Head to head

Nordnet vs Wealthsimple Trade — which broker is better?

Nordnet or Wealthsimple Trade? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

Nordnet

The Nordic default: a listed Swedish bank with SEK 1 minimum commissions — if you live in the right four countries.

4,2

Group index 93/100Protection depends on your legal entity

Stocks (per order): tiered
Minimum deposit: None
FX conversion: 0.25 %

Visit broker Full review

Wealthsimple Trade

The best consumer app in Canadian finance, and the first broker in the country to make equity options genuinely free.

4,1

Group index 69/100Protection depends on your legal entity

CIRO

Stocks (per order): Free
Minimum deposit: None
FX conversion: 1.5 %

Visit broker Full review

Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Overall Nordnet takes it, 4.2 against 4.1 out of 5. Wealthsimple Trade is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €0.00 there against €0.02. Nordnet scores 93 against 69 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Nordnet covers more ground with 8 of 14 asset classes against 7. On platform and app Wealthsimple Trade is ahead, 4.3 against 4.1 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.

Overall score

Nordnet: 4.2 — Better
Wealthsimple Trade: 4.1

Costs

Nordnet: €0.02
Wealthsimple Trade: €0.00 — Better

Group indexNo winner

Nordnet: 93 of 100
Wealthsimple Trade: 69 of 100

Product range

Nordnet: 8/14 — Better
Wealthsimple Trade: 7/14

Platform & app

Nordnet: 4.1
Wealthsimple Trade: 4.3 — Better

Compare brokers side by side

Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.

Data as of: 30 Aug 2026

Best value in the row

Nordnet · Wealthsimple Trade
Criterion	Nordnet 4,2 Visit broker	Wealthsimple Trade 4,1 Visit broker

Overall score	4.2 — Better	4.1
Group index	93 of 100	69 of 100
Best for	Nordic residentsLong-term ISK saversFund and ETF investorsSmall monthly share purchasesPension consolidation	App-first Canadian investorsOptions sellers and covered-call writersConsolidating banking, investing and cryptoRegistered account investing (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA)Investors holding cash between trades

Regulation	FI	CIRO
Top-tier licences	1	1
Investor protection	€100,000	CA$1,000,000 — Better
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	Yes	No
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	None
Founded	1996	2014
Headquarters	Stockholm, SE	Toronto, CA

Fees	4.2	4.5 — Better
Safety & regulation	4.7 — Better	4.2
Trading platform	4.0 — Better	3.8
Product range	4.0 — Better	3.6
Mobile app	4.2	4.8 — Better
Research	4.0 — Better	3.2
Customer support	3.6	3.7 — Better
Deposit & withdrawal	4.0	4.3 — Better
Account opening	4.2	4.8 — Better
Education	4.0 — Better	3.6

Reference order EUR 5,000	€0.02	€0.00 — Better
Minimum deposit	None	None
Stocks (per order)	tiered	Free
US stocks	tiered	Free
ETFs	tiered	Free
Options	tiered	Free
Futures	tiered	US$1
Crypto	n/a	2 %
Bonds (order)	tiered	n/a
Funds (order)	Free	n/a
EUR/USD spread	n/a	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	n/a
FX conversion	0.25 % — Better	1.5 %
Inactivity fee	None	None
Custody fee	None	n/a
Withdrawal fee	free	free
Deposit fee	free	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Cheapest commission class: Mini — 0.25% with a SEK 1 minimum on Nordic markets, SEK 9 outside the Nordics New customer offer ('Kom igång'): Commission-free trading on Nasdaq Stockholm, maximum 500 share transactions per year, with fund fees refunded — Nordnet's price list ties the offer to accumulated capital reaching SEK 50,000 Currency surcharge: 0.25% on automatic currency exchange, or 0.075% when the trade settles through a free currency account (USD, EUR, NOK, DKK, CAD). The currency account is open to every customer on an aktie- och fonddepå (AF); on an ISK or KF it is reserved for private banking and active trading clients. Fund orders are always converted automatically at 0.25% Custody / platform fee: None Inactivity fee: None Minimum deposit: None +1	Inactivity fee: None Account opening / closing: CAD 0 Outgoing account transfer: CAD 0 — genuinely free, against CAD 150 at most Canadian brokers Currency conversion (CAD ⇆ USD): 1.5% on the corporate exchange rate; cash conversions between the CAD and USD accounts are charged per transaction, counted in the currency you convert from: 1.5% under 10,000, 1.0% from 10,000 to 24,999.99, 0.5% from 25,000 to 99,999.99, 0% from 100,000 USD account: CAD 10 + tax per month on Core, free on Premium and Generation Journalling (Norbert's Gambit): CAD 9.95 per request +7

Asset classes (of 14)	8 — Better	7
Exchanges	n/a	n/a
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	No	No
CFDs	No	No
Crypto	No	Yes
Bonds	Yes	No
Funds	Yes	No
Commodities	No	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	Yes	No
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	Nordnet web platformNordnet app	Wealthsimple mobile appWealthsimple webActive trading dashboard
Demo account	No	No
Fractional shares	No	Yes
Maximum leverage	Nordnet does not offer CFDs or spot forex, so there is no ESMA leverage cap to quote.	1:3
Account opening	Instant for Nordic residents with BankID, MitID or an equivalent national e-ID — usually trading the same day	Fully digital in roughly three minutes, with no minimum balance; the Core tier starts at CAD 1
Account types	Investeringssparkonto (ISK)Aktie- och fonddepåKapitalförsäkringTjänstepension and privatpension	CorePremiumGenerationRegistered accountsMargin account

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPA	Bank transferCrypto
Account currencies	SEKNOKDKKEUR	CADUSD
Deposit time	Domestic Nordic bank transfer typically same or next business day; SEPA 1–2 business days	Electronic transfers credit instantly up to CAD 50,000 on Core and up to CAD 250,000 on Premium and Generation, with each client's actual limit depending on deposit history, net deposits and other factors; bank transfers otherwise 1–3 business days
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days to a bank account in your own name	1–3 business days by EFT, or instant for a 2.5% fee
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	SwedishNorwegianDanishFinnishEnglish	EnglishFrench
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system	PhoneEmailLive chat
Availability	Swedish desk Monday to Friday 08:30–18:00 CET; the brokerage desk runs to 17:45 and covers US trading hours 15:30–22:00	In-app live chat around the clock; phone on 1-855-255-9038, with priority routing (phone pickup under a minute, email under four hours) for active traders and higher tiers

Strengths and weaknesses side by side

Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.

Nordnet

The Nordic default: a listed Swedish bank with SEK 1 minimum commissions — if you live in the right four countries.

4,2

Pros

Commission from 0.25% with a SEK 1 minimum on Nordic orders up to SEK 15,600 — small monthly share purchases are genuinely viable
New customers start in the 'Kom igång' class with commission-free Nasdaq Stockholm trading (up to 500 share transactions a year) and fund fees refunded
Nordnet Bank AB holds a Swedish banking licence under Finansinspektionen, and parent Nordnet AB (publ) is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm as SAVE
Two separate protection layers: the Swedish deposit guarantee on cash and the Swedish investor compensation scheme on securities
Broad for a domestic broker — shares, ETFs, mutual funds with no dealing charge, options, futures, warrants, certificates and bonds
No custody fee, no platform fee, no inactivity fee and no minimum deposit
Nordnet reports to the Nordic tax authorities and the ISK wrapper removes per-trade capital gains declarations entirely
Scale that is easy to verify: 2.5 million customers, SEK 1,374 billion of savings capital and 17.6 million trades in a single quarter

Cons

Residents of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland only — there is no route in from Germany, Austria, Switzerland or the rest of the EU
Automatic currency exchange costs 0.25%, and the 0.075% route needs a free currency account — open to everyone only on an ordinary aktie- och fonddepå, restricted to private banking and active trading clients on an ISK or KF, and never available on fund orders
Commission classes step by order size, and the Nordic minimum jumps from SEK 1 to SEK 39 at SEK 15,600 — though a SEK 15,000 order already costs SEK 37.50 at 0.25%, so the real step at the boundary is small
Support is weekday office hours only, in Nordic languages plus English; there is no 24/5 desk and Trustpilot sentiment is markedly weaker than app-store sentiment
The Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish price lists have different structures and different numbers, which makes cross-border comparison genuinely confusing
No fractional shares on ordinary orders, no demo account, no spot forex and no CFDs — active traders will find the toolkit thinner than a specialist platform

Best for

Nordic residentsLong-term ISK saversFund and ETF investorsSmall monthly share purchasesPension consolidation

Wealthsimple Trade

The best consumer app in Canadian finance, and the first broker in the country to make equity options genuinely free.

