Qtrade Direct Investing review

Stock trades are charged at CAD 0 on the direct investing account, and the account itself costs CAD 0. Options trades run at CAD 0, so there is no per-contract charge on the same model. The pricing sits in Canadian dollars and applies to the stocks, etfs and options the account covers.

The account is run under Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), which pairs market oversight with the Canadian Investor Protection Fund as the protection scheme listed. The legal entity behind the brand is Aviso Financial Inc., and the account is offered to both beginners and experienced investors under experienced and beginners.

The account covers stocks, etfs and options, so Canadian listed shares, exchange traded funds, options, bonds and funds all sit inside one commission-free account. Crypto and forex are not on that list, which is the main gap if you want those markets from the same broker.

Access runs on web and mobile, and the feature list in demo account and mobile app includes a mobile app alongside a demo account. The demo account gives new investors a way to learn the account without putting money at risk, and the same web and mobile tools serve experienced investors.

Support runs on email, phone and help centre, giving you phone and email alongside a self-service help centre. Live chat is not part of that list, so every question goes through one of those routes instead.

Commission-free trading does not protect capital. Across the brokers in this investing ranking, retail accounts that lose money sit at 72.05%, so the commission-free model lowers dealing cost and says nothing about returns.

The audience spans experienced and beginners investors, and the demo account in demo account and mobile app lets a beginner learn the platform before committing cash. The trade and account charges carry no commission, so higher activity does not raise the cost of dealing.

Two names in this comparison go further. CFI covers stocks, etfs and forex, adding forex, cfds and crypto to the Canadian selection, and bunq lists stocks, etfs and crypto with crypto in the same account. Qtrade Direct Investing keeps its stocks, etfs and options focused on traditional listed instruments.