Share Trading comparison
Halo Technologies vs Stake
The biggest difference between Halo Technologies and Stake comes down to cost structure. Halo charges a hefty $159/month platform fee ($2,508/year) plus $19/month for market data, making it one of the priciest retail brokers in Australia. Stake charges zero monthly fees and zero market data fees, so the decision largely hinges on whether you trade enough volume to justify Halo's fixed costs.
Choose
Halo Technologies
if…
- ›You trade very large volumes on ASX — Halo's $15 minimum brokerage (0.12%) becomes cheaper than Stake's $3 minimum (0.01%) once trades exceed roughly $12,500
- ›You want access to 30 global exchanges including the UK, Europe and Japan — Stake only offers US and ASX markets
- ›You need a DRP (dividend reinvestment plan) — Stake doesn't offer one, so you'd have to manually reinvest dividends through each company's registry
- ›You want to invest in managed funds — Halo supports them, Stake doesn't
- ›You need joint, company, trust or SMSF accounts — Halo supports all of these, while Stake doesn't offer joint accounts
Choose
Stake
if…
- ›You don't want to pay monthly fees — Stake charges $0/month compared to Halo's $159/month plus $19/month for market data
- ›You trade smaller parcels on ASX — Stake's $3 minimum brokerage is far cheaper than Halo's $15 minimum
- ›You want free real-time market data and research reports — Stake includes both at no cost; Halo charges $19/month for data
- ›You value a modern, app-first experience with multiple deposit methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay and credit cards
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN — Stake offers individual HINs, whereas Halo is a custodian model
Where they differ
| Fact | Halo Technologies | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform fee | $159/month | $0/month |
| ASX brokerage minimum | $15 | $3 |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian (no individual HIN) | Mixed model (individual HIN available) |
| Global markets | 30 exchanges (US, UK, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific) | US and ASX only |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.005% | 0.0055% |
Verdict
Choose Halo if you trade huge volumes across global markets; choose Stake if you want low-cost, simple access to ASX and US shares.
Cost calculator
What would Halo Technologies vs Stake 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 | Halo Technologies | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | mixed |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| 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 | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total | United States |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | — | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | — | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 0.55% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.5% | — |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | Yes |
| Market data fees | $19/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Corporate actions (dividends, SPPs, rights issues, takeovers) are passed through where mandatory; Stake does not provide a DRP — investors must elect DRP directly with each company's share registry. No published per-event fee. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $15 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $12,500 | $30,000 |
| 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. | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | US$15 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| Monthly platform fee | $159/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $2,508/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $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 | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 484,264 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed | Privately held (Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd group); investors include AGL Energy's former CEO and various private investors |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | — | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $20 |
| Deposit methods | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | — | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | — | 1-2 business days for AUD (Stake AUS); 2-3 US business days for USD (Stake Wall St) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | — | No |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | — | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | basic articles | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | — | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | — | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | — | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | Yes |