XTB Investment Plans UK: What the 2026 Upgrade Changes

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If you are researching how to start investing in the UK, XTB's redesigned Investment Plans add a middle ground between choosing a ready-made portfolio and building a custom stock portfolio yourself. The FCA-regulated online stock broker now lets UK users choose prebuilt investment plans, explore sector portfolios or combine stocks and ETFs in a DIY plan, with recurring Auto Invest available from £15. That makes the update relevant to anyone comparing ETF investment plans in the UK or looking for an automated portfolio builder. It does not, however, make XTB automatically the best investment platform for every beginner: costs, diversification, tax wrappers and how much control you want still matter.

What are XTB Investment Plans?

An XTB Investment Plan divides each contribution across a chosen set of investments. You select a ready-made option or set your own allocations, then the platform places the underlying stock and ETF orders. XTB does not provide personalised advice through the feature, so you remain responsible for deciding whether the holdings and risk suit you.

The redesigned version offers three routes:

Ready-Made and Sector Plans cannot be manually edited. If you want to select the instruments and weights yourself, you need the DIY route.

The biggest update: stocks can now sit alongside ETFs

Earlier XTB Investment Plans focused on ETFs. The new DIY builder can combine companies and ETFs, including eligible US shares. XTB advertises more than 3,400 stocks and 1,800 ETFs across the feature, although the exact selection depends on your account and fractional-share availability.

A DIY plan can contain up to 20 instruments, with each target allocation between 5% and 100%. You can hold up to 10 Plans per account. More holdings do not automatically mean better diversification: several technology stocks can still leave a portfolio heavily concentrated.

The refreshed interface makes target weights, portfolio structure and results easier to see. That improves usability, but a clean dashboard cannot tell you whether the investments match your time horizon or capacity for loss.

How Auto Invest works

Auto Invest arranges recurring contributions, with each new payment divided according to your target percentages. It does not correct drift in the holdings you already own. XTB only rebalances when you request it or act on a prompt after changing a DIY Plan.

Dividends from stocks and distributing ETFs are credited as cash and are not automatically reinvested with the next deposit. Accumulating ETFs handle distributions within the fund.

Orders for different markets may execute at different times. XTB also retains a small cash reserve — generally up to 1% for ETFs and 3% for stocks — to reduce failed orders when prices move.

What does an XTB Investment Plan cost in the UK?

There is no separate fee to create, maintain or manage a Plan. Stock and ETF purchases and sales carry 0% commission while total monthly account turnover remains within the equivalent of €100,000.

Above that threshold, subsequent transactions cost 0.2%, with a £10 minimum. A 0.5% currency-conversion fee can apply when an investment uses a different currency from your account. ETFs also have their own ongoing fund costs.

This is why “commission-free stock investing UK” should never be read as “cost-free investing”. Check the instrument currency, fund charges and XTB's latest fee schedule before placing an order.

Four limitations UK investors should know

1. No ISA access. Investment Plans cannot currently be created inside XTB's Stocks & Shares ISA. Disposals and income outside an ISA may have UK tax consequences, depending on your circumstances.

2. Manual rebalancing. New deposits follow target weights, but XTB does not periodically restore the whole portfolio to them automatically. Rebalancing can create costs, tax events and market risk.

3. Limited portability. Positions cannot move directly from a Plan to your main XTB account or another broker. Existing holdings cannot move into a Plan either; leaving generally requires a sale.

4. Investment risk remains. Diversified ETFs can reduce company-specific concentration, but their value can still fall. Sector Plans are more concentrated and can be especially volatile.

If you are weighing funds against single companies first, see ETFs vs individual stocks.

Is the updated XTB Investment Plan a good fit?

The feature may be worth researching if you want to start from £15, automate contributions and choose between a preconfigured portfolio and a custom stock-and-ETF mix. XTB Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 522157.

It may be less suitable if an ISA is a priority, you want personalised advice or automatic rebalancing, or you need to transfer holdings without selling.

For UK beginners, the decision is whether convenience, control, diversification, tax treatment and total cost work together for the goal being funded. Compare those factors before choosing any stock trading app — our broker comparison tool and our XTB review are a good starting point.

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