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.
- ›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
- ›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% |
Choose Capital.com for leveraged CFD trading on a budget; choose Westpac for real, CHESS-sponsored share ownership with full account flexibility.
Common questions
How do Capital.com and Westpac Online Investing compare on what you actually trade?
Capital.com: CFDs only (not real shares). Westpac Online Investing: Real ASX & US shares (CHESS-sponsored).
How do Capital.com and Westpac Online Investing compare on asx brokerage?
Capital.com: $0 (cost in spread). Westpac Online Investing: From $4.95 or 0.11%.
How do Capital.com and Westpac Online Investing compare on minimum deposit?
Capital.com: $20. Westpac Online Investing: $500.
When is Capital.com the better choice over Westpac Online Investing?
Pick 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; or you trade mostly international indices, forex, commodities or crypto — not real shares.
When is Westpac Online Investing the better choice over Capital.com?
Pick 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; or you need an Australian tax statement and CGT reports, or want to integrate with Sharesight.
Capital.com or Westpac Online Investing — what's the 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 |