Share Trading comparison
Capital.com vs eToro
The biggest difference is that Capital.com only offers CFDs — you never own the underlying asset — while eToro lets you buy real ASX and US shares (plus CFDs if you want leverage). That makes eToro the only choice here if you want actual share ownership, dividends in your name, or CHESS-adjacent custody. Capital.com is purely a leveraged trading platform.
Choose
Capital.com
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on global markets (US, UK, EU, HK, JP, AU indices) with zero commission and no inactivity fee
- ›You want a low $20 minimum deposit and the ability to fund via PayID, Apple Pay, or PayPal
- ›You want 24/7 customer support via live chat, WhatsApp, and phone with a Melbourne-based team
- ›You want a demo account to practise leveraged trading strategies before risking real money
- ›You want after-hours trading access on global CFD markets
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX and US shares or ETFs, not just CFDs
- ›You want fractional shares on ASX and US stocks so you can invest small amounts into high-priced companies
- ›You want an Australian tax statement and CGT calculator to simplify your EOFY reporting
- ›You want auto-invest / DCA functionality to dollar-cost average into a portfolio automatically
- ›You want SMSF, trust, or company account structures alongside your individual account
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying product type | CFDs only — no real share ownership | Real shares + CFDs (both available) |
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes (real ASX shares and ETFs) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.0075% |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10/month after 12 months |
| Australian tax statement & CGT report | Not provided | Provided |
Verdict
If you want to own shares, use eToro. If you only want leveraged CFD trading, Capital.com is cheaper and simpler.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, EU, HK, JP, DE, FR, AU | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto trading | — | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | 0.75% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 70% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Not applicable — Capital.com offers CFDs only, not real shares. There are no corporate-action fees because clients do not hold underlying securities; dividend adjustments on share CFDs are passed through automatically (credited on long positions, debited on short positions) without an explicit fee. | eToro passes through cash dividends from non-leveraged real positions (debit/credit to wallet). It does not facilitate participation in rights issues, share purchase plans (SPPs), DRPs or shareholder votes because shares are held in a managed investment scheme by the custodian, not in the user's name. No explicit fee, but corporate action access is materially restricted. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Zero commission applies to all non-leveraged (real) ASX share and ETF purchases. Leveraged / short positions are executed as CFDs and incur 0.15% open/close spread plus overnight financing. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd | eToro AUS Capital Limited |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | 491,139 |
| AUSTRAC registration | — | Yes |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Capital.com Group (founded by Viktor Prokopenya, backed by VP Capital); ultimate AU operator is Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd, part of the Cyprus-headquartered Capital.com group with multiple regulated entities globally | eToro Group Ltd (NASDAQ: ETOR) — listed 14 May 2025; originally founded in Israel by Yoni and Ronen Assia. eToro AUS Capital Limited is a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | Australia |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $20 | $50 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $20 | $50 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open contracts marked-to-market continuously) | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) |
| Withdrawal time | Within 1 business day for PayID and bank transfer; 3-5 business days for card/Apple Pay/PayPal. 91% of withdrawals processed within 5 minutes. | 1-2 business days for eToro processing; total 2-10 business days end-to-end depending on payment method (bank transfer longer than card) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator | SMS + authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, WhatsApp | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/7 English live chat and email; Melbourne-based phone support during AEST business hours | — |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | 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 |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |