Capital.com vs Tiger Brokers
Capital.com and Tiger Brokers look like trading platforms, but they're fundamentally different products. Capital.com only offers CFDs — you never own the underlying asset. Tiger Brokers is a genuine broker that lets you buy real ASX and US shares under your own HIN. That single distinction drives every practical difference between them.
- ›You want to speculate on price movements with leverage and don't need to own the underlying shares
- ›You're comfortable with CFDs and the embedded spread-and-funding cost model instead of commission-based brokerage
- ›You want to start trading with as little as $20 and use deposit methods like PayPal or Apple Pay
- ›You trade international markets (US, UK, EU, HK, Japan) from one account without needing separate currency accounts
- ›You want 24/7 customer support and a demo account to practise strategies risk-free
- ›You want to own real ASX and US shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You trade options or want access to IPO allocations
- ›You need a tax statement, CGT report or Sharesight integration for end-of-year reporting
- ›You want fractional US shares, dividend reinvestment and auto-invest for dollar-cost averaging
- ›You prefer paying transparent brokerage ($3 ASX / $2 US) rather than an embedded FX spread and overnight funding costs
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | Tiger Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Asset type | CFDs only — no real share ownership | Real ASX and US shares, ETFs and options |
| CHESS / HIN | Custodian model — no individual HIN | CHESS-sponsored — individual HIN available |
| ASX brokerage | $0 (cost embedded in spread + 0.7% FX) | $3 or 0.03% (whichever is lower) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.0055% |
| Minimum deposit | $20 | $500 |
If you want to own real shares, choose Tiger Brokers. If you want leveraged CFD speculation, choose Capital.com.
Common questions
How do Capital.com and Tiger Brokers compare on asset type?
Capital.com: CFDs only — no real share ownership. Tiger Brokers: Real ASX and US shares, ETFs and options. Capital.com clients never hold underlying securities; Tiger Brokers clients own the asset.
How do Capital.com and Tiger Brokers compare on chess / hin?
Capital.com: Custodian model — no individual HIN. Tiger Brokers: CHESS-sponsored — individual HIN available. Your ASX holdings are legally yours under your own HIN with Tiger.
How do Capital.com and Tiger Brokers compare on asx brokerage?
Capital.com: $0 (cost embedded in spread + 0.7% FX). Tiger Brokers: $3 or 0.03% (whichever is lower). Capital.com is 'free' but you pay via wider spreads and FX conversion.
When is Capital.com the better choice over Tiger Brokers?
Pick Capital.com if you want to speculate on price movements with leverage and don't need to own the underlying shares; you're comfortable with CFDs and the embedded spread-and-funding cost model instead of commission-based brokerage; you want to start trading with as little as $20 and use deposit methods like PayPal or Apple Pay; or you trade international markets (US, UK, EU, HK, Japan) from one account without needing separate currency accounts.
When is Tiger Brokers the better choice over Capital.com?
Pick Tiger Brokers if you want to own real ASX and US shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship; you trade options or want access to IPO allocations; you need a tax statement, CGT report or Sharesight integration for end-of-year reporting; or you want fractional US shares, dividend reinvestment and auto-invest for dollar-cost averaging.
Capital.com or Tiger Brokers — what's the verdict?
If you want to own real shares, choose Tiger Brokers. If you want leveraged CFD speculation, choose Capital.com.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | Tiger Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | chess |
| Individual HIN | — | Yes |
| 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 | Hong Kong, China A-shares |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | 0.55% |
| 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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.03% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $10,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | New clients receive zero-brokerage on up to 4 trades per month on ASX/US stocks, ETFs or options (minimum brokerage waived; third-party fees still apply). |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$2 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| 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 | — | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd | Tiger Brokers (AU) Pty Limited |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | 300,767 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,020 |
| 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 | UP Fintech Holding Limited (NASDAQ: TIGR) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $20 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $20 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal | PayID, PayTo, Bank transfer (direct credit) |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open contracts marked-to-market continuously) | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| 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. | 1-2 business days (Tiger review) plus bank processing; can arrive same day |
| 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 | — |
| 2FA support | authenticator | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, WhatsApp | phone, email, live chat, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/7 English live chat and email; Melbourne-based phone support during AEST business hours | Phone: 9am-5pm weekdays (AET). Live chat: 9am-8:30pm weekdays. Email: ongoing. |
| Education content | video + courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | 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 | single asset |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |