Robo Advisor comparison
OpenInvest vs Spaceship Voyager
OpenInvest and Spaceship Voyager are both Australian robo-advice platforms, but they target very different investors. OpenInvest is a high-touch managed account service with a $20,000 minimum and a $7/month fee, while Spaceship Voyager is a low-barrier, app-first managed fund with no minimum and a $3/month fee. The biggest practical difference is access: OpenInvest gives you ASX-listed ETFs and bonds, whereas Spaceship gives you US shares and ETFs with fractional investing.
Choose
OpenInvest
if…
- ›You want exposure to ASX-listed ETFs and bonds alongside managed funds
- ›You need joint, company, trust, or SMSF account structures
- ›You're investing $20,000 or more and want a structured, rebalancing-focused robo-adviser
- ›You value phone-based customer support with extended business-hours access
- ›You want a CGT calculator and distribution breakdowns built into the platform
Choose
Spaceship Voyager
if…
- ›You want to invest in US shares and US ETFs with fractional shares from as little as $0
- ›You prefer a mobile app (iOS and Android) over a desktop or web-only experience
- ›You're starting small with no minimum deposit and a low $3/month fee
- ›You want zero brokerage on all trades — no transaction fees whatsoever
- ›You want a simple, set-and-forget managed fund with weighted auto-invest
Where they differ
| Fact | OpenInvest | Spaceship Voyager |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum initial deposit | $20,000 | $0 |
| Monthly platform fee | $7/month | $3/month |
| Assets available | ASX ETFs, bonds, managed funds | US shares, US ETFs, managed funds |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF | Individual only |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian model | Custodian model |
Verdict
Choose OpenInvest for ASX ETFs and multi-entity investing; choose Spaceship for low-cost US exposure via a mobile app.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | OpenInvest | Spaceship Voyager |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| 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 | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | — | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.7% |
| Holds USD account | — | No |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | — | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Voyager: managed fund structure means corporate actions are handled inside the fund — no investor-level corporate action fees. US Investing: voting and mandatory corporate actions including dividends are free; Voluntary Corporate Actions (VCA) fee of US$100 per action processed. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No brokerage applies to Voyager portfolios; investments are made via unit-trust managed funds with no transactional fees, regardless of order size. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $7/month | $3/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $36/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | OpenInvest Limited | Spaceship Capital Limited |
| AFSL number | 504,155 | 501,605 |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately owned (founder-led) | eToro Group Limited (acquired Spaceship 2024, fully owned subsidiary) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $20,000 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | — | Direct debit, PayTo |
| Settlement period | — | Voyager: T+1/T+2 unit pricing (managed fund). US Investing: T+1 (US standard). |
| Withdrawal time | — | 1-2 business days from redemption request to funds in available money balance; additional bank transfer time to external account. |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | No | Yes |
| Android app | No | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | — | No |
| Free research reports | — | No |
| 2FA support | — | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | phone, email | Email, Phone, Live chat, In-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 8:00am-6:00pm AET, business days | Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm Sydney time (business days only) |
| Education content | structured | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | No | Yes |
| Limit orders | No | — |
| Stop loss orders | No | No |
| Conditional orders | — | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | rebalancing | weighted |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | No |