Share Trading comparison
eToro vs Marketech Focus
The biggest practical difference is ownership structure. eToro is a global CFD-and-crypto giant that holds your ASX shares under a custodian model, while Marketech Focus is a CHESS-sponsored broker that puts your HIN in your name. That distinction ripples through fees, features and what you can actually do with your holdings.
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want zero brokerage on ASX and US trades — eToro charges $0 commission on real shares
- ›You want to trade US stocks, ETFs and crypto alongside ASX in one account
- ›You want to start small — minimum deposit is $50 and you can buy fractional shares on both ASX and US markets
- ›You want a demo account to practise before committing real money
- ›You want to set up auto-invest / DCA with multiple levels of automation
Choose
Marketech Focus
if…
- ›You want your ASX holdings under your own HIN via CHESS sponsorship — Marketech Focus is fully CHESS-sponsored
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) — eToro doesn't offer it, Marketech Focus does
- ›You want to avoid monthly fees — Marketech Focus charges $20/month plus $20/month for market data, so only suits higher-balance or active traders
- ›You want a dedicated desktop platform and integration with Sharesight or Navexa for portfolio tracking
- ›You only trade ASX shares and don't need US markets, crypto or CFDs
Where they differ
| Fact | eToro | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 | $5 or 0.03% (whichever is higher) |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| Market data fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian — no individual HIN | Full CHESS — individual HIN |
| US shares | Supported ($0 brokerage) | Not supported |
Verdict
eToro for cheap, multi-market access with zero fees; Marketech Focus for genuine CHESS-sponsored ASX investing if you trade enough to justify the monthly cost.
Cost calculator
What would eToro vs Marketech Focus 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 | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | chess |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | — |
| Company account | Yes | — |
| Trust account | 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 | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | — |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Crypto trading | Yes | — |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.75% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $20/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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 3% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $16,667 |
| 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. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $240/year |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | eToro AUS Capital Limited | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 491,139 | 337,927 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,021 |
| 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. | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited |
| Country of incorporation | Australia | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) | T+2 |
| 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) | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator app | — |
| Customer support channels | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre | email, support portal |
| Education content | video + courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |