eToro vs Stake
The biggest practical difference between eToro and Stake comes down to ownership structure. eToro holds your ASX shares in a custodian model — you don't get a HIN — while Stake gives you a CHESS-sponsored HIN for ASX holdings, meaning you're the legal owner on the register. That distinction shapes everything else: fees, market access, and who this platform is really built for.
- ›You want zero brokerage on ASX and US trades — eToro charges $0 on both markets with no minimum trade size
- ›You want to trade CFDs, crypto, or access 14 international markets beyond just Australia and the US
- ›You want fractional shares on ASX stocks (eToro lets you buy $50 slices of BHP, CBA, etc.)
- ›You want a demo account to practice trading before committing real money
- ›You want to deposit via PayPal, Skrill, credit card, or POLi — Stake only offers bank transfer and card
- ›You want your ASX shares held under your own HIN via CHESS sponsorship — Stake gives you direct ownership on the register
- ›You trade US stocks regularly and want a tighter FX spread (0.0055% vs eToro's 0.0075%) plus the ability to use the 'currency switch trick' to avoid FX fees on USD deposits
- ›You want after-hours trading on US markets — Stake supports overnight trading, eToro doesn't
- ›You want integrated tax reporting with Sharesight or Navexa, and free research reports
- ›You don't want to pay an inactivity fee — Stake charges $0; eToro hits you with $10 after 12 months of no logins
Where they differ
| Fact | eToro | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 | $3 (or 0.01% on trades over $30,000) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian model — no individual HIN | CHESS-sponsored — you get your own HIN |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.0075% | 0.0055% |
| Inactivity fee | $10 after 12 months | $0 |
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
Choose eToro for zero-fee trading and global markets; choose Stake if you want CHESS ownership and better US-dollar FX.
Common questions
How do eToro and Stake compare on asx brokerage?
eToro: $0. Stake: $3 (or 0.01% on trades over $30,000).
How do eToro and Stake compare on chess sponsorship?
eToro: Custodian model — no individual HIN. Stake: CHESS-sponsored — you get your own HIN.
How do eToro and Stake compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
eToro: 0.0075%. Stake: 0.0055%.
When is eToro the better choice over Stake?
Pick eToro if you want zero brokerage on ASX and US trades — eToro charges $0 on both markets with no minimum trade size; you want to trade CFDs, crypto, or access 14 international markets beyond just Australia and the US; you want fractional shares on ASX stocks (eToro lets you buy $50 slices of BHP, CBA, etc.); or you want a demo account to practice trading before committing real money.
When is Stake the better choice over eToro?
Pick Stake if you want your ASX shares held under your own HIN via CHESS sponsorship — Stake gives you direct ownership on the register; you trade US stocks regularly and want a tighter FX spread (0.0055% vs eToro's 0.0075%) plus the ability to use the 'currency switch trick' to avoid FX fees on USD deposits; you want after-hours trading on US markets — Stake supports overnight trading, eToro doesn't; or you want integrated tax reporting with Sharesight or Navexa, and free research reports.
eToro or Stake — what's the verdict?
Choose eToro for zero-fee trading and global markets; choose Stake if you want CHESS ownership and better US-dollar FX.
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 | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | mixed |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| 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 | United States |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Crypto trading | Yes | — |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.75% | 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 | 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 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 | $0 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $30,000 |
| 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. | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.01% |
| 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 | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 491,139 | 548,196 |
| AUSTRAC registration | Yes | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,017 |
| 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. | Privately held (Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd group); investors include AGL Energy's former CEO and various private investors |
| Country of incorporation | Australia | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $50 | $20 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Debit card, Credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, POLi, Online banking | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| 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 |
| 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) | 1-2 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 | No | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | video + courses | structured 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 | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |