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Broker Comparison

Acorns vs Questrade

Compare Acorns and Questrade side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Acorns

Acorns

Hands-off investors who want automated ETF portfolios

Acorns is an automated saving and investing app with ETF portfolios, Round-Ups, retirement accounts, and pric…

VS
Questrade

Questrade

Low-cost Canadian self-directed investors

Questrade is a Canadian independent online brokerage founded in 1999, offering commission-free stocks and ETF…

Head-to-head comparison

Acorns vs Questrade
Feature Acorns Questrade
Minimum deposit No minimum opening deposit or minimum balance required for Mighty Oak and Emergency Savings banking services -
Stock trading fee No commissions $0 commission; ECN fees of approximately $0.0035-$0.0050 per share may apply on certain order types
Regulators SEC, FINRA CIRO, CIPF
Best for Hands-off investors who want automated ETF portfolios Low-cost Canadian self-directed investors
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Bonds
Options
-
Investment Plans
-
Ready Made Portfolios
Fractional Shares
-
Funds
-
Margin
-
Demo Account
-

Pros & cons

Acorns

Acorns

Pros

  • Round-Ups invest spare change once it reaches at least $5
  • Automatic rebalancing keeps Base portfolio allocations on track
  • Dividends are automatically reinvested
  • No hidden costs, transaction fees, or commissions stated
  • Checking has no overdraft, maintenance, or AllPoint ATM fees
  • Gold adds individual stocks and ETFs to Custom Portfolios
  • SIPC protection up to $500,000 for Invest, Later and Early

Cons

  • Lowest listed subscription is $3/mo.
  • Gold costs $12/mo. for the full suite
  • Custom Portfolios are available only to Gold customers
  • Acorns Early Invest is a Gold subscription exclusive
  • Money Manager is available with Acorns Gold
  • No direct Bitcoin access; exposure is through BITO ETF
  • Investment products are not FDIC insured or bank guaranteed
Questrade

Questrade

Pros

  • $0 commission on Canadian and U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs
  • No account, maintenance or inactivity fees
  • Fractional share investing on U.S.-listed securities
  • Multiple registered account types: TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, RRIF
  • Questwealth Portfolios robo-advisor with 0.20%-0.25% management fee
  • Free electronic fund transfer withdrawals
  • Practice accounts available on Questrade Edge and Questrade Global platforms
  • Independent of Canadian big banks

Cons

  • ECN fees can apply on certain stock and ETF orders
  • Mutual fund trades cost $9.95
  • Currency conversion mark-up of approximately 2%
  • Domestic wire withdrawal costs CAD $20; international wire costs CAD $40
  • Canadian options use a per-trade plus per-contract structure
  • Fractional shares available only on U.S.-listed securities, not Canadian
  • Advanced platform features and real-time data require paid subscription tiers
Acorns

Acorns

Acorns is an automated saving and investing app with ETF portfolios, Round-Ups, retirement accounts, and pricing from $3/mo.

Visit Acorns Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Questrade

Questrade

Questrade is a Canadian independent online brokerage founded in 1999, offering commission-free stocks and ETFs, options, bonds, managed portfolios via Questwealth, and forex/CFD trading.

Visit Questrade Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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