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CMC Markets vs Questrade 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Questrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

CMC Markets
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 12029
Questrade
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $250
  • Trust Score: 85
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 641

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.

Regulation

Comparing CMC Markets vs Questrade: CMC Markets was founded in 1989 and is publicly traded, while Questrade launched in 2000 and is privately held. Neither company is a bank. If you value long operating history and public disclosure, CMC Markets has the edge; if you prefer a private Canadian broker, Questrade may appeal.

On regulation and trust, CMC Markets holds 6 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, while Questrade holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. According to ForexBrokers.com, Tier-1 regulators are highly trusted. CMC Markets earns a Trust Score of 99/99 (highly trusted, 90–99), and Questrade scores 85/99 (trusted, 80–89), reflecting strong oversight for both, with CMC Markets rated higher overall.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Year Founded info 1989 2000
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 6 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 0

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees, CMC Markets generally comes in cheaper than Questrade. CMC Markets is rated 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees, while Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #33 out of 63. If keeping trading costs low is your priority, CMC Markets has a clear edge.

CMC Markets’ typical EUR/USD spread is about 0.61 pips (Aug 2023). Its FX Active plan charges $2.50 per side with minimum spreads of 0, delivering about a 0.5-pip all‑in cost on EUR/USD and several other major pairs. The Price Plus Scheme also offers volume-based discounts; for example, very high monthly volumes (around 1,250 standard lots) can unlock a 20% spread discount at Tier 4. CMC’s averages tend to track close to its advertised minimums, which helps keep real-world costs predictable.

Questrade’s target spread on EUR/USD is 1.9 pips, which is pricey compared with many competitors. For active forex traders, that higher spread can add up quickly versus CMC Markets’ lower all-in pricing.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Minimum Deposit info $0 $250
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.3 info N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info N/A
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

CMC Markets vs. Questrade: When it comes to the range of investments, CMC Markets lists 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with Questrade’s 641 symbols and 110 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot and provide access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets (e.g., Apple) and international exchanges (e.g., Vodafone). Each offers cryptocurrency exposure through CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual coins. A key difference: CMC Markets supports copy trading, while Questrade does not.

Both earned 5 stars for Range of Investments from ForexBrokers.com, with CMC Markets ranked 9th out of 63 brokers and Questrade ranked 12th. If you want the broadest selection and copy trading, CMC Markets has the edge; if your focus is U.S. and international stocks, forex, and crypto CFDs, Questrade still covers the essentials.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 12029 641
Forex Pairs (Total) info 141 110
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

CMC Markets vs Questrade on trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free paper-trading demo accounts, proprietary in-house platforms, a web platform and a Windows desktop platform, plus the ability to place trades directly from a chart. That makes it easy to test strategies and trade from either a browser or a downloadable app.

Where they differ: CMC Markets adds copy trading and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Questrade does not offer copy trading or MetaTrader. Independent ratings reflect the gap: for Trading Platforms and Tools, CMC Markets earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade scores 4 stars and ranks #28. If you want MetaTrader or copy trading alongside a strong in-house platform, CMC Markets is the better fit; if you only need a broker-built platform with web and desktop access, Questrade still covers the basics.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 73 64
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Comparing CMC Markets vs Questrade for mobile trading, both brokers check the core boxes: iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and watchlists that sync with your online account. Each app lets you draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves your drawings, making it easy to pick up where you left off. If you want a mobile trading app with essential tools, either platform will cover you.

The main differences are in charting depth and overall app acclaim. Questrade offers more technical studies (64) than CMC Markets (29), appealing to traders who rely on a wide selection of indicators. However, CMC Markets earns higher marks for its mobile experience, rated 5 stars and ranked #5 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade is rated 4 stars and ranked #28. Choose Questrade for a bigger indicator library, or CMC Markets for higher-rated app performance.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 29 64
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

In a CMC Markets vs Questrade research comparison, CMC stands out for in-platform coverage: it delivers daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources (e.g., Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones), a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, Autochartist, and an economic calendar. Questrade skips daily commentary and lacks a sentiment tool, but offers Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, and an economic calendar. Forex news from top-tier wires with Questrade isn’t specified. Neither broker provides research from Acuity Trading.

Bottom line: CMC Markets is rated 5/5 for Research and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade earns 3.5/5 and ranks #34. Choose CMC Markets if you want built-in news flow, commentary, and sentiment data; pick Questrade if Trading Central and TipRanks are priorities alongside Autochartist.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info No Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes No
TipRanks info No Yes
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

New to trading? Both CMC Markets and Questrade give beginners a helpful starting point with at least 10 beginner-focused videos that explain key trading topics in simple terms. The details provided don’t confirm whether either broker meets the specific threshold of 10+ forex- or CFD-only lessons, but both offer beginner-friendly video libraries to help you learn the basics at your own pace.

CMC Markets goes further for skill-building, offering 10+ advanced trading videos, while Questrade does not meet that advanced-video threshold. Neither broker runs monthly educational webinars. Independent ratings favor CMC Markets: it earns 5 stars for Education and ranks 10th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Questrade’s 3.5-star score and 28th-place ranking. For most beginners who want education that grows with them, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; if you only need basic starter videos, Questrade still fits the bill.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Webinars info No No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that CMC Markets is better than Questrade. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.

CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
Questrade logoQuestrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with CMC Markets or Questrade?

CMC Markets vs Questrade: neither broker allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency trading via CFDs.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Online broker CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal for deposits and withdrawals (Questrade supports neither), both CMC Markets and Questrade allow bank wire transfers, neither supports Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability was not specified.




announcementPlease 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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Compare

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Overall Rating CMC Markets Questrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Winner check_circle
Review CMC Markets Review Questrade Review
Broker Screenshots CMC Markets Questrade
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation CMC Markets Questrade
Trust Score info 99 85
Year Founded info 1989 2000
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No
Tier-1 Licenses info 6 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) CMC Markets Questrade
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info Yes No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) CMC Markets Questrade
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info No
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No
Investments CMC Markets Questrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 12029 641
Forex Pairs (Total) info 141 110
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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 CMC Markets Questrade
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.3 info N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info N/A
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info No Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes No
Funding CMC Markets Questrade
Minimum Deposit info $0 $250
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms CMC Markets Questrade
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools CMC Markets Questrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 73 64
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading CMC Markets Questrade
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 29 64
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research CMC Markets Questrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info No Yes
TipRanks info No Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education CMC Markets Questrade
Webinars info No No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs CMC Markets Questrade
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review CMC Markets Review Questrade Review
Overall CMC Markets Questrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Winner check_circle
Review CMC Markets Review Questrade Review
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