XM Copy Trading's key numbers, from XM.

XM Copy Trading's key numbers, from XM.

XM Copy Trading is XM's own copy trading service. Investors choose a Strategy Manager and copy their trades automatically; managers earn a share of their copiers' profits. XM says it has more than 18,000 strategies, over 150,000 daily trades and more than 700,000 copy traders. You need at least $50 to copy a strategy, and managers can charge up to 50% of profits, calculated on a high-water mark.

Copying moves the decisions to someone else but leaves the risk with you. XM itself warns that you can lose more than your invested capital if the market moves against the strategy.

Minimum to copy$50 (a strategy can set more)
Investor AccountUSD, 500:1 leverage, one per client
Profit shareUp to 50%, high-water mark, calculated daily
Cap per strategy$300,000 invested
Not copiedStock CFDs
Demo copy tradingNot offered

How XM Copy Trading works

The Strategy Manager trades their own account. When they open, change or close a position, the same trade is placed in each investor's account in proportion to the money allocated, or by a fixed multiplier the investor chooses. You stay in control: you can pause, adjust settings, close trades or stop copying at any time.

  1. Verify your XM trading account.
  2. Open an Investor Account from the Copy Trading section with 'Create Investor'.
  3. Fund it by deposit or internal transfer from another XM account.
  4. Browse strategies and subscribe, choosing an investment amount or a fixed multiplier.
  5. Set a stop loss and take profit for the strategy.

How your trade size is calculated

XM publishes the maths. With an investment amount, the multiplier is your investment divided by the manager's equity, adjusted for the ratio of your leverage to theirs. Your volume is that multiplier times the manager's volume.

Your $1,000 allocationManager equityMultiplierManager opens 1 lotYou open
Same leverage (500:1)$1,00011 lot1 lot
Manager deposits another $1,000$2,0000.51 lot0.5 lots

A fixed multiplier, set anywhere from 0.01 to 20, doesn't change when the manager deposits or withdraws, so your trade sizes stay consistent. Very small trades may be skipped: the minimum copied volume is 0.001 lots for forex and gold, and 0.01 lots for other assets.

Automatic stop loss

With an investment amount, XM sets a stop loss in the background equal to that amount, unless you set your own. A fixed multiplier sets no stop loss automatically, so add one yourself. When a strategy's stop loss or take profit is hit, XM unsubscribes you and closes all its positions at the next available prices, so the final result can differ slightly from the level you set.

Fees: what copiers pay

Managers set a performance fee of up to 50% of their copiers' profits, with no cap on the number of copiers. XM charges it on a high-water mark: fees are worked out daily on realised and unrealised profit, and only when the account is above its previous peak. If you close a trade before the manager and it qualifies, the fee is charged within 30 minutes. Your trades also pay the normal spreads and any swaps.

A 50% profit share takes half of every gain. Compare strategies on return after fees, and check how they behaved in their worst month.

Rules and limits for investors

  • One Investor Account per client, in US dollars at 500:1; you can't place your own trades in it.
  • You can copy unlimited strategies if you have the equity.
  • Each strategy has a minimum set by its manager, never below $50, and a $300,000 cap on total investment.
  • Stock CFDs aren't copied; crypto uses fixed 20:1 margin in Investor Accounts.
  • If your trading account is Islamic, your Investor Account is Islamic too.
  • 'Copy Open Trades' is off by default; turn it on to copy positions the manager already holds.
  • Pausing stops new copies but still mirrors the manager's closes; exiting closes everything at market.

Becoming a Strategy Manager

Traders with at least $100 across their XM accounts can create a strategy from an MT4 or MT5 account, name it, describe it and, optionally, protect it with a password or import past history. A strategy becomes visible to investors once it holds more than $50 of equity. You can run up to 10 Strategy Manager accounts, be an investor and a manager at the same time, and choose whether fees go to your MyWallet or the strategy account. XM says managers have been paid more than $15 million.

How to choose a strategy

  1. Look for months of live history, not a few spectacular weeks.
  2. Check the biggest drawdown and how the manager traded after it.
  3. Read the asset allocation: a strategy heavy in crypto behaves very differently from one in major pairs.
  4. Start with a small allocation and set your own stop loss.
  5. Watch the number of investors and the invested cap; a full strategy won't accept new money.

There is no demo version of XM Copy Trading, so start small with real money you can afford to lose. Our best copy trading brokers page compares XM with other services.

Finding strategies: XM's lists

XM sorts strategies in several ways. The Featured list is chosen by XM at its discretion, so treat it as a showcase rather than a recommendation. Best Performers is sorted by performance and Most Popular by number of investors. XM also groups strategies automatically into categories by their exposure, recalculated every hour, with a strategy needing at least 40% exposure to an asset class to join its category. Each Strategy Manager's page shows copiers, best and worst trades, asset allocation and trading frequency.

A simple way to start

A cautious first month looks like this: open the Investor Account, allocate the $50 minimum or a little more to one strategy using an investment amount (which sets an automatic stop at that amount), and leave 'Copy Open Trades' off so you only join new positions. Review the result after four weeks against the manager's own history before adding money or a second strategy.

Copy trading hires a manager, it doesn't hire safety. Judge a strategy by its worst drawdown and its fee, allocate an amount you could lose in full, and set your own stop rather than relying on the default.
Ranjan NiskrityChief Editor, FX Recap
Illustrative case: Diego, 31, Lima

Diego copied a gold strategy on XM with $500 using a fixed multiplier of 1, and didn't notice that no stop loss was set. The manager doubled a losing position during a sharp move, and Diego's account fell 40% in two days. He switched to allocating a fixed investment amount, which sets an automatic stop, and split $300 across three managers.

Frequently asked

What is the minimum for XM Copy Trading?

$50 to copy a strategy, though each Strategy Manager can set a higher minimum. Strategy Managers need at least $100 across their XM accounts to create a strategy.

How much do XM Strategy Managers charge?

Up to 50% of copiers' profits, charged on a high-water mark and calculated daily on realised and unrealised profit.

Can I copy stock trades on XM?

No. Stock CFDs aren't currently available on Investor Accounts, so managers' stock trades aren't copied.

Is there a demo for XM Copy Trading?

No. XM doesn't offer demo accounts for copy trading.

What leverage do XM Investor Accounts use?

Investor Accounts are in US dollars with 500:1 leverage, and crypto uses fixed 20:1 margin.

Can I lose more than I invest in XM Copy Trading?

XM warns that you can lose more than your invested capital if the market moves unfavourably, and that stop losses can't guarantee an exact exit. Allocate only what you can afford to lose.