Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
Plus500 vs Questrade: Plus500 (founded 2008) is a publicly traded online broker, while Questrade (founded 2000) is privately held. Neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 holds a Trust Score of 99 (90–99 = highly trusted), and Questrade scores 85 (80–89 = trusted).
Regulation and licenses: Plus500 holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, whereas Questrade holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. Since Tier-1 regulators are viewed as highly trusted and Tier-2 as trusted by ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 has a wider regulatory footprint, while Questrade remains in the trusted range.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Plus500 comes out ahead of Questrade for most everyday traders. Plus500’s pricing is slightly above the industry average, with EUR/USD spreads averaging 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the best low-cost forex brokers. It does not offer retail trading discounts, though eligible Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. Plus500 earns a 4.0-star rating for commissions and fees and is ranked #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Questrade takes a spread-based approach, meaning its trading costs are built into the price rather than charged as a separate commission for forex. While Questrade says spreads can start as low as 0.8 pips in normal market conditions, real-world averages for major pairs were closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips at the time of review, which can make trades more expensive than they first appear. For CFDs, Questrade adds a $9.95 USD trading fee per unit, so costs can rise quickly, especially on smaller trades. Questrade has a 3.5-star rating for commissions and fees and is ranked #35 out of 36 brokers.
In simple terms, Plus500 is the lower-cost choice of the two for many forex and CFD traders, while Questrade’s fees can be easier to underestimate because they are built into spreads and added trading charges. If keeping trading costs down is a priority, Plus500 generally offers the better value, although neither broker is among the very cheapest options in the market.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Plus500 and Questrade for range of investments, Plus500 offers the wider menu overall. It lists about 5,500 tradeable symbols, compared with 675 at Questrade, and it also gives access to exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international markets. Both brokers support forex trading, but Questrade offers more forex pairs at 110 versus 65 at Plus500. Plus500 also stands out for crypto traders because it lets clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade does not offer crypto CFDs or actual cryptocurrency.
In terms of overall ratings, Questrade edges ahead with 5 out of 5 stars for range of investments and a #12 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. Plus500 is close behind with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a #16 ranking. If you want the broader selection of markets and products, Plus500 is the stronger choice, but if your focus is forex pair variety, Questrade has the advantage.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Plus500 and Questrade both give traders a free demo account for paper trading, and each offers a proprietary platform plus a web-based trading experience. Neither broker supports copy trading or the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms. Where they differ is in desktop access: Questrade provides a Windows desktop download, while Plus500 does not. Questrade also lets users place trades directly from a stock chart, which can make active trading a little easier for some users.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, Plus500 has the edge in overall ratings and ranking. ForexBrokers.com gives Plus500 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks it #14 out of 36 brokers, while Questrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #30. In simple terms, both brokers cover the basics well, but Plus500 stands out for its stronger platform score, while Questrade may appeal to traders who want a desktop app and chart-based order entry.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing between the app and online account, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. That means either broker gives mobile traders the basics they need to follow the market and manage watchlists on the go.
Where Plus500 stands out is charting. Its mobile app includes 115 technical studies, compared with 64 for Questrade, which may appeal to traders who want more chart tools. Plus500 also has a higher mobile app rating at 4.5 out of 5 stars, versus 3.5 for Questrade, and it ranks better with ForexBrokers.com in the Mobile Trading Apps category, placing #14 out of 36 brokers compared with Questrade’s #30. One drawback for Plus500 is that its app does not auto-save chart drawings, while Questrade does.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Plus500 and Questrade offer different strengths. Plus500 provides daily market commentary, Trading Central tools, a sentiment tool for viewing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with global events. It does not offer forex news from major sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, and it does not include Autochartist or TipRanks. Questrade, on the other hand, does not provide daily market commentary or a sentiment tool, but it does offer Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks for added research support.
Overall, Plus500 has the edge in research, with a 4.5-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #16 out of 36 brokers for the category. Questrade trails behind with a 3.5-star research rating and a #36 ranking. If you want more built-in market updates and sentiment data, Plus500 may be the better fit, while Questrade is stronger for traders who value Autochartist and TipRanks.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, Plus500 stands out ahead of Questrade. Plus500 offers forex and CFDs learning content, monthly online client webinars, at least 10 beginner videos, and at least 10 advanced videos, giving new traders a wider mix of ways to learn. It also earns a 4.5-star Education rating and ranks #27 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, which points to a stronger overall education offering than Questrade.
Questrade provides fewer educational resources for beginners by comparison. Based on the information given, it does not meet the same level for forex or CFDs education, does not offer monthly educational webinars, and does not have at least 10 beginner or advanced trading videos. Its Education score is 3.5 stars, and it ranks #30 out of 36 brokers, making Plus500 the better choice for traders who want more learning support before getting started.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than Questrade. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #11, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
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Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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Plus500 vs Questrade: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but only Plus500 offers cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade offers neither real crypto nor crypto CFDs.
In a Plus500 vs Questrade comparison of deposit and withdrawal methods, both lack ACH/SEPA and support bank wire transfers, but only Plus500 also offers PayPal and Skrill (not available with Questrade).
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 | Plus500 | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Questrade | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Plus500 Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Questrade | |
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| Overall Rating |
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| Range of Investments |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Questrade Review |
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