Share Trading comparison
easyMarkets vs Pepperstone
Both easyMarkets and Pepperstone are CFD brokers, not share brokers — neither offers real ASX or US shares, CHESS sponsorship, or a HIN. The biggest practical difference is that Pepperstone has no inactivity fee, a $0 minimum deposit, and a wider range of international CFD markets, while easyMarkets charges a $25 inactivity fee and requires a $25 minimum deposit but offers options trading alongside CFDs.
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You want to trade options (easyMarkets supports options; Pepperstone does not).
- ›You're comfortable with a $25 minimum deposit and want to avoid a $0-deposit broker.
- ›You plan to deposit via crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) — easyMarkets accepts it; Pepperstone doesn't.
- ›You prefer a structured education course over video-based learning.
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want zero inactivity fees — Pepperstone charges $0; easyMarkets charges $25.
- ›You want the lowest possible barrier to entry with a $0 minimum deposit.
- ›You want to trade CFDs across more international markets (US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU).
- ›You want more deposit options including PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
- ›You want joint and trust account options — Pepperstone offers both; easyMarkets only offers individual and company accounts.
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| Inactivity fee | $25 | $0 |
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $0 |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| Account types | Individual, Company | Individual, Joint, Company, Trust |
| Deposit methods | Cards, bank wire, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, crypto | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill |
Verdict
If you trade CFDs, Pepperstone is cheaper and more flexible; choose easyMarkets only if you need options trading.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | No |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU | |
| 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 | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 50% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 50% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Not applicable — Pepperstone offers share CFDs only, not real shares. Clients have no entitlement to rights issues, SPPs, takeover offers or shareholder voting. Dividend adjustments are passed through as cash entries on share CFD positions (credited on longs, debited on shorts, with franking credits not passed through). |
| costs visible | ||
| 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 | Pepperstone Group Limited |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 414,530 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | Privately held. Majority owner FX Group Holdings (Fiona Lock, CEO Tamas Szabo and Andrew Defina) acquired the 60% stake previously held by CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) in 2018; founders Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport retain the remaining 40%. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill |
| Settlement period | — | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open derivative contracts marked-to-market continuously, with overnight swap charges in lieu of settlement) |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | Up to 2 business days for cards, PayID, BPAY and domestic bank transfer; up to 1 business day for PayPal/Neteller/Skrill. |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | 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) | 24/5 (Monday morning AEST to Saturday morning AEST), with 18 hours coverage on weekends; Melbourne-based Australian support team available during AEST business hours. |
| Education content | structured courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | 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 |