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.
- ›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
- ›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 |
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.
Common questions
How do Halo Technologies and Marketech Focus compare on chess model?
Halo Technologies: Custodian (no individual HIN). Marketech Focus: CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN). Marketech gives you direct share ownership on the ASX; Halo holds shares in its own name.
How do Halo Technologies and Marketech Focus compare on monthly platform fee?
Halo Technologies: $159/month. Marketech Focus: $20/month. Halo is nearly 8x more expensive before you trade a single share.
How do Halo Technologies and Marketech Focus compare on asx minimum brokerage?
Halo Technologies: $15. Marketech Focus: $5. Marketech is cheaper for small trades; Halo's percentage rate is lower for large trades.
When is Halo Technologies the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick 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; or you trade large ASX parcels — the $15 minimum brokerage is cheap once you're over $12,500.
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over Halo Technologies?
Pick 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; or you want a CGT calculator, distribution breakdowns and Sharesight/Navexa integration built in.
Halo Technologies or Marketech Focus — what's the 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.
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 |