Share Trading comparison
eToro vs nabtrade
The biggest difference between eToro and nabtrade comes down to ownership model and cost. eToro charges zero brokerage on ASX and US trades but holds your shares under a custodian arrangement — you don't get a HIN. nabtrade charges standard brokerage ($9.95 minimum) but is CHESS-sponsored, meaning shares are held in your own name under your own HIN.
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want zero brokerage on ASX and US shares — eToro charges $0 per trade with no monthly or annual platform fees
- ›You trade frequently or in small amounts and don't want transaction costs eating into your returns
- ›You want access to 15 international markets plus crypto and CFDs from a single login
- ›You're comfortable with a custodian model and don't need direct CHESS sponsorship or a personal HIN
- ›You want to start with as little as $50 and fund via PayPal, card or bank transfer
Choose
nabtrade
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN — nabtrade holds ASX-listed shares directly in your name
- ›You trade ASX shares infrequently and can absorb the $9.95 minimum brokerage
- ›You need access to managed funds, bonds, IPOs and options — nabtrade covers asset classes eToro doesn't
- ›You want dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs) and the ability to participate in rights issues and SPPs
- ›You're a NAB customer who wants instant withdrawals to a linked NAB account
Where they differ
| Fact | eToro | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 per trade | $9.95 or 0.11% (up to $20,000) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian model — no HIN | CHESS-sponsored — individual HIN provided |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.0075% | 0.8% |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19.95/month |
| Dividend reinvestment (DRP) | Not available | Available |
Verdict
Choose eToro for cost-free trading and global markets; choose nabtrade for CHESS ownership and a full-service bank-backed broker.
Cost calculator
What would eToro vs nabtrade 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 | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | chess |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | Yes |
| 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 (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Crypto trading | Yes | — |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.75% | 80% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 80% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19.95/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $59.95 |
| 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 | $9.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $20,000 |
| 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. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$9.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 11% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | — |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | — |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $55 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | eToro AUS Capital Limited | WealthHub Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 491,139 | 230,704 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,012 |
| 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. | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) |
| Country of incorporation | Australia | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| 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 | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK 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) | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator app | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) |
| Education content | video + courses | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| 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 |