Share Trading comparison
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.
Choose
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
- ›You prefer a simple, mobile-friendly experience with 24/7 live chat and Apple Pay / PayPal deposits
Choose
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%
- ›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) |
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 |