Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs Marketech Focus
IG Australia and Marketech Focus take very different approaches to cost and market access. IG offers zero-commission ASX trades and access to US and UK markets, but holds your shares in custody. Marketech Focus is CHESS-sponsored (you get your own HIN), charges a flat $20 monthly fee plus brokerage, and is ASX-only — no international shares at all.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want zero brokerage on ASX shares and ETFs — IG charges $0 per trade with no minimum trade count required
- ›You need access to US, UK, German or Irish markets from the one account
- ›You want to start trading with no minimum deposit and fund via PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay
- ›You prefer a platform backed by a publicly listed global group (IG Group, LSE: IGG) with 24/5 phone and live chat support
- ›You want a demo account to practise before committing real money
Choose
Marketech Focus
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN — Marketech Focus is fully CHESS-sponsored, so shares are registered in your name
- ›You trade ASX shares regularly and the flat $20/month fee works out cheaper than per-trade brokerage
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and integration with Sharesight or Navexa for tax reporting
- ›You're comfortable with a smaller, Australian-owned private broker and don't need international shares
- ›You want fast withdrawals via Macquarie CMA — same-day to 1 business day
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Marketech Focus |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 flat (no conditions) | $5 or 0.03% (whichever is higher) |
| Monthly platform fee | $0 | $20/month ($240/year) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodial (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (your own HIN) |
| International shares | US, UK, Germany, Ireland | ASX, Cboe Australia and NSX only |
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $500 |
Verdict
Pick IG for zero-fee ASX trading and global markets; pick Marketech Focus for CHESS ownership and DRP if you only trade ASX.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia 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 | IG Australia | 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 | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | — |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $20/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (dividends, splits, rights issues, takeovers) for shares held in custody are processed by IG via Citicorp Nominees; cash dividends are credited net of withholding to client ledger. SPP/rights elections are limited under the custodial model and detailed fees are disclosed in the IG Share Trading Customer Agreement / FSG. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 3% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | $16,667 |
| ASX free trade conditions | $0 commission on all ASX shares and ETFs on the IG Share Trading account (no conditions/minimum trade count). A 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings value applies; 0.7% FX fee applies to international trades. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $20/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $240/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | 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 | $0 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | — |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | email, support portal |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | — |
| Education content | video + courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |