Share Trading comparison
Commsec Pocket vs Totality Wealth
CommSec Pocket is a stripped-back, low-cost ETF-only platform for CBA customers who want to invest small amounts regularly. Totality Wealth is a full-blown multi-asset broker offering shares, ETFs, options, CFDs and bonds across 17 global markets. The real fork in the road is simplicity versus scope: Pocket does one thing cheaply, while Totality does almost everything.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible ASX brokerage — $2 on trades up to $1,000 and just 0.2% above that
- ›You plan to invest $50 at a time and want a simple auto-invest feature that buys a single ETF on a schedule
- ›You value CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN and don't want to deal with a custodian structure
- ›You're already banking with CBA and want seamless direct-debit deposits from your CommBank account
- ›You want a clean, no-fuss tax statement and a built-in CGT report without needing third-party tools
Choose
Totality Wealth
if…
- ›You want to trade US stocks, UK shares, Hong Kong equities or any of 17 global markets from one account
- ›You need options trading, CFDs, bonds or a demo account to practise strategies before committing real money
- ›You want joint, company, trust or SMSF account structures — Pocket only offers individual accounts
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform with advanced order types (stop-loss, conditional orders) rather than a mobile-only app
- ›You want to fund your account via BPAY, credit card, PayPal or Wise — not just a linked CBA bank account
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage on a $1,000 trade | $2.00 | $3.00 |
| International markets | None (ASX ETFs only) | 17 countries including US, UK, HK, JP, DE |
| Account types | Individual only | Individual, Joint, Company, Trust, SMSF |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes (single ETF) | No |
| CHESS sponsorship | Full CHESS (own HIN) | Mixed model (CHESS + custodian) |
Verdict
Choose CommSec Pocket if you're a CBA customer making small, regular ASX ETF buys. Choose Totality Wealth if you need global markets, advanced trading or non-individual accounts.
Cost calculator
What would Commsec Pocket vs Totality Wealth 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 | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | mixed |
| 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 | No |
| 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 | US, GB, HK, JP, DE, FR, CA, SG, CH, NL, IT, ES, BE, AT, DK, SE, NO, FI | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.45% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.45% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| 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. | Custodian processes corporate actions; proxy voting subscription EUR 30/year + EUR 5 per vote; new instrument requests USD 200 for Platinum / free for VIP legacy tiers; reporting fee USD 50 for Classic email reports. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.2% | 0.08% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | $3,750 |
| 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$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.08% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Totality Wealth Limited (formerly Saxo Capital Markets (Australia) Pty Ltd) |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 280,372 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | DMA (Johannesburg, South Africa) 80.1% / Saxo Bank A/S (Denmark) 19.9% |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | bank_transfer, BPAY, credit_card, debit_card, PayPal, Wise |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 ASX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | phone, email, live_chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30 Sydney time |
| Education content | structured courses | extensive |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| 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 |