Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs Pepperstone
IG Australia and Pepperstone both offer trading, but they serve completely different purposes. IG lets you buy and hold real ASX and US shares under a custodial model with $0 brokerage, while Pepperstone only offers share CFDs — you never actually own the underlying stock. If you want to build a real portfolio of ASX shares, IG is the obvious choice. If you're speculating on price movements with leverage, Pepperstone is built for that.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX shares and ETFs with $0 brokerage and no minimum trade count
- ›You need a CHESS-equivalent custodial account for Australian equities (IG holds via Citicorp Nominees)
- ›You want access to IPOs and corporate actions like rights issues and SPPs
- ›You need a CGT report and Australian tax statement at EOFY
- ›You want to trade US shares commission-free with a dedicated USD account
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want to trade leveraged CFDs on global indices, forex, commodities and crypto — not just shares
- ›You need free real-time market data included in your account
- ›You want a wider range of deposit methods including Neteller and Skrill
- ›You're a short-term speculator who doesn't need tax statements or CHESS sponsorship
- ›You want 24/5 support with weekend coverage for international markets
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 (plus 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings) | $5 or 0.07% (CFDs only — no real shares) |
| What you actually own | Real ASX and US shares held in custody | Share CFDs only — you never own the underlying stock |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| Tax reporting | Australian tax statement and CGT report provided | Not provided |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
Verdict
Choose IG Australia for real, commission-free ASX and US share investing. Choose Pepperstone only if you want leveraged CFDs, not actual shares.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | IG Australia | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | — |
| Individual HIN | No | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 50% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | 50% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/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. | Not applicable — Pepperstone offers share CFDs only, not real shares. Clients have no entitlement to rights issues, SPPs, takeover offers or shareholder voting. Dividend adjustments are passed through as cash entries on share CFD positions (credited on longs, debited on shorts, with franking credits not passed through). |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | — |
| 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 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 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Pepperstone Group Limited |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 414,530 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Privately held. Majority owner FX Group Holdings (Fiona Lock, CEO Tamas Szabo and Andrew Defina) acquired the 60% stake previously held by CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) in 2018; founders Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport retain the remaining 40%. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open derivative contracts marked-to-market continuously, with overnight swap charges in lieu of settlement) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | Up to 2 business days for cards, PayID, BPAY and domestic bank transfer; up to 1 business day for PayPal/Neteller/Skrill. |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | 24/5 (Monday morning AEST to Saturday morning AEST), with 18 hours coverage on weekends; Melbourne-based Australian support team available during AEST business hours. |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | No |
| 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 | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |