Bell Direct vs Marketech Focus
Bell Direct and Marketech Focus both offer CHESS-sponsored ASX trading, but the real difference comes down to breadth versus cost. Bell Direct is a full-service broker with US shares, options, managed funds and bonds, while Marketech Focus is a lean ASX-only platform with a razor-thin brokerage rate of 0.03% — but charges a $20/month platform fee. Which one works for you depends entirely on what you want to trade and how often.
- ›You want to trade US shares and ETFs — Bell Direct supports them with a USD account and fractional US shares; Marketech Focus doesn't offer US markets at all.
- ›You need options trading, managed funds or bonds — Bell Direct covers all three; Marketech Focus offers none.
- ›You want IPO access or the ability to open joint, trust, company or kids' accounts — Bell Direct has the full suite of account types.
- ›You prefer a pay-per-trade model with no monthly fee and plan to trade infrequently — Bell Direct has no platform fee, just brokerage.
- ›You trade ASX shares frequently and want the lowest brokerage — 0.03% up to $16,667 is significantly cheaper than Bell Direct's 0.1%.
- ›You're happy to pay a $20/month platform fee in exchange for ultra-low trade costs — the fee can be easily offset by a few extra trades a month.
- ›You only trade ASX shares and ETFs and don't need US markets, options, managed funds or bonds — Marketech Focus keeps it simple.
- ›You want fast withdrawals via a Macquarie CMA — same-day to 1 business day, versus Bell Direct's 1-2 business days.
Where they differ
| Fact | Bell Direct | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (up to threshold) | 0.10% up to $25,000 | 0.03% up to $16,667 |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| US shares & ETFs | Yes (with USD account) | No |
| Options, managed funds, bonds | All supported | None supported |
| Account types offered | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and SMSF only |
Choose Bell Direct for multi-market access and no monthly fee; choose Marketech Focus if you only trade ASX and trade often enough to justify the $20/month.
Common questions
How do Bell Direct and Marketech Focus compare on asx brokerage (up to threshold)?
Bell Direct: 0.10% up to $25,000. Marketech Focus: 0.03% up to $16,667. Marketech Focus is over three times cheaper on ASX trades up to ~$16.7k.
How do Bell Direct and Marketech Focus compare on monthly platform fee?
Bell Direct: $0/month. Marketech Focus: $20/month. Bell Direct has no ongoing fee; Marketech Focus charges $240/year regardless of activity.
How do Bell Direct and Marketech Focus compare on us shares & etfs?
Bell Direct: Yes (with USD account). Marketech Focus: No. Bell Direct opens international markets; Marketech Focus is ASX-only.
When is Bell Direct the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick Bell Direct if you want to trade US shares and ETFs — Bell Direct supports them with a USD account and fractional US shares; Marketech Focus doesn't offer US markets at all; you need options trading, managed funds or bonds — Bell Direct covers all three; Marketech Focus offers none; you want IPO access or the ability to open joint, trust, company or kids' accounts — Bell Direct has the full suite of account types; or you prefer a pay-per-trade model with no monthly fee and plan to trade infrequently — Bell Direct has no platform fee, just brokerage.
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over Bell Direct?
Pick Marketech Focus if you trade ASX shares frequently and want the lowest brokerage — 0.03% up to $16,667 is significantly cheaper than Bell Direct's 0.1%; you're happy to pay a $20/month platform fee in exchange for ultra-low trade costs — the fee can be easily offset by a few extra trades a month; you only trade ASX shares and ETFs and don't need US markets, options, managed funds or bonds — Marketech Focus keeps it simple; or you want fast withdrawals via a Macquarie CMA — same-day to 1 business day, versus Bell Direct's 1-2 business days.
Bell Direct or Marketech Focus — what's the verdict?
Choose Bell Direct for multi-market access and no monthly fee; choose Marketech Focus if you only trade ASX and trade often enough to justify the $20/month.
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 | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | — |
| Company account | Yes | — |
| Trust account | 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 | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | — |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 60% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| Market data fees | $27.5/month | $20/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 | $5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 10% | 3% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $16,667 |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | — |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $20/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $240/year |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Third Party Platform Pty Limited (trading as Bell Direct) | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 314,341 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,007 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Bell Financial Group Limited (ASX: BFG) | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Bank transfer (EFT), Direct credit | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS | — |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, online forms | email, support portal |
| Support hours (AU time) | Business hours, AET (typically Mon-Fri market hours) | — |
| Education content | basic articles | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | No |