🇨🇦 Canada's most powerful self-directed brokerage
Get $50 Free Trades
with Questrade.
Use referral code 716213846468899 at signup. Free ETF purchases, options trading, and Canada's most advanced platform.
🛡️CIPF Protected📈Free ETF Buys🧮Options Trading⏱️Since 1999
$50 offer verified — May 2026✓ Operating since 1999 — 25+ years in Canada🏦 CIPF insured up to $1M per category
Last updated May 2026
Questrade at a Glance
ETF Purchases
$0
Always free to buy
Signup Bonus
$50
In free trades
In Canada Since
1999
25+ years of trust
Stock Trades
$4.95+
Per trade
CIPF Coverage
$1M
Per account category
Min. Deposit
$1,000
To open account
What You Get
Why Questrade Stands Apart
📊
Free ETF Purchases
Buy any ETF commission-free, every time. The most cost-efficient way to build a passive portfolio in Canada.
🧮
Options Trading
Full options desk — covered calls, puts, spreads. Questrade is one of the few Canadian brokerages that takes options seriously.
🖥️
IQ Edge Platform
Advanced desktop platform with Level 2 data, real-time streaming quotes, options chains, and fully customizable layouts.
👨👩👧
Self-Directed RESP
One of the few brokerages offering a self-directed RESP. Invest your children's education savings in ETFs instead of bank GICs.
💱
CAD + USD Accounts
Hold US dollars directly in your RRSP. Avoid repeated CAD–USD conversion fees on every US dividend or sale.
🛡️
CIPF Protected — $1M
25 years of Canadian regulatory compliance. Your investments are protected up to $1 million per account category.
Simple Process
3 Steps to Claim Your $50
1
Click the link below
Opens Questrade with referral code 716213846468899 pre-applied. No copying needed.
2
Open your account
TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, or non-registered. Takes about 5 minutes with your SIN.
3
Fund and start trading
Deposit $1,000 minimum. Your $50 in free trades is credited automatically.
Open Questrade — Get $50 Free →
Min. $1,000 deposit · Free ETF purchases · CIPF protected
Pros & Cons
✅ What Questrade Does Well
- Free ETF purchases — $0 commission to buy
- Full options trading — calls, puts, spreads
- IQ Edge desktop platform with Level 2 data
- Self-directed RESP for education savings
- CAD + USD accounts inside a single RRSP
- $50 referral bonus — code 716213846468899
- CIPF protected up to $1M per account category
- 25+ years of Canadian regulatory track record
Things to Know
- $1,000 minimum deposit to open
- $4.95–$9.95 commission to sell ETFs or stocks
- $24.95/qtr inactivity fee (waived above $5K)
- ~1.5% USD conversion spread
- Mobile app less polished than some competitors
- Customer service response times can vary
Built For
Who Questrade Is Made For
📈
ETF Investors
Free ETF purchases make Questrade the lowest-cost platform for passive investors building a portfolio with monthly contributions. Zero buy-side commissions over 20 years of investing adds up to thousands saved.
🧮
Options Traders
Questrade is one of the few Canadian brokerages with a full options desk — covered calls, cash-secured puts, and multi-leg spreads. IQ Edge provides the options chains and order routing needed to trade effectively.
👨👩👧
Parents Saving for Education
Questrade offers a self-directed RESP, letting you invest your children's education savings in ETFs rather than locked-in bank GICs. Combined with the CESG grant, a self-directed RESP in ETFs is one of the most powerful savings vehicles in Canada.
🖥️
Active Traders
IQ Edge delivers real-time Level 2 data, streaming quotes, advanced order types, and multi-chart layouts. For traders who execute frequently and need the full toolkit, Questrade's desktop platform is purpose-built.
🇺🇸
US Equity Investors
Questrade lets you hold USD directly in your RRSP, avoiding repeated CAD–USD conversion. Combined with the Canada–US tax treaty exemption on US dividends in registered accounts, this is a significant long-term advantage.
Account Types
Referral Offer — 2026
Open Questrade Today.
$50 in Free Trades.
Enter code 716213846468899at signup. Free ETF purchases from day one. Options, RESP, and Canada's most advanced platform included.
Open Questrade — Get $50 Free →✓ Min. $1,000 deposit✓ No annual fees✓ CIPF protected up to $1M
Frequently Asked Questions
The Questrade referral code is 716213846468899. Enter it during account signup to receive $50 in free trades credited to your new account. The code must be applied during the sign-up process — it cannot be added after your account is already open.
Questrade requires a minimum initial deposit of $1,000 to open a self-directed investment account. This is a one-time minimum — your balance can fall below $1,000 after opening. The $1,000 minimum reflects Questrade's positioning as a platform for serious investors.
Yes — buying ETFs at Questrade is completely commission-free. This makes Questrade exceptionally cost-efficient for passive investors who buy ETFs regularly. Note that selling ETFs costs $4.95–$9.95 per trade, but a buy-and-hold investor will sell far less frequently than they buy.
Yes — Questrade supports full options trading including covered calls, cash-secured puts, and multi-leg spreads. Options fees are $9.95 + $1 per contract. This is one of Questrade's biggest advantages over many other Canadian brokerages. You'll need to apply for options trading approval when setting up your account.
Questrade offers TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, RRIF, LIF, non-registered, and margin accounts. Notably, Questrade is one of the few Canadian brokerages offering a self-directed RESP — making it the top choice for parents investing in their children's education savings.
Yes. Questrade is a registered investment dealer with CIRO (Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization) and a member of CIPF (Canadian Investor Protection Fund). Your investments are protected up to $1 million per account category under CIPF in the event of Questrade's insolvency. Questrade has been operating since 1999.
IQ Edge is Questrade's desktop trading platform, designed for active traders and power users. It offers advanced charting, Level 2 quotes, streaming data, customizable layouts, options chains, and complex order types not available in Questrade's mobile app or web platform. It's free to use with any Questrade account.
Questrade charges a $24.95/quarter inactivity fee if your account balance is under $5,000 AND you haven't made any trades that quarter. This fee is easily avoided: maintain a balance over $5,000 or make at least one trade per quarter. Most active investors will never encounter this fee.
Sources & References
- • Questrade — Official Pricing Page
- • CIPF — Canadian Investor Protection Fund
- • InvestReferral — Full Canadian Brokerage Comparison
This review is for informational purposes only. Fees and features are subject to change — verify directly with Questrade before opening an account.