Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB 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.
Comparing online brokers XTB vs Questrade for safety and regulation: XTB was founded in 2002 and is publicly traded, while Questrade was founded in 2000 and is privately held; neither company is a bank. According to the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score (0–99), 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted. XTB scores 96 (highly trusted), while Questrade scores 85 (trusted).
On licensing, XTB holds 2 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). Questrade holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. In plain terms, XTB has broader top-tier regulatory coverage, while Questrade meets strong standards but with fewer regulatory approvals.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
XTB scores better than Questrade on commissions and fees, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranking #13 out of 36 brokers for this category. XTB mainly uses a spread-only Standard account, while its commission-based Professional account is limited to eligible clients in the U.K. and Europe and is being phased out in many regions. In practice, XTB’s pricing is around the industry average, with EUR/USD spreads averaging 1 pip based on Q4 2023 data. The broker also offers an active trader discount through its Lower Spread Group, which can rebate 5% to 30% of the spread once monthly trading volume targets are met.
Questrade, by comparison, is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #34 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Questrade Global is a spread-only broker, so trading costs are built into the bid-ask spread rather than charged as a separate commission. While Questrade says spreads can start at 0.8 pips under normal market conditions, review data found major-pair spreads closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips, which can make trading more expensive in real terms. For CFDs, Questrade adds a $9.95 USD fee per unit on top of the spread, which can push total trading costs up quickly.
Overall, XTB comes out ahead for lower trading costs and better value, especially for retail forex traders using the Standard account. Questrade may still appeal to some traders who prefer spread-based pricing, but its wider spreads and added CFD fees make it less competitive on cost. If commissions and fees are a top priority, XTB is the stronger choice between the two.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.06 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.06 | 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.
XTB and Questrade both let clients trade forex, but XTB offers a much wider overall range of investments. XTB lists 10,521 tradeable symbols, compared with 675 at Questrade, and it also gives access to 71 forex pairs. Questrade actually offers more forex pairs at 110, which may appeal to active currency traders. Both brokers have a 5-star rating for range of investments, and in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking, Questrade places slightly higher at #12 out of 36, while XTB is ranked #14.
Where XTB stands out is in the types of markets it opens up. It allows trading in real U.S. and international exchange-listed shares, such as Apple and Vodafone, while Questrade does not offer direct access to those exchange-traded securities in this comparison. XTB also supports both actual cryptocurrency purchases and crypto CFDs, giving investors more ways to gain exposure to digital assets. Neither broker offers copy trading.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10521 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
XTB and Questrade both give traders a good set of platform choices, including a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary in-house platform, and a web-based trading platform that works in a browser. Both also let you trade directly from a stock chart, which can make order placement faster and easier for beginners and active traders alike. Neither broker offers copy trading or MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, so if you want those popular third-party platforms, you will need to look elsewhere.
The main difference is that Questrade offers a Windows desktop download platform, while XTB does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, XTB comes out ahead with a 4.5-star rating and a rank of #9 out of 36 brokers, compared with Questrade’s 4-star rating and #29 rank. Overall, both brokers cover the basics well, but XTB has the edge for platform and tool quality, while Questrade stands out for traders who want a desktop app.
| Feature |
XTB
|
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) | 92 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and Questrade both make it easy to trade on the go, since each broker offers iPhone and Android apps, plus price alerts and watchlist syncing between the mobile app and online account. Both apps also let users draw trendlines on charts and automatically save those drawings, which is helpful for tracking trades and market ideas across devices.
Where XTB stands out is in charting and overall app quality. Its mobile app offers 104 technical studies, compared with 64 for Questrade, giving active traders more tools for chart analysis. That broader feature set helps explain why XTB earns a higher Mobile Trading Apps rating of 4.5 stars and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers, while Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #29.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XTB comes out ahead of Questrade for market research overall. XTB offers daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long versus short positioning, and an economic calendar for global news events. It also earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Research category. Questrade, by comparison, does not offer daily market commentary, a sentiment tool, or an economic calendar, and its Research score is 3.5 stars with a #35 ranking.
Questrade does, however, provide more third-party research tools than XTB. It includes Autochartist, Trading Central, and TipRanks, which can help traders with technical analysis and stock ideas. Neither broker offers forex news from major sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, and neither provides Acuity Trading tools. For traders who want more built-in market updates and sentiment data, XTB has the edge; for those who value outside research tools, Questrade may be the better fit.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | 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.
XTB is the stronger choice for beginners who want to learn before they trade. It offers forex and CFD education, holds online client webinars at least once a month, and provides at least 10 beginner-friendly videos as well as 10 advanced videos for traders who want to keep building their skills. ForexBrokers.com gives XTB a 5-star Education rating and ranks it #11 out of 36 brokers, which shows it has a wide range of learning tools for different experience levels.
Questrade, while still offering some educational support, does not match XTB for beginner learning resources. It does not appear to offer the same level of forex or CFD education, does not host monthly educational webinars, and does not have at least 10 beginner or 10 advanced trading videos based on the information provided. Its 3.5-star Education rating and #28 ranking out of 36 suggest it is better suited to traders who need only basic learning help rather than a full set of educational materials.
| Feature |
XTB
|
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 XTB is better than Questrade. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
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Questrade
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 85 |
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XTB offers greater crypto flexibility than Questrade, allowing clients to buy both actual, delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade does not currently offer either option.
Comparing XTB vs Questrade funding options: both lack ACH/SEPA but support bank wires; XTB additionally accepts PayPal and Skrill while Questrade does not, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | XTB | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | 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 | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | 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) | XTB | 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 | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10521 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.06 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.06 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $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 | XTB | 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 | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 92 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | 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 | 104 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XTB Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | XTB | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | Questrade Review |
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