Share Trading comparison
IG Australia vs Sharesies
IG Australia and Sharesies both offer low-cost ASX and US trading, but they cater to very different investors. IG is a full-featured broker for active traders who want zero-commission ASX trades, a desktop platform, and access to UK and European markets. Sharesies is a mobile-first platform built for beginners and small-balance investors, with fractional shares, auto-invest, and kid accounts — but charges a percentage-based fee on every trade.
Choose
IG Australia
if…
- ›You trade ASX shares or ETFs regularly and want $0 commission on every trade (no minimums or conditions)
- ›You need a desktop trading platform with advanced charting and conditional orders
- ›You want access to UK, German, and Irish markets alongside ASX and US
- ›You need joint, company, trust, or SMSF account structures
- ›You want a demo account to practice trading before committing real money
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You want to buy fractional shares of ASX or US stocks with as little as $1
- ›You're setting up an auto-invest / DCA strategy across multiple assets
- ›You want a kid's / minor account to invest for children
- ›You prefer a simple mobile app experience and don't need a desktop platform
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) at no extra transaction fee
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage model | $0 per trade (0% commission) | 1.9% per trade, capped at $6 (or monthly subscription plans) |
| Fractional shares | Not supported | Supported on ASX and US stocks |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF | Individual and kids/minor only |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not supported | Supported with multi-asset auto-invest |
| Platform fee | 0.25% p.a. on holdings value | No platform fee (transaction-based only) |
Verdict
Pick IG for zero-commission ASX trading and serious account flexibility; pick Sharesies for fractional investing, auto-invest, and kid accounts.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia vs Sharesies 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 | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| 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 | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| 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. | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | $315.79 |
| 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. | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 1.9% |
| 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 | — | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $1 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| 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, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | video + courses | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |