Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs Pearler
IG Australia and Pearler take very different approaches to ASX trading. IG offers zero-commission ASX trades but holds your shares in a custodian arrangement, so you don't get a HIN. Pearler charges a flat $6.50 brokerage but is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you own your holdings directly on the ASX register. That trade-off — free trades versus direct ownership — is the core difference between them.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want $0 commission on every ASX trade with no minimums or conditions attached
- ›You trade US, UK, German or Irish shares from the one account
- ›You want a demo account to practise before committing real money
- ›You need access to IPOs and after-hours trading
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform alongside mobile apps
Choose
Pearler
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN so shares are registered directly in your name
- ›You plan to auto-invest regularly and want rebalancing-level automation
- ›You want fractional US shares to buy partial positions in expensive stocks
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) without manual work
- ›You're opening a kids / minor account
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Pearler |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 | $6.50 flat |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian (no HIN) | Mixed — HIN available |
| Fractional US shares | Not offered | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not supported | Yes, with rebalancing |
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $500 |
Verdict
Choose IG for free ASX trades and global markets; choose Pearler for CHESS ownership, automation and fractional US shares.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia vs Pearler actually cost you?
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All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | IG Australia | Pearler |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | mixed |
| 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 | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $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 | $6.5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | — |
| 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$6.5 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Pearler Investments Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,018 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Privately held (founder-led); backed by investors including AfterWork Ventures |
| 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 | PayID, Osko, Bank transfer, PayTo (direct debit replacement) |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | 1-2 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | email, phone, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AET |
| Education content | video + courses | video_and_courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | No |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | rebalancing |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |