easyMarkets vs Halo Technologies
easyMarkets and Halo Technologies are in completely different businesses. easyMarkets is a CFD and options broker — it doesn't support ASX or US shares at all. Halo Technologies is a full-service global share broker with a custodian model, covering ASX, US, UK, European and Asian markets. The real choice here is between derivatives trading and genuine equity investing.
- ›You want to trade CFDs, options or forex rather than buy actual shares
- ›You want a low minimum deposit ($25) and zero monthly platform fees
- ›You want a demo account to practise before risking real money
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller or even crypto
- ›You want after-hours trading and stop-loss/conditional order tools on derivatives
- ›You want to buy and hold actual ASX and US shares and ETFs under a custodian model
- ›You want access to 30+ global exchanges including the UK, Europe and Japan
- ›You want auto-invest / DCA tools with multiple sophistication levels
- ›You need joint, trust or SMSF account structures
- ›You want an Australian tax statement and dividend reinvestment (DRP)
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| Share trading | Not supported (CFD/options only) | ASX, US, UK, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific |
| CHESS sponsorship | Not applicable (no ASX shares) | Custodian model (no individual HIN) |
| Minimum deposit | $25 | Not disclosed |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19/month |
Pick easyMarkets for CFD/options trading on a budget; pick Halo for global share investing if you can stomach the $159 monthly fee.
Common questions
How do easyMarkets and Halo Technologies compare on platform fee?
easyMarkets: $0/month. Halo Technologies: $159/month. Halo charges a hefty monthly fee; easyMarkets has none.
How do easyMarkets and Halo Technologies compare on share trading?
easyMarkets: Not supported (CFD/options only). Halo Technologies: ASX, US, UK, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific. Halo is a genuine broker; easyMarkets is a derivatives provider.
How do easyMarkets and Halo Technologies compare on chess sponsorship?
easyMarkets: Not applicable (no ASX shares). Halo Technologies: Custodian model (no individual HIN). Halo holds assets in its own name, not under your HIN.
When is easyMarkets the better choice over Halo Technologies?
Pick easyMarkets if you want to trade CFDs, options or forex rather than buy actual shares; you want a low minimum deposit ($25) and zero monthly platform fees; you want a demo account to practise before risking real money; or you want to deposit via credit card, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller or even crypto.
When is Halo Technologies the better choice over easyMarkets?
Pick Halo Technologies if you want to buy and hold actual ASX and US shares and ETFs under a custodian model; you want access to 30+ global exchanges including the UK, Europe and Japan; you want auto-invest / DCA tools with multiple sophistication levels; or you need joint, trust or SMSF account structures.
easyMarkets or Halo Technologies — what's the verdict?
Pick easyMarkets for CFD/options trading on a budget; pick Halo for global share investing if you can stomach the $159 monthly fee.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | 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 | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | — |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | — |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | — |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $15 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.12% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $12,500 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Promotional offer: $0 brokerage on trades up to $250,000 (per landing page /0-brokerage-on-trades-up-to-250000); standard FSG schedule remains $15/0.12%. Conditions not fully disclosed publicly. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$15 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.12% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $2,508/year |
| Inactivity fee | $25 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | easyMarkets Pty Ltd | HALO Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 54 623 830 866); ultimately wholly owned by HALO Technologies Holdings Limited ABN 73 645 531 219 |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 484,264 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | — |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | — |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | — |
| Demo account | Yes | — |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | — |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) | — |
| Education content | structured courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | No | — |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | — |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | — |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | — |