Share Trading comparison
Sharesies vs Totality Wealth
The biggest practical difference between Sharesies and Totality Wealth is custody structure. Sharesies is a custodian model — you don't get a HIN and your shares are held in the platform's name. Totality Wealth offers individual HINs and CHESS sponsorship for ASX trades, meaning you're the legal owner. That distinction shapes everything else: fees, features, and who this is for.
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You want to invest small amounts — minimums start at $1 and fractional shares are available on both ASX and US stocks
- ›You want automated investing with multiple-asset DCA plans built into the platform
- ›You're investing for kids — Sharesies has a dedicated kids account ($2/mo plan)
- ›You want a simple, app-first experience with no account or inactivity fees
- ›You want a CGT report and tax breakdown included without needing third-party software
Choose
Totality Wealth
if…
- ›You want direct CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN for ASX-listed holdings
- ›You trade options, CFDs, or bonds — Totality Wealth supports all three; Sharesies doesn't
- ›You need access to global markets beyond AU, US, and NZ — Totality covers 16+ markets
- ›You want a demo account to test strategies before committing real money
- ›You value desktop trading and phone/live-chat support over an app-only experience
Where they differ
| Fact | Sharesies | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| Custody model | Custodian (no HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN available) |
| ASX brokerage (small trade) | 1.9% capped at $6 (or included in monthly plans) | $3 minimum or 0.08% |
| Fractional shares | Yes (ASX and US) | No |
| Markets available | AU, US, NZ | 16+ markets including HK, JP, GB, EU |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes (multiple assets) | No |
Verdict
Choose Sharesies for low-cost, fractional, automated investing; choose Totality Wealth for CHESS ownership and serious multi-market trading.
Cost calculator
What would Sharesies vs Totality Wealth 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 | Sharesies | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | mixed |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | 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 | NZ | US, GB, HK, JP, DE, FR, CA, SG, CH, NL, IT, ES, BE, AT, DK, SE, NO, FI |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.45% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | 0.45% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $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. | 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 | $0 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 1.9% | 0.08% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $315.79 | $3,750 |
| 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$0 | US$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | 1.9% | 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 | $50 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Sharesies Australia Limited | Totality Wealth Limited (formerly Saxo Capital Markets (Australia) Pty Ltd) |
| AFSL number | 529,893 | 280,372 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) | 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 | $1 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $1 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card | bank_transfer, BPAY, credit_card, debit_card, PayPal, Wise |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US | T+2 ASX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 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) | 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, in_app | phone, email, live_chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST | Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30 Sydney time |
| Education content | basic_articles | extensive |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple_assets | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |