Share Trading comparison
Capital.com vs tastytrade
Capital.com and tastytrade are both commission-free platforms available to Australians, but they operate in completely different worlds. Capital.com offers CFDs only — you never own the underlying asset — while tastytrade is a genuine US broker that lets you buy and sell real US shares, ETFs and options. That single difference dictates everything else about which one you should pick.
Choose
Capital.com
if…
- ›You want to trade leveraged positions on indices, commodities, forex or crypto via CFDs — not just shares
- ›You need a platform that accepts instant deposits via PayID, debit card or even PayPal
- ›You want 24/7 customer support in English and a Melbourne-based phone line during AEST hours
- ›You want to trade a wide range of global markets (US, UK, EU, HK, JP, DE, FR, AU) from one account
- ›You're comfortable with the cost being embedded in the spread and FX conversion (0.7%) rather than a visible brokerage fee
Choose
tastytrade
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real US shares and ETFs in your own name (custodial, not CFD)
- ›You trade US options — tastytrade is built for options and offers zero commission on most option trades
- ›You want a platform that integrates with Sharesight or Navexa for Australian tax reporting
- ›You want to hold USD directly and avoid ongoing FX conversion costs on every trade
- ›You're comfortable depositing via international wire transfer and don't need AU business-hours support
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually trade | CFDs only (contracts for difference) | Real US shares, ETFs and options |
| ASX trading | Not supported (CFDs on ASX-listed stocks via synthetic instruments) | Not supported at all |
| USD account / FX cost | No USD account — 0.7% FX spread on every AUD/USD conversion | Holds USD — no ongoing FX cost once funded |
| Deposit methods | PayID, bank transfer, debit/credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal | International wire (USD), ACH (US only), cheque (US only) |
| Australian tax / reporting tools | No CGT report, no Sharesight integration | CGT calculator built in; Sharesight and Navexa integration |
Verdict
Pick Capital.com for leveraged CFD trading on global markets; pick tastytrade for owning real US stocks and options.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | No |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | — |
| 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. | Standard US corporate action processing applies (dividends, splits, mergers). Mandatory corporate actions are processed at no fee; voluntary corporate actions (e.g. tender offers) may incur a fee per tastytrade's fee schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Not applicable — tastytrade does not offer ASX trading. |
| 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 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd | tastytrade, Inc. |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | — |
| 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 | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | US |
| 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 | international wire (USD), ACH (US only), check (US only) |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open contracts marked-to-market continuously) | T+1 (US equities/ETFs, from May 2024) |
| 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. | International wire withdrawals to AU typically 3-5 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, WhatsApp | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/7 English live chat and email; Melbourne-based phone support during AEST business hours | Monday-Friday, approx. 7am-5pm US Central Time = approx. 10pm-8am AET (next day). Weekend support limited. No AU business-hours coverage. |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | No |
| 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 | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |