Share Trading comparison
CMC Invest vs Plus500
CMC Invest and Plus500 sit on opposite sides of the investing fence. CMC is a traditional CHESS-sponsored broker where you actually own ASX and US shares. Plus500 is a CFD provider — you never own the underlying asset, you're speculating on price movements with leverage. That single difference dictates everything else.
Choose
CMC Invest
if…
- ›You want to own real ASX shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You trade ASX stocks in small parcels — first $1,000 buy per security per day is free
- ›You need a full suite of account types including joint, trust, SMSF and kids accounts
- ›You want integrated tax reporting with CGT calculator and Sharesight/Navexa sync
- ›You plan to hold long-term and reinvest dividends via DRP
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You want to trade leveraged CFDs on indices, commodities, forex and crypto — not just shares
- ›You need 24/7 customer support and a demo account to practice before risking real money
- ›You want to deposit via PayPal, Apple Pay or credit/debit card with a low $100 minimum
- ›You trade after hours or overnight and want access to extended trading sessions
- ›You're comfortable with custodial arrangements and don't need individual HIN ownership
Where they differ
| Fact | CMC Invest | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Real share ownership (CHESS-sponsored) | CFDs only — no underlying asset ownership |
| ASX brokerage | $0 on first $1,000 buy per security per day; then $11 or 0.1% | Not applicable — Plus500 does not offer real ASX shares |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.006% | 0.7% |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and company only |
| Inactivity fee | $15 after 12 months | $10 per month after 3 months of no trading |
Verdict
Choose CMC Invest if you want to own real shares; pick Plus500 only if you're specifically after leveraged CFD speculation.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | CMC Invest | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| 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% | 70% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | — | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| 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 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,381 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 1,989 | 2,008 |
| Parent / ownership | CMC Markets plc (LSE: CMCX) | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US | — |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| 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 | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday-Friday, business hours AET (approx 8am-6pm) | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| 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 |