Share Trading comparison
easyMarkets vs Plus500
Both easyMarkets and Plus500 are CFD and options brokers, not real-share trading platforms — you won't buy actual ASX or US stocks here. The biggest practical difference is the minimum deposit: easyMarkets lets you start with $25 while Plus500 requires $100. Plus500 is a publicly listed company with 24/7 support, whereas easyMarkets is privately held and only offers phone support during market hours.
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You want the lowest barrier to entry — easyMarkets' minimum deposit is $25 vs Plus500's $100
- ›You prefer to deposit via crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) or Skrill/Neteller alongside standard methods
- ›You want a desktop trading platform in addition to mobile apps
- ›You need a dedicated phone support line (available 24/5 during market hours)
- ›You want to hold USD in your account to avoid FX conversion costs
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You prefer a publicly listed, LSE-traded parent company with greater regulatory transparency
- ›You want 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, WhatsApp and contact form
- ›You'd rather deposit using PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay
- ›You want a lower inactivity fee — Plus500 charges $10/month vs easyMarkets' $25/month
- ›You want SMS-based 2FA (simpler than easyMarkets' authenticator app option)
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 AUD | $100 AUD |
| Inactivity fee | $25 AUD | $10 AUD |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| USD account | Yes | No |
| Parent company status | Private (Blue Capital Markets) | Public (LSE-listed Plus500 Ltd) |
Verdict
If you just want the cheapest CFD entry point, go easyMarkets; if you value public-company oversight and 24/7 support, go Plus500.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | No |
| 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 | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 70% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| costs visible | ||
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $25 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | easyMarkets Pty Ltd | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,008 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| Education content | structured courses | structured 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 |