Share Trading comparison
Commsec Pocket vs nabtrade
CommSec Pocket and nabtrade sit at opposite ends of the investing spectrum. Pocket is a stripped-back, ultra-cheap ETF-only app built for small, regular buys — trades cost as little as $2. nabtrade is a full-service broker covering ASX shares, US stocks, options, managed funds and bonds, but you'll pay a minimum $9.95 per trade and $19.95 a month for market data. The real question is whether you need the extra firepower or just a simple way to drip-feed into ETFs.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible cost for small ETF trades — $2 on trades up to $1,000 and 0.2% above that
- ›You plan to invest regularly with auto-invest (DCA) at a single ETF level from as little as $50 per buy
- ›You're happy sticking to ASX-listed ETFs and don't need US shares, options, bonds or managed funds
- ›You want zero monthly fees — no market data charges, no platform fees, no inactivity fees
- ›You already bank with CBA and want instant transfers from your CommBank account
Choose
nabtrade
if…
- ›You need access to US and international shares (UK, Germany, Hong Kong) in one brokerage account
- ›You trade options, buy IPOs, or want managed funds and bonds alongside your shares
- ›You want free real-time ASX data and research reports included in the platform
- ›You need joint, company, trust, SMSF or minor account structures — Pocket only offers individual accounts
- ›You place conditional or stop-loss orders and want phone trading as a backup option
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $2 | $9.95 |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19.95/month |
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
| US & international shares | Not supported | US, UK, Germany, Hong Kong |
| Account types | Individual only | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, minor |
Verdict
Pick CommSec Pocket if you're a low-cost ETF investor; pick nabtrade if you need a full brokerage with global markets and diverse account types.
Cost calculator
What would Commsec Pocket vs nabtrade 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 | Commsec Pocket | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 80% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 80% |
| Holds USD account | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19.95/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $59.95 |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers) are administered via the underlying ETF issuers/share registries since holdings are CHESS-sponsored under the investor's HIN; CommSec does not charge a separate corporate action fee. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $9.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.2% | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | $20,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Promotional $0 brokerage offer on Pocket ETF trades from 20 April 2026 to 17 July 2026 inclusive, available to all CommSec Pocket customers. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$9.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 11% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | — |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | — |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | $55 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | WealthHub Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 230,704 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account |
| Settlement period | T+2 | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) |
| Education content | structured courses | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | No | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |