Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Questrade vs BDSwiss, 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.
Questrade, established in 2000, and BDSwiss, founded in 2012, are two well-known online brokers, though neither is publicly traded or operates as a bank. In terms of regulatory strength, Questrade holds two Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a recognized level of high trust, while BDSwiss holds one Tier-1 license, signifying a similar commitment to security at a slightly lesser tier. Unfortunately, neither broker holds any Tier-2 licenses.
Considering their Trust Scores from ForexBrokers.com, Questrade scores an 86 out of 99, marking it as a trusted brokerage service. On the other hand, BDSwiss scores a 73, which categorizes it as having an average risk. These ratings suggest that while both brokers offer reputable services, Questrade may provide a slightly more trusted option for investors prioritizing regulatory trust and licensing.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2000 | 2012 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Questrade offers a target spread on the EUR/USD at 1.9 pips, which is considered high compared to the industry average. This can influence trading costs for those frequently engaged in the EUR/USD market. Questrade is rated 3 stars out of 5 for commissions and fees and is ranked #58 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, BDSwiss provides various account options with different cost structures. The Classic account features a spread of 1.5 pips on the EUR/USD, which is costly compared to some competitors. However, the Raw account offers a more attractive spread of 0.3 pips paired with a $5 commission per side, effectively making it 1.3 pips, while the VIP account offers a spread of 1.2 pips. BDSwiss earns a 4-star rating for its commissions and fees and is ranked #30 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $250 | $10-$5000 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.3 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments offered by Questrade and BDSwiss, both brokers provide options for forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. However, Questrade offers 641 tradeable symbols and 110 forex pairs, while BDSwiss surpasses this with 1081 symbols but only 53 forex pairs. Unique to Questrade is the ability to invest in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing clients to directly purchase shares like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Vodafone (VOD-GB: London Stock Exchange). BDSwiss does not offer this capability but adds value with its copy trading option, which Questrade lacks. Both platforms provide access to cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrencies.
Questrade outshines BDSwiss in the range of investments, earning a 5-star rating compared to BDSwiss’s 4 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Questrade is ranked 11th among 63 brokers in the Range of Investments category, while BDSwiss holds the 34th position. These rankings highlight Questrade’s broader offering, despite BDSwiss having a higher number of total symbols for trading. This makes Questrade particularly appealing for investors seeking to diversify with traditional securities and more extensive forex options.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 641 | 1081 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 110 | 53 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
When comparing Questrade and BDSwiss, both brokers shine with their proprietary platforms and offer the convenience of Windows-based desktop and web-based trading environments. They cater to beginners with free demo accounts, allowing users to practice without risk. However, their offerings diverge in areas such as copy trading and support for popular third-party trading platforms. BDSwiss supports MT4 and MT5 and provides copy trading, appealing to those seeking community-driven trading strategies. Conversely, Questrade favors DupliTrade but lacks MT4 and MT5 integration, which might limit some traders who prefer these platforms.
In terms of charting tools, Questrade takes the lead with 20 drawing tools compared to BDSwiss's 15, both allowing traders to trade seamlessly from the charts themselves. For watch lists, Questrade is more customizable, offering 52 columns to BDSwiss's 7, providing traders with more flexibility in how they view and organize their trades. Despite these differences, both brokers are well-rated with four stars each for their trading platforms and tools, though BDSwiss holds a higher ranking of #24 compared to Questrade's #34 out of 63 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com for this category.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 52 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Questrade and BDSwiss offer solid mobile trading experiences for iPhone and Android users, with their apps featuring stock and forex price alerts. Questrade stands out by syncing watchlist symbols between its mobile app and client accounts, ensuring seamless updates across devices. Meanwhile, BDSwiss does not offer this feature. In terms of charting, Questrade provides 64 technical studies compared to BDSwiss's 30, giving traders more tools for analysis. Both apps support drawing trendlines and viewing multiple timeframes on charts, with auto-saving features for your drawings.
When it comes to creating watchlists with real-time quotes, both Questrade and BDSwiss have you covered. They each earn a commendable four-star rating for their mobile trading apps. However, BDSwiss edges slightly ahead in rankings by ForexBrokers.com by securing the 24th spot out of 63 brokers, while Questrade comes in at 34th. Whether you prioritize advanced charting options or overall rankings, both platforms offer satisfactory solutions for mobile traders.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research offerings, Questrade and BDSwiss provide varied experiences. Questrade doesn't include daily market commentary, leaving users to seek alternative sources for day-to-day insights. In contrast, BDSwiss delivers daily commentary, catering to traders who prefer staying informed with regular updates. Neither broker offers forex news from renowned sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, but they both provide technical and fundamental tools from Autochartist and Trading Central, ensuring traders have access to advanced analysis aids. However, only Questrade integrates market research from TipRanks, which could be appealing if you're seeking additional insights. Both platforms feature an economic calendar, aiding in strategic planning for market events.
Ranked #51 for research by ForexBrokers.com, Questrade garners a 3.5-star rating in this category, reflecting its moderate offerings. Meanwhile, BDSwiss shines with a 4-star rating and a commendable rank of #24, pointing to its stronger research capabilities. Despite lacking a sentiment-based trading tool and Acuity Trading tools, BDSwiss's provision of daily commentary and solid technical resources might appeal more to those who prioritize consistent market updates and analysis. Choosing between these brokers might depend on whether you value daily insights or specialized research tools.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational offerings for beginners between Questrade and BDSwiss, both online brokers provide a decent selection of resources related to forex and CFDs. Questrade and BDSwiss both offer more than 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and webinar archives, focusing on forex or CFDs. However, BDSwiss stands out by hosting monthly online educational webinars, a feature Questrade does not offer. Both platforms provide access to an archive of past webinars, which is a valuable resource for those eager to learn at their own pace.
For beginners, both brokers present at least 10 videos dedicated to introducing trading concepts. Yet, when looking at advanced educational content, BDSwiss offers more materials tailored toward experienced traders. Additionally, BDSwiss offers an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, which is absent in Questrade's offerings. In terms of education ratings, BDSwiss edges out with 4 stars compared to Questrade's 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, BDSwiss ranks #19 out of 63 brokers for educational resources, outperforming Questrade, which holds the #36 spot. This suggests that BDSwiss might be a more suitable choice for those seeking comprehensive educational support.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Questrade is better than BDSwiss. Questrade finished with an overall rank of #32, while BDSwiss finished with an overall rank of #36.
Regulated in both the U.S. and Canada, Questrade is a trusted full-service multi-asset broker now offering forex and CFDs alongside its stock trading services for active and passive investors. While its scope of educational resources and in-house research is limited, Questrade has an impressive platform lineup.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 73 |
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Both Questrade and BDSwiss do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies but offer the capability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives instead.
In comparing online brokers, Questrade and BDSwiss both support deposits and withdrawals via Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, while BDSwiss also offers additional flexibility with ACH, SEPA, and Skrill options, unlike Questrade, which does not provide these transfer methods.
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 | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Questrade Review | BDSwiss Review |
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| Regulation | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2000 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 641 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 110 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.3 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | No |
| Funding | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $250 | $10-$5000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 52 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Questrade Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Overall | Questrade | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Questrade Review | BDSwiss Review |
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