Share Trading comparison
Commsec Pocket vs Plus500
CommSec Pocket and Plus500 aren't really competitors — they're built for completely different jobs. CommSec Pocket is a simple, low-cost ETF investing app backed by CHESS sponsorship and the Commonwealth Bank. Plus500 is a CFD and options trading platform where you never actually own the underlying asset. The biggest practical difference: one buys real shares on the ASX, the other lets you speculate on price movements with leverage.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX-listed ETFs under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You're starting small — trades from $50 and brokerage as low as $2 on trades up to $1,000
- ›You want a dead-simple, fee-free platform with no monthly, inactivity, or withdrawal fees
- ›You need an Australian tax statement and CGT report at EOFY
- ›You prefer auto-invest / DCA features to regularly buy into a single ETF without thinking about it
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs and options with leverage — Plus500 doesn't offer real shares at all
- ›You need 24/7 customer support and a demo account to practise strategies
- ›You want free real-time market data and research reports included
- ›You're comfortable with custodian model (no individual HIN) and understand CFD risks
- ›You need after-hours / overnight trading access
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually trade | Real ASX ETFs (CHESS-sponsored, individual HIN) | CFDs and options only — no real shares or ETFs |
| ASX brokerage | $2 (0.2% on trades up to $1,000), then 0.2% above | Not applicable — Plus500 charges via bid/ask spread on CFDs |
| Minimum trade size | $50 initial and subsequent | $100 minimum deposit |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $10 after a period of inactivity |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — you get your own HIN | No — custodian model |
Verdict
Choose CommSec Pocket if you want to own real ASX ETFs cheaply; choose Plus500 only if you want leveraged CFD speculation.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Commsec Pocket | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | — |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | No |
| 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 | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 70% |
| Holds USD account | — | 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 — 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 | $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 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,008 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | — |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | T+2 | — |
| 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 | No | No |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | 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 | 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 |