Share Trading comparison
Bell Direct vs IG Australia
The biggest difference between Bell Direct and IG Australia comes down to ownership structure. Bell Direct is a CHESS-sponsored broker — you get your own HIN and shares are held directly in your name on the ASX register. IG Australia uses a custodial model, meaning IG (via Citicorp Nominees) holds the legal title to your shares. That distinction ripples through everything from fees to features.
Choose
Bell Direct
if…
- ›You want your own HIN and direct CHESS-sponsored ownership of ASX shares
- ›You plan to trade options or invest in managed funds and bonds
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and fractional US shares
- ›You need a kids / minor account or a CGT report for tax time
- ›You're comfortable paying a $5 minimum brokerage on ASX trades in exchange for direct ownership
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want $0 brokerage on ASX shares and ETFs with no minimum trade count or conditions
- ›You trade frequently and want free market data ($0/month vs Bell Direct's $27.50/month)
- ›You need access to UK, German and Irish markets alongside ASX and US
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay
- ›You prefer an authenticator app for 2FA and 24/5 phone support
Where they differ
| Fact | Bell Direct | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $5 | $0 |
| Ownership model | CHESS-sponsored (your own HIN) | Custodial (held via Citicorp Nominees) |
| Market data fees | $27.50/month | $0/month |
| Fractional US shares | Yes | No |
| Dividend reinvestment (DRP) | Yes | No |
Verdict
Choose Bell Direct for direct CHESS ownership and a broader product range; choose IG for zero-commission ASX trading and lower ongoing costs.
Cost calculator
What would Bell Direct vs IG Australia 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 | Bell Direct | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | 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 | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 60% | 0.7% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.7% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Corporate actions (dividends, splits, rights issues, takeovers) for shares held in custody are processed by IG via Citicorp Nominees; cash dividends are credited net of withholding to client ledger. SPP/rights elections are limited under the custodial model and detailed fees are disclosed in the IG Share Trading Customer Agreement / FSG. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 10% | 0% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $10,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | $0 commission on all ASX shares and ETFs on the IG Share Trading account (no conditions/minimum trade count). A 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings value applies; 0.7% FX fee applies to international trades. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Third Party Platform Pty Limited (trading as Bell Direct) | IG Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 314,341 | 515,106 |
| Year founded | 2,007 | 2,002 |
| Parent / ownership | Bell Financial Group Limited (ASX: BFG) | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Bank transfer (EFT), Direct credit | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | — | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, online forms | phone, email, live chat, social media |
| Support hours (AU time) | Business hours, AET (typically Mon-Fri market hours) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) |
| Education content | basic articles | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | — |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | — |
| 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 |