Share Trading comparison
Commsec Pocket vs SelfWealth
CommSec Pocket is a stripped-back, ultra-cheap ETF-only platform from the CBA stable, while SelfWealth is a full-service broker covering ASX and US shares with a wider range of account types. The biggest practical difference? Pocket costs just $2 per trade but limits you to a curated list of ETFs, whereas SelfWealth charges $9.50 per trade but lets you buy individual ASX and US stocks, plus offers joint, trust, SMSF and kids accounts.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible ASX brokerage at $2 per trade (up to $1,000) and $0 platform fees
- ›You only plan to invest in ASX ETFs and don't need individual shares, US stocks or other markets
- ›You're happy to link a CBA transaction account for deposits and want a simple, app-only experience
- ›You want to start small with a $50 minimum initial deposit and $50 minimum subsequent purchases
- ›You value structured educational content and a straightforward auto-invest feature for dollar-cost averaging into single ETFs
Choose
SelfWealth
if…
- ›You want to buy and sell individual ASX shares and US stocks, not just ETFs
- ›You need a joint account, company account, trust account, SMSF account or kids/minor account
- ›You want advanced order types like stop-loss and conditional orders, plus after-hours trading
- ›You plan to use auto-invest with multiple assets (not just one ETF at a time)
- ›You prefer to deposit via OSKO, BPAY or EFT rather than being tied to a CBA bank account
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | SelfWealth |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $2 | $9.50 |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| Account types | Individual only | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | $27.50 |
| Auto-invest sophistication | Single asset only | Multiple assets |
Verdict
Choose CommSec Pocket if you're a CBA customer who wants cheap, simple ETF investing; pick SelfWealth if you need real stocks, more account types or US markets.
Cost calculator
What would Commsec Pocket vs SelfWealth actually cost you?
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All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Commsec Pocket | SelfWealth |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | mixed |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | HK | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 60% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| 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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $9.5 |
| 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. | Selfwealth Premium subscribers ($29/month or $240/year) receive 10 complimentary trades annually; otherwise no free-trade conditions. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$9.5 |
| 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 | $27.5 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | SelfWealth Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 421,789 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | Syfe (Svava Pte Ltd, Singapore) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | OSKO, BPAY, EFT/bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | live chat, email, phone |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | 10am-4pm AET, Monday-Friday (closed public holidays) |
| Education content | structured courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | No | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |