Share Trading comparison
easyMarkets vs Halo Technologies
easyMarkets and Halo Technologies are in completely different businesses. easyMarkets is a CFD and options broker — it doesn't support ASX or US shares at all. Halo Technologies is a full-service global share broker with a custodian model, covering ASX, US, UK, European and Asian markets. The real choice here is between derivatives trading and genuine equity investing.
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs, options or forex rather than buy actual shares
- ›You want a low minimum deposit ($25) and zero monthly platform fees
- ›You want a demo account to practise before risking real money
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller or even crypto
- ›You want after-hours trading and stop-loss/conditional order tools on derivatives
Choose
Halo Technologies
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold actual ASX and US shares and ETFs under a custodian model
- ›You want access to 30+ global exchanges including the UK, Europe and Japan
- ›You want auto-invest / DCA tools with multiple sophistication levels
- ›You need joint, trust or SMSF account structures
- ›You want an Australian tax statement and dividend reinvestment (DRP)
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| Share trading | Not supported (CFD/options only) | ASX, US, UK, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific |
| CHESS sponsorship | Not applicable (no ASX shares) | Custodian model (no individual HIN) |
| Minimum deposit | $25 | Not disclosed |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19/month |
Verdict
Pick easyMarkets for CFD/options trading on a budget; pick Halo for global share investing if you can stomach the $159 monthly fee.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | — |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | — |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | — |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | — |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $15 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.12% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $12,500 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Promotional offer: $0 brokerage on trades up to $250,000 (per landing page /0-brokerage-on-trades-up-to-250000); standard FSG schedule remains $15/0.12%. Conditions not fully disclosed publicly. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$15 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.12% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $2,508/year |
| Inactivity fee | $25 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | easyMarkets Pty Ltd | HALO Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 54 623 830 866); ultimately wholly owned by HALO Technologies Holdings Limited ABN 73 645 531 219 |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 484,264 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | — |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | — |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | — |
| Demo account | Yes | — |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | — |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) | — |
| Education content | structured courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | No | — |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | — |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | — |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | — |