When you dwell in Canada and also you’re questioning which on-line brokerage to make use of, you is likely to be on the lookout for a Qtrade vs Questrade comparability.
You’re not alone. Each platforms supply aggressive pricing, helpful buying and selling instruments, and account choices for freshmen and skilled buyers alike.
On this head-to-head comparability, we’ll break down all the pieces from Qtrade (learn: QTRADE REVIEW) vs Questrade (learn: QUESTRADEREVIEW) annual charges and registered accounts to cell apps and analysis instruments. Whether or not you’re constructing your first funding portfolio and on the lookout for free ETFs with no administration charges otherwise you’re a self directed energetic dealer trying to optimize your technique with Qtrade direct investing, this information will assist you to resolve which brokerage aligns together with your targets.
So which is one of the best low cost Canadian brokerage?
Maintain studying to search out out!
Qtrade Direct Investing: A Canadian On-line Brokerage
Is Qtrade legit? Right here’s what you need to know.
Qtrade Direct Investing is a self-directed on-line buying and selling platform that gives Canadians with entry to a spread of funding accounts, together with TFSAs, RRSPs, and money accounts.
Backed by Credential Qtrade Securities Inc. and working beneath the umbrella of Aviso Wealth, Qtrade has carved out a fame for usability, robust customer support, and top-tier analysis instruments.
Its intuitive platform makes it particularly interesting to newer Canadian buyers, providing curated academic content material and a formidable useful resource hub that features webinars, market updates, and funding technique breakdowns.
The platform additionally consists of goal-planning instruments that make it simple for freshmen to set milestones and observe monetary progress over time.
Questrade: A Low-Price Powerhouse for Lively Buyers
Questrade, a frontrunner in self-directed investing, has earned a powerful fame amongst Canadian buyers for providing a aggressive various to conventional monetary establishments. With over $50 billion in belongings beneath administration as of 2025, it stays a go-to on-line buying and selling platform for these in search of management, flexibility, and decrease charges.
Customers can construct customized portfolios utilizing a variety of securities—together with mutual funds, shares, ETFs, and choices—all from a single interface. The platform’s highly effective analysis instruments and streamlined dashboard present extra perception per click on than many different on-line brokerages, making it ultimate for hands-on buyers who need extra worth from their buying and selling expertise.
For energetic merchants, Questrade’s price construction stays some of the aggressive within the Canadian market. The platform even reimburses switch charges (as much as $150 per account) whenever you deliver belongings from one other establishment, an incentive not often matched by its rivals.
When evaluating Qtrade Direct Investing and Questrade, each supply glorious instruments and repair, however Questrade tends to draw these on the lookout for a mix of performance, innovation, and worth. It’s one cause you’ll usually see the phrase “Questrade and Qtrade” in rankings of Canada’s finest platforms.
Professional Tip:
Begin constructing your portfolio with the dealer that matches your wants. Open an account with Qtrade to obtain a month of free buying and selling or Questrade to get your first month of choices buying and selling free!
Funding Account Sorts and Flexibility
Each Qtrade and Questrade supply a broad collection of account varieties designed to satisfy the varied wants of Canadian buyers. From on a regular basis money accounts to extra complicated registered and margin accounts, customers can discover buildings suited to their short- and long-term targets.
Qtrade helps accounts just like the TFSA, RRSP, RESP, RIF, and LIRA, in addition to joint and particular person taxable accounts. For buyers coping with U.S. equities, Qtrade additionally gives USD registered accounts that assist decrease forex conversion prices.
Questrade matches these choices and expands them with company and funding membership accounts, giving small companies and superior customers entry to customized buying and selling methods. Its onboarding course of additionally educates buyers on choosing the proper account by means of intuitive walkthroughs and assist prompts.
Right here’s a side-by-side comparability.
| Qtrade | Questrade | |
| TFSA | Y | Y |
| RRSP | Y | Y |
| Money | Y | Y |
| Margin | Y | Y |
| FHSA | Y | Y |
| LIRA/LRSP | Y | Y |
| RESP | Y | Y |
| RRIF | Y | Y |
| LIF | Y | Y |
| Company accounts | N | Y |
Pricing and Price Construction
Clear pricing is among the most essential elements when evaluating on-line brokerage companies in Canada.
Each Qtrade and Questrade goal to ship aggressive worth, however their price fashions differ in method and adaptability.
Qtrade Charges:
- $8.75 flat fee per inventory, fairness, or ETF commerce, with some exceptions as famous beneath. There’s a reduced price of $6.95 out there to buyers who meet minimal thresholds in belongings or exercise.
- Fee-free buying and selling on over 100 curated ETFs.
- Account charges differ relying in your steadiness and exercise degree.
- A quarterly administration price applies to low-balance, inactive accounts until customers meet minimal commerce or deposit necessities.
Questrade Charges:
- Inventory, ETF, and choice trades are actually fee free.
- No annual charges for self-directed accounts.
- As much as $150 in switch charges reimbursed when transferring funds from one other brokerage.
- Choices buying and selling features a base price plus a per-contract price of $0.99, ultimate for knowledgeable or high-frequency merchants.
Each brokers supply clear, upfront pricing, however Questrade gives extra flexibility for energetic merchants, whereas Qtrade’s fixed-fee mannequin and curated ETF listing could enchantment to long-term buyers.
Each platforms cost regulatory charges as imposed by the SEC (for United States securities) and sure exchanges. Discover the complete Qtrade price schedule right here and the Questrade price schedule right here.
Professional Tip:
Prepared for a bonus? Obtain $100 whenever you fund an eligible Qtrade account, or obtain Questrade to get your first month of choices buying and selling freed from cost!
ETF Investing: Entry and Value Effectivity
Each platforms shine on the subject of ETFs, however they method value effectivity barely in another way.
Qtrade presents commission-free entry to greater than 100 curated ETFs, with a give attention to diversified, low-cost portfolios. These funds are handpicked for long-term progress and embody choices throughout sectors and placement. The platform’s construction makes it ultimate for passive buyers trying to automate their technique whereas minimizing charges.
Questrade, then again, permits customers to buy or promote any ETF listed on North American inventory exchanges with out a fee, giving extra flexibility. For frequent merchants, the financial savings will be substantial.
This flexibility appeals to energetic and semi-active buyers who need to construct a custom-made basket of ETFs with out being restricted by a pre-approved listing.
Analysis Instruments and Instructional Sources
For buyers who depend on analytics and market information, each Qtrade and Questrade supply superior options.
Qtrade integrates Morningstar scores, portfolio rating instruments, and market commentary. It’s particularly robust in serving to freshmen perceive funding fundamentals, due to clear academic sources and intuitive navigation.
Questrade gives extra customizable charting choices and integrates instruments just like the Intraday Dealer, Mutual Fund Centre, and watchlist alerts. For these with expertise, Questrade’s suite is extra sturdy for technical evaluation and asset screening.
It’s price noting right here that Questrade customers have the choice to subscribe to one in every of two market information packages. The true-time streaming subscription presents up-to-the-minute Stage I information for $9.95 per 30 days, whereas the superior streaming subscription provides Stage II information to the combo for $44.95 per 30 days.
Skilled buyers and even freshmen who love analysis may profit from subscribing to one in every of these plans.
Professional Tip:
Making an attempt to speculate smarter? Obtain $100 whenever you fund an eligible Qtrade account, or attempt Questrade to get your first month of choices buying and selling freed from cost!
Cellular Expertise and Buying and selling on the Go
Each Qtrade and Questrade supply cell apps that give buyers full management over their portfolios from wherever.
Qtrade’s cell app emphasizes simplicity and reliability, providing real-time market information, biometric login, and seamless commerce execution.
It’s constructed for customers preferring a no-fuss expertise with out sacrificing core performance.
Questrade’s app caters to energy customers by layering in additional superior capabilities. Merchants can analyze real-time quotes, execute bracket orders, and evaluation previous trades.
The interface is barely extra complicated, however well-suited for energetic customers who need deeper visibility into efficiency metrics and analytics.
Buyer Help and Account Safety
Service high quality and platform safety usually affect long-term satisfaction with a brokerage.
It is smart, proper?
Getting the assist you to want whenever you want it’s a should, and so is the peace of thoughts that comes with understanding your cash is protected.
Qtrade and Questrade each perceive the significance of dependable assist and state-of-the-art safety, although they differ barely of their approaches.
Qtrade is thought for providing attentive, human assist throughout buying and selling hours. Its assist channels embody telephone assist from 8:30 AM to eight PM ET, and e mail, however there isn’t a dwell chat choice.
Most customers report immediate and thorough responses. The platform has earned reward for its clear communication, particularly with newbie buyers navigating account setup or commerce execution.
Questrade additionally gives assist by means of a number of channels, together with prolonged weekday hours. You may get telephone assist throughout enterprise hours, plus e mail and dwell chat.
Its customer support crew is backed by an in depth on-line assist heart stuffed with how-to guides, FAQs, and platform walkthroughs. Although wait occasions can sometimes differ, particularly throughout high-traffic intervals, most customers discover their issues resolved rapidly and professionally.
On the safety entrance, each brokerages are regulated by the Canadian Funding Regulatory Group (CIRO) and are members of the Canadian Investor Safety Fund (CIPF), offering insurance coverage for as much as $1 million per consumer within the occasion of insolvency.
Each Qtrade and Questrade use end-to-end encryption and require two-factor authentication (2FA) to guard customers.
Qtrade provides further person safety with its Investor Web Safety Assure, which gives 100% reimbursement of misplaced funds on account of unauthorized brokerage account exercise. Bear in mind they received’t reimburse you in case you compromise your individual account by giving out your password or loaning somebody your telephone.
These options be sure that customers really feel supported and guarded irrespective of their degree of expertise or funding targets.
Closing Verdict: Qtrade vs Questrade
Finally, the proper platform for you’ll depend upon how hands-on you need to be and which instruments you prioritize most.
Qtrade is a improbable selection for freshmen and conservative buyers. Its clear interface, robust assist community, and library of academic instruments make it an excellent launchpad for constructing foundational funding data.
When you’re on the lookout for an intuitive, low-hassle platform with clear pricing and curated fund entry, Qtrade suits the invoice.
Questrade leans extra towards the skilled investor—or these with aspirations to turn into one. Its tiered pricing, intensive analysis suite, and assist for complicated methods like choices and margin buying and selling give customers extra management. The platform rewards those that need customization, analytics, and low-cost execution in a single place.
General, Questrade presents decrease pricing, which can enchantment to buyers who’re involved about charges consuming into the worth of their investments, however freshmen ought to understand that there’s a studying curve concerned.
FAQ
Questrade prices are decrease than Qtrade’s as a result of it presents commission-free inventory and ETF trades on all North American securities.
Qtrade is commonly most well-liked by freshmen due to its clear platform and powerful academic sources. Some may favor its easy pricing mannequin, although it’s dearer than Questrade.
Sure, each platforms assist buying and selling on U.S. exchanges and supply USD account choices to assist decrease overseas alternate charges.
Sure. Qtrade presents over 100 curated commission-free ETFs, whereas Questrade permits you to purchase any ETF commission-free.
Each brokerages are regulated by CIRO and are members of the CIPF, offering insurance coverage as much as $1 million per consumer within the occasion of agency insolvency.