4,1

Pros

CAD 0 commission on Canadian and US stocks and ETFs, plus USD 0 per equity and ETF options contract on every tier, including free assignment
Futures at USD 1 per contract with free real-time futures market data — no Canadian competitor matches that combination
CAD 0 to transfer your account out, where Questrade, Qtrade and the banks all charge CAD 150
Best-rated broker app in Canada at 4.6 on the App Store across roughly 130,000 ratings, with real-time streaming quotes free to everyone
24/5 trading on eligible US stocks and ETFs and 24/7 on gold and crypto — the longest trading hours available in Canada
Margin at prime + 0.5% on Core and prime − 0.5% on Generation, well under the big banks
CIRO-regulated with CIPF coverage of CAD 1,000,000 per account category, backed by Power Corporation of Canada with a 52.4% stake
Interest on chequing balances of 1.25% to 2.25% by tier, against effectively 0% on idle cash at most brokers

Cons

The 1.5% CAD/USD conversion is the same as Questrade's. A USD account (CAD 10 a month on Core, free on Premium from CAD 100,000) removes it on the US trades themselves but not on the CAD you convert into it, which still costs 1.5% per transaction under CAD 10,000 and falls to 0% only from CAD 100,000; journalling at CAD 9.95 is the other way round it
Crypto costs 2.0% per trade at the Core tier — a round trip is 4% — and the advertised 0.05% requires CAD 10 million of 30-day volume; staking takes 30% of rewards before validator fees
No bonds, no GICs and no mutual funds anywhere in the self-directed account, so a fixed-income allocation has to be built entirely from ETFs
No desktop platform, no Level 2 depth, no API and no paper-trading account; the research stack is news and basic charts rather than screeners and analyst coverage
The crypto assets themselves sit outside CIPF protection and are held in trust instead — only the cash balance in a crypto account is covered, and the cold-storage insurance cited is USD 75 million per custodial partner, not per client
Meaningful benefits are gated behind CAD 100,000 and CAD 500,000 balances, so the sticker price a small account actually pays is the least attractive version of the offer

Best for

App-first Canadian investorsOptions sellers and covered-call writersConsolidating banking, investing and cryptoRegistered account investing (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA)Investors holding cash between trades

Open an account with either

A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.

Visit broker: Nordnet Visit broker: Wealthsimple Trade

More comparisons

Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.

Nordnet vs Wealthsimple Trade — which broker is better?

Nordnet or Wealthsimple Trade? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Nordnet · Wealthsimple Trade
Criterion	Nordnet 4,2 Visit broker	Wealthsimple Trade 4,1 Visit broker

Overall score	4.2 — Better	4.1
Group index	93 of 100	69 of 100
Best for	Nordic residentsLong-term ISK saversFund and ETF investorsSmall monthly share purchasesPension consolidation	App-first Canadian investorsOptions sellers and covered-call writersConsolidating banking, investing and cryptoRegistered account investing (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA)Investors holding cash between trades

Regulation	FI	CIRO
Top-tier licences	1	1
Investor protection	€100,000	CA$1,000,000 — Better
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	Yes	No
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	None
Founded	1996	2014
Headquarters	Stockholm, SE	Toronto, CA

Fees	4.2	4.5 — Better
Safety & regulation	4.7 — Better	4.2
Trading platform	4.0 — Better	3.8
Product range	4.0 — Better	3.6
Mobile app	4.2	4.8 — Better
Research	4.0 — Better	3.2
Customer support	3.6	3.7 — Better
Deposit & withdrawal	4.0	4.3 — Better
Account opening	4.2	4.8 — Better
Education	4.0 — Better	3.6

Reference order EUR 5,000	€0.02	€0.00 — Better
Minimum deposit	None	None
Stocks (per order)	tiered	Free
US stocks	tiered	Free
ETFs	tiered	Free
Options	tiered	Free
Futures	tiered	US$1
Crypto	n/a	2 %
Bonds (order)	tiered	n/a
Funds (order)	Free	n/a
EUR/USD spread	n/a	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	n/a
FX conversion	0.25 % — Better	1.5 %
Inactivity fee	None	None
Custody fee	None	n/a
Withdrawal fee	free	free
Deposit fee	free	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Cheapest commission class: Mini — 0.25% with a SEK 1 minimum on Nordic markets, SEK 9 outside the Nordics New customer offer ('Kom igång'): Commission-free trading on Nasdaq Stockholm, maximum 500 share transactions per year, with fund fees refunded — Nordnet's price list ties the offer to accumulated capital reaching SEK 50,000 Currency surcharge: 0.25% on automatic currency exchange, or 0.075% when the trade settles through a free currency account (USD, EUR, NOK, DKK, CAD). The currency account is open to every customer on an aktie- och fonddepå (AF); on an ISK or KF it is reserved for private banking and active trading clients. Fund orders are always converted automatically at 0.25% Custody / platform fee: None Inactivity fee: None Minimum deposit: None +1	Inactivity fee: None Account opening / closing: CAD 0 Outgoing account transfer: CAD 0 — genuinely free, against CAD 150 at most Canadian brokers Currency conversion (CAD ⇆ USD): 1.5% on the corporate exchange rate; cash conversions between the CAD and USD accounts are charged per transaction, counted in the currency you convert from: 1.5% under 10,000, 1.0% from 10,000 to 24,999.99, 0.5% from 25,000 to 99,999.99, 0% from 100,000 USD account: CAD 10 + tax per month on Core, free on Premium and Generation Journalling (Norbert's Gambit): CAD 9.95 per request +7

Asset classes (of 14)	8 — Better	7
Exchanges	n/a	n/a
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	No	No
CFDs	No	No
Crypto	No	Yes
Bonds	Yes	No
Funds	Yes	No
Commodities	No	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	Yes	No
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	Nordnet web platformNordnet app	Wealthsimple mobile appWealthsimple webActive trading dashboard
Demo account	No	No
Fractional shares	No	Yes
Maximum leverage	Nordnet does not offer CFDs or spot forex, so there is no ESMA leverage cap to quote.	1:3
Account opening	Instant for Nordic residents with BankID, MitID or an equivalent national e-ID — usually trading the same day	Fully digital in roughly three minutes, with no minimum balance; the Core tier starts at CAD 1
Account types	Investeringssparkonto (ISK)Aktie- och fonddepåKapitalförsäkringTjänstepension and privatpension	CorePremiumGenerationRegistered accountsMargin account

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPA	Bank transferCrypto
Account currencies	SEKNOKDKKEUR	CADUSD
Deposit time	Domestic Nordic bank transfer typically same or next business day; SEPA 1–2 business days	Electronic transfers credit instantly up to CAD 50,000 on Core and up to CAD 250,000 on Premium and Generation, with each client's actual limit depending on deposit history, net deposits and other factors; bank transfers otherwise 1–3 business days
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days to a bank account in your own name	1–3 business days by EFT, or instant for a 2.5% fee
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	SwedishNorwegianDanishFinnishEnglish	EnglishFrench
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system	PhoneEmailLive chat
Availability	Swedish desk Monday to Friday 08:30–18:00 CET; the brokerage desk runs to 17:45 and covers US trading hours 15:30–22:00	In-app live chat around the clock; phone on 1-855-255-9038, with priority routing (phone pickup under a minute, email under four hours) for active traders and higher tiers

Criterion

4,2

4,1

Overall score

4.2

4.1

Group index

93 of 100

69 of 100

Best for

Nordic residentsLong-term ISK saversFund and ETF investorsSmall monthly share purchasesPension consolidation

App-first Canadian investorsOptions sellers and covered-call writersConsolidating banking, investing and cryptoRegistered account investing (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA)Investors holding cash between trades

Regulation

CIRO

Top-tier licences

Investor protection

€100,000

CA$1,000,000

Listed group

Banking licence

Segregated client accounts

Negative balance protection

Audited financials

Disclosed regulatory actions

None

Founded

1996

2014

Headquarters

Stockholm, SE

Toronto, CA

Fees

4.2

4.5

Safety & regulation

4.7

4.2

Trading platform

4.0

3.8

Product range

4.0

3.6

Mobile app

4.2

4.8

Research

4.0

3.2

Customer support

3.6

3.7

Deposit & withdrawal

4.0

4.3

Account opening

4.2

4.8

Education

4.0

3.6

Reference order EUR 5,000

€0.02

€0.00

Minimum deposit

None

Stocks (per order)

tiered

Free

US stocks

tiered

Free

ETFs

tiered

Free

Options

tiered

Free

Futures

tiered

US$1

Crypto

n/a

2 %

Bonds (order)

tiered

n/a

Funds (order)

Free

n/a

EUR/USD spread

n/a

Index CFD spread

n/a

FX conversion

0.25 %

1.5 %

Inactivity fee

None

Custody fee

None

n/a

Withdrawal fee

free

Deposit fee

free

Overnight financing

n/a

Other fees

Cheapest commission class: Mini — 0.25% with a SEK 1 minimum on Nordic markets, SEK 9 outside the Nordics
New customer offer ('Kom igång'): Commission-free trading on Nasdaq Stockholm, maximum 500 share transactions per year, with fund fees refunded — Nordnet's price list ties the offer to accumulated capital reaching SEK 50,000
Currency surcharge: 0.25% on automatic currency exchange, or 0.075% when the trade settles through a free currency account (USD, EUR, NOK, DKK, CAD). The currency account is open to every customer on an aktie- och fonddepå (AF); on an ISK or KF it is reserved for private banking and active trading clients. Fund orders are always converted automatically at 0.25%
Custody / platform fee: None
Inactivity fee: None
Minimum deposit: None
+1

Inactivity fee: None
Account opening / closing: CAD 0
Outgoing account transfer: CAD 0 — genuinely free, against CAD 150 at most Canadian brokers
Currency conversion (CAD ⇆ USD): 1.5% on the corporate exchange rate; cash conversions between the CAD and USD accounts are charged per transaction, counted in the currency you convert from: 1.5% under 10,000, 1.0% from 10,000 to 24,999.99, 0.5% from 25,000 to 99,999.99, 0% from 100,000
USD account: CAD 10 + tax per month on Core, free on Premium and Generation
Journalling (Norbert's Gambit): CAD 9.95 per request
+7

Asset classes (of 14)

Exchanges

n/a

Stocks

ETFs

Options

Futures

Forex

CFDs

Crypto

Bonds

Funds

Commodities

Indices

Warrants

Spread betting

Social trading

Platforms

Nordnet web platformNordnet app

Wealthsimple mobile appWealthsimple webActive trading dashboard

Demo account

Fractional shares

Maximum leverage

Nordnet does not offer CFDs or spot forex, so there is no ESMA leverage cap to quote.

1:3

Account opening

Instant for Nordic residents with BankID, MitID or an equivalent national e-ID — usually trading the same day

Fully digital in roughly three minutes, with no minimum balance; the Core tier starts at CAD 1

Account types

Investeringssparkonto (ISK)Aktie- och fonddepåKapitalförsäkringTjänstepension and privatpension

CorePremiumGenerationRegistered accountsMargin account

Payment methods

Bank transferSEPA

Bank transferCrypto

Account currencies

SEKNOKDKKEUR

CADUSD

Deposit time

Domestic Nordic bank transfer typically same or next business day; SEPA 1–2 business days

Electronic transfers credit instantly up to CAD 50,000 on Core and up to CAD 250,000 on Premium and Generation, with each client's actual limit depending on deposit history, net deposits and other factors; bank transfers otherwise 1–3 business days

Withdrawal time

1–3 business days to a bank account in your own name

1–3 business days by EFT, or instant for a 2.5% fee

Free withdrawals

n/a

Languages

SwedishNorwegianDanishFinnishEnglish

EnglishFrench

Channels

PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system

PhoneEmailLive chat

Availability

Swedish desk Monday to Friday 08:30–18:00 CET; the brokerage desk runs to 17:45 and covers US trading hours 15:30–22:00

In-app live chat around the clock; phone on 1-855-255-9038, with priority routing (phone pickup under a minute, email under four hours) for active traders and higher tiers