Share Trading comparison
Pearler vs Totality Wealth
Pearler is built for the long-term, set-and-forget investor who wants to automate their portfolio, while Totality Wealth is a full-featured trading platform for active traders who need global markets, options, and CFDs. The biggest practical difference: Pearler gives you a CHESS-sponsored HIN and automated investing, whereas Totality Wealth uses a custodian model but opens up 18 international markets and advanced order types.
Choose
Pearler
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN for ASX-listed holdings
- ›You want to automate regular investments with dollar-cost averaging and portfolio rebalancing
- ›You want fractional US shares to buy into high-priced stocks like Amazon or Google with small amounts
- ›You're investing for kids with a minor account option
- ›You want zero transfer fees and no withdrawal fees when moving money or leaving the platform
Choose
Totality Wealth
if…
- ›You trade frequently on ASX — Totality's minimum brokerage is $3 vs Pearler's $6.50
- ›You want access to options trading, CFDs, and bonds alongside shares
- ›You need exposure to 18 global markets including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and European exchanges
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform with a demo account to test strategies
- ›You want to fund your account via credit card, PayPal, or Wise — not just bank transfer
Where they differ
| Fact | Pearler | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $6.50 | $3 |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN | Mixed — individual HIN available but custodian for some assets |
| Fractional US shares | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes, with rebalancing | No |
| Markets available | ASX and US only | 18 countries including US, UK, HK, JP, SG, EU |
Verdict
Choose Pearler for hands-off, CHESS-sponsored long-term investing; choose Totality for active, low-cost trading across global markets.
Cost calculator
What would Pearler vs Totality Wealth actually cost you?
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All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Pearler | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | mixed |
| 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 | 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 | US, GB, HK, JP, DE, FR, CA, SG, CH, NL, IT, ES, BE, AT, DK, SE, NO, FI | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 0.45% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.45% |
| 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 | — | Custodian processes corporate actions; proxy voting subscription EUR 30/year + EUR 5 per vote; new instrument requests USD 200 for Platinum / free for VIP legacy tiers; reporting fee USD 50 for Classic email reports. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $6.5 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.08% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $3,750 |
| US brokerage minimum | US$6.5 | US$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.08% |
| 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 | Totality Wealth Limited (formerly Saxo Capital Markets (Australia) Pty Ltd) |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 280,372 |
| Year founded | 2,018 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately held (founder-led); backed by investors including AfterWork Ventures | DMA (Johannesburg, South Africa) 80.1% / Saxo Bank A/S (Denmark) 19.9% |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Osko, Bank transfer, PayTo (direct debit replacement) | bank_transfer, BPAY, credit_card, debit_card, PayPal, Wise |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 ASX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator_app | app |
| Customer support channels | email, phone, in-app | phone, email, live_chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AET | Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30 Sydney time |
| Education content | video_and_courses | extensive |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | No | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | rebalancing | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |