Share Trading comparison
Commsec Pocket vs Westpac Online Investing
CommSec Pocket is a stripped-back, low-cost ETF-only app for CBA customers who want to invest small amounts regularly. Westpac Online Investing is a full-service brokerage covering ASX shares, US stocks, options, managed funds and bonds — but it costs more per trade and needs a $500 minimum to start. The real fork in the road is simplicity versus scope.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want the cheapest ASX trades on the market — $2 brokerage on trades up to $1,000
- ›You're happy investing only in a curated selection of ASX ETFs (no individual shares, no US stocks)
- ›You want to start with as little as $50 and use auto-invest to dollar-cost average into a single ETF each month
- ›You're already banking with CBA and want seamless direct-debit funding from your transaction account
- ›You prefer a dead-simple mobile app with no account-keeping fees, inactivity fees or market data charges
Choose
Westpac Online Investing
if…
- ›You want to trade individual ASX shares, US stocks, options, managed funds or bonds — not just ETFs
- ›You need joint, company, trust, SMSF or minor account types that CommSec Pocket doesn't offer
- ›You trade more than $1,000 per ASX trade and can stomach the 0.11% brokerage (capped at $28k) for the wider market access
- ›You value free real-time market data and research reports built into the platform
- ›You want access to international markets beyond the US, including the UK, Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Westpac Online Investing |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $4.95 |
| US shares supported | No | Yes (plus 17 other markets) |
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes (single asset) | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
Verdict
Pick CommSec Pocket for dirt-cheap ETF investing on autopilot; pick Westpac Online Investing for full-market access and account flexibility.
Cost calculator
What would Commsec Pocket vs Westpac Online Investing 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 | Westpac Online Investing |
|---|---|---|
| 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 States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore | |
| 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) | — | 65% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 65% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $50 |
| 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. | Corporate action processing (rights issues, takeovers, SPPs) is generally free for CHESS-sponsored clients — Westpac/AUSIEX passes elections to issuers/registries. Specific fees only apply in exceptional circumstances per the FSG. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $4.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.2% | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | $28,000 |
| 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. | No free brokerage offered. Lower brokerage tiers ($4.95 minimum) require settlement via linked Westpac Cash Investment Account; settling via other-bank accounts incurs $29.95 / 0.29% minimum. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$4.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 11% |
| 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 | Australian Investment Exchange Limited (AUSIEX); Westpac Securities Limited issues the branded service |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 241,400 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | Brand: Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC); operator AUSIEX is wholly owned by Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (TSE: 4307) |
| 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 | Westpac Cash Investment Account (linked), External bank Direct Credit, BPAY, Internal transfer between Westpac accounts |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | Same-day to 1 business day for Westpac-to-Westpac transfers; 1-2 business days to external bank accounts |
| 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 + authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | phone, email, live chat, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | Phone: 8am-7pm Sydney time Mon-Fri (domestic); 24 hours on US trading days for international; Live chat: 9:30am-5pm Sydney time Mon-Fri |
| Education content | structured courses | structured courses |
| 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 |