CMC Invest vs IG Australia
The headline difference is ownership structure. CMC Invest holds your ASX shares on CHESS with your own HIN, while IG Australia holds them in a custodial model through Citicorp Nominees. IG charges $0 brokerage on ASX trades but adds a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings, so CMC's $11 minimum flat trade can work out cheaper on larger balances.
- ›Want your ASX shares held under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›Prefer flat brokerage with no ongoing percentage fee eating into your balance
- ›Trade a wide spread of international markets beyond the US and UK
- ›Want auto-invest, DRP and Sharesight/Navexa integration built in
- ›Want a $0 brokerage free trade on your first ASX buy each day up to $1,000
- ›Want $0 commission on every ASX share and ETF trade with no conditions
- ›Need a USD account to hold and settle US trades without repeated FX conversion
- ›Want 24/5 support and after-hours or overnight trading access
- ›Want to trade CFDs alongside shares on the same platform
- ›Want a demo account to practise before committing real money
Where they differ
| Fact | CMC Invest | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $11 minimum or 0.001% of trade | $0 commission, but 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings |
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS with individual HIN | Custodian (Citicorp Nominees) |
| Inactivity fee | $15 AUD | $0 AUD |
| USD account | Not offered | Yes |
| Other markets supported | 15 markets incl. UK, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia | UK, Germany, Ireland |
Pick CMC Invest for CHESS title and global reach; pick IG Australia for free ASX trades and a USD account.
Common questions
How do CMC Invest and IG Australia compare on asx brokerage?
CMC Invest: $11 minimum or 0.001% of trade. IG Australia: $0 commission, but 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings. IG's free trades are funded by an ongoing balance fee.
How do CMC Invest and IG Australia compare on chess sponsorship?
CMC Invest: CHESS with individual HIN. IG Australia: Custodian (Citicorp Nominees). CMC gives you direct legal title; IG holds on your behalf.
How do CMC Invest and IG Australia compare on inactivity fee?
CMC Invest: $15 AUD. IG Australia: $0 AUD. CMC charges if you go quiet; IG does not.
When is CMC Invest the better choice over IG Australia?
Pick CMC Invest if want your ASX shares held under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship; prefer flat brokerage with no ongoing percentage fee eating into your balance; trade a wide spread of international markets beyond the US and UK; or want auto-invest, DRP and Sharesight/Navexa integration built in.
When is IG Australia the better choice over CMC Invest?
Pick IG Australia if want $0 commission on every ASX share and ETF trade with no conditions; need a USD account to hold and settle US trades without repeated FX conversion; want 24/5 support and after-hours or overnight trading access; or want to trade CFDs alongside shares on the same platform.
CMC Invest or IG Australia — what's the verdict?
Pick CMC Invest for CHESS title and global reach; pick IG Australia for free ASX trades and a USD account.
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 | IG Australia |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | — |
| 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 Kingdom, Germany, Ireland |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | — | Corporate actions (dividends, splits, rights issues, takeovers) for shares held in custody are processed by IG via Citicorp Nominees; cash dividends are credited net of withholding to client ledger. SPP/rights elections are limited under the custodial model and detailed fees are disclosed in the IG Share Trading Customer Agreement / FSG. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $11 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.1% | 0% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| 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) | $0 commission on all ASX shares and ETFs on the IG Share Trading account (no conditions/minimum trade count). A 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings value applies; 0.7% FX fee applies to international trades. |
| 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 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | IG Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 515,106 |
| Year founded | 1,989 | 2,002 |
| Parent / ownership | CMC Markets plc (LSE: CMCX) | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email, live chat, social media |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday-Friday, business hours AET (approx 8am-6pm) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) |
| 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 | — |
| 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 |