Does Wealthsimple offer bonds? Alternatives in 2026

Bonds are back on many investors’ radar: after the rate hikes of 2022 and 2023, government and corporate bonds pay meaningfully more than they did a decade ago, and they remain the classic way to add fixed income to a stock portfolio.

Wealthsimple is a Canadian broker that offers managed investment portfolios, self-directed trading in stocks, ETFs and options, and financial advice. It also offers a cash account that pays interest, and crypto trading and staking on Canada’s first regulated crypto platform.

In this article, we check whether you can buy bonds on Wealthsimple (checked in September 2026) and look at the best alternatives for investing in individual bonds in Canada.

Can you buy bonds on Wealthsimple?

No. Wealthsimple still does not offer individual bonds (nor GICs or mutual funds) in its self-directed account. However, you can invest in bond ETFs. That means you can buy a fund that holds hundreds of bonds, but not an individual Government of Canada or corporate bond.

Each approach has pros and cons. Bond ETFs spread your risk across many issuers and cost only a small annual fee (the management expense ratio, or MER), but they never mature, so their price moves with interest rates for as long as you hold them.

Individual bonds pay a fixed coupon and return your capital at maturity, which makes the income predictable if you hold them to the end. Still, there is always the risk of the issuer defaulting, and the price can fall if you need to sell before maturity.

Bond ETFs you can buy on Wealthsimple

If a bond ETF is enough for you, Wealthsimple is a perfectly good place to hold one, with no commission on Canadian-listed ETFs. The most popular broad Canadian bond ETFs are:

• Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (VAB): government and corporate bonds across all maturities.
• BMO Aggregate Bond Index ETF (ZAG): a very similar broad Canadian bond index.
• iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETF (XBB): tracks the FTSE Canada Universe Bond Index.

All three charge an MER of around 0.1% a year. If you want less sensitivity to interest rates, short-term bond ETFs from the same providers are also available on the platform.

If you want to buy individual bonds instead, you need another broker. Below are our top picks in Canada:

Best Wealthsimple alternatives for investing in bonds

Having been around since 1978 and survived multiple financial crises, Interactive Brokers’ major advantage is its reputation. It is listed on Nasdaq (ticker: IBKR), and Canadian clients are served by Interactive Brokers Canada Inc., regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). You can hold bonds in cash, margin, TFSA and RRSP accounts.

Its bond selection is wide, with US, Canadian, UK, European and Hong Kong bonds. The bond trading fees start at a minimum of $1 (corporate and municipal) to $5 (treasuries) per US bond trade and rise with larger volumes.

Other significant advantages of Interactive Brokers are its wide selection of financial products from over 160 markets, solid trade execution (SmartRouting) and support for more than 20 account currencies, with FX conversion at close to the interbank rate. For a Canadian buying US treasuries, that FX cost can matter more than the bond commission itself.

Some downsides of Interactive Brokers are its complex fee structure and a lengthier-than-average registration and funding process.

The Trader Workstation (TWS) platform offers many basic and advanced features, such as a demo account, watchlists, real-time alerts and monitoring, and advanced technical analysis tools. The downside is a steep learning curve for beginners, even with the educational materials provided.

The IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app is a much more intuitive choice for beginner investors, offering stocks, ETFs and options trading in a more user-friendly format, with automatic currency conversion and fractional shares on US stocks. Bonds are traded through the main IBKR platforms.

Overall, Interactive Brokers is a good choice for both beginner and advanced investors looking for a secure broker and access to a wide range of financial instruments, including individual bonds.

Offering an extensive range of financial products and, since early 2025, commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs and options with no minimum deposit, Questrade is a popular choice among Canadian investors. The easy-to-navigate platform and the managed Questwealth Portfolios (0.20% to 0.25% management fee) make it especially appealing to beginners.

Individual bond trading is commission-free for US treasuries, but there is a $5,000 minimum per trade.

Questrade is regulated by CIRO and is a member of CIPF, which protects eligible client assets up to $1 million per account category if the firm fails.

Besides stocks, ETFs and options, the platform offers bonds, GICs, forex, mutual funds and more. Each product has its own fee structure, which you can see in more detail here. Mutual fund trades cost $9.95, and currency conversion on US trades is one of the more expensive in the market, so consider holding a USD account if you buy US treasuries.

Other cons of Questrade include the lack of some advanced tools on the standard platform and mixed customer service reviews.

TD Direct Investing is one of the leading Canadian brokers, regulated by CIRO and a member of CIPF. It is best known for its multiple trading platforms, with tools, resources and analyst insights that can be tailored to investors with different levels of experience, and its educational materials are among the best on the market.

There is a wide range of fixed-income investments to choose from, including Canadian and US bonds, strip coupons, money market securities and GICs. Remember that fees vary: for Canadian bonds, strip coupons, GICs, T-bills and other fixed-income and money market securities, the cost is included in the quoted price, while other fixed-income securities carry a commission starting at $40 plus a volume-based fee.

The TD Easy Trade app, relaunched in March 2026, is a simple way for beginners to start investing, with 100 commission-free trades a year on Canadian and US stocks and ETFs, fractional shares from $1 and no account fees. Bonds, however, are only available in the full TD Direct Investing account.

The TD Direct Investing account gives you access to cash, margin, TFSA, RRSP and FHSA accounts and more products, including bonds and other fixed-income securities, options, mutual funds, IPOs and gold and silver bullion.

There is no minimum deposit, but remember that a $25 quarterly maintenance fee applies if your balance is below $15,000 (with some exceptions, such as registered accounts with regular contributions). Other banking and account fees may apply too, so check the detailed fee schedule.

Stock and options commissions in the full account are higher than at the commission-free competitors, which is the main drawback of this broker if you trade more than bonds.

Founded in 2001, Qtrade is one of the leading Canadian online brokers, owned by Aviso Wealth. It is regulated by CIRO and is a member of CIPF, and its customer service is regularly ranked among the best on the market in Surviscor’s annual brokerage reviews.

Qtrade now charges no commission on stocks, ETFs and mutual funds traded online, and options cost $0 plus $0.75 per contract. Bond trading fees are $1 per $1,000 of face value, with a $24.99 minimum and a $250 maximum, so on a $5,000 bond you pay the $24.99 minimum (0.5%), while on $25,000 you pay $25 (0.1%).

It offers Canadian and US government and corporate bonds and related products such as commercial paper, strip coupons and treasury bills. Phone orders placed with an investment representative cost more: $45 is added to the online commission for fixed income, and equity and option phone orders have a $45 minimum.

Many users also praise the minimalist, easy-to-use interface, the simple account opening process and the wide choice of research tools. However, some more advanced products available at competitors are missing.

Be aware of the account fees, which are where Qtrade makes up for its free trading: a $150 fee to transfer your account out, a $100 fee if you close the account within the first year, US$15 per quarter per US-dollar registered account (RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, excluding the FHSA), and a 1% fee (minimum $45) if you sell or switch a mutual fund held for less than 90 days. Qtrade may also earn revenue on currency conversions. You can see Qtrade’s full pricing and fee schedule on its website.

Overall, Qtrade suits investors who value service and research and who hold bonds alongside a commission-free stock, ETF and mutual fund portfolio, as long as they avoid the transfer-out and early-closure fees.

What to look for in a broker that offers bond trading?

There are several key factors to consider when choosing a broker for bond trading:

• Overall experience and user interface: make sure you are comfortable using the platform from start to finish, from account opening and minimum deposit to the tools available.
• The range of available bonds: not all brokers offer bonds from a wide range of markets. Make sure the broker you choose has access to the bond markets you’re interested in, and to the account types you need (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA).
• Commissions and minimums: bond commissions and minimum trade sizes vary widely, and on a small order a $25 minimum can cost more than a year of coupon.
• Currency exchange fees: bonds are usually denominated in their local currency. If you are not buying bonds in Canadian dollars, you take on currency risk and pay currency exchange fees on the way in and out.

Bottom line

Bonds pay more today than they did for most of the 2010s, which has made them a more popular asset class for Canadian investors looking for predictable income alongside their stocks.

Wealthsimple does not offer individual bonds, but its commission-free bond ETFs (such as VAB, ZAG or XBB) are a simple way to get broad bond exposure. If you want to buy individual bonds and hold them to maturity, Interactive Brokers, Questrade, TD Direct Investing and Qtrade all offer them, each with its own trade-offs on fees, minimums and platform.

Hopefully, we helped you with your choice.