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.
- ›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.
- ›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 |
Choose IG for zero-commission trading and cheap US exposure; choose nabtrade if you want CHESS sponsorship, DRP, and a broader asset range.
Common questions
How do IG Australia and nabtrade compare on asx brokerage?
IG Australia: $0 per trade (plus 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings). nabtrade: $9.95 or 0.11% per trade (above $20k). IG is cheaper for frequent traders; nabtrade is more predictable for buy-and-hold.
How do IG Australia and nabtrade compare on chess sponsorship?
IG Australia: Custodial (no individual HIN). nabtrade: CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN). Your ASX shares are held in your own name with nabtrade, but under IG's nominee with no HIN.
How do IG Australia and nabtrade compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
IG Australia: 0.007%. nabtrade: 0.8%. IG's FX spread is roughly 100x cheaper for US trades.
When is IG Australia the better choice over nabtrade?
Pick 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; or you need after-hours / overnight trading capability for ASX or US markets.
When is nabtrade the better choice over IG Australia?
Pick 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; or you're a NAB customer and want instant withdrawals to a linked NAB account plus seamless integration with NAB Internet Banking.
IG Australia or nabtrade — what's the verdict?
Choose IG for zero-commission trading and cheap US exposure; choose nabtrade if you want CHESS sponsorship, DRP, and a broader asset range.
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 |