Forex traders always wish to trade with trusted and reliable forex brokers. XM and TD Ameritrade are top-tier regulated forex brokers offering online trading services globally. XM is regulated in two Tier-1, one tier-2, and one tier-4 jurisdictions, including the two tier-1, two tier-2, and one tier-4 jurisdictions, including the ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC-Belize, and DFSA. On the other hand, TD Ameritrade is regulated in three tier-1 jurisdictions including SEC , FINRA , SIPC. These two brokers offer almost similar services. However, each broker has its strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we will compare XM with TD Ameritrade regarding trading pros and cons, trading platforms, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. We will also explore if XM is better than TD Ameritrade and vice versa. This comparison lets you understand which broker is better for your trading style and preferences.
XM vs TD Ameritrade: In a Nutshell
XM
Founded in 2009, XM is a forex and CFD broker that offers online trading services globally. It provides access to over 1000+ trading instruments including forex, cryptocurrencies, stock CFDs turbo stocks, commodities, equity indices, thematic indices, precious metals, energies, and shares. The broker is regulated by multiple reputable regulatory authorities, including FSC, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, and FSCA. The broker offers a full edition of the popular MT4 and MT5 platforms, which include numerous proprietary indicators. XM offers a maximum leverage of 1:1000 to its clients. It is a low-cost broker with spreads starting from as low as 0.6 pips. To learn more, you can read our review on XM.
XM Overview
- Founded In: 2009
- Founder: Constantinos Cleanthous
- Headquarters: Limassol, Cyprus.
- Trading Instruments: 1000+ trading instruments including forex, cryptocurrencies, stock CFDs turbo stocks, commodities, equity indices, thematic indices, precious metals, energies, shares
- Minimum Deposit: $5 for Micro, Standard, Ultra low accounts, and $10,000 for share accounts
- Maximum Leverage: up1000:1 for Standard, Micro, and Ultra-low accounts, No leverage for share account
- Regulations: FSC, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FSCA
- Trading platform: MT4, MT5, XM trading apps
- Spreads: As low as 0.6pips
- Account Types: Standard, Micro, Ultra-low, Share accounts
- Trading Styles: Allows all trading styles including scalping, news trading, copy trading, EA trading
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill
- Funding Currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, AUD, HUF, PLN, SGD, ZAR
- US Traders: Not Accepted
TD Ameritrade
Founded in 1971 as Ameritrade, TD Ameritrade is a well-known American online brokerage firm that offers a wide range of financial services including stocks, Forex, options, ETFs Mutual Funds, fixed income, and other investment products TD Ameritrade went through a couple of acquisitions and mergers. In 2006, it acquired the US operations of TD Waterhouse, followed by the acquisition of Scottrade in 2017. Finally, in 2020, Charles Schwab Corporation acquired TD Ameritrade. TD Ameritrade provides access to both US and non-US traders to trade on this platform.
TD Ameritrade At a Glance
- Founded In: 1978
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Maximum Leverage: 1:50
- Regulations: SEC , FINRA , SIPC
- Trading platform: Web Platforms, thinkorswim desktop, thinkorswim® web, Mobile Trading
- Account Types: Standard, Retirement, Education and Specialty accounts.
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), ACH (Automated Clearing House), Check, Physical Stock Certificates, Transfer from Existing Broker
- US Clients : Accepted
XM vs : TD Ameritrade Features
XM:
- Trading Instruments: 1000+ including Forex, Crypto CFDs, Indices CFDs, Commodities CFDs, Stocks CFDs, Turbo Stocks CFDs, Metals CFDs, Energies CFDs
- Maximum leverage: up to 1000:1
- Minimum Deposit: $5 or Equivalent
- Account Types: Micro, Standard, Ultra Low, Shares Accounts
- Fees: Starting from 0.6 in Ultra-low account, 1 Pips for standard account, and 1 Pips for Micro account
- PAMM/ MAM: Not Available
- Scalping: Allowed
- News Trading: Allowed
- EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed
TD Ameritrade
- Trading Instruments: 4,700+ trading instruments including Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, fixed income, futures, and forex, as well as margin lending and cash management services
- Maximum Leverage: 50:1. Offers both leverage and non-leverage assets.
- Minimum Deposit: TD Ameritrade does not require a minimum deposit to open a trading account
- Account Type: Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Account, Education and Custodian, charitable giving, lending, Small business retirements, Checking and Savings, Robo and Dedicated Advice, credit cards, Annuities, Trust and Estate, Insurance
- Trading Fees: TD Ameritrade offers a $0 account minimum with no charges for trading stocks and ETFs. Bond trades are $1 per bond, and most options contracts cost $0.65 each. Mutual fund trades typically cost around $50, but the firm also provides access to over 3,600 no-transaction-fee funds
- PAMM/MAM: Not Available
- News Trading: Allowed
- Scalping: Allowed
- Automated Trading: Allowed
XM vs TD Ameritrade: Pros and Cons
XM
- Regulated by CySEC, ASIC, DFSA in UAE, and FSC Belize.
- Easy and fast account opening
- Minimum deposit is $5
- Over 1000 forex/CFDs are available for trading.
- MT4 and MT5 are the available trading platforms.
- Quality research, market analysis, and access to trading tools like Autochartist.
- Quality training for newbies and ‘ultra-low micro account’ for beginners.
- High leverage up to 1000:1 (this leverage is not available to all the entities of the Group)
- Dormant fees are charged after 3 months of no account activity.
- Trading of real stocks is not available to European traders.
- Traders have no other choice apart from the MetaTrader platforms.
- Limited tradable assets.
- No passive investment services (social trading platform, PAMM accounts);
- Funding with PayPal is unavailable
TD Ameritrade
- ETF, non-penny stock, and options trades are commission-free
- Expansive trading tools and resources for all types of investors
- Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading)
- Regulated by FINRA, SIBC
- Part of Charles Schwab Corporation since October 2020, with a combined 28 million clients and $6 trillion in assets.
- The company does not charge fees for trading in American and Canadian stocks, options, and ETFs.
- There is a large selection of investments from which to choose
- Broker-assisted trades are somewhat costly
- No direct crypto Trading
- Forex trading via thinkorswim, a trading platform where you can trade forex
- No MT4, MT5, cTraders trading platforms are offered
- Fractional shares are not offered
- Accounts mostly limited to US residents
- As a U.S.-only forex broker, TD Ameritrade does not offer copy trading or MetaTrader (MT4).
XM vs TD Ameritrade: Side-by-Side Comparison
XM Vs TD Ameritrade: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, XM and TD Ameritrade, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.
XM :
TD Ameritrade
Final Verdict :
XM and TD Ameritrade are regulated forex and CFD brokers in the industry. They offer similar trading services, including forex and CFDs. Both allow scalping, hedging, EA trading and Copy trading, with a minimum order size of 0.01.
However, there are a few areas where you may find some differences. For example, the minimum deposit for XM is $5, whereas the minimum deposit for TD Ameritrade is $0. Additionally, the maximum leverage for XM is generally from 1000:1. On the other hand, the maximum leverage for TD Ameritrade is 50:1. XM offers passive investment programs or copy trading programs like MAM and Zulutrade, while TD Ameritrade does not have any passive investment programs.Our score for XM is 9.3, and for TD Ameritrade, it is 8.8. If you are looking for a trusted forex broker with social trading services, you may choose XM. However, if you are a US citizen, or prefer US regulated forex broker, you may choose TD Ameritrade.
