Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs nabtrade
IG Australia and nabtrade sit on opposite sides of the brokerage spectrum. IG charges zero commission on ASX trades (with a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings), while nabtrade charges a flat $9.95 or 0.11% per trade. The bigger structural difference is CHESS sponsorship — nabtrade gives you your own HIN, whereas IG holds your ASX shares in custody under Citicorp Nominees.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You trade frequently on ASX and want to avoid per-trade brokerage entirely (IG's $0 commission model, offset by a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings).
- ›You trade US stocks regularly — IG charges 0% brokerage and a razor-thin 0.007% FX spread, compared to nabtrade's $9.95 USD minimum plus 0.8% FX spread.
- ›You want a demo account to practise trading before committing real money.
- ›You need after-hours / overnight trading capability for ASX or US markets.
- ›You prefer a wide range of deposit methods including PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Choose
nabtrade
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN so ASX holdings are directly registered in your name on the issuer's register.
- ›You invest in managed funds, bonds, or trade options — IG doesn't support any of these asset classes.
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your ASX holdings, which IG doesn't offer.
- ›You're a NAB customer and want instant withdrawals to a linked NAB account plus seamless integration with NAB Internet Banking.
- ›You prefer a simpler fee structure without a percentage-based platform fee eating into larger portfolios.
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 per trade (plus 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings) | $9.95 or 0.11% per trade (above $20k) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodial (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.007% | 0.8% |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19.95/month |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Not supported | Supported |
Verdict
Choose IG for zero-commission trading and cheap US exposure; choose nabtrade if you want CHESS sponsorship, DRP, and a broader asset range.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia vs nabtrade 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 | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | chess |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | Yes |
| 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 Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | United Kingdom (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 80% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | 80% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19.95/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $59.95 |
| 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 | $9.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| 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$9.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 11% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | — |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | — |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $55 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | WealthHub Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 230,704 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| 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 | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) |
| Education content | video + courses | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| 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 |