Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Tickmill 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.
Tickmill vs. Questrade: Tickmill was founded in 2014, while Questrade dates back to 2000. Neither broker is publicly traded, and neither operates as a bank.
Both brokers hold a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 85/99, placing them in the “trusted” 80–89 range (90–99 highly trusted; 70–79 average risk; 60–69 high risk; below 59 not trusted). For regulation, Tickmill holds two Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted regulators) plus two Tier-2 licenses (trusted), whereas Questrade holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. In short, both are trusted, with Tickmill showing a wider set of regulatory approvals.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
Tickmill comes out ahead of Questrade on commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders. Tickmill offers two account types: Classic, which is commission-free but has wider spreads, and Raw, which has lower spreads plus a commission of $3 per side per standard lot. Even with that recent increase, Tickmill still keeps trading costs fairly low overall, and its Raw account starts at just $100. Tickmill is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #10 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Questrade takes a different approach by building its trading cost into the spread instead of charging a separate forex commission. While Questrade says spreads can start as low as 0.8 pips in normal market conditions, real-world pricing for major pairs has been closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips, which can make trades more expensive. For CFDs, Questrade also adds a $9.95 USD fee per unit, and overnight financing can raise costs further. Questrade is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #33 out of 36 brokers.
In simple terms, Tickmill is usually the better pick if you want lower trading costs and more transparent pricing, while Questrade may be less competitive for active forex and CFD trading. If keeping fees low is your main goal, Tickmill has the stronger value overall.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.70 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 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 it comes to range of investments, Questrade offers a wider selection than Tickmill. Questrade lists 675 tradeable symbols and 110 forex pairs, compared with Tickmill’s 637 symbols and 62 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, and in both cases it is offered as a CFD or spot contract. Neither broker lets you buy real shares on U.S. or international exchanges, so you cannot purchase stocks like Apple or Vodafone directly through either platform.
There are also some key differences beyond forex. Tickmill offers copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade does not offer either feature. Neither broker supports buying actual cryptocurrency. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s range of investments rating, Questrade scores higher at 5 stars and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers, while Tickmill is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #30 out of 36. In simple terms, Questrade has the broader investment menu, while Tickmill has a few extra trading tools.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 62 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Tickmill and Questrade both give traders a choice of desktop and web-based platforms, plus free demo accounts for practice trading. Each also lets users place trades directly from charts, and both earn a 4-star rating for trading platforms and tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Tickmill places higher in this category at #24 out of 36 brokers, while Questrade ranks #28.
The biggest differences come down to platform options. Tickmill supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading, which may appeal to traders who want familiar third-party tools and the option to follow other traders. Questrade stands out for offering its own in-house platform, but it does not support MT4, MT5, or copy trading. Both brokers offer a Windows desktop download and a browser platform, so the main choice is whether you want Tickmill’s extra trading tools or Questrade’s proprietary platform.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 97 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Tickmill and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and both let users sync watchlists between the mobile app and their online account. This makes it easy to keep track of the same symbols across devices. Each app also supports drawing trendlines on charts, which is helpful for traders who want to study price movement on the go.
When it comes to mobile trading tools, Tickmill has the edge in charting, offering 97 technical studies compared with Questrade’s 64. Tickmill also earns a stronger mobile app rating at 4 stars and ranks #25 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category, while Questrade holds 3.5 stars and ranks #28. Questrade does have one useful feature Tickmill lacks: price alerts for stocks or forex. Another key difference is that Questrade auto-saves chart drawings, while Tickmill does not.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 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, Tickmill has a slight edge over Questrade. Tickmill offers daily market commentary, research tools from Acuity Trading such as Signal Centre, and an economic calendar with current and upcoming global events. It does not provide top-tier forex news, Autochartist, Trading Central, or sentiment tools, but it still earns a stronger research score overall, with 4 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #19 out of 36 brokers.
Questrade also has useful research features, including Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, which can help traders spot ideas and follow market moves. However, it does not offer daily market commentary, an economic calendar, Acuity Trading tools, or top-tier forex news, and it lacks a sentiment tool as well. Its research rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars, with a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #34 out of 36, putting it behind Tickmill for market research.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to learning support for beginners, Tickmill has a clear edge over Questrade. Tickmill offers forex and CFDs education with enough material to meet the basic standard of at least 10 related educational pieces, and it also provides monthly online client webinars. In addition, beginners can find at least 10 beginner-focused videos, along with 10 or more advanced videos for traders who want to keep learning later on. That wider mix of lessons and live sessions helps make Tickmill a stronger choice for new traders who want more guidance as they get started.
Questrade also offers some educational content, but it falls behind Tickmill in several important areas for beginners. It does not provide monthly webinars, and it does not appear to offer at least 10 beginner videos or 10 advanced videos focused on trading topics. Reflecting this difference, Tickmill is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers, while Questrade is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #28. For beginners looking for more ways to learn at their own pace, Tickmill stands out as the stronger option.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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 Tickmill is better than Questrade. Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #23, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
Tickmill is a run-of-the-mill MetaTrader broker that offers a limited selection of tradeable securities. The broker does offer very competitive commission-based pricing for professionals through its VIP and Pro accounts.
| Feature |
Tickmill
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Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 85 |
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Tickmill vs Questrade: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but Tickmill offers cryptocurrency CFD trading while Questrade does not.
Tickmill vs Questrade: for deposit and withdrawal methods, neither broker supports ACH or SEPA transfers, both accept bank wire transfers, and only Tickmill offers PayPal and Skrill, while Questrade does not.
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 | Tickmill | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Tickmill | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| 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) | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 62 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). |
| Cost | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.70 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $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 | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Tickmill | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Tickmill | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Questrade Review |
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