposits, commissions and licences side by side
Exness and XM compared on minimum deposit, commissions, platforms, regulation and restricted countries, using only figures we checked, with sources and dates.
- By Blocktechpro Research Desk
- Last verified:
For a very small start, XM's minimum deposit is $5 for all accounts except the Shares account1 (as reported by ForexBrokers.com), while Exness Standard has no fixed minimum initial deposit2 (it depends on the payment method you choose and/or your region2). On commission accounts, Exness Raw Spread charges up to $3.50 each side per lot3 and Exness Zero from $0.05 each side per lot3; XM Zero charges $3.50 per side per lot1. The bigger difference is often regulation: check which entity of each broker would hold your account.
Side-by-side
| Exness | XM | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Standard: no fixed minimum initial deposit2; Pro, Raw Spread, Zero: at least 200 USD, depending on regional requirements4 | $5 for all accounts except the Shares account1 |
| Spread-only account | Standard: no commission5 | Standard and Ultra Low: no commission (spread only)1 |
| Commission account | Raw Spread: up to $3.50 each side per lot3; Zero: from $0.05 each side per lot3 | Zero: $3.50 per side per lot1 |
| Platforms | MT4 and MT55 | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and the XM App; no cTrader1 |
| Not served | certain jurisdictions, including the USA, Canada, Europe, the UK, Russia and Belarus5 | citizens of the United States, Canada, Israel and Iran, or other sanctioned countries6 |
Spreads
A third party, ForexBrokers.com, measured XM's average EUR/USD spread at 2.0 pips on Standard and 1.1 pips on Ultra Low (ForexBrokers.com averages, not XM quotes)1. We have not yet recorded a comparable average for Exness, so we do not rank the two on spread. Exness advertises Standard spreads from 0.2 pips5, a best case rather than an average.
Regulation
Exness: Exness ZA (Pty) Ltd7 is a Financial Service Provider (FSP) authorised by the FSCA, FSP number 510247; Exness (KE) Limited8 holds a non-dealing online foreign exchange broker licence from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) of Kenya, licence number 1628; Exness (SC) Ltd8 is licensed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles, Securities Dealer licence SD0258.
XM: XM Global Limited, regulated by the FSC of Belize (licence 8557558)6; Trading Point of Financial Instruments Ltd (CySEC) for the EEA; other XM entities are regulated by the DFSA, FSCA, FSA (Seychelles) and FSC (Mauritius)6.
For both brokers the licence that counts is the one of the entity named in your client agreement. More on XM in our XM review; more on Exness in the Exness guide.
Which one fits
- Smallest fixed entry: XM has a fixed minimum; Exness Standard has none but depends on your payment method.
- Local licence in South Africa or Kenya: Exness has local entities there (see South Africa and Kenya).
- Commission trading: compare Exness Raw Spread and Zero with XM Zero in our broker cost comparison calculator using the spreads you see live.
Sources
- [1] ForexBrokers.com: XM review, checked October 18, 2026. Used for: XM minimum deposit; XM Zero commission; XM Standard and Ultra Low commission; XM platforms; XM measured EUR/USD spreads (third party).
- [2] Exness Help Center: Trading account types, checked October 19, 2026. Used for: Minimum first deposit, Standard and Standard Cent accounts; What sets the Standard minimum.
- [3] Exness Professional accounts page, checked October 18, 2026. Used for: Raw Spread account: commission; Zero account: commission.
- [4] Exness Help Center: What is the minimum amount needed to start trading?, checked October 19, 2026. Used for: Minimum first deposit, Professional accounts (Pro, Raw Spread, Zero).
- [5] Exness Standard accounts page, checked October 18, 2026. Used for: Standard account: commission; Platforms for Standard and Raw Spread accounts; Countries the global site does not serve; Standard account: spread from.
- [6] XM: Regulation, checked October 18, 2026. Used for: Countries XM Global does not serve; XM global entity; Other XM entities.
- [7] Exness South Africa (home page footer), checked October 29, 2026. Used for: South Africa entity; Exness ZA (Pty) Ltd authorisation.
- [8] Exness Kenya: Regulation, checked October 29, 2026. Used for: Kenya entity; Exness (KE) Limited licence; Seychelles entity; Exness (SC) Ltd licence.