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.
- ›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
- ›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) |
Pick IG for zero-commission ASX trading and serious account flexibility; pick Sharesies for fractional investing, auto-invest, and kid accounts.
Common questions
How do IG Australia and Sharesies compare on asx brokerage model?
IG Australia: $0 per trade (0% commission). Sharesies: 1.9% per trade, capped at $6 (or monthly subscription plans). IG is genuinely free for ASX trades; Sharesies charges a percentage, though capped.
How do IG Australia and Sharesies compare on fractional shares?
IG Australia: Not supported. Sharesies: Supported on ASX and US stocks. Sharesies lets you invest tiny amounts; IG requires whole shares.
How do IG Australia and Sharesies compare on account types?
IG Australia: Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF. Sharesies: Individual and kids/minor only. IG supports SMSF and business accounts; Sharesies does not.
When is IG Australia the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick 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; or you need joint, company, trust, or SMSF account structures.
When is Sharesies the better choice over IG Australia?
Pick 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; or you prefer a simple mobile app experience and don't need a desktop platform.
IG Australia or Sharesies — what's the verdict?
Pick IG for zero-commission ASX trading and serious account flexibility; pick Sharesies for fractional investing, auto-invest, and kid accounts.
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 | 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 |