Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Questrade vs IFC Markets, 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 (founded 2000) and IFC Markets (founded 2006) are online brokers that are privately held and not banks. Each holds one Tier-1 regulatory license (highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and no Tier-2 licenses.
On ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, Questrade earns 85/99 (trusted), while IFC Markets earns 73/99 (average risk). With the same number of top-tier licenses but a higher Trust Score, Questrade edges IFC Markets on overall regulatory standing.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2000 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Questrade is more expensive for many traders because its costs are built into the spread rather than charged as a separate commission. Forex spreads can start at 0.8 pips under normal market conditions, but real-world averages for major pairs were closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips at the time of review, which can make trading costlier than with low-spread competitors. CFD trading can also add up quickly, since Questrade charges a $9.95 USD fee per unit on top of the spread and any overnight financing costs. Questrade is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #35 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
IFC Markets offers more flexible pricing, especially for active traders. Its standard EUR/USD spread averages 1.44 pips, which is a bit higher than the industry average, but its ECN account can bring the effective spread down to around 1.1 pips after the 0.005% commission is factored in on both sides of the trade. A plus for cost-conscious traders is that IFC Markets does not charge inactivity fees, and it also offers active trader discounts. IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #34 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Overall, IFC Markets has a slight edge over Questrade in the commissions and fees category, mainly because of its lower effective costs on active trading accounts and the lack of inactivity fees. Questrade may be simple to understand because its pricing is spread-based, but its wider spreads and higher CFD charges can make it more expensive in practice.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 or higher | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to investment choice, Questrade offers a broader selection of tradeable markets than IFC Markets. Questrade lists 675 tradeable symbols and 110 forex pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but neither lets clients buy actual U.S.-listed shares or delivered cryptocurrency.
There are also key differences in what each broker adds beyond forex. IFC Markets supports international exchange-traded securities, copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade does not offer these options. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments scoring, Questrade earns 5 stars and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #33, making Questrade the stronger choice overall for investment variety.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 675 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 110 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | Yes |
| Disclaimers |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Questrade and IFC Markets both give traders a choice of a free demo account, an in-house platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Each broker also lets users place trades directly from a chart, which can make it easier to act quickly while reviewing price action. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, both are rated 4 out of 5 stars, with Questrade ranked #30 out of 36 brokers and IFC Markets ranked #32.
The main differences come down to trading extras. IFC Markets supports copy trading and offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Questrade does not. That makes IFC Markets a better fit for traders who want the familiar MetaTrader experience or the option to follow other traders. Questrade may still appeal to users who want a simple platform setup and direct chart trading, but IFC Markets has the edge for platform variety and social trading features.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Questrade and IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with helpful features like price alerts, watchlist syncing, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. This means both brokers give traders a convenient way to follow the market and keep their mobile and online watchlists aligned. For everyday use, each app covers the basics well and should work for traders who want to manage trades on the go.
Where Questrade stands out is charting depth: its mobile app includes 64 technical studies, compared with 30 at IFC Markets. Questrade is also rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #30 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars but ranks #37 out of 36 in the same category. So, Questrade offers more chart tools, while IFC Markets gets a slightly higher star rating.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing Questrade vs IFC Markets for market research, IFC Markets has an edge in a few useful areas for active traders. It offers daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with upcoming global events. Questrade does not include daily commentary or an economic calendar, but it does provide research help from Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, which can be valuable for chart analysis, trade ideas, and stock research.
Neither broker offers forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and neither provides research tools from Acuity Trading. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research category, both Questrade and IFC Markets are rated 3.5 out of 5 stars, but IFC Markets ranks slightly higher at #33 out of 36 brokers, compared with Questrade at #36. Overall, IFC Markets is better for traders who want more built-in market updates, while Questrade stands out for its third-party research tools.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning tools, IFC Markets has the edge over Questrade. IFC Markets offers at least 10 beginner trading videos and at least 10 advanced videos, while Questrade does not meet those marks. Neither broker offers monthly educational webinars, and both are rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education. However, Questrade does not appear to provide enough forex or CFD-focused education to meet the minimum threshold, while IFC Markets does offer forex or CFD education with at least 10 related learning pieces.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, IFC Markets also ranks slightly higher, placing #26 out of 36 brokers compared with Questrade at #30. For beginners who want more video-based lessons and more forex or CFD learning material, IFC Markets is the stronger choice. Questrade still offers some educational value, but its learning library is more limited for traders just starting out.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 IFC Markets. Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #36.
Earning an 85 Trust Score, Questrade Global is a secure, CIRO-regulated platform ideal for Canadians wanting forex and stocks in one place. However, with live EUR/USD spreads going as high as 2.1 to 2.5 pips, cost-conscious day traders might find better value with cheaper alternatives.
| Feature |
Questrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 73 |
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Questrade vs IFC Markets: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but while Questrade also does not offer cryptocurrency CFDs, IFC Markets does provide crypto CFD trading.
Questrade vs IFC Markets: both support bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, neither offers ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2000 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | |||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 675 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 110 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | Yes | |
| Disclaimers |
| Cost | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 or higher | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Education | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Questrade | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Questrade Review |
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