easyMarkets vs Stake
easyMarkets and Stake aren't really competing in the same lane. easyMarkets is a CFD and options broker — it doesn't support ASX or US shares at all. Stake is a straightforward share-trading platform for ASX and US stocks, with CHESS sponsorship for Australian holdings. If you want to own actual shares on the ASX, Stake is your only option here.
- ›You want to trade CFDs, options, or forex — not physical shares
- ›You're happy with a custodial model and don't need a HIN or CHESS sponsorship
- ›You want a low minimum deposit ($25) and multiple deposit methods including crypto
- ›You want a demo account to practise trading before committing real money
- ›You need 24/5 support during market hours and structured educational courses
- ›You want to buy and hold actual ASX shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You want US stocks with fractional shares and low FX spread (0.0055%)
- ›You need an Australian tax statement and CGT reporting for end-of-year
- ›You want to invest in US ETFs and bonds alongside ASX ETFs
- ›You prefer a modern app experience with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Osko deposits
Where they differ
| Fact | easyMarkets | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX & US share trading | Not supported | Supported (ASX + US stocks & ETFs) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Not applicable (CFD broker) | Mixed — CHESS for ASX, custodian for US |
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 AUD | $500 AUD |
| Fractional shares (US) | Not available | Available |
| Inactivity fee | $25 AUD | $0 AUD |
Pick Stake for real share ownership on ASX and US markets; pick easyMarkets only if you want CFDs, options or forex.
Common questions
How do easyMarkets and Stake compare on asx & us share trading?
easyMarkets: Not supported. Stake: Supported (ASX + US stocks & ETFs).
How do easyMarkets and Stake compare on chess sponsorship?
easyMarkets: Not applicable (CFD broker). Stake: Mixed — CHESS for ASX, custodian for US.
How do easyMarkets and Stake compare on minimum initial deposit?
easyMarkets: $25 AUD. Stake: $500 AUD.
When is easyMarkets the better choice over Stake?
Pick easyMarkets if you want to trade CFDs, options, or forex — not physical shares; you're happy with a custodial model and don't need a HIN or CHESS sponsorship; you want a low minimum deposit ($25) and multiple deposit methods including crypto; or you want a demo account to practise trading before committing real money.
When is Stake the better choice over easyMarkets?
Pick Stake if you want to buy and hold actual ASX shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship; you want US stocks with fractional shares and low FX spread (0.0055%); you need an Australian tax statement and CGT reporting for end-of-year; or you want to invest in US ETFs and bonds alongside ASX ETFs.
easyMarkets or Stake — what's the verdict?
Pick Stake for real share ownership on ASX and US markets; pick easyMarkets only if you want CFDs, options or forex.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | easyMarkets | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | mixed |
| Individual HIN | — | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | 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 | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 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 |
| Corporate action fees | — | 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 | — | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $30,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| 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 | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,566 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 2,003 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Blue Capital Markets Ltd (private, Cyprus-headquartered easyMarkets group) | 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 | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $25 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $20 |
| Deposit methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Bank Wire Transfer, BPAY, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | — | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day to process; 3-10 business days for funds to arrive depending on method | 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 | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | 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 | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday to Friday, around the clock during market hours) | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | structured courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | 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) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |