Share Trading comparison
Bendigo Invest Direct vs Sharesies
The biggest practical difference is ownership structure: Bendigo Invest Direct is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Sharesies is a custodian model — it holds shares on your behalf, so you don't get a HIN. That distinction shapes everything from fees to account types.
Choose
Bendigo Invest Direct
if…
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS-sponsored ownership of ASX-listed shares
- ›You trade large parcels — the $19.95 flat brokerage is cheaper than Sharesies' percentage fee once trades exceed about $1,050
- ›You need access to international markets beyond the US and NZ (e.g. UK, Japan, Germany, Hong Kong)
- ›You want to trade options, bonds, or managed funds from the same account
- ›You need joint, company, trust, or SMSF account structures
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You're starting small — no minimum deposit, $0 minimum trades, and fractional shares on both ASX and US stocks
- ›You want to automate regular investing with flexible DCA across multiple assets
- ›You prefer a simple subscription or pay-as-you-go model with no surprise fees (no withdrawal fee, no market data fee)
- ›You're investing for kids — Sharesies has a dedicated Kids plan for $2/month
- ›You want to trade small amounts frequently without being stung by a $19.95 minimum brokerage
Where they differ
| Fact | Bendigo Invest Direct | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS-sponsored (your own HIN) | Custodian model (no HIN) |
| ASX brokerage (small trade) | $19.95 flat | 1.9% capped at $6 (pay-as-you-go) |
| Fractional shares | Not offered | Available on ASX and US stocks |
| International markets | 15 countries (US, UK, JP, DE, FR, CA, HK, NZ, SG, and more) | US and NZ only |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF | Individual and kids only |
Verdict
Choose Bendigo Invest Direct if you want CHESS ownership and global markets; choose Sharesies if you're starting small and value low-cost, automated investing.
Cost calculator
What would Bendigo Invest Direct vs Sharesies 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 | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| 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 | UK, JP, CA, DE, FR, HK, SG, NZ, NL, BE, PT, ES, IT, NO, SE | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $41.25/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $50 | — |
| Corporate action fees | BPAY for corporate actions $10; IPO/Placement booking fee $55 per stock | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $19.95 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.11% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $22,000 | $315.79 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 1.9% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $35 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | — | 2,021 |
| 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) | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public (Bendigo and Adelaide Bank ASX:BEN; CMC Markets plc LSE:CMCX) | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $1 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, direct credit | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX (CHESS settlement) | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | — | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | — | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live_chat, in_app | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 7:30am-7:00pm (chat/email) and 7:30am-5:30pm (phone) AEST/AEDT | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | basic_articles | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |