Share Trading comparison
Capital.com vs Westpac Online Investing
The biggest difference between Capital.com and Westpac Online Investing is that Capital.com does not let you buy real shares — it only offers CFDs (contracts for difference). Westpac Online Investing is a full-service CHESS-sponsored broker that puts real ASX and US shares in your name. If you want to own actual stock, Westpac is the only option here.
Choose
Capital.com
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on leverage with zero commission on ASX and US markets
- ›You only have $20 to start and want to use PayID, PayPal or a credit card to fund your account
- ›You want 24/7 customer support and a demo account to practice before trading
- ›You trade mostly international indices, forex, commodities or crypto — not real shares
Choose
Westpac Online Investing
if…
- ›You want to own real ASX and US shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You need a full suite of account types including joint, trust, SMSF and minor accounts
- ›You want dividend reinvestment plans (DRP), options trading, managed funds and IPO access
- ›You need an Australian tax statement and CGT reports, or want to integrate with Sharesight
- ›You already bank with Westpac and want instant transfers between your Cash Investment Account and brokerage
Where they differ
| Fact | Capital.com | Westpac Online Investing |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually trade | CFDs only (not real shares) | Real ASX & US shares (CHESS-sponsored) |
| ASX brokerage | $0 (cost in spread) | From $4.95 or 0.11% |
| Minimum deposit | $20 | $500 |
| Account types | Individual and company only | Individual, joint, trust, SMSF, company, minor |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.70% | 0.65% |
Verdict
Choose Capital.com for leveraged CFD trading on a budget; choose Westpac for real, CHESS-sponsored share ownership with full account flexibility.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Capital.com | Westpac Online Investing |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 70% | 65% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 70% | 65% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $50 |
| 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 (rights issues, takeovers, SPPs) is generally free for CHESS-sponsored clients — Westpac/AUSIEX passes elections to issuers/registries. Specific fees only apply in exceptional circumstances per the FSG. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $4.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $28,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No free brokerage offered. Lower brokerage tiers ($4.95 minimum) require settlement via linked Westpac Cash Investment Account; settling via other-bank accounts incurs $29.95 / 0.29% minimum. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$4.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 11% |
| 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 | Australian Investment Exchange Limited (AUSIEX); Westpac Securities Limited issues the branded service |
| AFSL number | 513,393 | 241,400 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,010 |
| 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 | Brand: Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC); operator AUSIEX is wholly owned by Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (TSE: 4307) |
| 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 | Westpac Cash Investment Account (linked), External bank Direct Credit, BPAY, Internal transfer between Westpac accounts |
| 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. | Same-day to 1 business day for Westpac-to-Westpac transfers; 1-2 business days to external bank accounts |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator | SMS + 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: 8am-7pm Sydney time Mon-Fri (domestic); 24 hours on US trading days for international; Live chat: 9:30am-5pm Sydney time Mon-Fri |
| Education content | video + courses | structured 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 | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |