Share Trading comparison
eToro vs IG Australia
Both eToro and IG Australia offer zero-commission ASX trading, but the real difference comes down to fees and features. IG charges a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on your holdings, while eToro has no ongoing platform fee — though eToro does hit you with a $10 inactivity fee and lacks CHESS sponsorship. IG also gives you access to IPOs and after-hours trading; eToro offers fractional shares and auto-invest.
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want zero ongoing platform fees — eToro charges nothing monthly or annually on holdings.
- ›You want to buy fractional shares on ASX or US stocks, which IG doesn't support.
- ›You want to set up an auto-invest / DCA strategy with multiple levels of automation.
- ›You want a low $50 minimum deposit to get started and the flexibility of depositing via PayPal, Skrill, or credit card.
- ›You want to trade crypto alongside shares in the same platform.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want to avoid any inactivity or account fees — IG charges $0 for inactivity.
- ›You want IPO access and after-hours / overnight trading, which eToro doesn't offer.
- ›You want a desktop trading platform and phone-based customer support (24/5).
- ›You want joint account capability — eToro doesn't support joint accounts.
- ›You want free research reports, which eToro doesn't provide.
Where they differ
| Fact | eToro | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee on holdings | $0 | 0.25% p.a. |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | $0 |
| Fractional shares | Yes (ASX & US) | No |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes (multi-level) | No |
Verdict
Choose eToro for fractional shares and zero platform fees; choose IG for no inactivity fees, IPOs, and a more traditional broker experience.
Cost calculator
What would eToro vs IG Australia 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 | eToro | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | — |
| 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, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto trading | Yes | — |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.75% | 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 | eToro passes through cash dividends from non-leveraged real positions (debit/credit to wallet). It does not facilitate participation in rights issues, share purchase plans (SPPs), DRPs or shareholder votes because shares are held in a managed investment scheme by the custodian, not in the user's name. No explicit fee, but corporate action access is materially restricted. | 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 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 0% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $10,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Zero commission applies to all non-leveraged (real) ASX share and ETF purchases. Leveraged / short positions are executed as CFDs and incur 0.15% open/close spread plus overnight financing. | $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$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | eToro AUS Capital Limited | IG Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 491,139 | 515,106 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,002 |
| Parent / ownership | eToro Group Ltd (NASDAQ: ETOR) — listed 14 May 2025; originally founded in Israel by Yoni and Ronen Assia. eToro AUS Capital Limited is a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary. | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | Australia | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | — |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days for eToro processing; total 2-10 business days end-to-end depending on payment method (bank transfer longer than card) | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre | phone, email, live chat, social media |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | 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 | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |