Share Trading comparison
Bell Direct vs Superhero
The biggest difference between Bell Direct and Superhero comes down to ownership structure. Bell Direct is a CHESS-sponsored broker that gives you your own HIN, meaning you hold ASX-listed shares directly in your name. Superhero uses a custodian model, so the broker holds legal ownership of your shares on your behalf — a distinction that matters for control, voting rights, and speed of transfers.
Choose
Bell Direct
if…
- ›You want full CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN so ASX shares are registered in your name
- ›You trade options, managed funds, or bonds — Bell Direct supports all three; Superhero supports none
- ›You need phone trading or corporate action handling through CHESS sponsorship
- ›You want joint accounts, kids/minor accounts, and trust structures alongside standard individual accounts
- ›You're comfortable paying $27.50/month for market data and a $5 minimum ASX brokerage for the security of direct ownership
Choose
Superhero
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible ASX brokerage — $2 flat up to $20,000 vs Bell Direct's $5 minimum
- ›You want zero monthly fees and free real-time ASX data — Superhero charges nothing for either
- ›You plan to invest small amounts regularly, with a $100 minimum initial deposit and auto-invest/DCA capability
- ›You're happy with a custodian model and don't need your own HIN, voting rights, or DRP
- ›You trade US stocks and want a tiny FX spread of 0.005% — far cheaper than Bell Direct's 0.6%
Where they differ
| Fact | Bell Direct | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $2 |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.005% |
| CHESS sponsorship model | CHESS (individual HIN) | Custodian (no HIN) |
| Monthly market data fee | $27.50/month | $0/month |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
Verdict
Choose Bell Direct for direct CHESS ownership and a full product suite; choose Superhero for rock-bottom costs and simplicity.
Cost calculator
What would Bell Direct vs Superhero 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 | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | 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 | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | 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% | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | 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 | $2 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 10% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $20,000 |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$2 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| 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) | Superhero Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 314,341 | 430,150 |
| Year founded | 2,007 | 2,020 |
| Parent / ownership | Bell Financial Group Limited (ASX: BFG) | Independent (founder-controlled). Previously merged into Swyftx in 2022; demerger completed December 2022 returning ownership to co-founders John Winters and Wayne Baskin. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $100 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Bank transfer (EFT), Direct credit | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS | SMS |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, online forms | email, in-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Business hours, AET (typically Mon-Fri market hours) | Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm AEST |
| Education content | basic articles | basic |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | 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 | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | — | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | No |