Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs Stake
IG and Stake both offer low-cost ASX and US trading, but they diverge on a fundamental point: IG charges $0 ASX brokerage but adds a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings, while Stake charges a flat $3 on ASX trades with no ongoing fee. That makes IG better for frequent traders and Stake better for buy-and-hold investors who don't want their portfolio nibbled at every year.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You trade ASX shares or ETFs frequently — IG charges $0 brokerage on every ASX trade with no minimum trade count or conditions
- ›You want to trade on international markets beyond the US, including the UK, Germany and Ireland
- ›You need a demo account to practise trading before committing real money
- ›You value a full desktop trading platform with advanced order types (conditional orders, stop losses)
- ›You want to deposit via PayPal, BPAY or credit/debit card with no minimum initial deposit
Choose
Stake
if…
- ›You buy and hold for the long term — Stake charges no ongoing platform fee, so your portfolio balance isn't eroded each year
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN, giving you direct ownership of ASX-listed shares on the registry
- ›You invest in US stocks and want fractional shares, letting you buy a slice of expensive names like Amazon or Google
- ›You want slightly tighter FX spreads (0.0055% vs 0.007%) when converting AUD to USD for US trades
- ›You prefer a modern mobile-first experience with a lower $20 minimum subsequent purchase
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 (all trades) | $3 flat (up to $30,000) |
| Ongoing platform fee | 0.25% p.a. on holdings | $0 |
| CHESS / ownership model | Custodial (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN available) |
| Fractional US shares | Not supported | Supported |
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $500 |
Verdict
IG for frequent ASX traders who want zero brokerage; Stake for long-term investors who want CHESS ownership and no ongoing fees.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia 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 | IG Australia | 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 | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | United States |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.55% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | 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. | 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 | $0 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| 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. | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.01% |
| 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 | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | 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 | $0 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $20 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | 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 | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | video + courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |