Qtrade Review 2026 – Canada’s Best Broker

Current Qtrade New Customer Promotion

In 2026, brokerage promotions only matter if they put real money in your pocket. Free trades don’t count anymore since multiple brokerages offer those now.

That’s why Qtrade’s current new-customer promotion stands out. Instead of offering token incentives, they’re offering straight cash back.

The headline number is simple. Deposit or transfer $1,000, and Qtrade credits $250 to your account. That’s a 25% risk-free return before your money ever touches the market. You don’t need to trade, speculate, or jump through hoops to earn it.

If you’re moving more than that, the bonus keeps growing. The cash back is tiered and can reach as high as $5,000 for larger portfolio transfers. On top of that, Qtrade will reimburse eligible transfer-out fees from your old brokerage, so you’re not penalized for switching.

What makes this promotion especially practical is how flexible it is. You don’t need to hit your tier entirely from withing one account. Deposits across multiple account types can be combined to hit the bonus thresholds. Money added to an RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, or transferred in from another brokerage can all count toward the same total.

The bonus isn’t tied to trading volume, activity targets, or risky behaviour. You fund the account, invest the way you normally would, and the cash back takes care of itself.

*NEW* Qtrade $0 Trades – Free Buying and Selling Stocks + ETFs

In late October 2025, Qtrade announced that not only were they cutting costs – they were cutting them to the absolute bone.

Tough to go lower than free!

I had been expecting Qtrade to go in this direction at some point after a couple of other Canadian online brokers cut their trading fees, but to completely eliminate their trading fees and account costs – that was a pretty big surprise.

Just to be clear – these $0 trades do not simply apply to ETFs (as had been the case prior to the announcement). The $0 trades apply to all stocks, ETFs, REITs, traded on the Canadian stock exchange. That’s versus the $9.99 standard that Canada’s big bank brokerages charge.

To be fair, if you trade on the US stock exchanges, there is a currency conversion charge when you go from Canadian Dollars to US Dollars (no one exchanges money for free after all). But remember, there a ton of Canadian ETFs listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) that will allow you to get exposure to US (and other international) stocks without having to exchange any money at all.

There are also still fees to trade options ($0.75 per contract), but most folks don’t need to worry about options trading (still amongst the cheapest options trading costs in Canada).

What Is Qtrade Direct Investing? Is it Legit?

Qtrade Direct Investing is part of Aviso Financial Inc., which is owned by some of the biggest players in the Canadian financial world such as the provincial Credit Union Centrals, Desjardins, and CUMIS.

With nearly $145 billion in assets under administration as of late 2024, and major offices in Vancouver and Toronto, Aviso brings a serious level of financial stability to the table.

Big corporate backing isn’t what gets me excited about a brokerage, but it does give the overall business a margin of safety when compared to the big bank brokerages.

What really sets Qtrade apart is how consistently solid they’ve been. For nearly 20 years now, I’ve tracked every major online broker in Canada, testing features, logging support experiences, and talking to readers about what actually works. And Qtrade just keeps delivering.

They’ve ranked at or near the top in just about every major brokerage review for years. It’s also been voted the country’s top online broker an impressive 24 times by third-party industry experts like The Globe and Mail, MoneySense, and Surviscor. Qtrade also scored an “A” from The Globe and Mail, in their latest look at Canadian brokerages thanks to a platform that excels in diversity of tools, usability, and reliability.

The entire Million Dollar Journey team (all veteran DIY investors) calls Qtrade Canada’s best online broker overall. That’s based on years of hands-on use, not just a slick homepage or a one-off promotion.

Plenty of brokerages burst onto the scene with slick branding and a promo-laced marketing campaign… only to fall behind once the spotlight fades. You’ve probably seen the cycle: flashy redesign, new Youtube ads, then bugs, then laggy updates, then customer service starts ghosting you.

Qtrade never played that game. They’ve grown steadily over the years by doing the basics well:

• A clean easy-to-use platform on both desktop computer and mobile phone
• Free trades on over 100 ETFs (including U.S.-listed ones)
• Elite investor research tools
• And the best customer service in the business

Most importantly, they keep improving, even when they’re already ahead. That kind of discipline is rare in this space.

That sort of consistent improvement is vital to me because switching brokerages is a pain in the neck. Transfers, paperwork, etc. I’d rather just pick the best platform from day one and be done with it. That’s why I still trust Qtrade with my own accounts. They don’t just check the boxes today, they’ve earned a reputation for showing up tomorrow, too.

Media Ranks Qtrade #1 Canadian Broker

The media has been embracing Qtrade Direct as the one of the best Canadian brokers, and has received particularly glowing reviews in the Globe and the Mail, MoneySense magazine, as well as many of our fellow Canadian personal finance blogs. This Qtrade review is far from being the only highly positive one in the Canadian cyberspace.

“If investing to you is a years-long journey of wealth-building for goals like retirement and your children’s postsecondary education, then you’ll get more value from Qtrade’s tools and informative website than you will by paying a few bucks less per trade: Grade: A+“

Rob Carrick, Globe and mail

Qtrade Commission Free ETFs

As an avid ETF investor, this is a major aspect of the Qtrade Canada review.

Qtrade’s commitment to the free purchasing and selling of ETFs is a deal-breaking-win for me. Other Canadian brokerages offer free ETF purchases, but charge a trading fee when ETFs are sold to withdraw money, or just to rebalance a portfolio.

Yes, Qtrade’s free stock trades also include Canadian ETFs. 

Qtrade was one of the first brokerages in Canada that allowed free ETF trading. While it was limited to their list of about 100 ETFs, you could build a very solid portfolio off of that list.

However, as of October 2025, all ETFs listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange are free to trade. All-on-ETFs with companies from the world? FREE! 

US tech ETFs? FREE.

Ultra-safe high-interest savings account ETFs? FREE.

Pretty straight forward right?

Qtrade Fees & Commission

Qtrade fees and commissions for ETFs and stocks can’t go any lower – they are now at zero!

Prior to 2025, Qtrade did charge inactivity fees in a very small amount of circumstances. Those days are gone. Open an RRSP, TFSA, RESP, RRIF, or basically any other type of account and you’re not going to pay any fees or commissions at Qtrade. 

About the only exception to this rule is the $0.75 fee on options contracts. 

Oh, and there are still fees if you call Qtrade directly to place a trade ($30) – but who calls to place a trade any more?

Qtrade Review: Transfer Fees

In order to make it as attractive as possible to make Qtrade your go-to trading platform, Qtrade offers to pay your transfer fees that you will be charged from your old broker when you move over.

This transfer fee offer applies to folks that move over $15,000+ worth of assets, or who move over less than $15,000 and then deposit up to that amount in the first 30 days.

In order to take advantage of this transfer fee reimbursement offer, you need to mail/fax a statement from your old trading platform that details the costs you incurred.  Then, within 60 days, you’ll see the account credit pop into your account.

If you choose to move on from Qtrade at some point, their transfer fee is $150. Of course the whole point of reading our Canadian online broker reviews is that you are able to make an informed decision with a long-term choice in mind – and prevent the time-consuming paperwork and transfer fees incurred with a switchover. 

Qtrade Review: Account Options

Qtrade has a variety of account types that you can choose from depending on your investing goals and needs.

Cash Accounts: Cash accounts are pretty straightforward. You can buy and sell stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments. Cash accounts are available as individual, joint, corporate, and group. They are obviously the most flexible account type.

TFSA: TFSAs are a valuable account type for Canadian investors. You’ll be able to invest in stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds, but your earnings and withdrawals are sheltered from tax.

RRSP: Using the Qtrade RRSP account you can invest in stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds, but the tax will be deferred until you make a withdrawal, ideally upon your retirement. RRSP accounts are available for individuals, as a spousal plan. RRIFs (the natural conclusion to RRSPs) are also available. There are also both Canadian Dollar and US Dollar Account options.

FHSA: The new Qtrade First Home Savings Account (FHSA) allows you to trade in stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds. It is an excellent option for saving that first downpayment (and is even pretty cool if you plan to never own a home. See our FHSA guide for more details.

Margin: Margin accounts allow you to borrow money against your securities to trade at competitive rates. Keep in mind, this is the only account type that you will need to pay interest on.

RESP: Qtrade offers both Individual and Family Registered Education Savings Plans. These allow you to invest in stocks, ETFs, bonds, and mutual funds while taking advantage of CESG grants and tax-deferred growth for education savings.

Locked-In Retirement Accounts: For Canadians rolling over workplace pensions, Qtrade offers the full suite of locked-in accounts, including LIRAs (or LRSPs, depending on province) and income accounts like LIFs. These accounts are essential for pension rollovers and long-term retirement planning.

Corporate and Business Accounts: Qtrade offers corporate and business investment accounts for incorporated professionals and companies investing surplus cash. These accounts allow you to invest in stocks, ETFs, bonds, and mutual funds while keeping everything properly separated from your personal finances. For business owners who want control over how retained earnings are invested, this is a practical and flexible option.

Trust and Estate Accounts: Qtrade also supports certain trust and estate accounts, though these typically require additional documentation to set up. These accounts are most often used for estate planning, family trusts, or managing assets on behalf of others. They’re not as frictionless as personal accounts, but they’re useful to know about if your investing needs extend beyond a standard individual setup.

There is no Qtrade minimum balance required to open an account, but there is minimum balance required to avoid the account fee as discussed above.

Qtrade also facilitates ultra-fast, super convenient EFT transfers to get money from your bank account to Qtrade – and back again. 

You can set up Electronic Fund Transfers (EFTs) without worry about uploading a void cheque or anything like that, you simply login to your bank account through Qtrade’s EFT platform and you’re set to go.

Qtrade Review: Customer Service

One of Qtrade’s standout features – and a major reason for its strong reputation – is its exceptional customer service. Unlike many competitors, Qtrade consistently delivers prompt, reliable support from knowledgeable staff who truly understand the needs of DIY investors.

“Qtrade excels in every area—especially in customer service.”

Mark Brown, Investing and Rankings Editor for MoneySense

You have multiple ways to reach Qtrade’s support team: phone, email, and live chat. For added convenience, they also offer a ‘let us call you’ feature. Simply leave your number, and a customer service representative will call you back as soon as they’re free. No more waiting endlessly on hold or feeling like you’re trapped in queue purgatory.

If you’ve ever suffered through the agony of a 2+ hour hold, only to get disconnected as the clock runs out on “business hours” when you’re “next in line,” then you know just how much of a game-changer this is.

This level of responsiveness and customer care gives Qtrade a decisive edge over most of Canada’s discount brokers, where solid customer service is often treated as an afterthought. Sure, you might never actually need customer service.

Just remember, no one needs it – until they do. And at that point (when you’re talking about your hard-won nest egg) you’ll be glad that you can get someone on the line sooner rather than later!

Features, Tools, and Ease of Use

Qtrade definitely gets bonus points for having a clear and easy-to-use website and the Qtrade mobile app is a really refined way to trade as well. In a piece for the Globe and Mail, Rob Carrick stated that “it’s mobile app lets you do a wide range of functions and doesn’t cut corners, which many other brokers have.”

Below is a video demonstrating how their trading system works:

On both the website and the Qtrade mobile trading platform (rated #1 on our best stock trading apps article), Qtrade allows you to easily navigate your investments, watchlists, stock screeners, and market research tools.

The stock screeners are customizable and real-time quotes will show you the current stock price as well as additional information including dividend yield, earnings per share, 52-week highs and lows, and market cap.

Qtrade’s trading platform makes stock trading a breeze as well. A click on the ‘trade’ button will allow you to choose what type of security you would like to invest. You can trade stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options bonds, and GICs on US and Canadian exchanges. If you want, you can also set limit orders and stop orders.

Investors and columnists are also loving one of Qtrade Direct newest tools; Portfolio Score. This tool essentially gives you a second opinion on your portfolio. You can use the information provided to compare your portfolio against domestic and global benchmarks.

It will also evaluate your securities and grade your portfolio against five dimensions:

• Downside protections
• Performance
• Diversification
• Income
• fees

It’s a handy tool to have to help you invest with more confidence and manage your risk exposure.

The other unique aspect of Qtrade’s trading platform is their Portfolio Simulator and Portfolio Creator tools. Simulator allows investors to test how adding specific ETFs, stocks, or bonds would change the makeup of their portfolio (and note the corresponding change to variables such as inflation, interest rates, and US exchange rates). 

Creator generates an all-ETF portfolio designed especially for you (based on your answers to a series of questions).  Additionally, for the detail-oriented DIYers out there, it will show you your hypothetical ETF-portfolio’s risk-adjusted return based on the Sharpe ratio, SF Ratio, and the Sortino ratio.

Below you can find additional screenshots from Qtrade’s online trading platform and the Qtrade mobile app below:

Qtrade New Goal Planning Tool

In May 2023 Qtrade added a very cool new goal planning tool in order to help investors visualize their next steps and future growth. Users can access the tool from their account dashboard.

The goal planning tool was created with the intent to:

• Identify investment goals.
• Understand risk-appropriate investment options.
• Track progress towards identified goals over time.
• Help visual learners by showing visual projections of potential timelines.
• Allow investors to “pivot” or change goals as circumstances change over the years.

Qtrade’s platform innovation information described the new tool as, “A quick and simple way to begin to write your own future. Whether you’re saving for a down payment on a house, planning for retirement, or trying to hit another financial milestone, a user-friendly questionnaire helps you easily set your goals. Track your goals, check in to monitor your progress, and receive personalized recommendations on how much you need to invest each month to give you the confidence you need to achieve them.”

Qtrade Onboarding Update:

Qtrade’s most recent user experience upgrade includes a very DIY investor-friendly onboarding process that guides investors to the right account depending on what their goal is. Of course, if you already understand what you need, you can opt to choose your own account option right away (as you always could).  

For investors just familiarising themselves with online brokers however, this is a nice little upgrade that will help more Canadians make the right investment choices for their specific situation.

For example if you select “saving for retirement” as your goal, then Qtrade will ask if you’d like to open a TFSA, RRSP, Spousal RRSP, or LIRA/LRSP. If saving for your child’s education is the goal they’ll not only offer you an individual RESP option, but also a family one. 

The Investor Plus Program: Lower Fees

Qtrade has an elite-tier program called the Investor Plus Program which comes with a few perks and benefits (including lower trading fees).

To qualify for the Investor Plus program you must have:

• A minimum of $500,000 in assets across all accounts and under the same client ID

or

• A minimum of 150 online commission-generation equity or option trades during the immediately preceding calendar quarter.

Perks and benefits include discounted trading commission fees, which will be discussed below, as well as a dedicated phone number to ensure faster service plus no fee for USD registered accounts.

Qtrade vs Questrade

The bottom line in the Qtrade vs Questrade decision is that both are fine brokerages, and will work for Canadian DIY investors. Both now offer rock bottom $0 trades on stocks and ETFs. That said, Qtrade pulls away when it comes to their customer service record, and user experience of their platform.

Here’s a closer look at the Qtrade vs Questrade comparison (click on the link to view a full fledged comparison, this is just a quick summary):

Qtrade’s Enhanced Options Lab 2025 Level Up

In early 2025, the Qtrade Options Lab received a major upgrade thanks to its new integration with Trading Central’s TC Options Insight®. This new feature gives Qtrade clients access to one of the most powerful options trading tools in Canada.

Found under the Investment Tools menu, the Options Lab isn’t just a user interface. It’s a thoughtful roadmap for both new and seasoned options traders. Answer a few simple prompts about your goals, risk comfort, and market view, and the lab will suggest strategies (like spreads, covered calls, or protective puts) tailored just for you.

All of this happens alongside dynamic visuals (those nifty volatility cones and smart overlays of key technical levels) that help you see risk, reward, and stock movement probabilities at a glance. Truthfully, options aren’t my thing at all, but I know it’s all the rage with the more active traders out there these days.

If you’re already a veteran options trader, then the “Expert Dashboard” has your name on it. Track real-time volatility trends, implied versus historical metrics, and compare implied volatility rank (IVR) among peer stocks. Again, worth mentioning that it’s all powered by Trading Central’s award-winning technical views.

This is Qtrade’s attempt at lowering the barriers to entry for complex options strategies without dumping you into quote sheets and technical papers. As Trading Central’s CEO put it: “It [Options Lab] turns options jargon into plain English and guided strategy.”

Rob Carrick’s Qtrade Review

Each year we eagerly await Rob Carrick’s broker ratings at the Globe and Mail to see if he’s uncovered any angles that we missed or if we’re on the same page.  

In 2024, the long and short of it is that Carrick continues to be impressed with Qtrade, giving it an A rating for the 5th year in a row. Here’s what he had to say about our favourite online broker:

Qtrade has lived at the top levels of this ranking for ages because it’s always making big and small improvements. One more recent tweak is the addition of a goal-planning tool that allows clients to set a target amount for a specific financial milestone and then track their progress toward achieving it. The big pluses at Qtrade include one of the most user-friendly websites in this ranking, a good app, commission-free trading of 120 ETFs and a Portfolio Score tool that lets clients drill way down into their portfolios to assess risk, diversification and more.“

As a quick reminder, here’s some of the highlight of what Carrick had to say about Qtrade’s online broker over the past three years:

As has often been the case in this ranking over the years, Qtrade Direct Investing is the broker that does it best. Other brokers beat Qtrade in specific areas like commission costs, but Qtrade’s overall goodness becomes apparent as soon as you log in and find a neat little dashboard to get you up to speed on your investments. Qtrade’s consistently strong showing in this ranking speaks to another of its virtues, constant improvement. Other brokers get better in fits and starts, while Qtrade moves ever forward.“

Much like myself, Carrick has been most impressed with Qtrade’s consistency over the long term. Some brokerages will make a gain here or there, and then fall behind over the years. But, it can be a chore to change brokerages, so users mostly just put up with a poor experience. 

Not Qtrade!

Year after year they bring the goods as far as maintaining the simple excellence of customer experience, and pairing it with company-wide innovation.

Surviscor Qtrade Review

At the end of 2023 Survisor released their new Canadian online broker ratings, and confirmed what we at MDJ had been hearing throughout the year: Qtrade users are the happiest in Canada.

Glenn LaCoste, the Preside of Surviscor Group stated, “Congratulations to Qtrade Direct Investing for its continued service response excellence and its breadth of service interaction choices for all types of digital investors.”

Christine Zalzal, the Head of Online Brokerage and Digital Wealth over at Qtrade was happy to accept the award stating, “What makes a great online brokerage firm for investors is not only a great online trading experience but also being supported by a great service team. At Qtrade, we’re always listening to our customers. A strong customer-focused culture is embedded into our DNA. As more Canadians explore the world of self-directed investing, we’re continuing to invest in our people and our platform to help build their confidence to build their wealth.”

Given the expertise that Surviscor has 18 years of experience in reviewing Canada’s online brokers, they have substantial credibility with the space.  The data is the culmination of approximately 2,200 individual service interactions throughout the previous year.

Right at the end of 2023, Surviscor released their 2024 desktop comparison for Canadian online brokerages. It was nice to see their finding mirror my own, as Qtrade took the #1 position. Qtrade continues to out-innovate, and out-compete their brokerage rivals when it comes to usability and customer experience.

Recent Improvements to the Qtrade Trading Platform and Research Tools:

• New Portfolio Score, which gives a client’s portfolio a health-check by analyzing and grading its performance across five financial dimensions
• News service powered by Dow Jones
• Sector-specific newsletters with pricing predictions from Trading Central
• Expanded offering of USD DRIP-eligible securities
• Spousal USD RRSP and RRIF products
• Updated options trading to enhance real-time information
• Redesigned and expanded ETF and Stock Screeners

Qtrade’s AI-Powered Information Advantage

Qtrade became the first Canadian online broker to partner with PersonaFin. PersonaFin uses advanced AI reasoning to create a personalized news feed that is designed to support your DIY investing decisions. By combining and refining the news items from across all of Qtrade’s content partners, you will get the information you need quicker and more efficiently than ever before.

If you want to check out the new feature, look under the My News tab. Christine Zalzal, SVP and Head of Direct Investing stated, “Partnering with PersonaFin to bring its Personalized News tool to the Qtrade platform will enhance Canadian investors’ confidence in their trading and investment journeys, helping them maximize their investments now and far into the future.”

Kerri Miller, Director of Strategic Partnerships at PersonaFin enthusiastically supported the new venture saying, “At PersonaFin, we’re always seeking forward-thinking, technology-driven financial institutions to partner with, which Qtrade has consistently and continuously shown themselves to be. ‘

We are thrilled to partner with Qtrade to elevate the personalization of financial news, analytical insights, and expertise they deliver, empowering their investors to make more informed trading and investment decisions.”

Qtrade Guided Portfolios

In addition to being an excellent discount brokerage platform, Qtrade has also recently released a more “hands-off” way to manage your money, that they’re calling Qtrade Guided Portfolios.

Qtrade Guided Portfolios are a massive leap forward on the company’s old “semi-robo-advisor” known as VirtualWealth.

Here’s the deal on Virtual Portfolios:

• It’s a super fast and convenient way to invest your money using a passive investing strategy that is also known as index investing.
• When you open a Guided Portfolio account, Qtrade will ask you a series of questions to determine what the best overall mix of assets is for someone with your goals and risk tolerance.  They want to make sure that you’re getting right balance of stocks and bonds (also known as equities and fixed income).
• Once you have the right fit the money that you put in each month will be split up into ETFs that track pretty much every big publicly traded company in the world – as well as many different government bonds.
• It’s an excellent math-backed investing option.
• Fees are quite low (MER of .60% or lower) and very competitive.
• Can include RRSPs/RRIFs, TFSAs, and other Canadian accounts.
• There are 6 different risk levels – each have their own portfolio: Income, Income + Growth, Balanced, Growth + Income, Growth, Max Growth.
• Each different portfolio will allocate your money slightly differently to these ETFs:

Overall, Qtrade Guided Portfolios are an excellent option for folks that want that ultimate in hands-off investing. The closest comparable product in Canada would be Wealthsimple Invest. If you’re willing to pay a little bit more in fees than if you constructed your own index portfolio, you will get the perfect one-stop solution for building a nest egg.

You can sign up to Qtrade Portfolios by clicking the button below and visiting their website, or read our detailed Qtrade Guided Portfolios review to see how they compare to Canada’s best robo advisors.

Qtrade Pre-Market and After Hours Trading

Qtrade recently announced that they will be offering pre-market trading from 8:30-9:30am ET and after hours trading from 4:00-5:00pm ET. Trading is currently only for US markets (including stocks like Enbridge that are traded on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange).

Details of the announcement included, “Currently, these trades can only be placed via telephone with an Investment Representative. We plan to add extended market orders to our online platform in due course. We continue to invest in and relentlessly improve our client and partner experience.”

Personally, after-hours trading isn’t my thing as it’s more geared towards day traders. Liquidity can often be very low in the pre-market and after hours markets, leading to fairly large price moves in a rapid fashion. That said, I’m always happy to see Qtrade push the envelope and continue to offer new options for Canadian investors.

Qtrade Review FAQ

Is Qtrade The Best Choice For You?

I wrote my first Qtrade review 20 years ago! (And have kept this article updated monthly ever since.)

What stands out to me is how little the fundamentals have changed for Canadian DIY investors. People still want the same things they always have: low costs, an intuitive platform, the right account types, and a real human on the other end of the line when something goes sideways. Above all, they want a brokerage they can rely on long after the sign-up bonus is forgotten.

That long-term consistency and reliability is what has always set Qtrade apart.

At the end of 2025, Qtrade has paired that long-earned reputation with 100% trading ($0) on stocks and ETFs. That combination matters. Ultra-low costs are important, but they’re only truly valuable when they sit on top of a platform that actually works and a service team that shows up when needed.

Add in a consistently strong investing experience and one of the most compelling cash-back promotions available in 2026, and it becomes genuinely hard to criticize the overall package.

Online brokerage reviews have been a core part of Million Dollar Journey since the very beginning. Over the years, hundreds of reader emails, comments, and real-world stories have shaped how I evaluate these platforms.

My view of Qtrade isn’t based solely on personal testing (though I’ve opened and used accounts at every major Canadian brokerage), or even internal MDJ discussions. It’s grounded in nearly two decades of Canadians sharing what has actually worked for them.

That breadth of experience is why I’m comfortable saying that this Qtrade review is the most comprehensive out there. It’s why Qtrade remains my top-ranked brokerage in Canada right now. The consistency, the service, and the move to commission-free trading all reinforce what readers have been telling me for years.

“We congratulate Qtrade for its convincing win…and for its commitment to innovation and unmatched service levels.”

Glenn LaCoste, President of Surviscor