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 is a bit more expensive than the industry average, though it still compares reasonably well with some larger forex brokers. Its EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips in April 2024, and retail clients do not get discounts. That said, eligible Professional clients may receive cash rebates, which can help lower costs for active traders. Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #25 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Questrade takes a different approach by building its trading costs into the spread, rather than charging a separate commission for forex trading. While Questrade says spreads can be as low as 0.8 pips in normal market conditions, real-world averages for major currency pairs were closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips, which can make trades cost more than expected. For CFDs, Questrade adds a $9.95 USD fee per unit on top of the spread, and overnight financing costs can also increase the bill. Questrade is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #34 out of 36 brokers.
Overall, Plus500 comes out ahead of Questrade on pricing, mainly because its costs are more predictable and generally lower for forex trading. Questrade may look simple at first because it uses spread-based pricing, but its wider spreads and added CFD fees can make it the pricier choice for many traders.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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 paper trading demo and a proprietary platform, plus a web-based platform you can use in your browser. Neither broker supports copy trading or MetaTrader 4 or 5. That makes them similar for traders who want simple access to online trading platforms and basic tools, along with a chance to practice before using real money.
The main difference is that Questrade also offers a Windows desktop download platform and lets you trade directly from a stock chart, while Plus500 does not. For Trading Platforms and Tools, Plus500 has the edge in expert ratings, with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a #14 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with Questrade’s 4 stars and #29 ranking. If you want a desktop app and more chart-based trading features, Questrade may be the better fit; if you prefer a browser-based setup with a higher overall platform score, Plus500 stands out.
| 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 make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. For everyday mobile trading needs, both apps cover the basics well and let you keep an eye on stocks or forex from your phone.
Where Plus500 stands out is in charting and overall app quality. Its mobile app offers 115 technical studies compared with Questrade’s 64, and it earns a higher Mobile Trading Apps rating of 4.5 stars versus Questrade’s 3.5 stars. Plus500 also ranks higher with ForexBrokers.com at #14 out of 36 brokers, while Questrade is #29. One drawback for Plus500 is that its mobile app does not auto-save drawings on charts, 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 take different approaches. Plus500 stands out with daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, Trading Central research, and an economic calendar for tracking major global events. Questrade does not offer daily market commentary or a sentiment tool, but it does include Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, which may appeal to traders who want more chart-based insights and stock-focused research.
Neither broker provides forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and neither offers Acuity Trading tools. Based on ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 earns a stronger research rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers, while Questrade scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #35. Overall, Plus500 offers the broader research package, while Questrade is better suited to traders looking for 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 learning support, Plus500 has the edge over Questrade. Plus500 offers forex and CFD education, regular client webinars, and plenty of video content for both new and experienced traders, including at least 10 beginner-friendly videos and 10 advanced videos. Questrade, by comparison, does not meet the same level of forex or CFD education and does not offer monthly educational webinars or the same depth of beginner and advanced video lessons.
That difference shows up in ratings and rankings as well. Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #26 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #28. For someone just starting out, Plus500 appears to offer more helpful learning tools and a wider range of education to get up to speed.
| 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 #14, 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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| 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) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 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 | 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 Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Questrade Review |
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