Crypto Exchange comparison
Digital Surge vs eToro
Digital Surge is a pure crypto exchange built for Australians who want simple, low-cost access to digital assets. eToro is a global multi-asset platform that lets you trade crypto, ASX shares, US stocks and CFDs all in one place — but holds everything in a custodian model. The biggest practical difference: eToro gives you a much wider menu of investments, while Digital Surge keeps it tight, cheap and crypto-focused.
Choose
Digital Surge
if…
- ›You want a straightforward crypto-only exchange with zero withdrawal fees and no inactivity penalties
- ›You prefer an Australian-owned and operated platform that survived the 2022 FTX collapse and restructured under local administration
- ›You want free same-day withdrawals via PayID and fast bank transfers without any minimum balance requirements
- ›You value Sharesight or Navexa integration for automated crypto tax reporting
- ›You want joint accounts or SMSF accounts for crypto investing alongside a partner or your self-managed super fund
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want to trade ASX shares, US stocks, ETFs and crypto from a single login — including fractional shares on both ASX and US markets
- ›You want zero-commission ASX trades and zero-commission US stock trades on non-leveraged positions
- ›You want access to 15+ global markets (UK, Europe, Hong Kong) and CFD trading for leveraged or short strategies
- ›You want to practise with a demo account before putting real money in
- ›You prefer to fund your account via credit card, PayPal, Skrill or Neteller — not just bank transfer and PayID
Where they differ
| Fact | Digital Surge | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Asset range | Crypto only | Crypto + ASX shares, US stocks, ETFs, CFDs, 15 global markets |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 AUD | $0 AUD |
| Inactivity fee | None | $10 AUD after 12 months of no login |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank Transfer, OSKO | Bank transfer, debit/credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, online banking |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian (crypto only — no CHESS applicable) | Custodian (shares held in managed investment scheme, not in your name) |
Verdict
Choose Digital Surge for simple, cheap crypto-only trading; choose eToro for a multi-asset platform with global markets and zero-commission shares.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Digital Surge | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | — | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Crypto trading | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.75% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | — | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | eToro passes through cash dividends from non-leveraged real positions (debit/credit to wallet). It does not facilitate participation in rights issues, share purchase plans (SPPs), DRPs or shareholder votes because shares are held in a managed investment scheme by the custodian, not in the user's name. No explicit fee, but corporate action access is materially restricted. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Zero commission applies to all non-leveraged (real) ASX share and ETF purchases. Leveraged / short positions are executed as CFDs and incur 0.15% open/close spread plus overnight financing. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Digital Surge Pty Ltd | eToro AUS Capital Limited |
| AFSL number | — | 491,139 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | Yes |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Digital Surge Pty Ltd (privately held, Australian-owned; co-founded by Dan Rutter (CEO) and Josh Lehman). Following the 2022 FTX exposure event, an associated company 'Digico' provided a A$1.25M loan as part of the Deed of Company Arrangement that allowed the business to resume operations. | eToro Group Ltd (NASDAQ: ETOR) — listed 14 May 2025; originally founded in Israel by Yoni and Ronen Assia. eToro AUS Capital Limited is a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | Australia |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | — | $50 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $50 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Bank Transfer, OSKO | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking |
| Settlement period | — | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day (typically same-day for PayID; up to 1-2 business days for standard bank transfer) | 1-2 business days for eToro processing; total 2-10 business days end-to-end depending on payment method (bank transfer longer than card) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS + authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | live chat, email | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | Live chat available 365 days a year (Australian-based support team); specific hours not published | — |
| Education content | basic articles | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | — | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |