Comparison sites usually declare their own vertical the winner. Here's the honest version.
Where forex wins
- Hours: 24/5 — tradeable around a Canadian day job
- Costs at small size: no per-trade minimum commissions eating a small account
- Liquidity: majors fill instantly at almost any retail size
- Both directions: shorting is structurally identical to going long
Where stocks win
- Long-term drift: equities rise over decades; currencies mean-revert — buy-and-hold works for stocks and doesn't for FX
- Registered accounts: stocks fit in a TFSA or RRSP; leveraged forex doesn't
- Lower leverage temptation: cash equity accounts can't blow up the same way
The uncomfortable truth
Leverage makes forex less forgiving of weak discipline. If you don't yet have a tested risk framework, index investing will beat your trading. Forex rewards the systematic; it punishes the casual.
Related broker reviews
Want to compare your options in more depth? Read our full Axi review (8.8/10) and VT Markets review (9.3/10), or see how they stack up head-to-head in our VT Markets vs Axi comparison.
PU Prime offers forex, stocks, crypto and ETFs in one account8.9/10 · From 0.0 pips · Min deposit $50
You don't have to choose
A common Canadian setup: long-term investments in registered accounts, plus a separate, strictly-sized forex account for active trading. IBKR covers both under one roof.