Share Trading comparison
easyMarkets vs IG Australia
These two platforms serve completely different purposes. easyMarkets is a derivatives and CFDs broker — it doesn't support ASX or US shares at all. IG Australia offers real ASX and US share trading alongside CFDs, making it the clear choice if you actually want to own stocks. If you're after leveraged bets on price movements, easyMarkets is your lane.
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You want to trade options and CFDs rather than own underlying shares
- ›You're happy with a minimum deposit of just $25 to get started
- ›You prefer funding your account via crypto, Skrill or Neteller alongside traditional methods
- ›You want structured educational courses built into the platform
- ›You don't need CHESS sponsorship or an individual HIN because you're trading derivatives
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want to buy and own ASX and US shares and ETFs with $0 brokerage
- ›You need a CHESS-sponsored or custodial share trading account (IG uses a custodian model)
- ›You want access to IPOs and a broader range of account types including joint, trust and SMSF
- ›You need an Australian tax statement and CGT calculator for end-of-year reporting
- ›You prefer paying no inactivity fee and having zero minimum deposit to open an account
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| ASX & US share trading | Not supported | Supported — $0 brokerage on ASX shares and ETFs |
| Account types | Individual and company only | Individual, joint, company, trust and SMSF |
| Inactivity fee | $25 | $0 |
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $0 |
| CHESS sponsorship | Not applicable (no ASX shares) | Custodian model (no individual HIN) |
Verdict
Choose easyMarkets for leveraged derivatives trading; choose IG Australia if you actually want to own shares.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.7% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.7% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Corporate actions (dividends, splits, rights issues, takeovers) for shares held in custody are processed by IG via Citicorp Nominees; cash dividends are credited net of withholding to client ledger. SPP/rights elections are limited under the custodial model and detailed fees are disclosed in the IG Share Trading Customer Agreement / FSG. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $10,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | $0 commission on all ASX shares and ETFs on the IG Share Trading account (no conditions/minimum trade count). A 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings value applies; 0.7% FX fee applies to international trades. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $25 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | easyMarkets Pty Ltd | IG Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 515,106 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,002 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | — | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email, live chat, social media |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) |
| Education content | structured courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | — |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |