Questrade Review 2026: Costs, Safety, Platforms and Who It Suits

What materially distinguishes it?

Tested directly

• Deposit: In our test, an e-Transfer deposit had not arrived by the end of the day, and we missed the price move we intended to trade.
• Withdrawal: A scheduled RIF payment was removed but had not reached our bank by the promised date.
• Web platform: The website made a simple two-share purchase awkward. After struggling to find the buy button, we switched to the phone app.
• Mobile app: We used the phone app after finding the web interface difficult to navigate for that purchase.
• Phone support: We spent about an hour and a half on hold while trying to resolve the missing payment.

Verified from primary sources

We checked Questrade's published account, product and pricing details, along with its CIRO regulatory entry. These published conditions are separate from the individual account and service experiences described above.

Not independently verified

We did not independently measure typical execution speed, slippage rates, order rejection rates or liquidity-provider performance. A single deposit, withdrawal or support interaction should not be treated as a general service-time guarantee.

Account Pricing

These accounts do not have an account-level forex-style spread. Questrade's published average spreads for forex and CFDs are separate from the account pricing above: EUR/USD and GBP/USD are each quoted at 2.3 pips, gold at 0.75 points and the S&P 500 CFD at 0.5 points. The spread type is floating.

Questrade says standard Canadian and U.S.-listed stock and ETF trades on its online platform have $0 commissions. Options charges depend on product and contract: the published schedule includes a $0.99 per-contract charge for options, while its pricing-model details identify different treatment for U.S. equity options and U.S. index options. Check the current charge for the specific contract before trading. Mutual funds cost $9.95 per trade; bonds and GICs are listed as commission-free, with a $5,000 minimum purchase for bonds and GICs.

What the Headline Number Doesn't Tell You

Commission-free stocks and ETFs

Advertised commission: $0 for standard Canadian and U.S. stock and ETF trades.

What that doesn't tell you: Currency conversion, options, mutual funds, market-data subscriptions and some other charges can still affect the total cost. Questrade also notes that ECN fees may apply in some circumstances when an order removes liquidity.

Non-Trading Costs

Cost most worth watching

The 1.5% currency-conversion charge can add up when Canadian-dollar accounts buy or sell U.S.-dollar investments. Options and mutual funds carry separate charges, so $0 stock and ETF commissions do not mean every product is free to trade.

Legal Entity Map

Questrade, Inc. contracts with Canadian clients and is regulated by CIRO as an investment dealer. For FX/CFD trading, Questrade identifies Saxo Bank A/S as product issuer and liquidity provider, while Questrade provides brokerage and execution. Confirm which arrangement applies to your product.

Why the entity matters

The Canadian dealer relationship and the FX/CFD product arrangement are not interchangeable descriptions of the same service. Questrade's stated maximum leverage differs by product: its FX/CFD schedule lists up to 1:40 for forex, while margin lending on eligible securities follows security-specific requirements. For standard margin accounts, some eligible liquid equities may have a 30% margin requirement, equivalent to 3.33:1; registered accounts require 100% margin on investments.

Client Protection

Questrade says client cash and securities are held in trust and segregated from its corporate operating funds. It identifies CIPF protection of up to $1 million per account category for eligible accounts and says it also provides additional private customer insurance of $10 million per client. These protections do not prevent investment losses or remove trading, market or counterparty risk. Questrade does not offer negative balance protection; a leveraged account can fall below zero in extreme market conditions.

Questrade's brokerage licence number is 147370. CIPF coverage is subject to its terms and applies to eligible accounts.

Where the range is strongest

Questrade combines direct equity and ETF investing with options, bonds and a separate leveraged FX/CFD range. Forex coverage is listed at more than 110 currency pairs; its CFD margin table includes 23 index CFDs and 22 commodity CFDs.

Where it is limited

Crypto is not offered. The stock and ETF universe changes with exchange listings and eligibility, while bond availability changes with live inventory. Direct share ownership and stock CFDs are different products: the former are securities held in an investment account, while CFDs provide leveraged exposure and can incur overnight financing.

Available Platforms

Core Experience

Questrade Edge is designed for manual traders, with bracket and conditional orders, multi-leg options orders, customizable charts and layouts, and TipRanks and OptionsPlay research tools. QuestMobile handles everyday account management, while Questrade Global supports global-market trading.

Charting and order tools

Questrade lists customizable charts and layouts, conditional orders and bracket orders among its Edge features. TradingView adds Pine Script research and backtesting, charting and alerts. TradingView-connected orders are broker-connected trading, not automatic copying of another investor's trades.

Advanced Features

Questrade does not offer built-in copy trading or social trading. Retail clients can use the API to retrieve account and market data, but generally cannot use a self-written application to place trades. Order placement through API connections is limited to approved partner platforms. Questrade does not offer VPS hosting.

Mobile Experience

QuestMobile is for everyday investors managing stocks, ETFs and accounts. Edge Mobile targets active traders who need advanced charting, strategies and order types. Questrade Global also has a mobile app.

Main Platform Trade-Off

Best aspect: The platform range spans everyday account management, advanced manual trading and TradingView charting.

Main friction point: Programmable automation is limited; retail API access is generally for data rather than placing trades, and copy trading is not available.

Account Opening

Questrade requires identity verification before clients can fund or trade. Applicants typically provide government-issued identification, proof of address and personal and financial details, including legal name, contact information, Social Insurance Number, employment status and basic income estimates. Questrade says account approval typically takes 1–2 business days after an application and documents are submitted.

An account can be opened without an immediate deposit, but Questrade says at least $1,000 CAD is generally needed before buying stocks or ETFs in most self-directed accounts, including TFSA, RRSP, FHSA and Margin accounts.

Deposits and Withdrawals

Questrade lists Visa, Mastercard and wire transfer among deposit methods; standard digital funding options also include online banking, pre-authorized deposits and electronic funds transfer. CAD and USD are supported as base account currencies. The usual free EFT withdrawal limits are CAD $50,000 or USD $25,000 per day; larger requests may be paid over consecutive business days. Questrade lists wire transfer as a withdrawal method, with fees depending on currency and destination.

Depositing money and having funds clear are separate steps. Questrade says bank deposits typically take 1–2 business days to clear. For registered accounts, withdrawals can also have tax consequences: RRSP cash withdrawals are subject to withholding tax, while TFSA contribution room withdrawn is restored the following calendar year.

Questrade's product conditions vary between ordinary securities investing and leveraged FX/CFD trading. For eligible, highly liquid Canadian and U.S. equities in standard margin accounts, the stated 30% margin requirement equates to a maximum of 3.33:1 leverage. Other securities may require 50% margin, while volatile stocks, shares under $2 and investments in registered accounts may require 100% cash. FX and CFD leverage has separate product limits.

Borrowing on margin incurs interest. Questrade says a margin call can arise when portfolio equity falls below the required maintenance level; it may require a deposit or liquidation. If Questrade is forced to close positions to meet a margin call, it lists a $45 fee per trade. Questrade does not offer negative balance protection.

Questrade permits scalping and news trading, but its materials caution that rapid trading may be affected by execution speed, fills, commissions and platform performance. Market orders can slip, particularly when prices move quickly. Questrade also permits hedging through options, currency-hedged ETFs and short selling in approved margin accounts. Overnight financing can apply to eligible leveraged positions held past the daily rollover time; forex rollover is past 5:00 p.m. ET.

Questrade lists the margin call level as when real-time buying power becomes negative. Its stop-out description is when equity is significantly below maintenance margin. These thresholds and the possibility of forced liquidation make leverage a material risk, not simply extra buying power.

Research and Tools

Questrade Edge includes TipRanks and OptionsPlay research tools. Questrade also lists market research, an economic calendar, price charts, screeners and a trading calculator. Market news feeds include Seeking Alpha, and real-time alerts are available through tools such as TradingView.

Education

Questrade offers webinars, seminars, articles and guides, videos and tutorials. These resources sit alongside its self-directed investing and platform tools.

Customer Services

Support is available by live chat, phone, email and self-serve resources. Questrade's customer-service feedback describes interactions as generally professional and courteous, while some customers report that withdrawal cases need repeated follow-up and that useful help can be difficult to obtain through direct channels. Resolution and follow-up are the recurring concerns, rather than courtesy alone.

Check these three things first

1. Your legal entity: Confirm that your application is for Questrade, Inc. as a Canadian client and understand the distinct product arrangement Questrade identifies for FX and CFDs.
2. Your likely trading cost: Include the 1.5% currency-conversion charge, options or mutual-fund charges, margin interest and withdrawal fees in your cost estimate.
3. Your product/account requirements: Check your country's eligibility, whether the account type you need is offered, and whether you can meet the funding requirement before your first investment purchase.

Bottom line

Questrade is best suited to self-directed investors seeking Canadian and U.S. stocks, ETFs and registered accounts, with tools for active trading. Currency conversion and product-specific fees are the main costs to weigh.