Share Trading comparison
Halo Technologies vs Marketech Focus
The biggest practical difference between these two is custody. Marketech Focus is CHESS-sponsored, so you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Halo Technologies is a custodian model — it holds the legal ownership and you're a beneficiary. That distinction ripples through fees, features and which markets you can access.
Choose
Halo Technologies
if…
- ›You want to trade US, UK, European and Asian stocks from one account — Halo covers 30+ global exchanges
- ›You're a high-volume trader who can justify a $159/month platform fee and wants ultra-low brokerage (0.12% on ASX, 0.12% on US)
- ›You need fractional US shares, managed funds and auto-invest rules with multiple levels of sophistication
- ›You trade large ASX parcels — the $15 minimum brokerage is cheap once you're over $12,500
Choose
Marketech Focus
if…
- ›You want true CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN — Marketech Focus is the clear winner here
- ›You're a cost-conscious investor who wants a $20/month platform fee and $5 minimum ASX brokerage
- ›You only trade ASX shares and ETFs and don't need international markets
- ›You want a CGT calculator, distribution breakdowns and Sharesight/Navexa integration built in
- ›You prefer a simple flat-rate brokerage model without worrying about thresholds — 0.03% up to $16,667
Where they differ
| Fact | Halo Technologies | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS model | Custodian (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) |
| Monthly platform fee | $159/month | $20/month |
| ASX minimum brokerage | $15 | $5 |
| International markets | US, UK, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific (30 exchanges) | ASX, Cboe Australia, NSX only |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
Verdict
Choose Marketech Focus for low-cost, CHESS-sponsored ASX investing; choose Halo Technologies for global markets and auto-invest features if you can stomach the $159 monthly fee.
Cost calculator
What would Halo Technologies vs Marketech Focus 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 | Halo Technologies | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | chess |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | — |
| Company account | Yes | — |
| Trust account | Yes | — |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | — |
| Options trading | — | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.5% | — |
| Holds USD account | — | No |
| Market data fees | $19/month | $20/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $15 | $5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 3% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $12,500 | $16,667 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Promotional offer: $0 brokerage on trades up to $250,000 (per landing page /0-brokerage-on-trades-up-to-250000); standard FSG schedule remains $15/0.12%. Conditions not fully disclosed publicly. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$15 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $159/month | $20/month |
| Annual platform fee | $2,508/year | $240/year |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | HALO Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 54 623 830 866); ultimately wholly owned by HALO Technologies Holdings Limited ABN 73 645 531 219 | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 484,264 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | — | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit |
| Settlement period | — | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | — | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | — | Yes |
| Demo account | — | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | email, support portal |
| Education content | basic articles | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | — | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | — | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | — | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | No |