Share Trading comparison
Halo Technologies vs Pepperstone
Halo Technologies and Pepperstone look like they compete in the same space, but they're fundamentally different products. Halo is a full-service investment platform for buying and holding real shares on global markets. Pepperstone is a CFD broker — you never actually own the underlying asset. That distinction changes everything about fees, features, and who should use each platform.
Choose
Halo Technologies
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX or US shares under your own name (custodial model, not CHESS-sponsored but real equities)
- ›You trade large volumes — the $15 minimum brokerage and 0.12% rate drops to $0 on trades up to $250,000 under the current promo
- ›You need access to 30+ global exchanges including UK, Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific from one account
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and a proper Australian tax statement at EOFY
- ›You're a high-net-worth investor who can justify a $159/month platform fee plus $19/month market data
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on indices, forex, commodities and shares with leverage — Pepperstone is a specialist here
- ›You refuse to pay monthly fees — Pepperstone charges $0 platform fee, $0 inactivity fee, $0 withdrawal fee
- ›You want a low-cost entry point: $0 minimum deposit, $5 minimum ASX brokerage, and US trades from $0.02
- ›You need a demo account to practise, plus 24/5 support and extensive video education
- ›You're comfortable with derivative contracts and don't need dividend franking credits, tax statements or CHESS sponsorship
Where they differ
| Fact | Halo Technologies | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Real shares & ETFs (custodial) | CFDs only — no real share ownership |
| Monthly platform fee | $159/month | $0/month |
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $15 (or $0 promo up to $250k) | $5 |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.005% | 0.5% |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodial — no individual HIN | Not applicable — CFDs only |
Verdict
Halo is for serious long-term investors buying real global shares; Pepperstone is for active CFD traders who don't need ownership.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Halo Technologies | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | — |
| Individual HIN | No | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | — | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | — | No |
| IPO access | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 50% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.5% | 50% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $19/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $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 | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $15 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $12,500 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | Promotional offer: $0 brokerage on trades up to $250,000 (per landing page /0-brokerage-on-trades-up-to-250000); standard FSG schedule remains $15/0.12%. Conditions not fully disclosed publicly. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$15 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $159/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $2,508/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | HALO Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 54 623 830 866); ultimately wholly owned by HALO Technologies Holdings Limited ABN 73 645 531 219 | Pepperstone Group Limited |
| AFSL number | 484,264 | 414,530 |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed | 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 | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | — | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) | 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 | — | 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 |
| Demo account | — | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | — | authenticator |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | 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 | basic articles | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | — | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | — | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | — | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | Yes |