Select Your Brokers to Compare
Charles Schwab vs Questrade : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Charles Schwab
Questrade
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN
Years of Existence / Established Year
1971
1999
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
Info not available
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
NFA, SFC, MAS, FCA, CFTC, CIRO
CIRO
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Broker 2024, Best customer Service
DALBAR seal of service excellence in 2024 for the 6th consecutive year Canada's #1 rated online broker by MoneySense
Security Measures
SIPC
CIPF
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
No
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Money market Funds, Index funds, Bonds and fixed products, Annuities, Bank and borrowing, International stocks, Margin loans, Insurance, Securities lending fully paid
GICs IPOs
Currency Pairs
Yes
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
Yes
No
Precious Metals
Yes
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
Yes
Yes
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Schwab.com Web Trading Platform, StreetSmart Edge (advanced platform), StreetSmart Central (for options traders), Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade, thinkorswim Trading Platforms
All-in-One Platforms Questrade Trading Quest MobileAdvanced Trading Platforms Questrade Edge Mobile Questrade Edge Questrade Global
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Education and Custodial, Personal Choice Retirement, Small Business, Accounts by Financial Goal
Tax-Free Savings Account - TFSA Registered Retirement Savings Plan - RRSP First Home Savings Account - FHSA Registered Education Savings Plan - RESP
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$250
Leverage Available
No
NA
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on order and trading session
Varies by instrument
Commission (per account type)
$0
Casual Traders (Basic) Stocks - $4.95 to $9.95 Options - $9.95 + $1 / contract ETFs - Free(sell 1c/share min $4.95 to max $9.95)Options and day traders (Fixed) Stocks - $4.95 to $9.95 Options - $4.95 + $0.75 / contract ETFs - Free (sell for $4.95 per trade)Volume traders (Variable) Stocks - $4.95 to $9.95 (min $0.01 to max $6.95) Options - $6.95 + $0.75 / contract ETFs - Buy for free (sell 1c/share min $4.95 to max $9.95)
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Long term and active traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Instant deposit (Visa & Interac Debit cards) - CAD only Online banking bill payment - CAD only Pre-authorized deposit - CAD & USD Transfers from other brokers - CAD & USD Wire transfer - CAD & USD Non-certified cheque - CAD & USD Stock certificate
Withdrawal Methods
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
EFTs (CAD or USD) Wire transfers (CAD or USD)
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Insights and Education, Trading, Market Commentary, Planning and retirement, Media
TradingView TipRanks OptionsPlay Multileg options trading
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission -$0 online stock, ETF, and options trade, Commission is $75 - $50 fee + $25 assistance fees, broker-assisted trades- $25 service fee
Stocks 1C / share (min $4.95 to max $9.95) ETFs Buy Free. Sell 1C / share (min $4.95 to max $9.95) Mutual funds - $9.95 per trade International equities - 1% of trade value Precious metals - $19.95 / trade Notes & debentures - $0.10 per $1,000 par value FX & CFDs - pips as low as 0.08
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Variable
Fixed
Per Lot Fees
NA
$1 per contract for options
Options Contract Fees
$0.65
$9.95 + $1 / contract
Futures Contract Fees
$2.25 per contract.
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
NA
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$0
$0
Advisory Fees
Schwab Wealth Advisory- Starts at 0.80%- 1.0%
$0
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
NA
estatement - free Copy of statement - $20 Unclaimed property - $29.95 per quarter Regular mail - $10
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
Portfolio fees 0.25% with a balance of $1000 - $99,999 0.20% with a balance of $100,000+
Deposit Fee
$0
CAD EFT upto $50,000 - free USD EFT upto $25,000 - free CAD Wire transfer - $20 USD wire transfer - $30 International wire transfer - $40
Currency Conversion Fee
$0
1.50%
Withdrawal Fee
$0
EFTs - Free Wire transfer - $20 CAD for CAD wire $30 USD for USD wire $40 USD/CAD for international wires
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
No
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Regular Trading Session: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), Pre-Market Session: between 8:05 AM ET, After-Hours Session: 7:00 AM to 9:25 AM ET
North Americal Stock Markets 9:30am to 4pm ET Pre-market hours - 7am to 9:30am Post-market hours - 4pm to 8pm
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
24x5
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 800-435-4000, Chat, FAQs
Toll-free Canada - 1.866.980.9590 From US - 1.416.227.6911FX & CFDs Chat hours: Monday - Thursday 8:3-am to 8pm EST, Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm EST Ph: 416.227.6913 Toll-free Canada - 1.866.980.9591
Support Languages
2
2
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Westlake, Texas
Toronto, Ontario Canada
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
Explore More Broker Matchups
Here are more Comparisons to help you choose wisely
Our Latest Contents
Stay updated with our newest insights and guides!
Top Broker Reviews
Discover brokers trusted by global traders.
No