Share Trading comparison
Bell Direct vs easyMarkets
Bell Direct and easyMarkets are fundamentally different products. Bell Direct is a full-service CHESS-sponsored ASX broker with US trading, real shares, and a HIN in your name. easyMarkets is a CFD and derivatives provider — you don't buy actual shares, you trade contracts on price movements. If you want to own ASX or US stocks, Bell Direct is the only option here.
Choose
Bell Direct
if…
- ›You want to own real ASX shares under your own HIN via CHESS sponsorship
- ›You trade ASX stocks or ETFs — Bell Direct charges $5 brokerage (0.1% over $25,000)
- ›You need a broker that supports joint, trust, SMSF, company and kids accounts
- ›You want US shares with zero minimum brokerage and a USD account
- ›You need tax statements, CGT reports, DRP and Sharesight integration for EOFY
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs, forex or commodities — easyMarkets is built for leveraged derivatives
- ›You only have $25 to start and want a demo account to practise before going live
- ›You need 24/5 support and live chat, plus crypto deposit options
- ›You trade after hours or overnight — easyMarkets supports extended-hours trading
- ›You want free real-time market data without paying $27.50/month
Where they differ
| Fact | Bell Direct | easyMarkets |
|---|---|---|
| Share ownership model | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) | CFD/custodian — no HIN, no real share ownership |
| ASX trading | Supported ($5 min brokerage) | Not supported |
| Minimum deposit | $500 | $25 |
| Market data fees | $27.50/month | $0/month |
| Account types | Individual, joint, trust, SMSF, company, kids | Individual and company only |
Verdict
Pick Bell Direct for real ASX/US share ownership under CHESS; pick easyMarkets only if you want leveraged CFD trading.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Bell Direct | easyMarkets |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | — |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 60% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $27.5/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $60 | — |
| Corporate action fees | Fail fee $110 or 0.11% daily for unsettled trades; corporate action handling generally pass-through via CHESS sponsorship | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 10% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | — |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $25 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Third Party Platform Pty Limited (trading as Bell Direct) | easyMarkets Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 314,341 | 246,566 |
| Year founded | 2,007 | 2,003 |
| Parent / ownership | Bell Financial Group Limited (ASX: BFG) | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $25 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Bank transfer (EFT), Direct credit | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | — |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | — | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS | SMS + authenticator |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, online forms | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Business hours, AET (typically Mon-Fri market hours) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) |
| Education content | basic articles | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | — | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | Yes |