Share Trading comparison
CommSec vs Commsec Pocket
CommSec and CommSec Pocket are both owned by Commonwealth Bank, but they serve very different investors. CommSec is a full-featured brokerage with access to US and international markets, options trading, and CHESS-sponsored shares from $5 a trade. CommSec Pocket is a stripped-down mobile app limited to a curated set of ASX ETFs, with trades from $2 and a $50 minimum — built for beginners and dollar-cost averaging.
Choose
CommSec
if…
- ›You want to trade individual ASX shares, US stocks, or international equities across 13 markets
- ›You need options trading, stop-loss orders, conditional orders, or IPO access
- ›You want a CHESS-sponsored HIN with the ability to hold joint, trust, SMSF, company, or minor accounts
- ›You trade larger amounts — the 0.12% brokerage rate kicks in above $1,000 and stays low up to $25,000
- ›You want free real-time market data and research reports included
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You're a beginner or want to invest small amounts regularly — minimum trades start at $50 and brokerage is just $2
- ›You want to set up automatic weekly or monthly investments into a handful of ASX ETFs
- ›You only need a simple individual account and don't want to be tempted by complex products
- ›You want a built-in CGT calculator to simplify tax reporting
- ›You prefer a truly mobile-only experience with no desktop platform needed
Where they differ
| Fact | CommSec | Commsec Pocket |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 (with CDIA) / $29.95 (without CDIA) | $2 flat |
| US & international shares | Supported (US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, HK) | Not supported |
| Account types | Individual, Joint, Company, Trust, SMSF, Minor | Individual only |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Available (single ETF level) |
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $50 |
Verdict
Pick CommSec for full-market trading and account flexibility; pick Pocket for simple, low-cost ETF investing with auto-invest.
Cost calculator
What would CommSec vs Commsec Pocket 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 | Commsec Pocket |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Sweden | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.55% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.55% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | — |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (SPP, rights issue, takeovers, demergers, dividend payments) are not separately charged by CommSec. They are processed via the share registry/issuer. CommSec does not send trade confirmations for off-market events, so Sharesight/other tracker sync requires manual updates. Failed-settlement fees apply if payment is late ($10 minimum or 0.66% above $1,500). | 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 | $5 | $2 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.2% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $1,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Conditional: $5 minimum requires linked CDIA (Commonwealth Direct Investment Account) or CommSec Margin Loan as the settlement account AND CHESS sponsorship with CommSec. Without CDIA linkage, brokerage starts at $29.95 for trades up to $9,999.99 and 0.31% above. Promotional $0 brokerage offers occasionally run for new customers (e.g. 30 free trades up to $50,000 each, May–Nov 2026 offer for new sign-ups). | 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$5 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | — |
| 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 | $54 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Commonwealth Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 238,814 |
| Year founded | 1,995 | 2,019 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $50 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $50 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct debit, Bank transfer (CDIA), Cheque, Cash deposit (CBA branch/ATM) | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX) / T+1 (US) | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (instant when funds in CDIA via real-time transfer) | 1-2 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat (in-app), secure mail (in-platform), social media (X, Instagram) | phone, email, in-app messaging |
| Support hours (AU time) | Phone 8am-6pm Mon-Fri Sydney time (general & options); extended trading-hours support during ASX session. No 24/7 support. | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) |
| Education content | structured courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | No |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | single asset |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |