Share Trading comparison
CommSec vs Sharesies
The biggest practical difference between CommSec and Sharesies is ownership structure. CommSec is a CHESS-sponsored broker — you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name on the ASX register. Sharesies is a custodian model: it holds shares on your behalf, so you don't get a HIN. That distinction drives most of the other differences, from fees to features.
Choose
CommSec
if…
- ›You want your own HIN and direct CHESS sponsorship on the ASX — your name on the register, not a custodian's.
- ›You trade large dollar amounts: CommSec's tiered brokerage drops to 0.12% for trades up to $25,000, then stays low above that.
- ›You need access to 13 global markets beyond ASX and US, including London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and European exchanges.
- ›You want options trading, managed funds, bonds, IPO access, or company/trust/SMSF account types.
- ›You value deep integration with the Commonwealth Bank ecosystem — instant settlement via CDIA, same-day withdrawals, and branch support.
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You're starting small: Sharesies has no minimum deposit ($1 minimum), no minimum trade size, and fractional shares on both ASX and US stocks.
- ›You want to dollar-cost average automatically — Sharesies offers multi-asset auto-invest plans with monthly subscription tiers.
- ›You prefer simple, capped fees: 1.9% capped at $6 for ASX and $5 for US, with optional monthly plans that bundle in transaction allowances.
- ›You need built-in tax tools: Sharesies provides a CGT calculator and distribution component breakdown, which CommSec lacks.
- ›You want a kids account with a low-cost plan ($2/month covers $500 buy/sell and $1,000 auto-invest).
Where they differ
| Fact | CommSec | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS model | CHESS-sponsored (your own HIN) | Custodian (no HIN) |
| ASX brokerage at $1,000 | $5 (with CDIA) or $29.95 (without) | $6 (1.9% capped) |
| Fractional shares | US only | ASX and US |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Yes, multi-asset auto-invest plans |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and kids only |
Verdict
Choose CommSec for serious, large-volume investing with CHESS ownership; choose Sharesies for small starts, fractional shares, and automated investing.
Cost calculator
What would CommSec 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 | CommSec | 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 States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Sweden | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| 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% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.55% | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $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). | 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 | $5 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $315.79 |
| 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). | 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$5 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 1.9% |
| 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 | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 1,995 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) | 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 | BPAY, Direct debit, Bank transfer (CDIA), Cheque, Cash deposit (CBA branch/ATM) | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX) / T+1 (US) | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (instant when funds in CDIA via real-time transfer) | 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 | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat (in-app), secure mail (in-platform), social media (X, Instagram) | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Phone 8am-6pm Mon-Fri Sydney time (general & options); extended trading-hours support during ASX session. No 24/7 support. | 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 | No | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | No | 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 | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |