Share Trading comparison
easyMarkets vs Pearler
easyMarkets and Pearler aren't really competitors — they're built for completely different jobs. easyMarkets is a CFD and options broker that doesn't support ASX shares at all, while Pearler is a long-term ASX-first investing platform designed for buy-and-hold, dollar-cost averaging, and CHESS-sponsored ownership. If you want to own actual Australian shares under your own HIN, Pearler is your pick. If you're trading derivatives, easyMarkets is the only option here.
Choose
easyMarkets
if…
- ›You trade CFDs, options, or forex — easyMarkets is built for derivatives, not share ownership
- ›You want to trade after-hours or overnight, which Pearler doesn't support
- ›You want a demo account to practise before risking real money
- ›You need crypto deposit options (BTC, ETH, USDT) for funding
- ›You're comfortable with custodian-style trading and don't need CHESS sponsorship or an individual HIN
Choose
Pearler
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold ASX shares and ETFs under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You want to set up automated dollar-cost averaging with rebalancing — Pearler's auto-invest is best-in-class for this
- ›You need a kids' account, SMSF, trust, or joint account — Pearler supports all of them
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and proper Australian tax statements with distribution breakdowns
- ›You prefer a low, transparent brokerage model (A$6.50 on ASX) with no inactivity fees and free transfers out
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | Pearler |
|---|---|---|
| What you can trade | CFDs, options, forex — no ASX shares or ETFs | ASX shares, ASX ETFs, US shares, US ETFs, managed funds — no CFDs or options |
| CHESS sponsorship | No — custodian model, no individual HIN | Yes — you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not supported | Supported, with rebalancing-level sophistication |
| Minimum initial deposit | A$25 | A$500 |
| Account types | Individual and company only | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, and kids/minor accounts |
Verdict
If you want to own real ASX shares long-term, choose Pearler. If you trade derivatives, choose easyMarkets — they're not substitutes.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | Pearler |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | mixed |
| Individual HIN | — | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | Yes |
| 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 | ||
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $6.5 |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$6.5 |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $25 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | easyMarkets Pty Ltd | Pearler Investments Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,018 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | Privately held (founder-led); backed by investors including AfterWork Ventures |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | PayID, Osko, Bank transfer, PayTo (direct debit replacement) |
| Settlement period | — | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | 1-2 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | email, phone, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AET |
| Education content | structured courses | video_and_courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | No | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | No |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | rebalancing |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |