Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs SelfWealth
The biggest difference between IG Australia and SelfWealth comes down to cost structure versus ownership. IG charges $0 ASX brokerage but applies a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on your holdings, while SelfWealth charges a flat $9.50 per ASX trade with no ongoing platform fee. There's also a fundamental structural split: IG holds your shares in custody, whereas SelfWealth offers CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You trade frequently on ASX and want to avoid per-trade brokerage — $0 per trade with IG, no minimum trade count required.
- ›You trade US shares regularly and want near-zero FX costs — IG charges 0.007% FX spread versus SelfWealth's 0.6%.
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay — IG offers far more funding options than SelfWealth's OSKO/BPAY/EFT only.
- ›You value a demo account and comprehensive education (video + courses) to test strategies before committing real money.
- ›You need a desktop trading platform alongside mobile apps — SelfWealth has no desktop platform.
Choose
SelfWealth
if…
- ›You want your ASX holdings under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship — SelfWealth offers this; IG uses a custodial model.
- ›You're a buy-and-hold investor who trades infrequently — SelfWealth's $9.50 per trade beats paying IG's 0.25% p.a. platform fee on a large portfolio over time.
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and auto-invest / DCA functionality — SelfWealth supports both; IG does not.
- ›You want a kids / minor account — SelfWealth offers this; IG doesn't list it.
- ›You prefer a Singapore-based parent company (Syfe) over a UK-listed group — though both are ASIC-regulated.
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | SelfWealth |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 per trade (plus 0.25% p.a. platform fee) | $9.50 per trade (no platform fee) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodial model (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.007% | 0.6% |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not supported | Supported (multiple sophistication level) |
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $500 |
Verdict
Pick IG for frequent trading and cheap US shares; pick SelfWealth for CHESS ownership, DRP and lower long-term holding costs.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia vs SelfWealth 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 | IG Australia | SelfWealth |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | mixed |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | 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 Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | HK |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 60% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| 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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $9.5 |
| 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. | Selfwealth Premium subscribers ($29/month or $240/year) receive 10 complimentary trades annually; otherwise no free-trade conditions. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$9.5 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $27.5 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | SelfWealth Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 421,789 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Syfe (Svava Pte Ltd, Singapore) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | OSKO, BPAY, EFT/bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | 1-2 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | live chat, email, phone |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | 10am-4pm AET, Monday-Friday (closed public holidays) |
| Education content | video + courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |