Firstrade is a US discount broker famous for offering commission-free stock, ETF and options trading. It offers user-friendly desktop and mobile trading, and it provides its brokerage services in over 20 countries around the world. But is Canada one of them?
Is Firstrade available in Canada?
No. Unfortunately, Firstrade is not available in Canada. So if you want to trade stocks, ETFs and other assets online in Canada, you’ll need to consider other brokers. Keep reading to find out more about six alternatives to Firstrade in Canada, what they offer and their pros and cons.
Firstrade alternatives in Canada
Although you can’t sign up for Firstrade in Canada, you do have other comparable options. Check out our list of alternatives to Firstrade in Canada below.
Unlike Firstrade, which focuses on US markets, Interactive Brokers lets you trade on 160 global markets. There's a huge range of assets to choose from as well—not just stocks and ETFs but also bonds, options, futures, currencies and more. Add in competitive commissions, a wealth of research and analysis tools, and a choice of platforms based on your level of trading experience, and it's easy to see why Interactive Brokers is an excellent Firstrade alternative.
Pros
Trade a huge range of global markets and assets
Fund your account in over 25 currencies
Choose a beginner or advanced trading platform
100+ order types
Cons
May be overwhelming for new investors
Monthly fee for real-time market data
Only 1 free withdrawal per month
Monthly Account Fee
$0
Account Types
RRSP, TFSA, Personal, Joint
Available Asset Types
Stocks, Bonds, Options, Index Funds, ETFs, Forex, Currencies, Futures
Get 100 free online stock and ETF trades when you open a new account & get up to $15,000 in cashback when you transfer funds from outside CIBC to your new or existing account. Valid until March 31, 2026. T&Cs apply.
CIBC Investor's Edge is a Firstrade alternative with plenty of useful features to offer to Canadian investors. Like Firstrade, it offers a user-friendly platform for trading stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds and more. Investor's Edge supports a wide range of account types, including RRSPs and TFSAs, while exclusive access to CIBC Capital Markets research will help you make informed trading decisions. And with a handy Trade Ideas tool for screening stocks, Investor's Edge is worth a look if you're ready to start trading.
Pros
User-friendly online trading
Fee discounts available for active traders and young/student investors
Plenty of research tools
No minimum deposit required
Cons
Discount brokers have lower fees
$100 annual fee if you don't meet a balance requirement
Like E-Trade, Questrade has generated headlines by offering $0 commission trading. You can trade stocks and ETFs commission-free, and options for as little as $0 per contract. Self-directed investors will appreciate Questrade's market news as well as analyst commentary and ratings, while you get a choice of a basic or a more advanced platform is a big plus. And if you'd rather someone else did the hard work for you, just like E-Trade, Questrade also offers access to a range of diversified managed portfolios.
Pros
$0 commission trading
Instant deposits of up to $10,000
Supports fractional shares
Wide selection of account types and tradeable assets
Cons
Doesn't support futures or crypto trading
$5,000 minimum investment for bonds and GICs
Signup Offer
Get free contracts, no commissions and a 30 day free trial of Questrade Plus. Use the offer code FREEOPTIONS.
Like Firstrade, Moomoo isn't focused on global markets, and it only provides access to Canadian and US assets. You can trade US and Canadian stocks and ETFs as well as US options through the platform, while Moomoo also has a highly rated mobile app if you want to trade on the go. You also get real-time quotes so you can trade using the latest market data, while the inclusion of a paper trading account is handy if you want to get a feel for the platform before you start trading for real.
Pros
Low-fee trading platform
Advanced charting tools with 60+ technical indicators
Analyst ratings to help you choose investments
24/7 live chat and email support
Cons
Watch out for high fees on large trades
US and Canadian markets only
Limited selection of account types
Signup Offer
Get up to $4,600 in trading perks.
Monthly Account Fee
$0
Account Types
RRSP, TFSA, Personal, FHSA
Available Asset Types
Stocks, Options, ETFs
ETF Transaction Cost
USD$0.99/stock
Option Fee
US stocks and ETFs: USD$0.99/stock (min. US$1.99 per trade)
Get 5% cash back on every dollar you invest up to $15,000 and 1% cash back on any amount above that. Plus, new clients receive unlimited free trades. Use code QTRADE2025. Valid until January 5, 2026. T&Cs apply.
Like Firstrade, Qtrade now offers commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and options. This Canadian brokerage also offers a host of useful features to help you start trading with confidence. These include user-friendly screening tools to help you choose investments, analyst recommendations from Morningstar, advanced order types and a host of portfolio analytics tools. You can also trade options, bonds and GICs, so there are plenty of good reasons why Qtrade is worth a closer look.
Pros
$0 commission trading
Portfolio Score to help you assess your investments
Access Morningstar analyst recommendations
Trade a wide range of assets
Cons
No fractional shares
No futures or crypto trading
Signup Offer
Get 5% cash back on every dollar you invest up to $15,000 (up to $750 cash back) and 1% cash back on any amount above that (up to max. cash back of $2,000). Plus, new clients receive unlimited free trades. Use code QTRADE2025. Valid until January 5, 2026.
RBC Direct Investing is a Firstrade alternative that offers plenty of useful tools and features for Canadian investors. It offers a choice of online, mobile and a customizable desktop Trading Dashboard for advanced traders, and you can use the platform to invest in everything from stocks and ETFs to bonds, options and precious metals. And with real-time quotes, portfolio analytics, analyst-built stock lists and handy investment screeners, RBC Direct Investing has a lot to offer to a wide range of investors.
Pros
Trade over 50 commission-free ETFs
Real-time streaming quotes
Practice Account for paper trading
Access a huge range of investments and account types
Cons
You'll get lower trading commissions elsewhere
Watch out for high commissions on international trades
$9.95 ($6.95 if you place 150+ trades per quarter)
Option Fee
$6.95 to $9.95 (+$1.25 per contract)
Stock Trading Fee
$9.95
FX Fee
0.10% - 1.60%
Min. Deposit
$0
How does the Firstrade trading platform work?
Firstrade offers the following features to users in the USA and several other countries around the world.
Tradeable assets
Firstrade users can trade an extensive range of securities through this broker, including stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, CDs and fixed income securities. They can trade online or via a highly rated mobile app, and Firstrade also offers its OptionsWizard professional-grade analytics tools for options traders.
In Canada, Interactive Brokers is a top pick if you want access to the largest possible range of markets. It provides access to 160 global markets, allowing you to trade stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, futures and more.
$0 commission trading
Firstrade doesn’t charge any commissions for stock, ETF, mutual fund or options trades. It is well-known as a discount broker, and its straightforward pricing structure is simple to understand.
In Canada, Questrade and Qtrade both provide access to $0 commission trading. So if you don’t want to worry about brokerage commissions impacting your bottom line, both platforms are worth a look.
Fractional shares
Firstrade supports fractional share trading, so you don’t need a large account balance to start trading. There is also no minimum deposit required to open a brokerage account.
Closer to home, Interactive Brokers and Questrade both offer fractional share trading to Canadian investors. This allows you to invest in a company even if you don’t have enough money to buy a full stock.
Account types
Users in eligible countries can open a brokerage account with Firstrade to access cash or margin trading. The broker also offers Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs, plus education savings plans and small business retirement plans.
Most Canadian brokers offer a choice of a wide range of account types. For example, CIBC Investor’s Edge users can choose from cash or margin trading as well as registered accounts like FHSAs, TFSAs, RRSPs, RESPs and more.
Securities lending
The Firstrade Securities Lending Income Program allows users to lend out stocks they already own in order to earn extra income. In Canada, brokers that offer similar programs include Questrade and its Securities Lending Program, and Interactive Brokers with its Stock Yield Enhancement Program.
Research and educational tools
Firstrade also offers a full suite of resources to users to help them learn about investing and make informed trading decisions. Its Education Center contains guides to all the different assets you can trade on the platform, while there are educational videos, webinars and courses available too. Firstrade’s online stock research tools include Technical Insight for analyzing trends and patterns, video commentary and analyst ratings from Morningstar, a stock research tool and a handy Strategy Builder.
Compare Canadian brokers to find educational and research tools that match your investing knowledge and needs.
Can you open a Firstrade trading account in another country?
Yes, it is possible to open a Firstrade trading account in another country. However, you will need to be in an eligible country in order to open a Firstrade international account.
Firstrade offers trading accounts in over 25 countries across Europe, Asia and Oceania. You can check out a full list of countries where Firstrade operates a little further down the page.
Can you use Firstrade in Canada?
No, Canadians can’t use Firstrade. Canada is not on Firstrade’s list of supported countries, so Canadian citizens and residents will need to consider other brokers if they want to start trading.
However, if you’re from a country where Firstrade operates, you should still be able to access your Firstrade account online or via the mobile app while visiting Canada.
Which countries does Firstrade operate in?
Firstrade is a US platform and offers a wide range of investment and retirement accounts to people in the USA. International clients or non-citizens and non-residents of the US can open a Firstrade account from the following countries:
Austria
Belgium
China
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Macau
Malaysia
Mexico
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Taiwan
United Kingdom
What is the best Firstrade alternative in Canada?
Some of the best alternatives to Firstrade in Canada are Interactive Brokers and Moomoo.
Interactive Brokers impresses with its access to a huge range of tradeable assets and global markets. We also like the fact that it offers different platforms to suit beginners and more experienced traders, and that there are plenty of advanced trading tools to explore as your investing knowledge expands.
Moomoo is well worth a look if you’re searching for low fees and easy access to Canadian and US stocks and ETFs. It also offers a paper trading account so you can test out strategies, plus a highly rated mobile app for trading on the go.
But the best Firstrade alternative in Canada for you depends on your investing experience and what assets you want to trade. Make sure you compare a range of online trading platforms before settling on the best broker for you.
The Firstrade app is listed in the Canadian App Store and Google Play, so you may be able to download it in Canada.
However, Firstrade does not offer its services to Canadian clients. So if you want to start investing in stocks or other assets, you’ll need to consider other trading apps.
Bottom line
Firstrade isn’t available in Canada—but plenty of great alternatives are. There are several options to choose from, so compare a range of them to find the broker that ticks all the boxes on your trading-platform wish list.
Frequently asked questions about Firstrade
The best trading platform for you might not be the same as the best choice for someone else. You'll need to compare fees and consider factors like what markets you want to trade and your level of investing experience before choosing a broker. You can also check out the best brokerage signup bonuses to help you make your decision.
Yes, the Firstrade app is free to download from the App Store for iOS devices and from Google Play for Android devices.
No, Firstrade is a US company and is regulated in the USA. It is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
No. Firstrade does not provide access to Canadian markets, so you cannot trade Canadian stocks using this platform.
Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors.
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