Interactive Brokers vs Questrade 2025

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

Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, and Questrade, established in 2000, are both well-known online brokers. However, they differ significantly in their regulatory standings. Interactive Brokers boasts an impressive ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, reflecting its highly trusted status. This is supported by its nine Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, further emphasizing its credibility on a global scale. In contrast, Questrade, which holds a Trust Score of 86, is also considered trusted but not at the same level. It has two Tier-1 licenses but lacks Tier-2 licenses, indicating a narrower regulatory framework.

Neither of these companies functions as a bank, and while Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, Questrade remains privately held. This organizational difference may appeal to different types of investors seeking either the transparency of a public company or the agility of a private one. Overall, in terms of regulatory trust and trading transparency, Interactive Brokers stands out as a leader, whereas Questrade offers a reliable option with a solid trust score and essential licensing.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Year Founded info	1977	2000
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	2
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	0

Fees

Interactive Brokers charges low, transparent commissions that tend to beat spread-only pricing. It earned 5/5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while Questrade scored 3/5 stars and ranks #33 out of 63. In short, cost-focused forex traders are likely to find Interactive Brokers cheaper than Questrade.

Interactive Brokers doesn’t publish average spreads, but in Q3 2024 the EUR/USD averaged 0.19 pips, with an estimated all-in cost around 0.59 pips after commission. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the USD trade value per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), and can drop to 0.08 basis points for very active traders. A $100,000 EUR/USD round trip works out to roughly 0.40 pips in commission on top of the spread. Note that the $2 minimum makes smaller-than-100k trades proportionally pricier. IBKR aggregates quotes from 17 major banks and charges commission instead of marking up the spread, with typical costs of $16–$40 per million round turn ($8–$20 per side). High-volume traders can qualify for lower minimums ($1.50 per order above $1B monthly volume, down to $1 at $5B), and large tickets can be handled via RFQ. IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro support forex but are not commission-free.

Questrade’s target EUR/USD spread is 1.9 pips, which is high versus industry averages and can add up quickly for active traders. Compared directly, Questrade’s pricing is generally more expensive than the commission-based model at Interactive Brokers, especially on frequent or larger trades.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$250
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 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	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers vs. Questrade: both earn 5 stars for Range of Investments from ForexBrokers.com, yet Interactive Brokers ranks #1 out of 63 brokers while Questrade is #12. Both brokers offer forex trading and access to exchange-traded stocks on U.S. markets (like Apple) and international exchanges (like Vodafone), and neither supports copy trading. The size of the lineup differs, though: Interactive Brokers lists 8,500 tradeable symbols compared with Questrade’s 641.

For currency traders, Questrade provides 110 forex pairs versus 90 at Interactive Brokers. Crypto access tilts the other way: Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs, while Questrade limits crypto to CFDs. If your priority is the widest overall menu of assets, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice; if you want a larger selection of forex pairs, Questrade has an edge there.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	641
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	110
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	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

Interactive Brokers and Questrade both deliver proprietary trading platforms on the web and as Windows desktop downloads, and each offers free paper trading to practice without risking real money. Both also let you place trades directly from a chart. However, neither broker supports copy trading, and neither integrates MetaTrader platforms (no MT4 or MT5).

When it comes to trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers at 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers, while Questrade earns 4 stars and ranks #28. If platform strength and tool variety are your priority, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead; if you want an accessible web and desktop setup with chart trading and a demo account, Questrade is a capable alternative.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
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	No	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	64
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and Questrade both deliver full-featured mobile trading on iPhone and Android, with price alerts and watchlists that sync between the app and your online account. Each app lets you draw trendlines on charts. In third‑party testing from ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Questrade earned 4 stars and ranked #28.

For charting, Interactive Brokers offers 97 built-in technical studies compared with 64 at Questrade, which will appeal to traders who rely on more indicators. However, Questrade stands out by auto‑saving your chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. If you want a larger set of studies, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you value the convenience of drawings that save automatically, Questrade may suit you better.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
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	97	64
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers edges out Questrade for market research. IBKR earns 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #34. If you want more built-in research and news coverage, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick.

Interactive Brokers provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), Trading Central tools, a sentiment gauge showing long/short positioning, TipRanks insights, Acuity Trading tools, and an economic calendar. Questrade lacks daily commentary and a sentiment tool, and it does not specify integrated top-tier forex news; however, it offers Autochartist and Trading Central, includes TipRanks, and provides an economic calendar.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers vs. Questrade for beginner education: both offer at least 10 beginner-friendly trading videos. Interactive Brokers adds ongoing live learning with client webinars at least once a month, while Questrade does not host monthly webinars. For growing traders, Interactive Brokers also provides at least 10 advanced videos, whereas Questrade falls short on advanced coverage. The provided information does not confirm whether either broker offers a full set of forex or CFD education (10+ topic-specific pieces).

Independent ratings underline the gap: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Questrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #28. If you want frequent live sessions and deeper video learning as you progress, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you only need basic videos, Questrade covers the essentials.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Webinars info	Yes	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 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	Questrade
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	86
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	86
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	Questrade Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Trust Score info	99	86
Year Founded info	1977	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	9	2
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	0

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info	Yes	No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info	Yes	No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	No

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	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	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info		No

Investments	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	641
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	110
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	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	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	N/A
Inactivity Fee info	No	No
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	No

Funding	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$250
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	64
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Interactive Brokers	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	97	64
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	Yes
Client sentiment data info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Webinars info	Yes	No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	No

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	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	Interactive Brokers Review	Questrade Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	Questrade
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	86
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	Questrade Review