Capital.com vs Interactive Brokers Australia
Capital.com and Interactive Brokers both let you trade CFDs, but that's where the similarity ends. Capital.com is a pure CFD broker — you never own the underlying asset, and everything is commission-free with costs baked into the spread. Interactive Brokers is a full-blown broker that gives you real shares, options, bonds, and CFDs, with razor-thin FX and ultra-low per-trade commissions.
- ›You want zero-commission trading on CFDs across global markets without worrying about brokerage fees
- ›You're a short-term trader or speculator who uses leverage, stop-losses and guaranteed stops, not a buy-and-hold investor
- ›You want a low minimum deposit ($20) and fast withdrawals — 91% processed within 5 minutes
- ›You prefer a simple, mobile-friendly experience with 24/7 live chat and Apple Pay / PayPal deposits
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX and US shares under your own name — Interactive Brokers gives you actual ownership, not a CFD contract
- ›You need access to a huge range of asset classes: real shares, ETFs, options, bonds, and 30+ global markets
- ›You want the lowest possible FX costs — IBKR's AUD/USD spread is 0.00002% vs Capital.com's 0.7%
- ›You're an active or professional trader who needs advanced order types, auto-invest/DCA tools, and a CGT report for tax time
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | Interactive Brokers Australia |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 (cost in spread) | $6 min or 0.0008% |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.00002% |
| Real share ownership | No — CFDs only | Yes — real ASX & US shares |
| Account types | Individual & company only | Individual, joint, company, trust & SMSF |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No (paid subscription) |
Pick Capital.com for simple, commission-free CFD trading; pick Interactive Brokers if you want real shares, low FX, and serious trading tools.
Common questions
How do Capital.com and Interactive Brokers Australia compare on asx brokerage?
Capital.com: $0 (cost in spread). Interactive Brokers Australia: $6 min or 0.0008%.
How do Capital.com and Interactive Brokers Australia compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
Capital.com: 0.7%. Interactive Brokers Australia: 0.00002%.
How do Capital.com and Interactive Brokers Australia compare on real share ownership?
Capital.com: No — CFDs only. Interactive Brokers Australia: Yes — real ASX & US shares.
When is Capital.com the better choice over Interactive Brokers Australia?
Pick Capital.com if you want zero-commission trading on CFDs across global markets without worrying about brokerage fees; you're a short-term trader or speculator who uses leverage, stop-losses and guaranteed stops, not a buy-and-hold investor; you want a low minimum deposit ($20) and fast withdrawals — 91% processed within 5 minutes; or you prefer a simple, mobile-friendly experience with 24/7 live chat and Apple Pay / PayPal deposits.
When is Interactive Brokers Australia the better choice over Capital.com?
Pick Interactive Brokers Australia if you want to buy and hold real ASX and US shares under your own name — Interactive Brokers gives you actual ownership, not a CFD contract; you need access to a huge range of asset classes: real shares, ETFs, options, bonds, and 30+ global markets; you want the lowest possible FX costs — IBKR's AUD/USD spread is 0.00002% vs Capital.com's 0.7%; or you're an active or professional trader who needs advanced order types, auto-invest/DCA tools, and a CGT report for tax time.
Capital.com or Interactive Brokers Australia — what's the verdict?
Pick Capital.com for simple, commission-free CFD trading; pick Interactive Brokers if you want real shares, low FX, and serious trading tools.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | Interactive Brokers Australia |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| 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 | US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, China (Stock Connect), South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | 0.002% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 70% | 0.002% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $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. | Corporate action processing is generally fee-free for standard events (dividends, splits, mergers). Some voluntary corporate actions and ADR pass-through fees apply per the published fee schedule. Mandatory reorganisations are processed at no charge. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $6 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.08% |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.05% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd | Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | 453,554 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 1,978 |
| 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 | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBKR) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $20 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $20 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal | Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY, International wire (SWIFT) |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open contracts marked-to-market continuously) | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US equities |
| 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. | 1-3 business days for AUD EFT; same day possible for AUD instant transfers within Australia |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, WhatsApp | phone, email, live chat, in-app secure message |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/7 English live chat and email; Melbourne-based phone support during AEST business hours | 24 hours, Monday to Friday (Sydney) — local AU phone support during business hours; global desks cover overnight |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |