IG Australia vs SelfWealth
The biggest difference between IG Australia and SelfWealth comes down to cost structure versus ownership. IG charges $0 ASX brokerage but applies a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on your holdings, while SelfWealth charges a flat $9.50 per ASX trade with no ongoing platform fee. There's also a fundamental structural split: IG holds your shares in custody, whereas SelfWealth offers CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN.
- ›You trade frequently on ASX and want to avoid per-trade brokerage — $0 per trade with IG, no minimum trade count required.
- ›You trade US shares regularly and want near-zero FX costs — IG charges 0.007% FX spread versus SelfWealth's 0.6%.
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay — IG offers far more funding options than SelfWealth's OSKO/BPAY/EFT only.
- ›You value a demo account and comprehensive education (video + courses) to test strategies before committing real money.
- ›You need a desktop trading platform alongside mobile apps — SelfWealth has no desktop platform.
- ›You want your ASX holdings under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship — SelfWealth offers this; IG uses a custodial model.
- ›You're a buy-and-hold investor who trades infrequently — SelfWealth's $9.50 per trade beats paying IG's 0.25% p.a. platform fee on a large portfolio over time.
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and auto-invest / DCA functionality — SelfWealth supports both; IG does not.
- ›You want a kids / minor account — SelfWealth offers this; IG doesn't list it.
- ›You prefer a Singapore-based parent company (Syfe) over a UK-listed group — though both are ASIC-regulated.
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | SelfWealth |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 per trade (plus 0.25% p.a. platform fee) | $9.50 per trade (no platform fee) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodial model (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.007% | 0.6% |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not supported | Supported (multiple sophistication level) |
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $500 |
Pick IG for frequent trading and cheap US shares; pick SelfWealth for CHESS ownership, DRP and lower long-term holding costs.
Common questions
How do IG Australia and SelfWealth compare on asx brokerage?
IG Australia: $0 per trade (plus 0.25% p.a. platform fee). SelfWealth: $9.50 per trade (no platform fee). Frequent traders save on brokerage with IG; infrequent traders pay less overall with SelfWealth.
How do IG Australia and SelfWealth compare on chess sponsorship?
IG Australia: Custodial model (no individual HIN). SelfWealth: CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN). SelfWealth gives you direct ASX ownership; IG holds shares via Citicorp Nominees.
How do IG Australia and SelfWealth compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
IG Australia: 0.007%. SelfWealth: 0.6%. IG's FX rate is dramatically cheaper for US stock trades.
When is IG Australia the better choice over SelfWealth?
Pick IG Australia if you trade frequently on ASX and want to avoid per-trade brokerage — $0 per trade with IG, no minimum trade count required; you trade US shares regularly and want near-zero FX costs — IG charges 0.007% FX spread versus SelfWealth's 0.6%; you want to deposit via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay — IG offers far more funding options than SelfWealth's OSKO/BPAY/EFT only; or you value a demo account and comprehensive education (video + courses) to test strategies before committing real money.
When is SelfWealth the better choice over IG Australia?
Pick SelfWealth if you want your ASX holdings under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship — SelfWealth offers this; IG uses a custodial model; you're a buy-and-hold investor who trades infrequently — SelfWealth's $9.50 per trade beats paying IG's 0.25% p.a. platform fee on a large portfolio over time; you want dividend reinvestment (DRP) and auto-invest / DCA functionality — SelfWealth supports both; IG does not; or you want a kids / minor account — SelfWealth offers this; IG doesn't list it.
IG Australia or SelfWealth — what's the verdict?
Pick IG for frequent trading and cheap US shares; pick SelfWealth for CHESS ownership, DRP and lower long-term holding costs.
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 | SelfWealth |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | HK |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | 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% | 60% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| 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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $9.5 |
| 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. | Selfwealth Premium subscribers ($29/month or $240/year) receive 10 complimentary trades annually; otherwise no free-trade conditions. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$9.5 |
| 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 | — | $27.5 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | SelfWealth Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 421,789 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Syfe (Svava Pte Ltd, Singapore) |
| 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 | OSKO, BPAY, EFT/bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 |
| 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 | live chat, email, phone |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | 10am-4pm AET, Monday-Friday (closed public holidays) |
| Education content | video + courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |