Share Trading comparison
Commsec Pocket vs Pepperstone
CommSec Pocket and Pepperstone aren't really competing in the same game. CommSec Pocket is a simple, CHESS-sponsored ETF investing app for ASX-listed funds only, backed by CBA. Pepperstone is a CFD and forex broker — you never actually own the underlying shares. The biggest practical difference: one buys real assets under your HIN, the other trades derivatives.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want to own real ASX-listed ETFs under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You're starting small — minimum trades from $50 and brokerage as low as $2 on trades under $1,000
- ›You want a dead-simple app with auto-invest (DCA) and dividend reinvestment built in
- ›You need an Australian tax statement and CGT report at EOFY
- ›You trust the Commonwealth Bank ecosystem and want to link a CBA transaction account for instant funding
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on global markets — US, UK, European, Hong Kong stocks — not just ASX ETFs
- ›You need advanced order types like stop-loss and conditional orders, plus 24/5 market access
- ›You want a demo account to practise, plus free real-time market data and research reports
- ›You need a joint, company or trust account structure (CommSec Pocket only offers individual accounts)
- ›You prefer flexible deposits including PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay and Skrill with no minimum
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually buy | Real ASX-listed ETFs under your HIN (CHESS-sponsored) | Share CFDs only — you never own the underlying asset |
| ASX brokerage | $2 (0.2% on trades under $1,000) | $5 (0.07% of trade) |
| Markets available | ASX ETFs only | CFDs on US, UK, DE, FR, HK, AU and more |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes — set-and-forget at the ETF level | No |
| Account types | Individual only | Individual, joint, company and trust |
Verdict
Choose CommSec Pocket if you want real ASX ETFs under your HIN; choose Pepperstone if you want CFD trading on global markets.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Commsec Pocket | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | — |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 50% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 50% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers) are administered via the underlying ETF issuers/share registries since holdings are CHESS-sponsored under the investor's HIN; CommSec does not charge a separate corporate action fee. | Not applicable — Pepperstone offers share CFDs only, not real shares. Clients have no entitlement to rights issues, SPPs, takeover offers or shareholder voting. Dividend adjustments are passed through as cash entries on share CFD positions (credited on longs, debited on shorts, with franking credits not passed through). |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.2% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | Promotional $0 brokerage offer on Pocket ETF trades from 20 April 2026 to 17 July 2026 inclusive, available to all CommSec Pocket customers. | — |
| 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 | $54 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Pepperstone Group Limited |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 414,530 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | Privately held. Majority owner FX Group Holdings (Fiona Lock, CEO Tamas Szabo and Andrew Defina) acquired the 60% stake previously held by CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) in 2018; founders Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport retain the remaining 40%. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill |
| Settlement period | T+2 | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open derivative contracts marked-to-market continuously, with overnight swap charges in lieu of settlement) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | Up to 2 business days for cards, PayID, BPAY and domestic bank transfer; up to 1 business day for PayPal/Neteller/Skrill. |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | authenticator |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | 24/5 (Monday morning AEST to Saturday morning AEST), with 18 hours coverage on weekends; Melbourne-based Australian support team available during AEST business hours. |
| Education content | structured courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | No | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |