Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Questrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Interactive Brokers vs Questrade: Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, is publicly traded and not a bank; Questrade, founded in 2000, is privately held and also not a bank.
On regulation, Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while Questrade holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. According to ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted), Interactive Brokers scores 99/99 (highly trusted) and Questrade scores 85/99 (trusted).
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of Questrade on commissions and fees, especially for forex trading. IBKR uses commission-based pricing rather than padding costs into the spread, and its EUR/USD pricing in Q3 2024 worked out to an effective all-in spread of about 0.59 pips after commission. For a standard $100,000 forex trade, that can mean a much lower total cost than many competitors, and active traders may see even lower charges as trading volume rises. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
Questrade, by contrast, is a spread-based broker, so the cost is built into the price you trade. While Questrade says spreads can start as low as 0.8 pips, real-world pricing for major pairs was closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips at the time of review. That can make a typical one-lot forex trade cost around $20, which is noticeably higher than IBKR’s usual all-in cost. Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #35 out of 36 in the commissions and fees category.
For traders who care most about keeping costs down, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick overall. It has lower forex trading costs, a transparent commission structure, and discounts for high-volume traders, while Questrade’s spread-only model can be more expensive on bigger trades. If you trade forex or CFDs often, the difference in fees can add up quickly.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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 the range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers a much wider menu than Questrade. Interactive Brokers gives clients access to about 8,500 tradeable symbols, including U.S. and international exchange-traded securities such as Apple and Vodafone shares, plus actual cryptocurrency and 100 forex pairs. Questrade also offers forex trading and slightly more forex pairs at 110, but its overall lineup is smaller, with about 675 tradeable symbols and no access to U.S. or international exchange-traded securities or actual cryptocurrency.
Neither broker offers copy trading or cryptocurrency CFDs, and both are rated 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments. Even so, the broader asset selection at Interactive Brokers helps explain why ForexBrokers.com ranks it #1 out of 36 brokers in this category, while Questrade sits at #12. For investors who want more choice across stocks, forex, and crypto, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 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) | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and Questrade both give traders a strong mix of platform choices, including a free paper trading account for practice, a broker-built platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based platform. Each also lets users place trades straight from a chart, which can make order entry faster and easier. Neither broker offers copy trading, MetaTrader 4, or MetaTrader 5, so traders looking for those tools will need to look elsewhere.
For trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers has the edge overall. It earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. In simple terms, both brokers cover the basics well, but Interactive Brokers stands out more for traders who want a more advanced platform experience and a wider set of tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. For traders who want more charting tools on the go, Interactive Brokers stands out with 155 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 64 at Questrade. One key difference is that Questrade automatically saves chart drawings in the app, while Interactive Brokers does not.
Overall, Interactive Brokers has the edge for mobile trading apps, earning 5 out of 5 stars and ranking #4 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Questrade still covers the basics well, but its mobile app scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #30 out of 36. If you want a mobile app with more charting depth and a higher expert rating, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing Interactive Brokers vs Questrade for market research, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead overall. It offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool for viewing long vs. short positioning, Acuity Trading research, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. It also includes Trading Central and TipRanks, which can help traders dig into technical and fundamental analysis. With a 5-star Research rating and a #3 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is a stronger choice for traders who want more market insight in one place.
Questrade also gives traders access to some helpful research features, including Trading Central, TipRanks, and Autochartist, but it does not offer daily market commentary, top-tier forex news, sentiment tools, Acuity Trading, or an economic calendar. Its 3.5-star Research rating and #36 ranking in ForexBrokers.com’s Research category show that it offers fewer market research resources overall. For traders who want a broader set of tools and more frequent market updates, Interactive Brokers has the edge over Questrade.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | 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 it comes to educational resources for beginners, Interactive Brokers has a clear edge over Questrade. Interactive Brokers offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces focused on those topics, along with monthly educational client webinars and a wide range of beginner videos, including 10 or more for new traders. It also provides 10 or more advanced videos for more experienced users, which can help traders keep learning as their skills grow. In ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 brokers.
Questrade, by comparison, offers fewer learning tools for new traders. It does not meet the same level of forex or CFD education, does not host monthly educational webinars, and does not appear to offer 10 or more beginner or advanced trading videos. Its Education rating is 3.5 stars, and it is ranked #30 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. For beginners who want more video lessons, live webinars, and topic-specific education, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than Questrade. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Questrade
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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In an Interactive Brokers vs Questrade comparison for crypto trading, Interactive Brokers allows purchases of actual delivered cryptocurrency, whereas Questrade does not; neither broker offers cryptocurrency CFDs.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, while Questrade lacks ACH/SEPA but supports bank wires; neither broker supports PayPal or 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 | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | 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 | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 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) | No | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | No |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Questrade Review |
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