Share Trading comparison
CMC Invest vs Sharesies
The biggest practical difference is ownership structure. CMC Invest is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Sharesies uses a custodian model — the platform holds the legal title, not you. That distinction ripples through everything from fees to account types to market access.
Choose
CMC Invest
if…
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS-sponsored ownership of ASX-listed shares
- ›You trade international markets beyond the US and NZ — CMC covers 15 countries
- ›You need joint, company, trust or SMSF account structures
- ›You want $0 brokerage on ASX buys up to $1,000 per security per day
- ›You want free real-time market data and research reports included
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You want to buy fractional shares on the ASX or US markets — CMC doesn't offer them
- ›You're starting small with a $1 minimum deposit and $1 minimum purchases
- ›You prefer a simple subscription model that caps trading costs at $5, $10 or $20 per month
- ›You want after-hours trading capability
- ›You need a kids account with a low-cost $2/month plan
Where they differ
| Fact | CMC Invest | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS-sponsored (own HIN) | Custodian (no HIN) |
| ASX brokerage on a $1,000 trade | $0 (first buy per security per day) | $6 (pay-as-you-go cap) or included in monthly plan |
| Fractional shares | Not available | Available on ASX and US stocks |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and kids only |
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
Verdict
Choose CMC Invest for CHESS ownership and low-cost ASX trading; choose Sharesies for fractional shares and micro-investing.
Cost calculator
What would CMC Invest vs Sharesies 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 | CMC Invest | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | 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 | United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | — | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $11 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.1% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | $315.79 |
| ASX free trade conditions | $0 brokerage on first ASX buy order per security per day for trades up to $1,000 (excludes margin loan settled trades and sells) | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 1.9% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $15 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $0 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 1,989 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | CMC Markets plc (LSE: CMCX) | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday-Friday, business hours AET (approx 8am-6pm) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | structured courses | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |