Share Trading comparison
eToro vs Interactive Brokers Australia
The biggest practical difference between eToro and Interactive Brokers is how you own your ASX shares. eToro holds everything in a custodian model — you don't get a HIN and can't vote or participate in rights issues. Interactive Brokers also uses a custodian structure, but it gives you access to options, bonds, 100+ global markets and proper after-hours trading that eToro simply doesn't offer.
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want zero brokerage on ASX and US shares — eToro charges $0 on both, while IB starts at $6 on ASX and $1 USD on US trades
- ›You want to buy fractional shares on the ASX — eToro supports them, IB does not
- ›You want a super-low minimum to start — deposit $50 and buy a slice of a stock immediately
- ›You prefer depositing via PayPal, credit card or POLi — eToro offers far more payment methods than IB's bank-transfer-only options
- ›You're interested in the social/copy-trading side of investing and want a simpler, app-first experience
Choose
Interactive Brokers Australia
if…
- ›You trade options, bonds or want access to 30+ international markets — IB covers all of these, eToro doesn't touch options or bonds
- ›You want the tightest possible FX spreads — IB's AUD/USD spread is 0.00002% versus eToro's 0.0075%, a massive difference for frequent currency conversions
- ›You need after-hours trading on US stocks — IB supports it, eToro does not
- ›You want phone support and 24/5 availability — IB has live phone, chat and email; eToro's live chat is restricted to Club members
- ›You plan to use Sharesight or Navexa for portfolio tracking — IB integrates with both, eToro doesn't
Where they differ
| Fact | eToro | Interactive Brokers Australia |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 | $6 minimum (0.0008%) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.0075% | 0.00002% |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| After-hours trading | No | Yes |
| Options & bonds | Not supported | Supported |
Verdict
Choose eToro for zero-commission simplicity and fractional ASX shares; choose Interactive Brokers for serious multi-market trading, options and tight FX.
Cost calculator
What would eToro vs Interactive Brokers Australia 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 | eToro | Interactive Brokers Australia |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | 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, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal | US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, China (Stock Connect), South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto trading | Yes | — |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.75% | 0.002% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.002% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | 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. | Corporate action processing is generally fee-free for standard events (dividends, splits, mergers). Some voluntary corporate actions and ADR pass-through fees apply per the published fee schedule. Mandatory reorganisations are processed at no charge. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $6 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.08% |
| 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$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.05% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | eToro AUS Capital Limited | Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 491,139 | 453,554 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 1,978 |
| Parent / ownership | 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. | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBKR) |
| Country of incorporation | Australia | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking | Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY, International wire (SWIFT) |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US equities |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days for eToro processing; total 2-10 business days end-to-end depending on payment method (bank transfer longer than card) | 1-3 business days for AUD EFT; same day possible for AUD instant transfers within Australia |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre | phone, email, live chat, in-app secure message |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | 24 hours, Monday to Friday (Sydney) — local AU phone support during business hours; global desks cover overnight |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |