Commsec Pocket vs Sharesies
The biggest difference between CommSec Pocket and Sharesies comes down to ownership structure. CommSec Pocket is a CHESS-sponsored broker backed by Commonwealth Bank, meaning you hold shares under your own HIN. Sharesies is a custodian model — it holds assets on your behalf, so you don't get a personal HIN. That distinction ripples through fees, features, and who this suits.
- ›You want true ownership of your ASX holdings under your own HIN (CHESS sponsorship)
- ›You trade ASX ETFs infrequently and want rock-bottom brokerage — $2 on trades up to $1,000
- ›You're already a CBA customer and want seamless direct debit from your CommBank account
- ›You prefer a simple, no-frills app with structured educational courses rather than advanced trading tools
- ›You want to keep costs predictable with zero monthly, inactivity, or market data fees
- ›You want to invest in US and NZ shares and ETFs, which CommSec Pocket doesn't offer at all
- ›You want fractional shares on ASX or US stocks so you can invest dollar amounts rather than whole units
- ›You want a kids' account to invest on behalf of minors
- ›You want advanced order types like stop-loss and conditional orders, plus after-hours trading
- ›You want to start with as little as $1 and use PayID or card deposits instead of a linked bank account
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN | No — custodian model |
| US shares | Not supported | Supported (plus NZ market) |
| Fractional shares | Not available | Available on ASX and US |
| ASX brokerage structure | $2 flat (0.2% up to $1,000) | 1.9% capped at $6 per trade |
| Kids account | Not available | Available ($2/mo plan) |
Pick CommSec Pocket for cheap, CHESS-sponsored ASX ETF investing; pick Sharesies for fractional global shares and a kids account.
Common questions
How do Commsec Pocket and Sharesies compare on chess sponsorship?
Commsec Pocket: Yes — individual HIN. Sharesies: No — custodian model. CommSec Pocket gives you direct ownership; Sharesies holds assets in its own name.
How do Commsec Pocket and Sharesies compare on us shares?
Commsec Pocket: Not supported. Sharesies: Supported (plus NZ market). Sharesies opens up global markets; CommSec Pocket is ASX-only.
How do Commsec Pocket and Sharesies compare on fractional shares?
Commsec Pocket: Not available. Sharesies: Available on ASX and US. Sharesies lets you invest dollar amounts; CommSec Pocket requires whole units.
When is Commsec Pocket the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick Commsec Pocket if you want true ownership of your ASX holdings under your own HIN (CHESS sponsorship); you trade ASX ETFs infrequently and want rock-bottom brokerage — $2 on trades up to $1,000; you're already a CBA customer and want seamless direct debit from your CommBank account; or you prefer a simple, no-frills app with structured educational courses rather than advanced trading tools.
When is Sharesies the better choice over Commsec Pocket?
Pick Sharesies if you want to invest in US and NZ shares and ETFs, which CommSec Pocket doesn't offer at all; you want fractional shares on ASX or US stocks so you can invest dollar amounts rather than whole units; you want a kids' account to invest on behalf of minors; or you want advanced order types like stop-loss and conditional orders, plus after-hours trading.
Commsec Pocket or Sharesies — what's the verdict?
Pick CommSec Pocket for cheap, CHESS-sponsored ASX ETF investing; pick Sharesies for fractional global shares and a kids 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 | Commsec Pocket | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | No | No |
| Trust account | No | No |
| SMSF account | No | No |
| 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 | NZ | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.6% |
| 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. | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.2% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $1,000 | $315.79 |
| 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. | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| 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 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| 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 | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | structured courses | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |