Share Trading comparison
Pepperstone vs Plus500
Both Pepperstone and Plus500 are CFD-only platforms — neither lets you buy real ASX or US shares, so forget about CHESS sponsorship or a HIN. The biggest practical difference is that Pepperstone gives you access to 13 international markets (US, UK, Germany, Hong Kong and more) while Plus500 only offers CFDs on its own proprietary instrument list and charges a $10 inactivity fee that Pepperstone doesn't.
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on a wide range of global markets including US, UK, German, French, Hong Kong and Nordic stocks
- ›You want zero inactivity fees and zero withdrawal fees — Pepperstone charges neither
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform alongside mobile apps, and want 2FA via an authenticator app rather than SMS
- ›You want to deposit with PayPal, Neteller or Skrill, and start trading with no minimum deposit
- ›You want tighter FX spreads (0.5% on AUD/USD vs 0.7%) and the ability to hold a USD account
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You want a publicly listed, LSE-regulated parent company backing the platform
- ›You want 24/7 customer support via live chat, email and WhatsApp — Plus500 never sleeps
- ›You want to trade options CFDs, which Pepperstone doesn't offer
- ›You're happy with a simple, mobile-first experience and don't need a desktop app
- ›You want structured educational courses built into the platform
Where they differ
| Fact | Pepperstone | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10 AUD |
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $100 AUD |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Options CFDs | No | Yes |
Verdict
Pepperstone is the better all-round CFD broker for active traders; Plus500 only wins if you need 24/7 support or options CFDs.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Pepperstone | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | No | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | No |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 50% | 70% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 50% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Not applicable — Pepperstone offers share CFDs only, not real shares. Clients have no entitlement to rights issues, SPPs, takeover offers or shareholder voting. Dividend adjustments are passed through as cash entries on share CFD positions (credited on longs, debited on shorts, with franking credits not passed through). | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| costs visible | ||
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Pepperstone Group Limited | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 414,530 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 2,010 | 2,008 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately held. Majority owner FX Group Holdings (Fiona Lock, CEO Tamas Szabo and Andrew Defina) acquired the 60% stake previously held by CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) in 2018; founders Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport retain the remaining 40%. | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open derivative contracts marked-to-market continuously, with overnight swap charges in lieu of settlement) | — |
| Withdrawal time | Up to 2 business days for cards, PayID, BPAY and domestic bank transfer; up to 1 business day for PayPal/Neteller/Skrill. | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday morning AEST to Saturday morning AEST), with 18 hours coverage on weekends; Melbourne-based Australian support team available during AEST business hours. | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| Education content | video + courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | No |
| 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) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |