Share Trading comparison
Bendigo Invest Direct vs Marketech Focus
The biggest practical difference between Bendigo Invest Direct and Marketech Focus is that Bendigo gives you access to US and 15 other global markets, while Marketech is ASX-only. Bendigo also charges no monthly fee and offers CHESS-sponsored holdings, whereas Marketech charges $20/month but undercuts Bendigo's brokerage on smaller ASX trades.
Choose
Bendigo Invest Direct
if…
- ›You want to trade US, UK, European, Japanese or other international stocks from the one account
- ›You prefer CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN and no monthly platform fee
- ›You need options trading, managed funds or bond exposure alongside your shares
- ›You want free real-time ASX data included without paying extra
- ›You're comfortable paying $19.95 minimum brokerage on ASX trades in exchange for a very low percentage rate on larger trades
Choose
Marketech Focus
if…
- ›You make frequent small ASX trades and want a $5 minimum brokerage
- ›You don't need international shares and prefer a simpler, ASX-only platform
- ›You want free AUD withdrawals and no off-market transfer or corporate action fees
- ›You're happy to pay $20/month for a low-cost brokerage model on ASX trades
- ›You want same-day withdrawals via a linked Macquarie CMA
Where they differ
| Fact | Bendigo Invest Direct | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $19.95 | $5 |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| International markets | US, UK, JP, CA, DE, FR, HK, SG, NZ and more | ASX, Cboe Australia and NSX only |
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS (own HIN) | CHESS (own HIN) |
| Withdrawal fee | $35 | $0 |
Verdict
Choose Bendigo Invest Direct for global markets and zero monthly fees; choose Marketech Focus for cheap, frequent ASX trades.
Cost calculator
What would Bendigo Invest Direct vs Marketech Focus actually cost you?
Punch in your trade size and frequency. We'll do the full brokerage + FX + fees maths.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Bendigo Invest Direct | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | — |
| Company account | Yes | — |
| Trust account | Yes | — |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | UK, JP, CA, DE, FR, HK, SG, NZ, NL, BE, PT, ES, IT, NO, SE | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | — |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $41.25/month | $20/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $50 | — |
| Corporate action fees | BPAY for corporate actions $10; IPO/Placement booking fee $55 per stock | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $19.95 | $5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.11% | 3% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $22,000 | $16,667 |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $240/year |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $35 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | — | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (ABN 11 068 049 178); service operated by CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited, a member of the CMC Markets Group (CMC Markets plc, LSE-listed) | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public (Bendigo and Adelaide Bank ASX:BEN; CMC Markets plc LSE:CMCX) | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, direct credit | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX (CHESS settlement) | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | — | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live_chat, in_app | email, support portal |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 7:30am-7:00pm (chat/email) and 7:30am-5:30pm (phone) AEST/AEDT | — |
| Education content | basic_articles | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |