Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Pepperstone vs Questrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pepperstone vs Questrade: Pepperstone was founded in 2010 and Questrade in 2000. Neither broker is publicly traded or a bank. On the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, Pepperstone earns 94/99 (highly trusted), while Questrade scores 85/99 (trusted).
In terms of financial regulation, Pepperstone holds 3 Tier-1 licenses—considered highly trusted—and 2 Tier-2 licenses—considered trusted. Questrade holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. This difference may matter if you value broader oversight and licensing when choosing between these online brokers.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2000 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
Pepperstone comes out ahead of Questrade for commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders. Pepperstone is rated 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees by ForexBrokers.com. Its Razor account uses commission-based pricing and can offer low all-in trading costs, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips plus commission for a total of about 0.80 pips as of July 2024. Pepperstone’s Standard account is commission-free, but its spreads are higher, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.1 pips, making it the pricier choice compared with Razor.
Questrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #34 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees. Questrade Global uses spread-based pricing, so the cost is built into the quote you see rather than added as a separate commission. While Questrade says spreads can be as low as 0.8 pips in normal market conditions, recent review data showed major forex pairs closer to 2.1 to 2.5 pips on average, which can make trading more expensive. For CFDs, Questrade also adds a $9.95 USD trading fee per unit, which can push total costs up quickly.
In simple terms, Pepperstone is usually the better pick if you want lower trading costs, especially if you trade often or use the Active Trader program for rebates. Questrade may be easier to understand at first because costs are built into the spread, but its wider spreads and added CFD fees can make it more expensive overall. For traders focused on value, Pepperstone offers the stronger commissions and fees setup.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 0.8 or higher |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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Pepperstone and Questrade both let you trade forex, but they differ in the mix of markets they offer. Pepperstone lists 1,726 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while Questrade offers 675 tradeable symbols and a larger selection of 110 forex pairs. Neither broker provides access to real shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so you cannot buy individual stocks like Apple or Vodafone through either platform.
Where Pepperstone stands out is in extra trading features and crypto CFDs. It supports copy trading and lets you trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while Questrade does not offer either of those options. Even so, Questrade scores higher for range of investments overall, with a 5-star rating and a #12 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Pepperstone’s 4-star rating and #23 ranking.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 675 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 110 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Pepperstone and Questrade both give traders a solid mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, proprietary platforms, Windows desktop downloads, and web-based trading. Each also lets users trade directly from charts, and both earned 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com. For traders who want to practice first or switch between desktop and browser access, either broker can cover the basics well.
Where Pepperstone stands out is in platform variety and extra trading features. It offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, plus copy trading, while Questrade does not support MT4, MT5, or copy trading. That wider tool set helps Pepperstone rank higher overall in this category, coming in at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with Questrade at #29 out of 36. If you want more platform options and built-in trading tools, Pepperstone has the edge; if you mainly need standard platform access and chart trading, Questrade still offers a competitive setup.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 64 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and Questrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and watchlist syncing between the app and online account. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts, and both save those drawings automatically, which makes it easier to track ideas while moving between devices. For traders who want a straightforward mobile setup, both brokers cover the core features most people expect.
Where they differ is in charting depth and overall mobile app ratings. Pepperstone’s app includes 30 technical studies, while Questrade offers 64, giving Questrade more chart indicators to work with. Even so, Pepperstone has the higher mobile trading app score at 4 out of 5 stars and is ranked #19 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with Questrade’s 3.5 stars and #29 ranking. In short, Questrade stands out for chart tools, while Pepperstone leads on mobile app rating and ranking.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Pepperstone has a clearer edge over Questrade for market research. It offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources such as Reuters and Bloomberg, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. It also includes Autochartist, which can help traders spot technical and chart-based opportunities. Based on this mix of tools and content, Pepperstone earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com review.
Questrade does have some useful research features, including Autochartist, Trading Central tools, and TipRanks, which gives it a different kind of market insight. However, it lacks daily market commentary, top-tier forex news, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar, which makes its overall research offering less complete for active traders. That said, Questrade still receives 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research, but it ranks lower at #35 out of 36 brokers.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Pepperstone has the edge over Questrade for beginner-friendly learning tools. It offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, along with monthly educational webinars and more than 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos for traders who want to go further. Questrade, by comparison, does not offer the same level of forex or CFD-focused education, does not host monthly educational webinars, and does not provide the same depth of beginner or advanced video content.
That difference is reflected in the ratings and rankings as well. Pepperstone earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and places #15 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Questrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks #28. For beginners looking for more guided learning, Pepperstone is the stronger choice overall.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Questrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Pepperstone is better than Questrade. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17, while Questrade finished with an overall rank of #29.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
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Questrade
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 85 |
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Pepperstone vs Questrade: neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but Pepperstone offers cryptocurrency CFD trading whereas Questrade does not.
Comparing online brokers Pepperstone vs Questrade for deposit and withdrawal methods: Pepperstone supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wires (not Skrill), while Questrade supports bank wires only and does not offer ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Questrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
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| Regulation | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2000 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 675 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 110 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 0.8 or higher | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 64 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Questrade Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | Questrade | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Questrade Review |
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