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Broker Comparison

Ally Invest vs Qtrade Direct Investing

Compare Ally Invest and Qtrade Direct Investing side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Ally Invest

Ally Invest

DIY investors who also want managed portfolio options

Ally Invest combines self-directed trading with robo portfolios and personal advice, with $0 commissions on m…

VS
Qtrade Direct Investing

Qtrade Direct Investing

Canadian self-directed investors seeking research tools

Qtrade Direct Investing is a Canadian online brokerage offering zero-commission trading on stocks, ETFs and m…

Head-to-head comparison

Ally Invest vs Qtrade Direct Investing
Feature Ally Invest Qtrade Direct Investing
Minimum deposit No minimum deposit required for Self-Directed brokerage cash account; $2,000 for Self-Directed brokerage margin accounts; $100 for Robo Portfolios; $100,000 for Personal Advice -
Stock trading fee $0 commission $0 per trade (Canadian and U.S. exchanges)
Regulators FINRA, SIPC, SEC CIRO, CIPF
Best for DIY investors who also want managed portfolio options Canadian self-directed investors seeking research tools
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Bonds
Options
Funds
Margin
Ready Made Portfolios
Demo Account
-
Business Account
-

Pros & cons

Ally Invest

Ally Invest

Pros

  • $0 commissions on most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs
  • $0 options commission with a $0.50 contract fee
  • $100 minimum for Ally Invest Robo Portfolios
  • Cash-enhanced Robo Portfolios have no advisory fee
  • Daily robo review and rebalancing at no extra fee
  • $75 ACAT transfer-fee credit on $2,500+ transfers
  • Apex adds up to $150 million aggregate excess coverage

Cons

  • $2,000 minimum deposit for Self-Directed margin accounts
  • $100,000 minimum assets for Personal Advice
  • Market-focused Robo Portfolios charge 0.30% annually
  • Low-priced securities cost $4.95 plus $0.01 per share
  • Personal Advice is available only to current customers
  • Withdrawals over 20% of Personal Advice account require a call
  • Robo ETF expense ratios are not included in advisory fee
Qtrade Direct Investing

Qtrade Direct Investing

Pros

  • Zero-commission trading on stocks, ETFs and mutual funds since October 2025
  • No quarterly account or inactivity fees
  • Strong research tools including Morningstar analyst reports and screeners
  • Portfolio analytics with risk exposure and ESG scoring
  • Qtrade Guided Portfolios robo-advisor available for hands-off investors
  • Wide range of registered account types (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, RRIF, LIRA, LIF)
  • Pre-market and after-hours trading available for U.S. markets
  • 30-day free trial account for platform exploration

Cons

  • No support for forex, CFDs, crypto, futures or precious metals
  • No fractional share trading
  • Currency conversion markup of approximately 0.9% applies to U.S. trades
  • Stock alerts not available on the mobile app
  • Options fee of $0.75 per contract is not the cheapest in Canada
  • Transfer-out fee of $150 per account
  • Limited to Canadian and U.S. exchanges only
  • 30-day trial account is view-only and does not support simulated trading
Ally Invest

Ally Invest

Ally Invest combines self-directed trading with robo portfolios and personal advice, with $0 commissions on most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs.

Visit Ally Invest Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Qtrade Direct Investing

Qtrade Direct Investing

Qtrade Direct Investing is a Canadian online brokerage offering zero-commission trading on stocks, ETFs and mutual funds, with strong research tools and a robo-advisor option.

Visit Qtrade Direct Investing Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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