Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs Plus500
IG Australia and Plus500 both offer CFD trading, but the biggest difference is that IG also lets you buy and hold real ASX and US shares under a custodial model. Plus500 is CFDs only — you never actually own the underlying asset. That makes them fundamentally different products for different investors.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX shares and ETFs with $0 commission (a 0.25% p.a. platform fee applies instead)
- ›You need a CHESS-substitute custodial account with individual, joint, trust, company or SMSF options
- ›You trade US stocks and want a USD account to avoid FX conversion on every trade
- ›You want access to IPOs, corporate actions and a proper Australian tax statement with CGT reports
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform alongside the mobile app
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You only want to trade CFDs on leverage and have no interest in owning real shares
- ›You need 24/7 customer support — Plus500 offers live chat, email and WhatsApp around the clock
- ›You want free real-time market data included without extra fees
- ›You trade options (Plus500 supports options; IG does not)
- ›You're comfortable with a mobile-only experience — Plus500 has no desktop platform
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Real share ownership | Yes — ASX and US shares, ETFs | No — CFDs only |
| ASX brokerage | $0 commission (0.25% p.a. platform fee) | Not applicable — no real ASX shares offered |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10/month after a period of inactivity |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
Verdict
Choose IG if you want real shares; choose Plus500 if you only want leveraged CFDs and 24/7 support.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | IG Australia | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | — |
| Individual HIN | No | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| 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 | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 70% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | 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. | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | $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 brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,008 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | — |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| Education content | video + courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| 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 | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |