Share Trading comparison
Bendigo Invest Direct vs Superhero
The biggest difference between Bendigo Invest Direct and Superhero is ownership structure. Bendigo Invest Direct is CHESS-sponsored — you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Superhero is a custodian model, meaning Superhero holds the legal title to your shares. That distinction flows into everything from fees to control.
Choose
Bendigo Invest Direct
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN so shares are registered in your name on the ASX
- ›You trade international markets beyond the US — Bendigo covers 14 countries including the UK, Japan, and Europe
- ›You need options trading, managed funds, or bonds under one login
- ›You want phone support with longer hours (7:30am–7pm) and live chat
- ›You're okay paying $19.95 per ASX trade in exchange for full ownership and a more established platform
Choose
Superhero
if…
- ›You want the lowest ASX brokerage in Australia — just $2 per trade up to $20,000
- ›You plan to invest small amounts regularly with auto-invest / DCA (multiple schedule options)
- ›You want fractional US shares so you can buy $50 worth of a $500 stock
- ›You prefer zero withdrawal fees, zero market data fees, and a low $100 minimum to start
- ›You're comfortable with custodian ownership and don't need a HIN or dividend reinvestment
Where they differ
| Fact | Bendigo Invest Direct | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (up to $20k) | $19.95 flat | $2 flat |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN provided | No — custodian model |
| Fractional US shares | Not supported | Supported |
| International markets | 14 countries (UK, JP, CA, DE, FR, HK, SG, NZ, plus Europe) | ASX and US only |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Available with multiple schedule options |
Verdict
Pick Bendigo Invest Direct for CHESS ownership and global markets; pick Superhero for rock-bottom fees, fractional US shares, and automated investing.
Cost calculator
What would Bendigo Invest Direct vs Superhero 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 | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | UK, JP, CA, DE, FR, HK, SG, NZ, NL, BE, PT, ES, IT, NO, SE | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| 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% | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $41.25/month | $0/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 | $2 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.11% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $22,000 | $20,000 |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$2 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.01% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $35 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | Superhero Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 430,150 |
| Year founded | — | 2,020 |
| 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) | Independent (founder-controlled). Previously merged into Swyftx in 2022; demerger completed December 2022 returning ownership to co-founders John Winters and Wayne Baskin. |
| 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 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $100 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, direct credit | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX (CHESS settlement) | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | — | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | — | SMS |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live_chat, in_app | email, in-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 7:30am-7:00pm (chat/email) and 7:30am-5:30pm (phone) AEST/AEDT | Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm AEST |
| Education content | basic_articles | basic |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | 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 | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |