Share Trading comparison
eToro vs Plus500
The biggest difference between eToro and Plus500 is that eToro lets you buy real ASX and US shares, ETFs and crypto, while Plus500 is a pure CFD provider — you never actually own the underlying asset. If you want to build a real portfolio of ASX or US stocks, eToro is your only option here. Plus500 is designed for leveraged speculation on price movements, not long-term investing.
Choose
eToro
if…
- ›You want to buy real ASX shares and ETFs commission-free with zero brokerage minimums
- ›You want to invest in US stocks and ETFs with zero commission and access fractional shares
- ›You want a low $50 minimum deposit and the ability to auto-invest or dollar-cost average into positions
- ›You want a multi-asset platform that also offers crypto and CFDs alongside real share ownership
- ›You want a CGT report and Australian tax statement to help with your annual tax return
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You only want to trade CFDs on margin with leverage and have no interest in owning the underlying asset
- ›You want 24/7 customer support via live chat, email and WhatsApp
- ›You want access to options trading alongside CFDs
- ›You want after-hours / overnight trading capability
- ›You prefer depositing via BPAY, Apple Pay or Google Pay
Where they differ
| Fact | eToro | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Real share ownership | Yes — real ASX and US shares, ETFs and crypto | No — CFDs only, no real shares or ETFs offered |
| ASX brokerage | 0% commission on real ASX shares | Not applicable — no real ASX shares offered |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.0075% | 0.7% |
| Options trading | Not supported | Supported |
| Minimum deposit | $50 AUD | $100 AUD |
Verdict
Choose eToro to own real shares and ETFs; choose Plus500 only if you want pure CFD and options speculation.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | eToro | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | — |
| Individual HIN | No | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto trading | Yes | — |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.75% | 70% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $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. | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| 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 | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $10 | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | eToro AUS Capital Limited | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 491,139 | 417,727 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,008 |
| 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. | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | Australia | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | — |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX, T+1 US (settlement managed by the eToro Service custodian; user funds reflect immediately in eToro wallet) | — |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days for eToro processing; total 2-10 business days end-to-end depending on payment method (bank transfer longer than card) | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator app | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | Live chat (Club members only), Email / web ticket, Help centre | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| Education content | video + courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |