Capital.com vs Marketech Focus
Capital.com and Marketech Focus are fundamentally different products. Capital.com is a CFD broker — you never own the underlying asset, you're speculating on price movements with leverage. Marketech Focus is a genuine CHESS-sponsored ASX broker where you hold real shares in your own name. That single distinction dictates everything else: fees, features, and who each platform suits.
- ›You want to trade CFDs on global markets (US, UK, EU, HK, JP, AU indices) with leverage and short-selling built in
- ›You're starting small — the minimum deposit is $20 and there are no monthly or inactivity fees
- ›You want a demo account to practise before risking real money
- ›You prefer 24/7 customer support via live chat, WhatsApp and phone
- ›You're comfortable with a custodial model (no HIN, no CHESS sponsorship) and don't need actual share ownership
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX shares or ETFs under your own HIN via CHESS sponsorship
- ›You need a tax-ready annual statement with CGT reports, distribution breakdowns and Sharesight integration
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your ASX holdings
- ›You're an SMSF investor — Marketech Focus supports SMSF accounts; Capital.com does not
- ›You're happy to pay a $20/month platform fee plus $20/month market data for genuine share ownership and Australian tax compliance
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | CFDs only — no real share ownership | Real ASX shares and ETFs under CHESS sponsorship |
| ASX brokerage | $0 (cost embedded in spread) | $5 or 0.03% (whichever is higher) |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| Minimum deposit | $20 | $500 |
| Tax & reporting | No Australian tax statement, no CGT report, no Sharesight integration | Australian tax statement, distribution breakdown, CGT report, Sharesight integration |
Choose Capital.com for leveraged CFD trading on global markets; choose Marketech Focus for real, CHESS-sponsored ASX shares with proper tax reporting.
Common questions
How do Capital.com and Marketech Focus compare on product type?
Capital.com: CFDs only — no real share ownership. Marketech Focus: Real ASX shares and ETFs under CHESS sponsorship. This is the core difference; one is a derivative product, the other is direct equity.
How do Capital.com and Marketech Focus compare on asx brokerage?
Capital.com: $0 (cost embedded in spread). Marketech Focus: $5 or 0.03% (whichever is higher). Capital.com is 'free' on the surface but you pay via the dealing spread; Marketech Focus charges transparent brokerage.
How do Capital.com and Marketech Focus compare on monthly platform fee?
Capital.com: $0/month. Marketech Focus: $20/month. Marketech Focus has a flat $20 monthly fee regardless of activity.
When is Capital.com the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick Capital.com if you want to trade CFDs on global markets (US, UK, EU, HK, JP, AU indices) with leverage and short-selling built in; you're starting small — the minimum deposit is $20 and there are no monthly or inactivity fees; you want a demo account to practise before risking real money; or you prefer 24/7 customer support via live chat, WhatsApp and phone.
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over Capital.com?
Pick Marketech Focus if you want to buy and hold real ASX shares or ETFs under your own HIN via CHESS sponsorship; you need a tax-ready annual statement with CGT reports, distribution breakdowns and Sharesight integration; you want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your ASX holdings; or you're an SMSF investor — Marketech Focus supports SMSF accounts; Capital.com does not.
Capital.com or Marketech Focus — what's the verdict?
Choose Capital.com for leveraged CFD trading on global markets; choose Marketech Focus for real, CHESS-sponsored ASX shares with proper tax reporting.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | chess |
| Individual HIN | — | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | — |
| Company account | Yes | — |
| Trust account | No | — |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | — |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, EU, HK, JP, DE, FR, AU | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | — |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 70% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $20/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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 3% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $16,667 |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $240/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,021 |
| 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 | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $20 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $20 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open contracts marked-to-market continuously) | T+2 |
| 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. | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator | — |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, WhatsApp | email, support portal |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/7 English live chat and email; Melbourne-based phone support during AEST business hours | — |
| Education content | video + courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |