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Lightspeed vs Qtrade : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
Qtrade
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
2000
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
1Million
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
IIROC, CIRO
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
No major awards listed
Security Measures
SIPC
CIPF
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Commodity futures
100+ commission-free ETFs, GIC, Exchange-traded debentures, Fixed income
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
No
Cryptocurrencies
No
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
No
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.)
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
Qtrade trading platform
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes except Mac, iOS, Android
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account
Cash- Individual, Society, Joint, Religious organization, Trust, Investment club, Estates Company, Registered accounts- FHSA, TFSA, RRSP, LIRA/ LRSP, RESP, RIF, LIF
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$2,000
$0
Leverage Available
4:1 to 2:1
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
$500,000
Commission (per account type)
Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders
Long term investor and self-directed investment options
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
Electronic fund transfer,bank transfer, e-transfer services, Bill payment
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Bank transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research
Education- New to investing, Experienced with investing, Weekly Market Pulse
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
Equities- $6.95- $8.75, Options- $8.75 + $1.25 per contract/ $6.95 + $1.25 per contract, ETFs- $0, Mutual fund- $8.75/ $6.95, ETFs - Others- $8.75/ $6.95, Fixed income and Exchange-traded debentures- $1 per $1,000 face value/ $1 per $1,000 face value, DAP accounts - $10 per trade, $7.75 - commissions for stock, mutual fund and ETF trades
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
NA
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.20
$8.75 + $1.25 per contract/ $6.95 + $1.25 per contract
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
4:1
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$25 monthly minimum
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$130
NA
Advisory Fees
NA
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
$45 / security
Statement or Document Fee
$15 - $50 per month
$2.50 / trade Paper account statements $6 / quarter
Account Opening Fee
$20
$100 setup + $50 / year after first year
Account Maintenance Fee
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
$25/ quarter
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
$100 / transaction
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
Account transfer out $150
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.
Pre-market trading: Available online and by phone from 8:30-9:29 AM ET, After-hours trading: Available online and by phone from 4-5 PM ET
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 8:00 pm ET
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
E-mail: [email protected], 1.877. 787.2330
Support Languages
1
2
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
Canada
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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