Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Pepperstone 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.
Pepperstone vs Questrade: Pepperstone was founded in 2010 and Questrade in 2000. Neither broker is publicly traded or a bank. On the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, Pepperstone earns 94/99 (highly trusted), while Questrade scores 85/99 (trusted).
In terms of financial regulation, Pepperstone holds 3 Tier-1 licenses—considered highly trusted—and 2 Tier-2 licenses—considered trusted. Questrade holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. This difference may matter if you value broader oversight and licensing when choosing between these online brokers.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
Pepperstone comes out ahead of Questrade for commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders. Pepperstone’s Razor account uses commission-based pricing and can be very low cost, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips plus a commission equivalent of 0.70 pips, for an all-in cost of about 0.80 pips. Its Standard account is commission-free, but the spread is wider at about 1.1 pips on EUR/USD, making it the pricier choice overall. Pepperstone also offers an Active Trader program that can reduce costs further for higher-volume clients. Pepperstone is rated 5 stars and ranked #5 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Questrade Global uses spread-only pricing for forex, so there is no separate trading commission, but the spread itself can be relatively wide. While Questrade says spreads may start as low as 0.8 pips in normal market conditions, typical major-pair spreads were closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips in review, which can make trading more expensive in practice. On CFDs, Questrade also adds a $9.95 USD fee per unit, which can push total trading costs up quickly. Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #35 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, Pepperstone is the better pick if keeping trading costs low is a top priority, especially for forex traders who qualify for its volume-based discounts. Questrade may still appeal to some traders who prefer spread-only pricing, but its wider spreads and added CFD fees make it less competitive on cost.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Pepperstone and Questrade both let you trade forex, but they differ in the overall mix of products they offer. Pepperstone lists 2,631 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while Questrade offers 675 tradeable symbols and 110 forex pairs. Neither broker lets clients buy real shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so if you want to purchase stocks like Apple or Vodafone directly, neither platform is set up for that.
For extra trading features, Pepperstone has more options. It supports copy trading, and it also offers both actual cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs, which Questrade does not provide. Even so, Questrade gets the stronger range-of-investments score overall, with 5 stars and a #12 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with Pepperstone’s 4 stars and #23 ranking. In short, Pepperstone gives access to more trading tools and crypto choices, while Questrade stands out for its forex pair selection and higher category rating.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2631 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
Pepperstone and Questrade both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including a free demo account for paper trading, their own in-house platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based platform. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which is helpful for quick order placement and easier analysis. On top of that, both score 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, showing that each offers a solid trading experience for everyday users.
The main difference is in the range of trading tools and third-party platforms. Pepperstone stands out by offering copy trading plus MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which can appeal to traders who want more charting and automation options. Questrade does not offer copy trading, MT4, or MT5, so its platform lineup is more limited in that area. Still, Questrade’s platform tools are enough for many investors, though Pepperstone ranks higher in this category overall, coming in at #21 compared with Questrade’s #30 out of 36 brokers.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock or forex price alerts and watchlist symbol syncing between the app and online account. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings, making it easier to follow trading ideas across devices. For everyday mobile trading features, the two brokers are closely matched on the basics.
The main difference comes down to charting depth and overall mobile app ratings. Questrade offers 64 technical studies in its mobile charts, compared with 30 at Pepperstone, which may appeal to traders who want more built-in analysis tools. On the other hand, Pepperstone has the higher Mobile Trading Apps rating at 4 out of 5 stars, while Questrade scores 3.5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking of 36 brokers, Pepperstone places higher at #19, versus Questrade at #30.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Pepperstone has a clear edge over Questrade for market research. It offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Reuters and Bloomberg, a sentiment tool that shows long and short position ratios, and an economic calendar with key global events. Pepperstone is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, making it a strong choice for traders who want timely market updates and a simple way to track trading sentiment.
Questrade, while not offering daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier wire services, sentiment data, or an economic calendar, does stand out with research tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks. These features may appeal to traders looking for chart-based signals and stock research support. Still, Questrade is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #36 out of 36, so Pepperstone is the better overall pick for broader market research coverage.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Pepperstone is the stronger choice for beginners looking for learning support. It offers forex and CFDs education, regular online client webinars at least once a month, and a wide range of beginner videos, with more than 10 focused on trading basics. It also provides more advanced video content for traders who want to keep learning as they gain experience. These offerings help Pepperstone earn a 4.5-star Education rating and a #15 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com.
Questrade also offers education, but it is lighter in the areas most useful for new traders. Based on the available information, it does not match Pepperstone’s level of forex or CFDs learning content, does not host monthly educational webinars, and does not provide at least 10 beginner or advanced trading videos. Its Education score is 3.5 stars, and it ranks #30 out of 36 brokers. For beginners who want more guided learning resources, Pepperstone has the clear edge.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 Pepperstone is better than Questrade. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
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Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 85 |
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Pepperstone offers both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade does not support either actual crypto purchases or crypto CFDs.
Pepperstone vs Questrade: Pepperstone supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, while Questrade (from these methods) offers bank wires only and does not support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or 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 | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2631 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Questrade Review |
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