XM is still genuinely competitive, not just coasting. They just got Best Gold Broker and Best Customer Service from CFI for 2026, awards aside the underlying conditions back it up — their gold spreads and execution during heavy hours are legit, and their CS response times are actually good which is rare in this industry. They’ve also expanded account types so you’re not stuck with wide Standard spreads if you want tighter — the XM Ultra Low account gets you much better conditions for active trading. Your friend’s probably not wrong, though he may be overselling specific features because he’s attached. Test with a small account and make your own call. One more thing — if you open XM, do it through Globe Gain https://globegain.com/brokers/xm/. Rebates from lot one regardless of account type, and even as a moderate trader that adds up meaningfully over the year. Free cashback on trades you were going to make anyway, there’s no reason not to. XM accepts the rebate partnership cleanly, no weird restrictions.