Share Trading comparison
CMC Invest vs easyMarkets
CMC Invest is a genuine CHESS-sponsored share broker for ASX investors, while easyMarkets is a CFD and derivatives provider that doesn't support real share trading at all. If you want to buy and hold actual ASX or US stocks, CMC Invest is the only option here — easyMarkets is built for leveraged speculation on price movements, not ownership of assets.
Choose
CMC Invest
if…
- ›You want to buy actual ASX shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You want $0 brokerage on ASX buys up to $1,000 (one free trade per security per day)
- ›You need a full suite of account types — joint, trust, SMSF, kids, and company accounts
- ›You want to set up auto-invest / dollar-cost averaging into individual stocks or ETFs
- ›You need Australian tax statements, CGT reports, and Sharesight integration for EOFY
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, or crypto with leverage
- ›You want a demo account to practise trading strategies before committing real money
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, Skrill, Neteller, or crypto (not just bank transfer)
- ›You need 24/5 customer support and after-hours / overnight trading capability
- ›You're comfortable with a custodian model (no HIN) and don't need ASX-listed shares
Where they differ
| Fact | CMC Invest | easyMarkets |
|---|---|---|
| Actual share trading (ASX/US) | Yes — CHESS-sponsored ASX trading + US stocks | No — CFDs only, no real share ownership |
| Minimum deposit | $500 | $25 |
| Inactivity fee | $15 | $25 |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and company only |
Verdict
Choose CMC Invest for real share ownership and low-cost ASX investing; choose easyMarkets only if you want CFD trading.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | CMC Invest | easyMarkets |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | — |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | — |
| 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 | $59.95 | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $11 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.1% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | $0 brokerage on first ASX buy order per security per day for trades up to $1,000 (excludes margin loan settled trades and sells) | — |
| 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 | $15 | $25 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | easyMarkets Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 246,566 |
| Year founded | 1,989 | 2,003 |
| Parent / ownership | CMC Markets plc (LSE: CMCX) | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $25 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) |
| Settlement period | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US | — |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS + authenticator |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday-Friday, business hours AET (approx 8am-6pm) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) |
| Education content | structured courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |