How We Research and Compare Investing Platforms

How We Research and Compare Investing Platforms

Every comparison on DataSavvy Finance is built from the platform’s own published fees, checked on a stated date, with the math shown. I don’t rank platforms, give star ratings or name a “best” broker. My job is to lay out the numbers clearly enough that you can decide for yourself.

I’m Biljana Jonoska Stojkova, the founder of DataSavvy Finance. I’m a Canadian self-directed investor with personal accounts at both Questrade and Wealthsimple: a TFSA and a US-dollar RRSP at Questrade, and an RRSP of Canadian-listed ETFs at Wealthsimple. Here’s what that means I’ve actually done myself:

• Transferred accounts into Questrade from my old institution, and checked what was reimbursed afterwards ($52.50 of a $146 transfer-out fee).
• Converted $20,000 CAD to US dollars with Norbert’s Gambit inside my Questrade RRSP, which took about a week from first buy to final sale.
• Opened a Wealthsimple RRSP from scratch and set up contributions that are invested automatically, fractional shares included.
• Bought ETFs commission-free, placed limit orders, and set up dividend reinvestment (DRIP) on both platforms.

It also means I haven’t personally used everything they offer: managed portfolios, options, Wealthsimple’s US-dollar accounts and its Norbert’s Gambit feature, for example. This page explains how I handle that difference.

What DataSavvy Finance is, and isn’t

• It is an education site that compares fees and features using official sources and worked examples.
• It isn’t a lab. I don’t run large-scale testing, mystery-shop customer service, or score dozens of variables.
• It isn’t investment advice. I’m not a registered advisor, and nothing here tells you which platform or investment is right for you.

How every fact is labelled

In comparison tables, each feature carries one of four labels so you know exactly where the information came from.

Label	What it means	Example
Used it	I’ve done this myself in my own account, and the article describes what I saw, often from my own transaction records.	Transferring an account in, converting currency with Norbert’s Gambit
Verified	I haven’t used it, but I confirmed it on the platform’s official page on the date shown, with a link.	Managed portfolio fees, transfer-out fees
Checked in the app	I saw it inside my own account on the date shown, but haven’t used it and couldn’t find an official page saying the same.	A feature offered in the app that isn’t yet on the platform’s help pages
Not verified	I couldn’t confirm it on an official page or in the app. It’s either left out or clearly marked, with a note to check with the platform.	A feature only mentioned by third-party reviews

“Used it” never means I tested a feature against every scenario. It means I went through it as an ordinary customer would, on the date shown. Platforms change their apps often, so your experience may differ.

What I compare

Every platform comparison uses the same checklist, so the same questions get asked of every platform:

1. Account fees, minimums and inactivity fees
2. Commissions on Canadian and US-listed ETFs and stocks
3. Currency conversion cost and whether you can hold US dollars, including inside a TFSA or RRSP
4. Transfer-in fee coverage and its conditions, and what it costs to leave (transfer-out and closing fees)
5. Account types (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, non-registered and others)
6. Automation: recurring investments, dividend reinvestment (DRIP), fractional shares
7. Managed portfolio options and their fees, in dollars
8. Pricing tiers and optional subscriptions, and whether they pay for themselves
9. Regulation and investor protection (CIRO membership, CIPF coverage)

Where the numbers come from

• Primary sources first. Fees come from the platform’s own pricing page, fee schedule or help centre, linked beside the figure.
• Rules come from regulators. TFSA and RRSP rules come from the Canada Revenue Agency. Investor protection comes from CIRO and CIPF.
• Third-party reviews and forums are never the source for a number. I may read them, including Reddit discussions, to find the questions people actually ask, but every figure gets confirmed on an official page.
• When official pages conflict (it happens), I quote the pricing page and note the conflict.
• When my own records differ from a platform’s page, I report both. For example, Questrade’s page says it “might” reimburse transfer fees, and my records show what it actually reimbursed in my case.

How I show the math

When I turn a percentage into dollars, I show the formula and the assumptions. For example, converting $5,000 at a 1.5% currency fee costs about $75 ($5,000 × 1.5%). Long-term examples use the investment growth calculator, so you can change the inputs to match your own situation.

How often comparisons are updated

• Fees and features are rechecked every quarter, and whenever a platform announces a change.
• Each article shows the date it was last checked near the top.
• If an official page has no date, I record the date I checked it instead.

How DataSavvy Finance gets paid

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you open an account or buy something through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Current programs include Questrade, Wealthsimple, TradingView and Amazon. [UPDATE THIS LIST WHEN PROGRAMS CHANGE.] Every page with affiliate links says so near the top, beside the first link. Pages without affiliate links say that too: the Questrade vs Wealthsimple comparison currently links only to each platform’s own public pages.

Rules I follow because I get paid

1. Compensation never changes the numbers. Fees, features and limitations are reported the same way whether or not a platform pays me.
2. No winners. I don’t declare one platform “better.” I show who each option tends to suit based on the numbers, and leave the decision to you.
3. Limitations are always included. Every comparison covers what each platform does not do, including what it costs to leave.
4. The link goes before the analysis does. If an affiliate program ever asks me to change accurate content, I’ll remove the affiliate link and keep the content.
5. No investment recommendations. I don’t recommend specific stocks or tell you when to buy or sell.

Corrections

If you spot an error, email support@datasavvyfinance.com with the page and what’s wrong. I’ll check it against the official source and update the page, usually within 7 days. Corrections are logged here, newest first.

Date	Page	What changed
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Questrade transfer reimbursement corrected from “covered my fee” to $52.50 of a $146 fee, from the author’s account records.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Added Questrade’s $150 transfer-out fee and Wealthsimple’s $0 transfer-out and closing fees.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Questrade Norbert’s Gambit: added the $9.95 journalling fee from Questrade’s fee schedule (free with Questrade Plus).
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	CIPF coverage corrected: TFSA, FHSA, cash and margin accounts share one $1 million general limit; they are not separate categories.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Wealthsimple Norbert’s Gambit updated from “rolling out” to available ($9.95 plus tax, web only, USD account required).
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Wealthsimple LIRA and RRIF corrected to available as managed and self-directed accounts; Wealthsimple limit orders corrected to available.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Questwealth Portfolios listed as Questrade’s managed option (previously “no robo-advisor”).
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Removed the claim that Questrade offers US-dollar versions of its RIF and LIF; it isn’t on Questrade’s account-types page.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Removed Questrade’s $4.95 to $9.95 ETF sell commission; online stock and ETF trades are $0.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Questrade transfer fee coverage changed from “up to $150 per account” to Questrade’s own wording: it “might reimburse” transfer-out fees, with no amount stated.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade vs Wealthsimple	Wealthsimple transfer coverage changed from “terms vary” to up to $150 per account on transfers of $25,000 or more.
Oct 12 2026	Questrade TFSA guide	Removed the $4.95 to $9.95 ETF sell commission. Questrade’s online stock and ETF trades are now commission-free.