Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG 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.
Comparing IG and Questrade on trust and regulation: IG was founded in 1974, is publicly traded, and is a bank. It earns a 99/99 Trust Score from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the highly trusted 90–99 range. Questrade, founded in 2000, is not publicly traded and is not a bank, with an 85/99 Trust Score that sits in the trusted 80–89 range. For context, ForexBrokers.com classifies 70–79 as average risk, 60–69 as high risk, and below 59 as not trusted.
Regulatory coverage further separates the two: IG holds 8 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted), while Questrade holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. This broader top-tier oversight helps explain IG’s higher score, while Questrade still rates as trusted.
| Feature |
IG
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
IG comes out ahead of Questrade on commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders. IG is not a discount broker, but it offers competitive pricing through its Forex Direct DMA account and tiered active-trader rebates. In 2024, IG’s main Forex Direct pricing showed average EUR/USD spreads of 0.62 pips in July 2023, with an all-in cost of about 0.82 pips after commission. Its CFD spreads were also fairly tight, averaging 0.69 pips during the main trading session, though costs can rise during quieter market hours. IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Questrade takes a simpler approach by building its trading costs into the spread rather than charging a separate forex commission. While Questrade says spreads can start at 0.8 pips, real-world pricing reviewed at the time of writing was closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips on major currency pairs, which can make trades noticeably more expensive. For CFDs, Questrade adds a small spread plus a $9.95 USD trading fee per unit, and overnight financing costs can add even more. Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #35 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, IG is the better choice if low trading costs matter to you, particularly for frequent forex trading or larger orders. Questrade may appeal to traders who prefer a spread-only structure, but its typical costs are higher, especially for CFDs. For commissions and fees, IG offers the better value by a wide margin.
| Feature |
IG
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.91 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.82 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IG and Questrade both let traders access forex, but IG offers a much wider overall range of investments. IG lists 19,537 tradeable symbols, compared with 675 at Questrade, and it gives clients access to 97 forex pairs versus Questrade’s 110. Where IG stands out most is in market variety: it offers exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, plus both delivered cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs. Questrade, by contrast, does not offer direct access to U.S. or international exchange-traded securities, and it does not offer crypto trading.
Neither broker supports copy trading. For Range of Investments, both IG and Questrade are rated 5 out of 5 stars, but IG is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com, placing #4 out of 36 brokers compared with Questrade at #12. In simple terms, if you want more choice across shares, forex, and crypto-related products, IG has the broader selection, while Questrade offers a narrower lineup focused mainly on forex.
| Feature |
IG
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
IG and Questrade both give traders a good mix of platform choices, including free paper trading, their own in-house platforms, Windows desktop software, and browser-based trading. Each also lets you place trades directly from a stock chart, which can make active trading a little easier. Neither broker offers copy trading, so if you want to follow other traders automatically, you will need to look elsewhere.
Where IG stands out is in its extra platform support: it offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Questrade does not. That added flexibility helps explain why IG earns 5 out of 5 stars for trading platforms and tools and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Questrade still provides a solid trading setup, but it is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30, so IG is the stronger pick for traders who want more platform and tool options.
| Feature |
IG
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IG and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. This means traders can monitor markets, manage lists, and work with charts on the go using either platform. For everyday mobile trading features, the two brokers are very similar.
The main difference shows up in app quality and charting depth. IG offers 33 technical studies in its mobile app, while Questrade offers 64, giving Questrade the edge for chart-focused users. Even so, IG is rated 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #30. For a better overall mobile trading experience, IG comes out ahead.
| Feature |
IG
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IG has a clear edge over Questrade for market research. It offers daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long and short positioning, an economic calendar, and research from tools such as Autochartist, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading. By comparison, Questrade includes Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, but it does not provide daily commentary, top-tier forex news, sentiment data, or an economic calendar.
That stronger mix of news, analysis, and trading signals helps explain IG’s higher research rating of 5 stars and its #2 ranking out of 36 brokers for research. Questrade earns 3.5 stars and ranks #36, making IG the better choice overall for traders who want more market insight in one place.
| Feature |
IG
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing IG vs Questrade for beginner education, IG comes out well ahead. IG offers forex and CFD learning content, plus online educational client webinars at least once a month. It also has at least 10 beginner trading videos and at least 10 advanced videos, which gives new traders room to learn at their own pace and keep building skills over time. In ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #7 out of 36 brokers, showing that it is a strong choice for traders who want more learning support.
Questrade, by contrast, has a more limited education lineup for beginners. Based on the available information, it does not offer the same level of forex or CFD education, and it does not provide monthly educational webinars or 10-plus beginner and advanced trading videos in these areas. Questrade is rated 3.5 stars for Education and ranked #30 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, so while it may suit some users, IG is the better pick for beginners looking for more lessons, videos, and live learning opportunities.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 IG is better than Questrade. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
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Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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IG vs Questrade: IG allows investors to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas Questrade does not offer real crypto purchases or crypto CFDs.
IG vs Questrade: IG offers ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposit and withdrawal options, while Questrade supports bank wires only—no ACH/SEPA or PayPal—and neither broker supports Skrill.
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 | IG | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.91 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IG Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | IG | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Questrade Review |
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