QuestradeFinancial Group announced a range of new products andplatform capabilities at a customer event this week, including abrowser-based trading platform called Questrade Pro and expandedinvestment options spanning physical precious metals to privateequity access.The rolloutcomes roughly a month after rival Wealthsimple added custom indexingand zero-commission options trading to its platform, and days after QtradeDirect Investing eliminated trading commissions. The fullyCanadian-owned Questrade that has operated for the past 26 years, manages about$85 billion in assets under administration, compared with Wealthsimple’s $100billion, according to recent disclosures.Beta Access to QuestradePro Opens Within Two WeeksQuestradePro will be available to users on a waiting list startingin early December. The browser-based platform includes one-secondcandle charts, options trading tools, and AI-drivenanalysis features. The company described the platform as designed toimprove trader efficiency, though specific performance metricswere not disclosed.“Withtoday’s event, Questrade is signalling its intent to bring new products andcapabilities to Canadian investors and traders at a pace that matches themovement of modern markets,” said Edward Kholodenko, Founder and CEO at QuestradeFinancial Group. “This is anew era in our organization’s evolution to not only put additionalcapabilities, information, and tools at our customers’ fingertips faster, butto dramatically expand the reach of our mission to help Canadians become muchmore financially successful and secure.”Quest Metals,scheduled to launch in December, will allow customers to purchase physicalgold stored at the Royal Canadian Mint. Minimum purchases startat $5, with holdings registered in the customer's name rather thanthrough exchange-traded funds. The service includes 24/7 accessand what the company described as competitive fees, though specificpricing was not detailed.Questradealso plans to provide access to private equity, private credit, andpre-IPO investments in 2026. The feature will integrate privatemarket holdings into customer portfolio views alongsidepublic market positions.Last year, the online brokerage integrated its services with TradingView, enabling usersto access market data, execute trade and analyze markets.Registered AccountOptions ExpandedThe firmhas 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 thestrategy in registered accounts, which allows users to collectpremiums on stocks they intend to purchase while deferringtax obligations.Additional featuresplanned for early 2026 include custom indexing tools that letinvestors build personalized portfolios tracking specificindices or sectors, and a portfolio rebalancing tool thatautomatically adjusts holdings to match target allocations."Weare moving decisively, not just to compete, but to set a new, accelerated pacefor the entire financial services industry in Canada, said Rob Galaski,President, Questrade Financial Group. “Questrade is here to lead and innovatein a much more visible and tangible way than ever before.”Competition Heats Up forDiscount BrokeragesTheannouncements follow a period of rapid feature expansion among Canadianonline brokerages. Wealthsimple's assets under administration jumpedfrom roughly $5 billion in 2019 to $100 billion this year, whileQuestrade's assets grew from $9 billion to about $85 billionover the same period.Several majorbrokerages eliminated trading commissions in 2025. Questrade removed feeson stocks, ETFs, and options in February. Qtrade followed with zero-commissiontrading in late October, while Wealthsimple became the first Canadian platform toeliminate per-contract fees on options trades.Questradereceived regulatory approval earlier this month to launchQuestbank, though specific products and launch timing have notbeen announced. The firm currently operates an onlinebrokerage, robo-advisory service, and wealth management businessunder 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.This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.