Share Trading comparison
CMC Invest vs eToro
The biggest practical difference between CMC Invest and eToro is ownership structure. CMC is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get a HIN and shares are held in your name on the ASX register. eToro holds everything in a custodian model — you don't get a HIN, can't vote, and can't participate in rights issues or SPPs. That trade-off comes with eToro offering zero brokerage on ASX and US trades, plus fractional shares.
Choose
CMC Invest
if…
- ›You want your ASX holdings in your own name under CHESS sponsorship with an individual HIN
- ›You plan to participate in corporate actions like rights issues, SPPs, and shareholder votes
- ›You want dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs) on ASX holdings
- ›You need joint accounts, kids/minor accounts, or trust structures
- ›You want to trade a wide range of international markets beyond the US and UK, including Japan, Canada, and New Zealand
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want zero brokerage on both ASX and US trades with no minimum trade size
- ›You want to buy fractional shares in ASX and US stocks
- ›You want to trade CFDs, crypto, or use leverage alongside real shares
- ›You want a low minimum deposit ($50) and flexible funding via credit card, PayPal, or Skrill
- ›You want a demo account to practise trading before committing real money
Where they differ
| Fact | CMC Invest | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN provided | No — custodian model, no HIN |
| ASX brokerage | $0 on first buy per security per day up to $1,000; then $11 or 0.1% | $0 on all non-leveraged ASX trades |
| Fractional shares | Not supported | Supported on ASX and US stocks |
| Dividend reinvestment (DRP) | Supported | Not supported |
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $50 |
Verdict
Choose CMC if CHESS ownership matters; choose eToro if zero fees, fractional shares, and crypto appeal more.
Cost calculator
What would CMC Invest vs eToro actually cost you?
Punch in your trade size and frequency. We'll do the full brokerage + FX + fees maths.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | CMC Invest | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Crypto trading | — | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.75% |
| 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 | — |
| Corporate action fees | — | eToro passes through cash dividends from non-leveraged real positions (debit/credit to wallet). It does not facilitate participation in rights issues, share purchase plans (SPPs), DRPs or shareholder votes because shares are held in a managed investment scheme by the custodian, not in the user's name. No explicit fee, but corporate action access is materially restricted. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $11 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.1% | 0% |
| 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) | Zero commission applies to all non-leveraged (real) ASX share and ETF purchases. Leveraged / short positions are executed as CFDs and incur 0.15% open/close spread plus overnight financing. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $15 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | eToro AUS Capital Limited |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 491,139 |
| AUSTRAC registration | — | Yes |
| Year founded | 1,989 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | CMC Markets plc (LSE: CMCX) | eToro Group Ltd (NASDAQ: ETOR) — listed 14 May 2025; originally founded in Israel by Yoni and Ronen Assia. eToro AUS Capital Limited is a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | Australia |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $50 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $50 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking |
| Settlement period | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days for eToro processing; total 2-10 business days end-to-end depending on payment method (bank transfer longer than card) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS + authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday-Friday, business hours AET (approx 8am-6pm) | — |
| Education content | structured courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | — |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |