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Fidelity vs Qtrade : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Fidelity

Fidelity

VS
Qtrade

Qtrade

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Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

STP broker

ECN broker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1946

2000

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

51.4 million

1Million


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

SEC, MSRB, FINRA

IIROC, CIRO

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Online Broker for Beginning Investors 2024, Rated #1 for Overall Broker 2024, Best Online Broker 2023

No major awards listed

Security Measures

FDIC , SIPC

CIPF

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes* Restriction for some clients

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

No


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

10000+ mutual funds including fixed income, CDs, Annuities, life insurance, long-term Care Planning, 529 Plans IRAs, Health Savings Account

100+ commission-free ETFs, GIC, Exchange-traded debentures, Fixed income

Currency Pairs

No

No

Commodities

No

No

Indices

No

No

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

No

CFDs

No

No

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

Yes

Futures

No

No

Bonds

Yes

Yes

Mutual Funds

Yes

Yes

Fractional Shares

Yes

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

No

No

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

Yes

Yes


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

No

Copy Trading

No

No

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Trading dashboard, Fidelity mobile, Active Trader Pro

Qtrade trading platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

Fidelity® Cash Management Account., The Fidelity Account, Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 529 College Savings Account., Fidelity HSA, Custodial Account (UGMA/UTMA)

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

$0

$0

Leverage Available

No

No

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on assets class

$500,000

Commission (per account type)

$0

$0

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Beginners and experienced traders

Long term investor and self-directed investment options


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

ATM/debit card, Deposits eligible for FDIC insurance, Cash Manager, Fidelity Mobile, Bill Pay, Check writing, Automatic investments, Automatic withdrawals, Direct deposit, Electronic funds transfer (EFT), e-wallets

Electronic fund transfer,bank transfer, e-transfer services, Bill payment

Withdrawal Methods

Electronic funds transfer (EFT), Bank wire, Paper check, Paper bill varies by account types

Bank transfer

Other E-Wallets Supported

Venmo or PayPal

No


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

No

Yes

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Research and Tools, Investment Education, Webinars and Online Courses, Market News and Insights, Retirement and Planning Tools

Education- New to investing, Experienced with investing, Weekly Market Pulse


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Commission for U.S stocks, ETFs, Options- $0, Mutual funds- $49.95, Crypto spread- 1.0 pip, Margin liquidation -$32.95 per liquidation, Stock certificate transfer and ship $10 Per Certificate

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

$0.65/ Contract fee

$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

No

No


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

NA

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

NA

$45 / security

Statement or Document Fee

NA

$2.50 / trade Paper account statements $6 / quarter

Account Opening Fee

$0

$100 setup + $50 / year after first year

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

$25/ quarter

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

$50/ per trade

$100 / transaction

Withdrawal Fee

Wire transfer-$3

Account transfer out $150


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

No

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Premarket session -7:00 a.m. to 9:28 a.m. ET.

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


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Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET , Monday- Friday

Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 8:00 pm ET

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: 800-343-0860, 800-835-5095, Live chat, Login for personalized help, FAQs

E-mail: [email protected], 1.877. 787.2330

Support Languages

2

2


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Boston, MA

Canada

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.
While Fidelity maintains low trading fees with no minimum deposit, Qtrade includes some charges for premium features and certain asset trades, making Fidelity the better option for budget-focused traders.
Fidelity uses a digital-first onboarding approach with clear instructions and fast ID verification. Qtrade goes a step further with manual checks and optional account tiers, ideal for serious professionals.
Fidelity provides a modern trading experience with its proprietary platform, ideal for technical traders. Qtrade, on the other hand, offers more research tools and is better suited for data-driven investors.
Fidelity is geared toward frequent trading and analytics, while Qtrade fits those who value simplicity and guided experiences.