Wealthsimple Invest vs Wealthsimple Trade: Which Account Is Actually Right for You?
Wealthsimple offers two very different investing products under the same brand: Invest and Trade. They serve different investors, charge differently, and give you a completely different level of control. Many Canadians open one without knowing the other exists, or choose without understanding the tradeoff.
Here is what each product actually is, who it's for, and how to decide which one belongs in your setup.
What Is Wealthsimple Invest?
Wealthsimple Invest is a robo-advisor. You answer a short questionnaire about your risk tolerance and timeline, and Wealthsimple builds and manages a diversified ETF portfolio on your behalf.
The portfolios are made up of low-cost index ETFs (equities, bonds, sometimes REITs). Wealthsimple automatically rebalances when your allocation drifts too far from the target. You never need to decide what to buy or sell.
The fee is 0.4% per year on balances under $100,000, dropping to 0.2% per year for Premium members (balances over $100,000). On top of that, the underlying ETFs have their own MERs, typically 0.15–0.25%. Total cost of ownership is roughly 0.55–0.75% per year depending on your tier.
What Is Wealthsimple Trade?
Wealthsimple Trade is a self-directed brokerage. You decide what to buy and sell, and Wealthsimple executes the trades. There are no commissions on Canadian stocks and ETFs.
Trade gives you access to Canadian and US stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto. There is no management fee, just the MER of whatever ETF you choose and a 1.5% currency conversion fee if you buy US-listed securities (avoidable if you use Canadian-listed ETFs with USD exposure like XEQT or VFV.TO).
A disciplined investor who buys a single all-equity ETF like XEQT in Trade pays only 0.20% MER per year, roughly one-third the cost of Invest at the same balance.
Comparison
Wealthsimple Invest vs Trade: feature by feature
| Feature | Wealthsimple Invest | Wealthsimple Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Account type | Robo-advisor (managed) | Self-directed brokerage |
| Who picks investments | Wealthsimple algorithm | You |
| What you can hold | ETF portfolios only | Stocks, ETFs, crypto, options |
| Management fee | 0.4–0.5% per year | None |
| Trading commissions | None | None (CAD ETFs & stocks) |
| Rebalancing | Automatic | Manual (you decide) |
| Account types | TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, non-reg | TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, non-reg |
| Minimum to start | $1 | $1 |
| Best for | Hands-off investors | Active or cost-conscious investors |
The Fee Difference Over Time
Invest fee (under $100k)
0.4%/yr
+ ETF MER ~0.2%
Trade fee (XEQT)
0.20%/yr
MER only, no platform fee
Difference on $50k
~$200/yr
Saved by using Trade
Over 20 years (6% return)
~$8,000
Approximate compounded cost
The difference is real but not disqualifying. A 0.4% fee for automation, rebalancing, and not having to think about it is genuinely worth it for some investors, especially those who would otherwise react emotionally to market volatility.
Who Should Use Invest
Complete beginners. If you've never invested before and don't want to learn the mechanics of ETF selection, Invest gets you invested immediately with a sensible portfolio.
Busy investors who won't rebalance. If you know you won't manually rebalance once a year, Invest does it for you. A drifted portfolio (e.g. 90% equities after a bull run) carries more risk than you intended.
Anyone who might panic-sell. Wealthsimple Invest tends to attract long-term investors because the UX doesn't encourage trading. If seeing your portfolio drop 20% would make you want to sell everything, the friction of managed accounts can work in your favour.
Who Should Use Trade
For a deeper look at how to think about account selection and what to hold inside them, see our beginner investing guide.
Investors who understand ETFs. If you know what XEQT is and why you'd want to hold it, Trade saves you the management fee with no meaningful downside.
Cost-conscious savers. On a $100,000 portfolio, the 0.4% Invest fee costs $400 per year. In Trade, holding XEQT costs $200. Over decades, that gap compounds.
Active traders. Trade gives access to individual stocks, US markets, options, and crypto. If you want to trade individual companies or actively manage a portion of your portfolio, Invest doesn't support that.
Investors who will actually hold. The only risk with Trade is that the control it gives you can tempt you into bad decisions. If you can commit to buying a broad ETF and not touching it, Trade is the better platform.
Quick guide
Which account should you open?
Choose Invest if you...
Choose Trade if you...
Can You Use Both?
Yes, and many Canadians do. A common setup: use Invest for your RRSP (automated, long-horizon, don't want to think about it) and Trade for your TFSA (manually buy XEQT quarterly, keep fees low).
For a framework on which account type to prioritize, see our RRSP vs TFSA guide.
The Bottom Line
Want simplicity? Invest. It handles everything. Pay the fee, get the automation.
Want to minimize fees? Trade. Buy XEQT or VEQT, hold it, don't touch it. You'll likely outperform most managed products over 20 years on cost alone.
Not sure? Start with Invest. You can always transfer to Trade later once you're comfortable with how investing works.
Open a Wealthsimple Invest or Trade account, commission-free, no account fees. $25 bonus with code DGN6-A.
Open an Account with Code DGN6-AThis site contains referral links. We may earn a bonus if you sign up using our code. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult a registered financial advisor before making investment decisions.