Micro Investing comparison
Commsec Pocket vs Stockspot
CommSec Pocket and Stockspot both let you invest in ASX ETFs, but they take completely different approaches. Pocket is a DIY brokerage that charges $0 brokerage (promotional period) or as little as $2 per trade, while Stockspot is a managed portfolio service that charges a monthly fee and handles all the buying and rebalancing for you. The real fork in the road comes down to whether you want to pick your own ETFs or hand the reins over to a robo-adviser.
Choose
Commsec Pocket
if…
- ›You want to pick and choose your own ASX ETFs with ultra-low brokerage ($2 on trades up to $1,000)
- ›You're comfortable with a simple set of curated ETF options (Pocket's seven core portfolios) and don't need a broader universe
- ›You already bank with CBA and want seamless direct-debit deposits from your CommBank account
- ›You want CHESS-sponsored ownership with your own HIN, giving you direct shareholding on the ASX register
Choose
Stockspot
if…
- ›You want a fully managed portfolio where Stockspot's team selects, rebalances and reweights your ETFs for you
- ›You need account types beyond individual — Stockspot offers joint, company, trust, SMSF and kids accounts
- ›You want automated weighted-rebalancing that keeps your portfolio on target without you lifting a finger
- ›You prefer a single all-inclusive monthly fee ($1/month + management fee) rather than paying per trade
Where they differ
| Fact | Commsec Pocket | Stockspot |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $1,000 |
| Brokerage model | $2 flat (trades ≤$1,000) or 0.2% (trades >$1,000); currently $0 promo until July 2026 | $0 per trade — all costs bundled into the monthly management fee |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN | Yes — individual HIN |
| Account types | Individual only | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids |
| Auto-invest style | Single-asset DCA into one ETF at a time | Weighted-rebalancing across your whole portfolio |
Verdict
Choose CommSec Pocket if you want cheap DIY ETF trading; choose Stockspot if you want a hands-off managed portfolio with broader account options.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Commsec Pocket | Stockspot |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | 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 | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | — |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| Holds USD account | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| 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. | Corporate actions (DRP, dividends, distributions) are handled automatically and included in the management fee. No separate corporate action fees disclosed. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $2 | $0 |
| 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. | No brokerage charged at all - all trades (rebalancing, buys, sells) included in the all-inclusive monthly management fee. |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $1/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $12/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Stockspot Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 536,082 |
| Year founded | 2,019 | 2,014 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) | Independent / privately held (founder Chris Brycki; shares common major shareholder with Global X Australia) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $1,000 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $500 |
| Deposit methods | Linked CBA transaction account (CDIA, Smart Access, Streamline Basic, NetBank Saver, etc.) - direct debit | Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY, Direct debit (recurring) |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 (ASX standard) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | Typically 2-5 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 | — |
| Free research reports | No | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | authenticator-app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in-app messaging | phone, email |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8:00am-6:00pm AET (phone) | Monday-Friday 9am-5pm AEST |
| Education content | structured courses | structured-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 | — |
| Limit orders | Yes | No |
| Stop loss orders | No | No |
| Conditional orders | No | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | single asset | weighted-rebalancing |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |