Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
Swissquote and Questrade are popular online brokers, each offering unique features and trustworthiness. Established in 1996, Swissquote has earned a reputation as a highly trusted broker with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, placing it in their most trusted category. Notably, Swissquote is a publicly traded company and operates as a bank. Enhancing its credibility, Swissquote holds five Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, both indicators of strong trust as per ForexBrokers.com's evaluation.
On the other hand, Questrade, founded in 2000, holds a Trust Score of 86, classifying it as trusted. Although not a publicly traded company or a bank like Swissquote, Questrade maintains a solid reputation in the industry with two Tier-1 licenses. This comparison highlights Swissquote's prominence as a highly trusted broker, while Questrade remains a well-regarded choice for many investors seeking reliability in their trading partners.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When comparing Swissquote and Questrade, both online brokers have distinct fee structures that cater to different types of traders. Swissquote, with its appeal of strong Swiss banking connections, charges slightly higher fees, reflecting the prestige of holding an account with a Swiss institution. The commissions and spreads vary depending on the entity you choose – Swissquote Ltd in the U.K., Swissquote Bank Ltd in Switzerland, or Swissquote Bank Europe SA in Luxembourg. In the U.K., lower costs are available with Swissquote, featuring premier options like the Elite account, which requires a $10,000 deposit and $5 per round-turn trade, offering competitive lower spreads. Conversely, Luxembourg and Swiss branches present a different pricing model with varying minimum deposits and spreads starting from 1.3 to 1.5 pips for standard accounts, making them less competitive cost-wise.
In comparison, Questrade offers slightly less competitive target spreads on the EUR/USD at 1.9 pips, which is above the industry average. Questrade's commissions and fees are straightforward but notably higher than many competitors. Looking at the broker ratings, Swissquote scores 3.5 out of 5 stars, ranking 53rd out of 63 brokers, while Questrade scores 3 stars, ranking lower at 58th in the same category.
Whether you prioritize the assurance that comes with a Swiss financial entity or prefer a straightforward fee schedule, both Swissquote and Questrade provide different value propositions. For those seeking lower entry thresholds with competitive spreads, Swissquote's U.K. accounts are worth considering, whereas Questrade might be suited for traders prioritizing simplicity despite the higher spread rate on major currency pairs.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $250 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Swissquote and Questrade are competitive choices in the world of online trading, both offering a wide array of investment options to cater to different investment needs. Swissquote provides access to 472 tradeable symbols, including 80 forex pairs, and supports both CFD and spot forex trading. It excels with offerings in U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, allowing clients to purchase shares like Apple and Vodafone. Swissquote stands out by also offering copy trading and the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, which adds a unique edge to its service portfolio.
Questrade, on the other hand, offers a larger selection of tradeable symbols with 641 options, including 110 forex pairs, also available as CFD or spot contracts. It, too, facilitates trading of U.S. and international exchange-traded securities but does not support copy trading or direct cryptocurrency purchases. While Questrade allows for cryptocurrency derivatives, it misses out on offering actual digital coins as an investment option. Both brokers shine with high ratings for their range of investments, each receiving 5 stars. However, Swissquote ranks higher at #2 compared to Questrade's #11 in the Range of Investments category according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 641 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 110 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Comparing Swissquote and Questrade reveals a variety of tools and options for traders of all levels. Both platforms offer a wide range of features such as simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, proprietary platforms developed in-house, and the convenience of Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based trading. However, Swissquote sets itself apart by offering the popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms, which Questrade does not. Additionally, Swissquote supports copy trading, giving users opportunities to follow successful traders, whereas Questrade does not provide this feature. On the other hand, Questrade users benefit from the unique offering of DupliTrade. Both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts, ensuring a user-friendly interface for quick decision-making.
In analyzing charting capabilities, Swissquote offers a larger selection of drawing tools with 75 options compared to Questrade's 20, giving traders more room for technical analysis. When it comes to customizing watch lists, Questrade leads with 52 columns or fields, surpassing Swissquote's 11. These differences are reflected in their ratings and rankings; Swissquote earns a slightly higher rating of 4.5 stars against Questrade's 4 stars for trading platforms and tools. In the ForexBrokers.com rankings, Swissquote is placed at #12 while Questrade ranks #34 out of 63 brokers, showcasing Swissquote's stronger emphasis and performance in trading technology.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 64 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 75 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 52 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Swissquote and Questrade both offer comprehensive mobile trading apps available on iPhone and Android, making them accessible for traders on the go. Both apps provide essential features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. They also support viewing multiple time frames and auto-saving chart drawings. A standout difference is in the syncing of watchlists; Questrade allows users to sync watchlist symbols across mobile and online accounts, while Swissquote does not offer this feature. However, both apps enable creating watchlists with real-time quotes.
When diving into technical analysis capabilities, Swissquote's app includes 30 technical studies, while Questrade offers a more extensive selection with 64. In terms of user ratings, Swissquote slightly edges out Questrade with a mobile trading app rating of 4.5 stars compared to Questrade's 4 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Swissquote is ranked 12th among 63 brokers for mobile trading apps, offering a higher-ranked trading experience compared to Questrade's 34th place. These distinctions highlight Swissquote's marginal advantage in mobile trading, although both apps serve as solid tools for the everyday trader.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing Swissquote and Questrade for market research capabilities, Swissquote shines with its daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. It also provides traders with tools from Autochartist and an economic calendar to keep track of global events that affect markets. On the other hand, Questrade does not offer daily market commentary or premium forex news, but it stands out with its tools from Trading Central and its access to TipRanks for market research insights. Both platforms offer economic calendars, ensuring traders are up to date with global news events.
Despite their differences, Swissquote is rated slightly higher than Questrade in research, earning a four-star rating while Questrade follows close behind with 3.5 stars. In terms of ranking among competitors, Swissquote holds the 16th position out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, whereas Questrade is ranked 51st. Traders interested in a comprehensive news offering and established research tools might prefer Swissquote, while those seeking tools from Trading Central and TipRanks might find Questrade more appealing.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner traders, Swissquote and Questrade both provide useful tools, but Swissquote tends to offer a more extensive range. Both platforms offer forex and CFDs education with an array of articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, Swissquote stands out by hosting monthly online client webinars, a service Questrade does not provide. Both brokers offer archives of these webinars for later viewing, making it easy for traders to access valuable insights at their convenience.
For video resources, Swissquote and Questrade provide at least 10 beginner-focused educational videos, but Swissquote also excels in offering the same quantity of advanced videos for more experienced traders, which Questrade lacks. Additionally, Swissquote offers an investor dictionary with over 50 terms, a resource not available with Questrade. Swissquote's commitment to education is further reflected in its 4-star rating in this category and its ranking of 21st out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared to Questrade's 3.5-star rating and 36th place ranking.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Swissquote is better than Questrade. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #32.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
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Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 |
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Swissquote stands out from Questrade by offering the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency in addition to cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Questrade only provides the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, Swissquote stands out with a broader range of deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH, SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas Questrade offers Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but lacks ACH, SEPA, PayPal, and Skrill options.
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 | Swissquote | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Questrade Review |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 641 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $250 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 52 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 64 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 75 | 20 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Swissquote Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Questrade Review |
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