Share Trading comparison
Pearler vs Sharesies
The biggest practical difference between Pearler and Sharesies is ownership structure. Pearler is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Sharesies is a custodian model — the platform holds the legal title, not you. That distinction ripples through everything from account types to fees.
Choose
Pearler
if…
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS-sponsored ASX holdings — Pearler gives you individual ownership of your shares.
- ›You need joint, company, trust, or SMSF accounts — Sharesies only offers individual and kids accounts.
- ›You prefer a flat $6.50 brokerage on ASX trades rather than a percentage-based fee that scales with trade size.
- ›You want to transfer your portfolio to another broker without paying an exit fee — Pearler charges $0 for off-market transfers, Sharesies charges $50.
- ›You value Sharesight or Navexa integration for portfolio tracking — Pearler supports it, Sharesies doesn't.
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You want zero minimums — Sharesies lets you start with $1 and buy fractional ASX shares, while Pearler requires a $500 initial deposit.
- ›You trade small amounts regularly and prefer percentage-based brokerage (0.019% capped at $6) over a flat $6.50 minimum.
- ›You want stop-loss and conditional orders — Sharesies offers both; Pearler doesn't.
- ›You trade US stocks and want to hold USD to avoid FX fees on every trade — Sharesies holds a USD account; Pearler does not.
- ›You want a built-in CGT report — Sharesies includes one; Pearler doesn't.
Where they differ
| Fact | Pearler | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | Mixed (individual HIN available) | Custodian (no HIN) |
| ASX brokerage | $6.50 flat | 0.019% capped at $6 (or monthly plans) |
| Fractional ASX shares | Not supported | Supported |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and kids only |
| Off-market transfer fee | $0 | $50 |
Verdict
Choose Pearler for genuine share ownership and account flexibility; choose Sharesies for low-cost micro-investing and fractional trading.
Cost calculator
What would Pearler vs Sharesies 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 | Pearler | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| 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 | NZ | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $6.5 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $315.79 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$6.5 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| 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 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Pearler Investments Pty Ltd | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,018 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately held (founder-led); backed by investors including AfterWork Ventures | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Osko, Bank transfer, PayTo (direct debit replacement) | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator_app | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | email, phone, in-app | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AET | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | video_and_courses | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | No | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | rebalancing | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |