Can I change my XM demo balance?

Yes. XMTrading lets you set the demo balance to any amount using the Set balance option in the Portal or app. Set it to the amount you plan to deposit live so the margin and drawdown you see are realistic.

How many demo accounts can I have at XMTrading?

Up to 5 demo accounts at the same time with the same personal details. Demo types are Standard, Zero and KIWAMI; there is no Micro demo.

Do I get cashback on an XM demo account?

No. CB-Dogs cashback is paid only on real trading on live accounts opened through our link. A demo trade generates no broker revenue, so there is nothing to share back.

XM Demo Account Guide: How to Open One, How Long It Lasts, and What It Can't Tell You

Q: Does an XM demo account expire?

There is no fixed time limit, but a demo account unused for 60 days or more is closed automatically. You can open a new demo account at any time.

An XMTrading demo account has no time limit but is closed automatically if unused for 60 days or more. You can hold up to 5 demos (Standard, Zero or KIWAMI, no Micro), set the balance freely, and open a new one anytime. Demo trades earn no cashback.

Updated Oct 2, 2026By CB-Dogs Editorial7 min read

Disclosure: CB-Dogs receives an advertising (referral) fee — sometimes called an IB commission — from brokers for accounts opened or linked through us, and returns part of it to you as cashback, the same model used by cashback and points sites. This does not change your trading costs.

On this page

How to open an XM demo account
Rules to know: expiry, limits, account types, balance
Demo vs live: what is the same and what is not
Using a demo to test gold costs before going live
Using a demo to test an EA
Moving from demo to live
Frequently asked questions
Related reading

A demo account is the cheapest way to learn the XMTrading platform and to check how an account type behaves before you risk real money. It is also easy to misuse, because demo results are not live results. This guide covers how to open an XMTrading demo account, the rules that catch people out (expiry, the number of demos, the balance), the real differences between demo and live, and how to use a demo to test gold and EA costs before going live.

Key takeaways

XMTrading demo accounts have no time limit, but a demo that has been unused for 60 days or more is closed automatically. You can open a new one at any time.
You can hold up to 5 demo accounts at the same time with the same personal details. Demo types are Standard, Zero and KIWAMI. There is no Micro demo.
The demo balance can be set to any amount using the Set balance option in the XMTrading Portal or app.
Demo trades never earn CB-Dogs cashback. Cashback is paid only on live accounts linked through our link.
A demo is good for platform practice and for checking symbol specifications, but live execution, spreads and your own emotions can differ, so treat demo results with caution.

How to open an XM demo account

You do not need to deposit money or fund anything to open a demo. The steps in the XMTrading Portal or the XMTD TraderPro app are:

Log in to your XMTrading profile.
Press the + button above the balance box.
Choose Demo, then Continue.
Choose the demo account's specifications as prompted (such as the account type), then confirm.

The new demo appears in your account list with its own login and server, which you enter in MT4 or MT5 the same way as for a live account. If you have not opened an XMTrading profile yet, the live route includes linking to CB-Dogs; see how to open an XM account and link cashback. Open the profile through our link first, even if you only plan to practise on a demo for now, so that your later live account is tracked correctly.

Rules to know: expiry, limits, account types, balance

Does an XM demo account expire? There is no fixed time limit. The rule is about inactivity: a demo account that has not been used for 60 days or more is closed automatically. If you come back after a gap, just open a new demo. Use the account every few weeks, or accept that you will need to open a new one and re-attach it in MT4 or MT5.

How many demo accounts can you have? Up to 5 demo accounts at the same time with the same personal details. This is useful for testing: you could keep one demo per account type, or one for a manual strategy and one for an EA. (Live accounts have their own, separate limit: the help centre says up to 10 at the same time.)

Which types? Standard, Zero and KIWAMI. There is no Micro demo. For how the four live types differ, see XM account types compared.

Can you change the demo balance? Yes. XMTrading lets you set the balance to any amount through Set balance in the Portal or the app. Choose a balance that matches the amount you would actually trade. A demo balance of one million dollars teaches you nothing about how a 2,000 USD account behaves under margin pressure, so set it to your planned live deposit.

Other things that are not the same as a demo: the dormancy rules on live accounts (a live account with no activity for 90 days or more is dormant, with a monthly fee and removal of bonuses) are separate from the 60-day demo closure.

Demo vs live: what is the same and what is not

	Demo	Live
Money at risk	None	Your deposit
Account types available	Standard, Zero, KIWAMI	Standard, Micro, Zero, KIWAMI
Balance	You set it	Your actual deposit
Execution	Simulated, generally close to live	Real orders against real liquidity
Slippage and requotes	May not show the full effect	Appear in fast markets
Cashback	None	Paid on live accounts linked via our link
Inactivity rule	Closed after 60 days unused	Dormant after 90 days (fee)

Execution. A demo server is built to resemble live conditions, but a demo fill does not compete against real order flow. In fast news moves or thin liquidity, live fills can be worse than demo fills. Our guides to slippage and requotes and when spreads widen explain why this matters most for scalpers and EAs.

Psychology. The largest practical difference is you. Holding a losing trade with real money feels different, and people routinely take bigger or looser risks on demo than they would live. A demo can prove that your mechanical steps work; it cannot prove that you will follow your rules under pressure. Our demo vs live accounts and cashback guide goes deeper on this, including a short checklist for the move to live.

Cashback. No cashback is paid on demo trading. CB-Dogs cashback is a share of the IB commission XMTrading pays on real trading on live accounts linked through our link, and a demo trade produces no revenue to share. So there is no reason to expect, or to try to log, cashback from a demo. The details of why are in the guide linked above.

Using a demo to test gold costs before going live

A demo is a good place to learn how gold behaves on each account type, as long as you know what you are testing.

Open one demo per account type you are considering (up to 5). For gold, Standard, Zero and KIWAMI cover the main choices. See which XM account for which gold trader for how to choose.
Read the contract specification of the gold symbol in MT4 or MT5 on each demo: contract size, minimum lot, swap values, and trading hours. Compare it with the figures in XM gold spread and trading conditions. This is the single most useful demo check, because the live platform shows the real current swap and spread.
Observe the spread at the times you actually trade. Note the spread at the open, during your usual session, and around the data releases you trade. Gold spreads widen sharply around news. A written log of a few days is more reliable than one look.
Practise at the size you plan to use. One gold lot is 100 oz on Standard, Zero and KIWAMI, so even 0.01 lot is 1 oz. Set the demo balance to your planned deposit and see what margin and drawdown look like. See gold margin per lot explained.
Hold one trade overnight on each type to see the swap actually credited or charged, including the Wednesday triple, and the difference on KIWAMI.

Treat the numbers as an estimate of conditions, not as proof of profit. Demo spreads may not match what you get live at a given moment.

Using a demo to test an EA

If you plan to run your own EA (CB-Dogs does not provide EAs, signals or copy trading), a demo is where you should run it first, but with limits in mind.

Run it long enough to cover varied conditions, including at least one major news event, not just a calm week. And remember the 60-day inactivity closure: an EA that trades regularly keeps the account active.
Use one demo per EA or setting. With up to 5 demos you can run an EA on two account types in parallel and compare the cost columns.
Record cost per trade, not just profit: spread, commission (Zero), swap, and how often the EA trades. Our guide on trading costs for EA traders shows what to track, and comparing account types with a spreadsheet shows how to line them up.
Expect live to be worse in the details. Slippage, requotes and latency are the parts a demo hides best. When you go live, begin with a small size and compare the first live results against the demo for the same period.
Check hedging and holding-time behaviour against the cashback conditions before you scale up; see forex rebates for EA traders.

Moving from demo to live

When you are ready, open a live account through our link (if your profile is already linked, add the live account from the same XMTrading profile). Start with a smaller size than you used on the demo, and keep the same records. See how to open an XM account and link cashback for the steps, and our XM broker page for the current cashback rates by account type. A wallet that can receive USDT on TRC20 is worth setting up in advance, since that is the only way CB-Dogs pays.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

Log in to the XMTrading Portal or the XMTD TraderPro app, press the + button above the balance box, choose Demo, press Continue and pick the specifications (account type, platform, leverage, balance). No deposit is needed.

Risk warning: forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of losing money. Cashback does not offset trading losses. Nothing here is investment advice.

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