Questrade Financial Group announced a range of new products and platform capabilities at a customer event this week, including a browser-based trading platform called Questrade Pro and expanded investment options spanning physical precious metals to private equity access.

The rollout comes roughly a month after rival Wealthsimple added custom indexing and zero-commission options trading to its platform, and days after Qtrade Direct Investing eliminated trading commissions.

The fully Canadian-owned Questrade that has operated for the past 26 years, manages about $85 billion in assets under administration, compared with Wealthsimple’s $100 billion, according to recent disclosures.

Beta Access to Questrade Pro Opens Within Two Weeks

Questrade Pro will be available to users on a waiting list starting in early December. The browser-based platform includes one-second candle charts, options trading tools, and AI-driven analysis features. The company described the platform as designed to improve trader efficiency, though specific performance metrics were not disclosed.

“With today’s event, Questrade is signalling its intent to bring new products and capabilities to Canadian investors and traders at a pace that matches the movement of modern markets,” said Edward Kholodenko, Founder and CEO at Questrade Financial Group.

“This is a new era in our organization’s evolution to not only put additional capabilities, information, and tools at our customers’ fingertips faster, but to dramatically expand the reach of our mission to help Canadians become much more financially successful and secure.”

Quest Metals, scheduled to launch in December, will allow customers to purchase physical gold stored at the Royal Canadian Mint. Minimum purchases start at $5, with holdings registered in the customer's name rather than through exchange-traded funds. The service includes 24/7 access and what the company described as competitive fees, though specific pricing was not detailed.

Questrade also plans to provide access to private equity, private credit, and pre-IPO investments in 2026. The feature will integrate private market holdings into customer portfolio views alongside public market positions.

Last year, the online brokerage integrated its services with TradingView, enabling users to access market data, execute trade and analyze markets.

Registered Account Options Expanded

The firm has begun offering cash-secured puts in registered accounts, including tax-advantaged accounts excluding education savings plans. Questrade said it is the first Canadian brokerage to enable the strategy in registered accounts, which allows users to collect premiums on stocks they intend to purchase while deferring tax obligations.

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Additional features planned for early 2026 include custom indexing tools that let investors build personalized portfolios tracking specific indices or sectors, and a portfolio rebalancing tool that automatically adjusts holdings to match target allocations.

"We are moving decisively, not just to compete, but to set a new, accelerated pace for the entire financial services industry in Canada, said Rob Galaski, President, Questrade Financial Group. “Questrade is here to lead and innovate in a much more visible and tangible way than ever before.”

Competition Heats Up for Discount Brokerages

The announcements follow a period of rapid feature expansion among Canadian online brokerages. Wealthsimple's assets under administration jumped from roughly $5 billion in 2019 to $100 billion this year, while Questrade's assets grew from $9 billion to about $85 billion over the same period.

Several major brokerages eliminated trading commissions in 2025. Questrade removed fees on stocks, ETFs, and options in February. Qtrade followed with zero-commission trading in late October, while Wealthsimple became the first Canadian platform to eliminate per-contract fees on options trades.

Questrade received regulatory approval earlier this month to launch Questbank, though specific products and launch timing have not been announced. The firm currently operates an online brokerage, robo-advisory service, and wealth management business under CIRO and CIPF membership.

Price wars among brokers are intensifying in other parts of the world as well. As FinanceMagnates reported a few months ago, a similar trend is visible in the European market, where firms such as XTB, Robinhood, and Trade Republic are competing for market share.