Share Trading comparison
Capital.com vs Plus500
Both Capital.com and Plus500 are CFD-only platforms — you never actually own shares, so forget CHESS sponsorship, HINs, or franking credits. The biggest practical difference is the minimum deposit: Capital.com lets you start with $20, while Plus500 requires $100. Plus500 is a publicly listed company with a longer track record (2008 vs 2021), but both charge no commissions and make their money on the spread.
Choose
Capital.com
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible barrier to entry — Capital.com's $20 minimum deposit is the cheapest way to start trading CFDs in Australia
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform alongside the mobile apps
- ›You want to avoid inactivity fees entirely — Capital.com charges $0 even if you don't trade for months
- ›You want access to a broader range of international markets including HK, JP, DE, FR and AU indices
- ›You want 2FA via an authenticator app rather than SMS-only security
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You prefer a publicly listed, longer-established company — Plus500 has been operating since 2008 and is LSE-listed
- ›You want options trading on CFDs — Plus500 supports options, Capital.com does not
- ›You want to deposit via BPAY or Google Pay (Plus500 supports both; Capital.com does not offer BPAY)
- ›You're comfortable with a $100 minimum deposit and want a simpler, more focused product with 24/7 support across all channels
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum initial deposit | $20 | $100 |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10/month |
| Options trading (CFDs) | Not supported | Supported |
| Desktop platform | Available | Not available |
| 2FA method | Authenticator app | SMS only |
Verdict
If you want the lowest minimum deposit and a desktop app, pick Capital.com; if you want options CFDs and a listed parent, pick Plus500.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | No |
| SMSF account | No | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | No |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, EU, HK, JP, DE, FR, AU | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | 70% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 70% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| FX currency switch trick | 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. | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| costs visible | ||
| 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 | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,008 |
| 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 | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $20 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $20 | — |
| Deposit methods | PayID, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open contracts marked-to-market continuously) | — |
| 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. | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| 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 | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, WhatsApp | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/7 English live chat and email; Melbourne-based phone support during AEST business hours | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| Education content | video + courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | No |
| 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 | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |