{"id":1084057,"date":"2026-09-25T15:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/ca\/?p=1084057"},"modified":"2026-09-25T17:44:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T21:44:41","slug":"qtrade-vs-interactive-brokers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/ca\/stock-trading\/qtrade-vs-interactive-brokers","title":{"rendered":"Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Which is better?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Searching for the best stock trading platform in Canada? Qtrade and Interactive Brokers are two names you\u2019ve no doubt come across. But which of these platforms is the best fit for you? Let\u2019s compare Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers side-by-side to find out.<\/p>

Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: An overview<\/h3>
<\/th>Qtrade<\/strong><\/th>Interactive Brokers<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Founded in<\/strong><\/td>1999<\/td>1978<\/td><\/tr>
Best for<\/strong><\/td>Go with this platform if<\/strong> you want $0 commission trading and in-depth investment analysis tools<\/td>Go with this platform if<\/strong> you want professional-grade trading tools and access to a wide range of global markets.<\/td><\/tr>
Stock and ETF trading fees<\/strong><\/td>$0<\/td>Min. $1.00, Max. 0.5%<\/td><\/tr>
Minimum deposit<\/strong><\/td>$0<\/td>$0<\/td><\/tr>
Funding methods<\/strong><\/td>
  • Electronic funds transfer<\/li>
  • Bill payment<\/li>
  • Transfer from another bank or broker<\/li><\/ul><\/td>
  • Electronic funds transfer<\/li>
  • Wire transfer<\/li>
  • Bill payment<\/li>
  • Transfer from another bank or broker<\/li><\/ul><\/td><\/tr>
Withdrawal methods<\/strong><\/td>
  • Electronic funds transfer<\/li>
  • Cheque<\/li><\/ul><\/td>
  • Electronic funds transfer<\/li>
  • Wire transfer<\/li>
  • Cheque<\/li><\/ul><\/td><\/tr>
Fractional shares<\/strong><\/td>No<\/td>Yes for eligible Canadian, US and European stocks and ETFs<\/td><\/tr>
After-hours trading<\/strong><\/td>Yes, pre-market trading on US exchanges from 8:30 to 9:29am and post-market trading from 4:00 to 5:00pm<\/td>Yes, 24 hours a day, 5 days a week for US-listed stocks and ETFs<\/td><\/tr>
Customer support<\/strong><\/td>Available via phone, email and live chat<\/td>Available via live chat, email and phone<\/td><\/tr>
Get started<\/strong><\/td>
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What is Qtrade?<\/h3>

Qtrade is a Canadian discount brokerage that offers online and mobile stock trading. Founded in 1999, Qtrade lets you trade stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, options and more.<\/p>

The platform made headlines in October 2025 when it announced that it would begin offering $0 commission trading for eligible Canadian and US stocks and ETFs. Other key Qtrade features include portfolio analytics tools, a wide range of account types and investment screeners.<\/p>

Qtrade review<\/a><\/p>

What is Interactive Brokers?<\/h3>

Interactive Brokers is a major global brokerage firm. It operates in over 200 countries and territories around the world, and in Canada allows you to trade stocks, ETFs, futures, options and prediction markets, among others.<\/p>

Interactive Brokers is known for its low trading fees, currency conversion fees and margin interest rates. It also provides a variety of advanced trading tools and lets you trade on over 170 markets around the world.<\/p>

Interactive Brokers review<\/a><\/p>

Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Investment products<\/h3>

Qtrade offers access to quite a broad range of investment products, and it supports Canadian and US markets.<\/p>

But this is one category where Interactive Brokers stands head and shoulders above the competition. It lets you trade everything from stocks and ETFs to futures and prediction markets, and it offers access to over 170 markets globally.<\/p>

Here\u2019s a breakdown of what you can trade on each platform.<\/p>

Qtrade<\/h4>
  • Canadian and US stocks<\/li>
  • Canadian and US ETFs<\/li>
  • Over-the-counter stocks<\/li>
  • Rights and warrants<\/li>
  • Mutual funds<\/li>
  • Bonds<\/li>
  • Options<\/li>
  • New issues<\/li>
  • GICs<\/li><\/ul>

    Interactive Brokers<\/h4>
    • Stocks<\/li>
    • ETFs<\/li>
    • Options<\/li>
    • Futures<\/li>
    • Spot currencies<\/li>
    • Bonds<\/li>
    • Prediction markets<\/li>
    • Warrants<\/li>
    • Hedge funds (for Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers)<\/li><\/ul>

      \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

      Interactive Brokers<\/strong> gets the nod thanks to its extensive global market access.<\/p>

      Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Fees<\/h3>
      Fee<\/strong><\/th>Qtrade<\/strong><\/th>Interactive Brokers<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
      Account fee<\/td>$0<\/td>$0<\/td><\/tr>
      Trading fees<\/td>
      • Stocks: $0<\/li>
      • ETFs: $0<\/li>
      • Mutual funds: $0<\/li>
      • Options: $0 + $0.75 per contract<\/li>
      • Fixed income and exchange-traded debentures: $1 per $1,000 face value<\/li><\/ul><\/td>
      • Stocks and ETFs: Min $1.00, Max 0.5%<\/li>
      • Options: $1.00\u2013$1.25 per contract (min. $1.50)<\/li>
      • Futures:
        • Tiered: USD $0.25 \u2013 $0.85 per contract<\/li>
        • Fixed: USD $0.85 per contract<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
        • Spot currencies: 0.08 \u2013 0.20 bps x trade value, spreads from 1\/10 pip<\/li>
        • Bonds: 10 bps \u00d7 face value for bonds<\/li>
        • Prediction markets: USD $0.01 per contract<\/li><\/ul><\/td><\/tr>
      Management fee<\/td>0.60% \u2013 0.35%<\/td>N\/A<\/td><\/tr>
      Currency conversion fee<\/td>varies based on volume converted<\/td>0.08\u20130.2 bps trade value, min $1.00\u2013$2.00 USD<\/td><\/tr>
      Deposit fee<\/td>$0<\/td>$0<\/td><\/tr>
      Withdrawal fee<\/td>$0<\/td>$2\u2013$12 per withdrawal (1 free\/month)<\/td><\/tr>
      Inactivity fee<\/td>$0<\/td>$0<\/td><\/tr>
      Account transfer fee<\/td>$150<\/td>$0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

      \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

      Interactive Brokers<\/strong>. We like its low trading commissions and low currency conversion costs.<\/p>

      Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Account types<\/h3>

      Different account types offer different trading options and tax advantages. At Qtrade, you can choose from the following options:<\/p>

      • Cash accounts<\/li>
      • Margin accounts<\/li>
      • TFSAs<\/li>
      • RRSPs<\/li>
      • FHSAs<\/li>
      • RESPs<\/li>
      • RRIFs<\/li>
      • LIFs<\/li>
      • LIRAs<\/li><\/ul>

        Your options are a little more limited at Interactive Brokers, which supports cash and margin accounts as well as TFSAs, RRSPs and FHSAs.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Qtrade<\/strong> supports more account types.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Managed portfolios<\/h3>

        Building an investment portfolio can be difficult, time-consuming work. But if you want to put your feet up while someone else does the heavy lifting, you can take advantage of Qtrade\u2019s Guided Portfolios robo-advisor service.<\/p>

        How it works is simple: you answer some questions about your financial situation and goals, and you\u2019re then matched with a portfolio to suit. Qtrade\u2019s portfolios feature a mix of stocks and bonds from Canada, the US and internationally. Choose from Income, Income & Growth, Balanced, Growth & Income, Growth and Maximum Growth.<\/p>

        Interactive Brokers doesn\u2019t offer any managed portfolios.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Qtrade<\/strong> offers a good mix of managed portfolios.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: USD accounts<\/h3>

        Trading US stocks and ETFs opens up a whole new world of investment opportunities. But if your broker only supports CAD-denominated accounts, you\u2019ll need to factor currency conversion costs into the equation for every trade.<\/p>

        The good news is that Qtrade has USD registered and non-registered accounts. The bad news is that some USD registered accounts, including RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs, come with a USD$15 quarterly fee. Qtrade supports Norbert\u2019s Gambit too, allowing you to save on CAD\/USD exchanges.<\/p>

        Interactive Brokers also supports USD accounts\u2014in fact, it supports over 25 other currencies too. And thanks to a low currency conversion fee of 0.002% (minimum USD$2), it\u2019s affordable to convert between CAD and USD.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Interactive Brokers<\/strong> comes out on top here.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Margin accounts<\/h3>

        If you want to borrow money to boost your investment buying power, Qtrade and Interactive Brokers both offer margin accounts. Of course, the cost of borrowing can have a big impact on your bottom line, so it\u2019s important to check how margin interest rates compare between brokers.<\/p>

        Compare Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers margin interest rates in the table below, and you\u2019ll see that IBKR\u2019s rates are noticeably lower.<\/p>
        <\/th>Qtrade<\/strong><\/th>Interactive Brokers<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
        CAD<\/strong><\/td>5.20% \u2013 6.00%<\/td>2.721% \u2013 3.721%<\/td><\/tr>
        USD<\/strong><\/td>7.50% \u2013 8.30%<\/td>4.130% \u2013 5.130%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Interactive Brokers<\/strong> has some of the best margin rates around, so it\u2019s the better choice for margin traders.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Investor experience<\/h3>

        Comparing the investor experience on Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers is like comparing apples and oranges. Basically, these platforms are designed for different users, so there are different areas where they excel.<\/p>

        Qtrade has a clean and easy-to-use interface, so it\u2019s easily accessible for beginners. It\u2019s simple and straightforward to sign up, research investments and start trading. Qtrade also offers a good selection of research and analysis tools, from analyst ratings and investment screeners to detailed portfolio analytics, so there\u2019s plenty for hands-on investors to sink their teeth into.<\/p>

        Interactive Brokers is targeted more at experienced and active traders. While it does have the GlobalTrader app designed for beginners, this is a broker that, on the whole, offers a long list of features for people with advanced trading knowledge. We\u2019re talking about access to 100+ order types, advanced charting tools and technical indicators, highly customizable workspaces, and low margin interest rates.<\/p>

        And while Qtrade focuses on Canadian and US exchanges, Interactive Brokers offers extensive global access to over 170 markets. So if you\u2019re an active trader looking to explore investment opportunities all over the world, there\u2019s plenty to like about IBKR.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        That\u2019s up to you. Beginners will lean more towards the user-friendly interface and $0 commissions of Qtrade<\/strong>, while active and experienced traders will appreciate the myriad features of Interactive Brokers<\/strong>.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Learning and research tools<\/h3>

        The world of investing can be overwhelming at first, so free educational resources are an important part of every broker\u2019s package.<\/p>

        Qtrade has an online education centre with guides and articles to suit beginners as well as more experienced investors. But Interactive Brokers particularly shines with its impressive range of educational resources on offer as part of IBKR Campus. You can access financial news, courses, webinars and podcasts about all things investing, with plenty of tools to help enhance your investing knowledge.<\/p>

        Investment research tools are another vital feature of any trading platform. Qtrade users can take advantage of handy screeners, recommendations from Morningstar analysts, and technical as well as fundamental research. We also like the easily accessible Portfolio Score for analyzing your investments, plus the strategy-testing potential of the Portfolio Simulator.<\/p>

        There\u2019s plenty to like about the research tools on offer at Interactive Brokers too. Highlights include the IBKR GlobalAnalyst stock-screening tool, detailed portfolio analytics, and an impressive mix of free and paid research and analysis from a huge range of third-party providers. And with a paper trading account also available, it\u2019s easy to test out different strategies before risking any real money.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Interactive Brokers<\/strong>. Qtrade offers plenty of useful tools for research and analysis, but Interactive Brokers comes out on top.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Canadian regulatory bodies<\/h3>

        Qtrade and Interactive Brokers are both members of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and registered investment dealers.<\/p>

        Both platforms are also members of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) for added peace of mind. The CIPF provides cover for up to $1 million of your eligible assets if either broker becomes insolvent.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        It\u2019s a tie<\/strong>. Both platforms are legit and properly regulated in Canada.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Security features<\/h3>

        The best online trading platforms have multiple measures in place to help protect your funds and data. Interactive Brokers uses features like data encryption, two-factor authentication, and IP address whitelisting to safeguard your account. It also has a security team and advanced monitoring systems in place to protect against suspicious account activity.<\/p>

        Qtrade has a similar raft of security measures in place, including mandatory two-factor authentication, whitelisting trusted devices, and only accepting browsers with 256-bit encryption. The broker also has its Investor Internet Security Guarantee, which means that if you suffer any losses from unauthorized activity through no fault of your own, you will be 100% reimbursed.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Qtrade<\/strong>. Both platforms are safe and secure, but we like the peace of mind of Qtrade\u2019s Investor Internet Security Guarantee.<\/p>

        Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers: Market data<\/h3>

        For active traders, detailed real-time market data is crucial for informing trading decisions.<\/p>

        And during the order execution process, Qtrade offers Level 2 data quotes for all Canadian exchanges during the order execution process. If you want Level 2 market data and full depth-of-book information for US stocks, you can also take advantage of a subscription fee discount off data plans from Quotestream.<\/p>

        As an Interactive Brokers user, you can access free streaming data for US markets. If you want Level 2 data, you\u2019ll need to subscribe to different market data packages for the exchanges and markets you want to trade. But there are data fee discounts and rebates available if your monthly trading commissions exceed a certain level.<\/p>

        \"AwardWho\u2019s the winner?<\/h4>

        Interactive Brokers<\/strong> takes the win here.<\/p>

        How do the mobile apps for Qtrade vs Interactive Brokers compare?<\/h3>

        If you prefer to do your trading on your smartphone, Interactive Brokers offers a choice of three apps. For beginners, IBKR GlobalTrader offers a streamlined trading experience and a user-friendly interface. IBKR Mobile is the broker\u2019s full-featured trading app, providing access to more markets and advanced tools. And then there\u2019s IMPACT, a relatively well-rated app designed to help you research and choose investments that match your ESG values.<\/p>

        Qtrade offers a single app for mobile trading. It boasts a clean user interface and is simple and straightforward to use. You can use the app to track your performance, get real-time quotes, buy and sell stocks, create watchlists and more.<\/p>
        <\/th>Qtrade<\/th>IBKR Mobile<\/th>IBKR GlobalTrader<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
        Apple App Store rating<\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n 3.7<\/strong> \u2013\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span>
        \n\n 441 reviews\n\n <\/span>\n\n\n