Share Trading comparison
Bendigo Invest Direct vs Halo Technologies
The biggest difference between Bendigo Invest Direct and Halo Technologies is cost structure. Bendigo Invest Direct charges zero monthly or annual platform fees and a flat $19.95 ASX brokerage, making it a straightforward, low-cost option. Halo Technologies, by contrast, charges a steep $159/month platform fee ($2,508/year) but offers more sophisticated auto-invest tools and fractional US shares. If you're a casual investor, Bendigo is far cheaper; if you're a high-balance active trader, Halo's tools might justify the fee.
Choose
Bendigo Invest Direct
if…
- ›You want to avoid monthly platform fees entirely — Bendigo charges $0/month vs Halo's $159/month
- ›You value CHESS sponsorship and holding your own HIN on the ASX, giving you direct share ownership
- ›You trade ASX shares infrequently and want a low minimum brokerage of $19.95 with no ongoing costs
- ›You want access to 15+ international markets including UK, Japan, Hong Kong and Europe
- ›You need a low minimum initial deposit of $500 to get started
Choose
Halo Technologies
if…
- ›You want fractional US shares — Halo supports them, Bendigo does not
- ›You plan to use auto-invest and DCA strategies with multiple sophistication levels
- ›You trade frequently enough that the $159/month platform fee is outweighed by lower brokerage and FX spreads
- ›You prefer a custodian model and don't need a personal HIN on the ASX
- ›You want slightly cheaper US brokerage ($15 USD minimum vs $0 on Bendigo, but Bendigo's US trades are free — though Halo's FX spread is tighter at 0.005%)
Where they differ
| Fact | Bendigo Invest Direct | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS-sponsored (own HIN) | Custodian (no individual HIN) |
| US brokerage | $0 minimum, 0% | $15 USD minimum, 0.12% |
| Fractional US shares | Not supported | Supported |
| Market data fees | $41.25/month | $19/month |
Verdict
Choose Bendigo Invest Direct for low-cost, CHESS-sponsored ASX investing; choose Halo only if you'll use its advanced automation and fractional US shares enough to justify the $159 monthly fee.
Cost calculator
What would Bendigo Invest Direct vs Halo Technologies 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 | Bendigo Invest Direct | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | UK, JP, CA, DE, FR, HK, SG, NZ, NL, BE, PT, ES, IT, NO, SE | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | — |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds supported | Yes | — |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | No | — |
| Market data fees | $41.25/month | $19/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| Phone trade surcharge | $50 | — |
| Corporate action fees | BPAY for corporate actions $10; IPO/Placement booking fee $55 per stock | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $19.95 | $15 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.11% | 0.12% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $22,000 | $12,500 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Promotional offer: $0 brokerage on trades up to $250,000 (per landing page /0-brokerage-on-trades-up-to-250000); standard FSG schedule remains $15/0.12%. Conditions not fully disclosed publicly. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$15 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.12% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $2,508/year |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $35 | — |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | HALO Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 54 623 830 866); ultimately wholly owned by HALO Technologies Holdings Limited ABN 73 645 531 219 |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 484,264 |
| Year founded | — | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (ABN 11 068 049 178); service operated by CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited, a member of the CMC Markets Group (CMC Markets plc, LSE-listed) | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public (Bendigo and Adelaide Bank ASX:BEN; CMC Markets plc LSE:CMCX) | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | — |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, direct credit | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX (CHESS settlement) | — |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | — |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live_chat, in_app | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 7:30am-7:00pm (chat/email) and 7:30am-5:30pm (phone) AEST/AEDT | — |
| Education content | basic_articles | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | — |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | — |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | — |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | — |