Commsec Pocket vs Spaceship Voyager
CommSec Pocket and Spaceship Voyager take completely different approaches to micro-investing. Pocket is a CHESS-sponsored brokerage that lets you buy real ASX ETFs in dollar amounts, with no monthly fee. Voyager is a managed fund (now owned by eToro) that charges $3 a month but gives you access to US stocks and fractional shares — something Pocket simply can't do.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN — your holdings are in your name, not a custodian arrangement
- ›You want to invest in ASX ETFs with zero monthly fees and brokerage as low as $2 per trade
- ›You want to use the CBA ecosystem — direct debit from your CommBank account and seamless integration
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your ETF holdings
- ›You want to transfer your portfolio to another broker without selling down
- ›You want to invest in US stocks and ETFs — Voyager offers direct US exposure, Pocket doesn't
- ›You want fractional shares — buy $50 worth of a US stock rather than a whole share
- ›You want to start with no minimum deposit and invest any amount, any time
- ›You want a managed fund approach where professionals handle the portfolio construction for you
- ›You want zero brokerage on every trade, not just promotional periods
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Spaceship Voyager |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $0/month | $3/month ($36/year) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN | No — custodian model |
| US stocks & ETFs | Not supported | Supported with fractional shares |
| Minimum trade | $50 minimum per buy | No minimum |
| Dividend reinvestment | Supported (DRP) | Not supported |
Pick CommSec Pocket for fee-free, CHESS-sponsored ASX ETF investing. Pick Spaceship Voyager for US stocks and fractional shares.
Common questions
How do Commsec Pocket and Spaceship Voyager compare on monthly fee?
Commsec Pocket: $0/month. Spaceship Voyager: $3/month ($36/year). Voyager charges a flat monthly fee regardless of balance; Pocket is free.
How do Commsec Pocket and Spaceship Voyager compare on chess sponsorship?
Commsec Pocket: Yes — individual HIN. Spaceship Voyager: No — custodian model. Pocket gives you direct ownership; Voyager holds assets in its name.
How do Commsec Pocket and Spaceship Voyager compare on us stocks & etfs?
Commsec Pocket: Not supported. Spaceship Voyager: Supported with fractional shares. Voyager opens up the US market; Pocket is ASX-only.
When is Commsec Pocket the better choice over Spaceship Voyager?
Pick Commsec Pocket if you want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN — your holdings are in your name, not a custodian arrangement; you want to invest in ASX ETFs with zero monthly fees and brokerage as low as $2 per trade; you want to use the CBA ecosystem — direct debit from your CommBank account and seamless integration; or you want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your ETF holdings.
When is Spaceship Voyager the better choice over Commsec Pocket?
Pick Spaceship Voyager if you want to invest in US stocks and ETFs — Voyager offers direct US exposure, Pocket doesn't; you want fractional shares — buy $50 worth of a US stock rather than a whole share; you want to start with no minimum deposit and invest any amount, any time; or you want a managed fund approach where professionals handle the portfolio construction for you.
Commsec Pocket or Spaceship Voyager — what's the verdict?
Pick CommSec Pocket for fee-free, CHESS-sponsored ASX ETF investing. Pick Spaceship Voyager for US stocks and fractional shares.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Commsec Pocket | Spaceship Voyager |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | No | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.7% |
| Holds USD account | — | No |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $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. | Voyager: managed fund structure means corporate actions are handled inside the fund — no investor-level corporate action fees. US Investing: voting and mandatory corporate actions including dividends are free; Voluntary Corporate Actions (VCA) fee of US$100 per action processed. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.2% | 0% |
| 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. | No brokerage applies to Voyager portfolios; investments are made via unit-trust managed funds with no transactional fees, regardless of order size. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $3/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $36/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Spaceship Capital Limited |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 501,605 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | eToro Group Limited (acquired Spaceship 2024, fully owned subsidiary) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| 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 | Direct debit, PayTo |
| Settlement period | T+2 | Voyager: T+1/T+2 unit pricing (managed fund). US Investing: T+1 (US standard). |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days from redemption request to funds in available money balance; additional bank transfer time to external account. |
| 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 | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | Email, Phone, Live chat, In-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm Sydney time (business days only) |
| 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 | — |
| Stop loss orders | No | No |
| Conditional orders | No | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | weighted |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |