Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Questrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
ActivTrades vs Questrade: ActivTrades was founded in 2001, while Questrade started in 2000. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. If you care about safety and oversight, their regulation and Trust Scores can help guide your choice.
According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and one Tier-2 license (trusted), while Questrade holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. ActivTrades earns an 80/99 Trust Score and Questrade scores 85/99—both in the “trusted” 80–89 range. In short, Questrade posts a slightly higher Trust Score, while ActivTrades offers more top-tier regulatory coverage.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
ActivTrades vs. Questrade: which has lower trading costs? For forex, ActivTrades tends to be cheaper on average. Its EUR/USD average spread was 0.98 pips (May 2024), which is slightly better than the industry average, though not the very lowest available. Questrade uses spread-only pricing; while it advertises spreads from 0.8 pips, typical averages we observed were closer to 2.1–2.5 pips—meaning higher all-in costs for most trades. For commissions and fees, ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #21 out of 63 brokers, while Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #33 out of 63.
ActivTrades keeps things straightforward: one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic (swap-free) options, with the same spreads across account types. There’s no special pricing for high-volume or “active” traders. As with any broker, spreads can widen during quieter times like rollover, and your final cost depends on the asset and platform you use. Still, that 0.98-pip EUR/USD average helps keep routine forex trades reasonably priced.
Questrade bakes its forex costs into the spread instead of charging a separate commission. In practice, that often works out to about 2 pips on major pairs—roughly $20 per standard-lot trade—higher than many low-cost rivals. For CFDs, Questrade adds a $9.95 USD fee per unit when you open and again when you close the position. For example, buying one Tesla CFD might have only a $0.05 spread, but you’d still pay $19.95 in fees round trip, plus any overnight financing (about $2.23 for a month in the example)—meaning you’d need a gain of over 6% just to break even.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ActivTrades vs Questrade: for range of investments, ActivTrades lists 1,267 tradeable symbols, while Questrade offers 675. Both support forex trading (via CFDs or spot contracts), but Questrade has the larger currency menu with 110 forex pairs versus 49 at ActivTrades. Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares as actual exchange-traded securities, yet ActivTrades does provide access to certain international exchange-traded shares, which Questrade does not.
Feature-wise, ActivTrades includes copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs; Questrade offers neither, and neither broker supports buying delivered cryptocurrency. Independent ratings from ForexBrokers.com reflect these differences: Questrade earns 5 stars and ranks #12 of 63 for Range of Investments, while ActivTrades receives 4 stars and ranks #25. If you want more forex pairs, Questrade stands out; if you want more overall instruments plus international shares, copy trading, and crypto CFDs, ActivTrades may fit better.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Comparing trading platforms and tools, both ActivTrades and Questrade check key boxes: each offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Both also let you place trades directly from charts. Where they differ is depth of choice: ActivTrades adds copy trading plus access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, options that Questrade does not provide.
On performance, each broker earns 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades ranks #26 of 63 brokers in this category, while Questrade ranks #28. If you value MetaTrader and copy trading, ActivTrades has the edge; if you’re fine with a proprietary platform without those extras, Questrade is a close alternative.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto‑saved chart annotations. The key differences come down to watchlists and charting depth: Questrade syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and the web platform, while ActivTrades does not. For charting, Questrade provides 64 technical studies compared with ActivTrades’ 30, which may appeal to traders who lean heavily on indicators.
In overall app quality, ActivTrades holds a slight edge: it’s rated 4 stars and ranked #21 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps by ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade earns 3.5 stars and ranks #28. If synced watchlists and a larger set of indicators matter most, Questrade fits the bill; if you want a higher‑rated app experience with all the core tools like alerts and drawing features, ActivTrades is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In an ActivTrades vs Questrade market research comparison, ActivTrades delivers daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Questrade does not provide those four features. By contrast, Questrade includes third-party research from Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, which ActivTrades does not offer. Neither broker provides tools from Acuity Trading.
Overall results reflect these trade-offs: ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks 26th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks 34th. If you want daily commentary, major-source forex news, sentiment insights, and an economic calendar, ActivTrades is the stronger fit. If you prefer well-known third‑party technical and fundamental tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, Questrade may suit you better.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing ActivTrades vs Questrade for beginner trading education, ActivTrades stands out for hands-on learning: it hosts client webinars at least monthly and provides 10+ beginner video lessons, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. Questrade does not offer monthly client webinars and does not meet the 10-video threshold for beginner or advanced topics. The available data doesn’t confirm whether either broker offers 10 or more forex- or CFD-focused education pieces.
Ratings and rankings are mixed. ActivTrades earns 4 stars for Education, while Questrade earns 3.5 stars. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks Questrade slightly higher overall for Education (#28 of 63) than ActivTrades (#30 of 63). If you want frequent webinars and a deeper video library geared to newcomers, ActivTrades is the stronger pick. If you prioritize a broker with a marginally higher third-party education rank, consider Questrade.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than Questrade. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
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Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 |
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ActivTrades vs Questrade: ActivTrades offers cryptocurrency CFD trading, whereas Questrade does not, and neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
ActivTrades vs Questrade: for account funding and withdrawals, both brokers do not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal, both support bank wire transfers, only ActivTrades offers Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Questrade Review |
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