Questrade Review 2026: Canada's DIY Broker After Going Commission-Free

Questrade has long been the go-to brokerage for passive index investors in Canada, built on its reputation for low-cost ETF investing. But the platform reinvented itself in early 2025 by removing all trading commissions on stocks and ETFs — and that change reshapes the entire case for using it in 2026. This review covers what Questrade costs today, what it does well, where it falls short, and who should actually use it.

What Questrade is

Questrade is a Canadian self-directed online brokerage and one of the country's largest non-bank investment platforms. It serves DIY investors across registered and non-registered accounts, and also offers a managed robo-advisor option (Questwealth) for hands-off investors. It is CIRO-regulated, with accounts protected by CIPF.

Fees in 2026

The cost story has fundamentally changed. The 2026 reality is $0 commissions across stocks and ETFs, with no account fees and no inactivity fees on standard accounts.

Item	Cost
Stock & ETF trades	$0 commission
Account / inactivity fees	None on standard accounts
Mutual funds	$9.95 per trade
FX conversion	~1.5%–2% (avoidable with USD accounts / Norbert's Gambit)
Questrade Plus add-on	~$11.95/month (custom alerts and extras)
Transfer-in reimbursement	Up to $150 per account
Margin rate	~9%–11%
Questwealth (robo)	~0.25% management fee

The main remaining cost for most investors is currency conversion when buying US-denominated assets. The fix is to use Canadian-listed ETFs where possible, hold a native USD account, or run Norbert's Gambit to convert currency cheaply.

Pros

• True zero-commission trading on stocks and ETFs, with no account or inactivity fees.
• The widest range of registered accounts of any comparable Canadian self-directed broker — including spousal RRSPs, corporate accounts, and trust accounts that most competitors don't support.
• Native USD accounts that let US-focused investors avoid repeated conversion fees.
• Commission-free fractional shares on hundreds of US stocks and ETFs, executed in real time.
• Fast account opening and a free practice account via the Questrade Global platform.
• Transfer reimbursement of up to $150 if you're switching from another broker.

Cons

• Mutual funds cost $9.95 per trade — use ETFs to accomplish the same goal for free.
• Custom price alerts require Questrade Plus (about $11.95/month).
• Fractional shares aren't yet available for Canadian stocks and ETFs.
• The platforms are a mixed bag — capable, but the interface and learning resources lag the polish of newer competitors like Wealthsimple.
• Margin rates are relatively high at roughly 9%–11%.

Account types

This is Questrade's signature strength. Beyond the standard TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, and non-registered accounts, it supports spousal RRSPs, LIRAs, RIFs, corporate accounts, and trust accounts. For Canadians whose plans involve income-splitting, incorporation, or estate structures, that breadth is hard to match — and it has become even more of a differentiator now that commission pricing has converged across the industry.

Who Questrade is for

Questrade fits DIY investors who want the broadest possible account range at low cost, US-focused investors who benefit from native USD accounts, and anyone consolidating a complex household or corporate investing setup. It's less ideal for absolute beginners who would prefer the simplest possible app, or for mutual-fund-heavy investors.

The verdict

Questrade in 2026 is no longer just a cheap ETF account — it's a genuinely full-service platform for Canadian DIY investors. With commissions gone, the right question is what you need beyond price: account types, US-dollar workflow, and tools. On those, Questrade remains one of the strongest all-round options in Canada. If you're sold, our step-by-step guide to opening a Questrade account walks through every screen.