When it comes to online brokers in Canada, the list of choices for your business seems to be growing each year. But with $0 commission trades on equities, mutual funds, ETFs and more, and no quarterly commission fee as of October 2025, Qtrade is a top pick for many individual investors. It's also received accolades coming from leaders in the industry and individual investors who use their service.
What makes it attractive is its competitive pricing structure, young trader discount fees, and no minimums for opening an account. Not to mention, users can get up to $5,000 cash back when depositing.
Qtrade features
When it comes to account features, Qtrade is definitely running similar offers and services as other discount brokers. Take a look:
Why You Want It
$80 GeniusCash + Up to $5,000 in cashback + $0 trade commissions for all clients
Special Features
- $0 commission trades on mutual funds, equities, ETFs and more
- Trial account available
- Second-to-none portfolio analytics tools (including scoring against key ESG components)
- Pre-market and after-hours trading available for US markets
- $0 quarterly administration fee
Provinces
ALL
Features
Types Of Accounts
- Cash
- TFSA
- RRSP
- Spousal RRSP
- LIRA
- RIF
- LIF
- RESP
- Margin
- FHSA
- LRSP
- Corporate
- Formal Trust
- Informal Trust
- Investment Club
- Estate
Types Of Investments
- Stocks
- ETFs
- Mutual Funds
- Bonds
- New Issues
- GICs
- Options
Minimum Investment
$0
Email Support
Live Chat Support
Phone Support
Minimum Stock Fee
$0
Maximum Stock Fee
$0
Minimum ETF Fee
$0
Maximum ETF Fee
$0
Active Trader Stock Fee Per Trade
$0
Cover Transfer Fees?
Minimum Deposit To Cover Transfer Fee
$15,000
Maximum Covered Transfer Fee
$150
Withdrawal Fees?
Account Maintence Fees
$0
Inactivity Fee Amount
See Issuer for Details
Promotion Description
Earn up to $5,000 in cashback when opening and funding a new Qtrade account, starting with $250 for depositing at least $1,000.
Promotion Max Value
$5,000
Promotion Requirements For Max Value
$500,001
Promotion End Dates
April 30, 2026
Qtrade product rating: 4.9 stars
Overall, Qtrade offers a status quo of products and services similar to its competitors. But the big question that remains is...are they the best out there?
With competitive fees, $0 commission on trades, and the fact that it covers transfer fees from other online brokers, they should definitely be in your top three for consideration.
Rating methodology
To calculate our Genius Ratings, we compare the features of the account or product in question with other similar products in Canada. We give each feature a score out of 5 based on that comparison. Once we’ve rated all the features, we run them through our proprietary algorithm to produce a final rating out of 5.
Learn more about our rating methodology.
The pros of Qtrade
There are many benefits of going with Qtrade as your online discount broker, including these:
Pros
$0 commission on ETFs, mutual funds and more
Qtrade is just one of a few select investment platforms that, as of October 2025, offer a $0 commission fee structure for equities, mutual funds, ETFs, and options – making investing with Qtrade extremely attractive. And those $0 trades are available permanently – this isn't a limited-time deal. Note that options trades are still subject to standard contract fees, however.
Fund your new account and get a $80 GeniusCash bonus
When you open your account through the moneyGenius offers page and fund it with any amount, you'll get $80 GeniusCash sent directly to your bank account via Interac e-Transfer or to your PayPal account.
No quarterly administration fee
Qtrade has also removed the quarterly administration fee for all clients on its platform. This used to be waived with a minimum amount invested (and let's face it, $25 a month isn't a huge deal for most investors), but every extra dollar you're not paying in fees or commissions is money that you can make work for you.
Earn up to $5,000 in cashback
For a limited time, you can earn up to $5,000 in cashback when opening and funding a new Qtrade account. The cashback is paid out based on funding thresholds you hit:
- $1,000 - $10,000 funded: $250 total cash back
- $1,000 - $10,000 funded: $500 total cash back
- $10,001 - $25,000 funded: $650 total cash back
- $25,001 - $50,000 funded: $750 total cash back
- $100,001 - $250,000 funded: $1,000 total cash back
- $250,001 - $500,000 funded: $2,500 total cash back
- $500,001+ funded: $5,000 total cash back
Excellent mobile app
Qtrade's mobile app for Android and iOS offers plenty of information about your investing, no matter where you are. Monitoring your accounts and holdings, tracking your progress, and seamless trading on the go are just a few of the features the app offers.
Educational tools
Most discount online brokers offer a few educational tools for investing, but Qtrade's articles are very well written and simplified for new investors. They've also partnered with PersonaFin to deliver personalized news and investment insights.
Options Lab
To help with investing in options, Qtrade has created the Options Lab. Select a stock, answer a few questions, and you'll receive a tailored strategy tailored to your goals and risk tolerance.
The cons of Qtrade
There are a few things to consider when investing with Qtrade, just as you would with any leading online investment platform:
Cons
Some activities still carry fees
You'll still be on the hook for various other fees involved, depending on the type of investing you're doing. For example, you might be charged a deferred sales charge if you pull your funds early from a mutual fund, or if you invest in international equities, which carry a cost of 1% of the trade value (or a minimum of $195 plus other fees).
Qtrade alternatives
Here’s how Qtrade squares off against a few other online brokers:
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account | Qtrade | BMO InvestorLine | Scotia iTRADE | CIBC Investor's Edge |
| Genius Rating | ||||
| Why You Want It | $80 GeniusCash + Up to $5,000 in cashback + $0 trade commissions for all clients
| $80 GeniusCash + Flat $9.95 fee for most trades + Commision-free trades on popular ETFs. | Get a free practice account + commission free ETFs. | Lowest commission rate from a Big 5 Bank online broker + Free trading under 25. |
| Types Of Accounts |
|
|
|
|
| Types Of Investments |
|
|
|
|
| Minimum Investment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Email Support | | | | |
| Live Chat Support | | |  | |
Show More | ||||
| I Want This Deal See more Qtrade products Compare | I Want This Deal See more BMO InvestorLine products Compare | Open an account See more Scotiabank products Compare | Open an account See more CIBC products Compare |
FAQ
What is Qtrade?
Qtrade is a discount online broker that offers registered and unregistered trading accounts. You can see an overview of what they have to offer right here.
What are Qtrade's fees like?
Qtrade offers a fantastic $0 commission rate on equities, mutual funds, and ETFs. There are only a select number of other platforms that offer such an attractive, no-commission option for investing. Their other fees for more niche trading are mostly in line with other competitors.
What are Qtrade's quarterly admin fees?
As of October 2025, Qtrade has removed their quarterly administration fee entirely for all clients. Although many clients qualified for this fee to be waived, it's a great move from Qtrade to help you make more of your money work for you.
What's the difference between Qtrade and Questrade?
The key difference between Qtrade and Questrade is that Qtrade has no minimum investment amount. Questrade requires you to have $1,000 in your trading account before making your first trade. Other than that, they're both online brokers available to Canadians.
Is there a Qtrade investor app?
Yes, Qtrade has an app for both iOS and Android. Like any app, some people are hypercritical while others praise it. I think the Qtrade app falls somewhere in the middle ground. It’s useful but won’t blow your mind (in a positive way).
Why are Qtrade's user reviews so low?
We've noticed that users have left several 1-star reviews of Qtrade, as have people on TrustPilot too. Customer service is what many have cited as the source of their frustration. Unfortunately, we're unable to track and measure this metric as part of our Genius Rating methodology, but we do acknowledge that it's an important factor.
Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone, and is not endorsed or sponsored by a bank, credit card issuer, rewards program or other entity. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website.
Hot Money Deals This Month
- Get even more cash back with exclusive offers only available on the GeniusCash app
- Explore bigger GeniusCash offers that you won't find anywhere else.
- Connect your credit cards and unlock bonus cash.
- Explore customized recommendations to level up your rewards.
- Refer your friends and family to earn bonus levels and extra cash back.
- Take control of your money with a full-featured chequing account$ + $100 GeniusCash GeniusCash
- Get up to $700 in cash when you open a new account and complete specified actions.
- Unlimited free transactions – including debit and Interac e-Transfers®.
- Earn Scene+ points on every debit transaction.
- $100 GeniusCash on approval – ends Feb 28, 2026.*.
- Get up to $700 when you open a BMO Performance Chequing and Savings Amplifier account + $75 GeniusCash
- Earn up to $700 in bonus cash when you complete a few actions.
- Unlimited debit, Interac e-Transfers®, and more.
- Special rates for students, newcomers, and Canadian Defense community members.
- $75 GeniusCash on approval – ends Feb 28, 2026.*.
- Get fresh, ready-made, dietitian-approved meals straight to your door + $40 GeniusCash
- Get up to $90 with a new subscription.
- Free shipping with your first box.
- Discounts available for youth, seniors, and essential workers.
- $40 GeniusCash on approval – ends Feb 28, 2026.*.
- Bonus: Get one of the lowest brokerage rates from an online broker from a Big 5 Bank →
