Overview
Questrade is a Toronto discount broker that's been around since 1999. It suits Canadian investors who want cheap stock and ETF trading inside a TFSA, RRSP or RESP, with options and CFDs on the side. It's regulated by CIRO and is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund, and a US arm, Questrade USA Inc., is registered with FINRA. It doesn't take UK clients, and most of what it offers is aimed at Canadian residents.
Accounts and costs
There's no minimum to open a self-directed account and you can choose cash, margin or registered accounts. Stocks and ETFs are commission-free, US equity options have no contract cost, and other options run about $0.99 a contract. There are no account or inactivity fees. If you'd rather not manage it yourself, Questwealth Portfolios is a robo-advisor that invests once you've added $250. Forex and CFDs sit in Questrade Global, where spreads start from 0.8 pips and stock CFDs cost 0.10% to 0.15% of the trade. Leverage there goes up to 40:1 depending on the product.
Platforms and markets
Stocks, ETFs and options trade on Questrade Edge, and you can also link your account to TradingView and trade North American stocks and ETFs from there. Forex and CFDs run on the separate Questrade Global platform. There's no MT4 or MT5. Markets include Canadian and US stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and mutual funds, plus FX and CFDs on global stocks, indices and commodities.
Money in and out
Accounts are funded in Canadian or US dollars. Deposits are free and can be made by bank transfer, Interac e-Transfer or Visa Debit, which land instantly. EFT withdrawals are free and take up to five business days, while wires cost $20 to $40.
Good
- $0 commission on stocks and ETFs, and on US equity option contracts
- No account or inactivity fees
- TFSA, RRSP, RESP and other Canadian registered accounts
- Trade straight from TradingView with a linked account
- Separate Questrade Global platform for forex and CFDs
Watch for
- Built for Canadians; most features are not available to international clients
- Forex spreads are wide compared with specialist brokers
- Accounts are funded in CAD or USD only
- No MetaTrader platforms
- Wire withdrawals cost $20 to $40
Accounts and costs
What each account needs to open and what you pay to trade on it.
| Account | Min deposit | Pricing | Max leverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-directed (margin, TFSA, RRSP, RESP and more) | None | $0 commission on stocks and ETFs; $0 contract cost on US equity options, other options from $0.99 per contract | — |
| Questrade Global (FX and CFDs) | — | Spreads from 0.8 pips on FX; stock CFDs 0.10% to 0.15% of trade value; index and commodity CFDs priced on a target spread | Up to 40:1; 30:1 to 2:1 depending on the product |
| Questwealth Portfolios | CA$250 | Managed ETF portfolios; $250 needed before money is invested | — |
Regulation
Which entity holds which licence. Your protection depends on the entity you open an account with.
Investor protection: Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF)
Platforms and markets
Platforms
Markets
Deposits and withdrawals
- Methods
- Bank transfer, Card, Local methods
- Minimum deposit
- None
- Not available in
- GB
What traders say
Scores from the sites traders use, and our summary of what they're saying, checked 6 October 2026.
Questrade's public review scores are poor, though its Reddit following is more forgiving. It holds 1.3 on Trustpilot from about 420 reviews and 1.28 on Reviews.io from about 300. StockBrokers.com points out that most Canadian brokers score badly on Trustpilot, and many long-term users on Reddit say they are happy with the costs. The complaints that dominate are about getting money and accounts moved: withdrawals, transfers and risk-review holds, made worse by long support queues.
What traders like
Low costs. Commission-free stock and ETF trades come up often, along with cheap currency conversion by journalling shares between CAD and USD.
Account range. Canadian investors on Reddit like holding TFSA, RRSP and margin accounts in one place, and some value margin power across them.
Integrations. TradingView reviewers mention the direct connection, and Reddit users like pairing Questrade with Passiv for rebalancing.
Responsive chat for some users with simple requests.
Common complaints
Money stuck in transit. The most common Trustpilot theme is funds held for weeks between Questrade, banks and registered accounts, with several reviewers saying transfers needed repeated calls.
Withdrawal checks. A number of reviewers say withdrawals were blocked until they supplied extra proof of bank account ownership, and some describe documents rejected without explanation.
Risk-review holds. BrokerChooser's summary of May to August 2026 discussions lists risk-review holds, trading delays and fee complaints as frequent.
Long support waits. Hour-plus hold times on phone and chat are mentioned again and again.
The mobile app and short-selling inventory draw criticism from active traders.
Recently
July to September 2026: new Trustpilot reviews continue to centre on wait times and registered-account transfers in limbo; BrokerChooser's August summary flags risk-review holds as a recurring issue.
Where this comes from
Trustpilot: the main review page.
Reviews.io: customer reviews, mostly negative.
TradingView: reviews from TradingView customers.
Better Business Bureau: formal complaints and responses.
Forex Peace Army: older reviews.
r/Questrade: the official subreddit, plus threads in r/fican and r/CanadianInvestor.
Verified reviews
Reviews from traders who've connected an account at Questrade to Chartnaut, so you know they actually traded there. Opening soon.