Share Trading comparison
nabtrade vs Westpac Online Investing
The biggest practical difference between nabtrade and Westpac Online Investing comes down to cost. Westpac's standard ASX brokerage starts at $4.95 — half of nabtrade's $9.95 minimum — and it doesn't charge market data fees. nabtrade counters with a slightly lower brokerage threshold ($20,000 vs $28,000) and a wider range of international markets, but for most Australian investors Westpac is the cheaper day-to-day option.
Choose
nabtrade
if…
- ›You want to trade on more international markets — nabtrade covers the UK, Germany and Hong Kong, while Westpac focuses mainly on US and European exchanges
- ›You regularly trade over $20,000 per ASX trade — nabtrade's 0.11% rate kicks in at a lower threshold than Westpac's $28,000
- ›You need phone trading support — nabtrade offers it (at a $59.95 surcharge) whereas Westpac's phone surcharge is $50 but with more limited hours
- ›You want a kids / minor account — both offer it, but nabtrade's NAB-linked ecosystem makes it easier if you're already a NAB customer
Choose
Westpac Online Investing
if…
- ›You want the lowest ASX brokerage — Westpac's $4.95 minimum is nearly half nabtrade's $9.95
- ›You trade US shares regularly — Westpac charges $4.95 USD minimum (vs $9.95 USD) and holds a USD account, saving you FX conversion on every trade
- ›You want free market data — Westpac charges $0/month for real-time data, while nabtrade charges $19.95/month
- ›You prefer more customer support options — Westpac offers live chat and in-app support, while nabtrade is limited to phone, email and secure messaging
- ›You want a wider range of international markets — Westpac covers 18 countries including Canada, Singapore and most of Europe, versus nabtrade's 4
Where they differ
| Fact | nabtrade | Westpac Online Investing |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.95 | $4.95 |
| Market data fees | $19.95/month | $0/month |
| USD account | No | Yes |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.80% | 0.65% |
| International markets | UK, Germany, Hong Kong | 18 countries incl. US, Canada, Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong |
Verdict
Westpac Online Investing is cheaper on fees and offers more markets; nabtrade only wins if you need its specific international coverage or prefer NAB's banking ecosystem.
Cost calculator
What would nabtrade vs Westpac Online Investing 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 | nabtrade | Westpac Online Investing |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | 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 | 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 (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds supported | Yes | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 80% | 65% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 80% | 65% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| Market data fees | $19.95/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | $50 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Corporate action processing (rights issues, takeovers, SPPs) is generally free for CHESS-sponsored clients — Westpac/AUSIEX passes elections to issuers/registries. Specific fees only apply in exceptional circumstances per the FSG. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.95 | $4.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 11% | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $20,000 | $28,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No free brokerage offered. Lower brokerage tiers ($4.95 minimum) require settlement via linked Westpac Cash Investment Account; settling via other-bank accounts incurs $29.95 / 0.29% minimum. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$9.95 | US$4.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | 11% | 11% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | WealthHub Securities Limited | Australian Investment Exchange Limited (AUSIEX); Westpac Securities Limited issues the branded service |
| AFSL number | 230,704 | 241,400 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) | Brand: Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC); operator AUSIEX is wholly owned by Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (TSE: 4307) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account | Westpac Cash Investment Account (linked), External bank Direct Credit, BPAY, Internal transfer between Westpac accounts |
| Settlement period | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks | Same-day to 1 business day for Westpac-to-Westpac transfers; 1-2 business days to external bank accounts |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | SMS + authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) | phone, email, live chat, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) | Phone: 8am-7pm Sydney time Mon-Fri (domestic); 24 hours on US trading days for international; Live chat: 9:30am-5pm Sydney time Mon-Fri |
| Education content | structured | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |