How this ranking works
Each account gets a cost score for each usage profile: 100 − (fees a year ÷ $3), floored at 0 — so $0 a year scores 100 and $300 or more scores 0. A profile the account can’t serve (for example, branch visits at an online bank) scores 0.
Weights: Light 20% · Everyday 45% · Heavy 25% · Branch and cheques 10%. Profiles are defined in the finder; fees come from the true-cost engine described in the methodology.
Rebates for bundles or credit cards, welcome bonuses, app quality and customer service. Those matter, but they can’t be checked from published fee data — so they don’t move the order.
Frequently asked questions
Are no-fee chequing accounts really free?
The monthly fee is $0, but some cap included transactions or charge for e-Transfers, other-bank ATMs or paper statements. The “fees a year” column shows what those would cost for each usage profile.
Which no-fee accounts have branches?
Check the branch column: accounts that can’t do in-branch transactions are online-only. Several credit unions offer no-fee accounts with branches in their province — pick your province above.
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