Share Trading comparison
CommSec vs Stake
CommSec and Stake both let you trade ASX and US shares, but they cater to very different investors. CommSec is the full-service bank-backed broker with CHESS sponsorship, options trading, and access to a dozen global markets — but you'll pay a minimum $5 brokerage on ASX trades (or $29.95 without a CDIA). Stake undercuts that with $3 flat brokerage on both ASX and US trades, plus a clever FX trick to avoid currency conversion fees, but it's a custodian model for US shares and lacks options, managed funds, and joint accounts.
Choose
CommSec
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship on all ASX holdings (your own HIN) and direct registration with the share registry
- ›You trade options, managed funds, or bonds — Stake doesn't offer any of these
- ›You need joint, trust, SMSF, or kids' accounts — Stake only offers individual, company, and trust accounts
- ›You want access to 13 international markets beyond just the US and Australia
- ›You prefer the backing of a major bank (CBA) with phone support and branch deposits
Choose
Stake
if…
- ›You want the lowest ASX brokerage in Australia at $3 flat (up to $30,000) with no CDIA requirement
- ›You trade US stocks frequently and want to use the 'currency switch trick' to avoid FX spreads entirely
- ›You want a modern app experience with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and debit/credit card deposits
- ›You need a built-in CGT report — CommSec doesn't offer one
- ›You want free off-market transfers ($0 vs CommSec's $54) and no minimum subsequent purchase ($20 vs CommSec's $0 but with CDIA quirks)
Where they differ
| Fact | CommSec | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $5 (with CDIA) / $29.95 (without) | $3 flat |
| CHESS sponsorship model | Full CHESS (own HIN) | Mixed — CHESS for ASX, custodian for US |
| FX currency switch trick | Not available | Available |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | $0 |
Verdict
Pick CommSec for full-service trading, options, and CHESS ownership; pick Stake for low-cost ASX and US trades with smart FX handling.
Cost calculator
What would CommSec vs Stake actually cost you?
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 | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | mixed |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Sweden | United States |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.55% | 0.55% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.55% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | Yes |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (SPP, rights issue, takeovers, demergers, dividend payments) are not separately charged by CommSec. They are processed via the share registry/issuer. CommSec does not send trade confirmations for off-market events, so Sharesight/other tracker sync requires manual updates. Failed-settlement fees apply if payment is late ($10 minimum or 0.66% above $1,500). | Corporate actions (dividends, SPPs, rights issues, takeovers) are passed through where mandatory; Stake does not provide a DRP — investors must elect DRP directly with each company's share registry. No published per-event fee. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $30,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Conditional: $5 minimum requires linked CDIA (Commonwealth Direct Investment Account) or CommSec Margin Loan as the settlement account AND CHESS sponsorship with CommSec. Without CDIA linkage, brokerage starts at $29.95 for trades up to $9,999.99 and 0.31% above. Promotional $0 brokerage offers occasionally run for new customers (e.g. 30 free trades up to $50,000 each, May–Nov 2026 offer for new sign-ups). | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | US$5 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| 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 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 1,995 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) | Privately held (Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd group); investors include AGL Energy's former CEO and various private investors |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $20 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct debit, Bank transfer (CDIA), Cheque, Cash deposit (CBA branch/ATM) | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX) / T+1 (US) | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (instant when funds in CDIA via real-time transfer) | 1-2 business days for AUD (Stake AUS); 2-3 US business days for USD (Stake Wall St) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat (in-app), secure mail (in-platform), social media (X, Instagram) | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | Phone 8am-6pm Mon-Fri Sydney time (general & options); extended trading-hours support during ASX session. No 24/7 support. | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | structured courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |