Robo Advisor comparison
InvestSMART Robo Advice vs Stockspot
The biggest practical difference between these two Australian robo-advisers is the minimum to get started: InvestSMART requires $10,000 upfront, while Stockspot lets you begin with just $1,000. Both use a custodian model (not CHESS) and invest in ASX-listed ETFs, but their fee structures and portfolio approaches diverge sharply from there.
Choose
InvestSMART Robo Advice
if…
- ›You want a robo-adviser backed by a publicly listed ASX company with a track record since 1999
- ›You want exposure to bonds and managed funds as part of your portfolio — Stockspot doesn't offer them
- ›You value extensive educational content and free research reports to guide your decisions
- ›You're comfortable with a $10,000 minimum deposit and an $880/year flat platform fee on top of management fees
Choose
Stockspot
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible barrier to entry — just $1,000 to start and no separate platform fee beyond the management fee
- ›You want a more sophisticated auto-invest feature that rebalances your portfolio by weighting, not just basic dollar-cost averaging
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) included automatically without extra steps
- ›You prefer an authenticator-app-based 2FA setup for stronger account security
Where they differ
| Fact | InvestSMART Robo Advice | Stockspot |
|---|---|---|
| Annual platform fee | $880/year | $12/year |
| Minimum initial deposit | $10,000 | $1,000 |
| Bonds & managed funds | Supported | Not supported |
| Auto-invest sophistication | Basic | Weighted-rebalancing |
| Dividend reinvestment (DRP) | Not offered | Offered |
Verdict
Choose InvestSMART if you have $10k+ and want bonds/managed funds; choose Stockspot for lower entry, smarter auto-invest, and DRP.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | InvestSMART Robo Advice | Stockspot |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| 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 | No | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | AU | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | — | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | — |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Corporate action fees | — | Corporate actions (DRP, dividends, distributions) are handled automatically and included in the management fee. No separate corporate action fees disclosed. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No brokerage charged at all - all trades (rebalancing, buys, sells) included in the all-inclusive monthly management fee. |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $1/month |
| Annual platform fee | $880/year | $12/year |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | InvestSMART Funds Management Ltd | Stockspot Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,441 | 536,082 |
| Year founded | 1,999 | 2,014 |
| Parent / ownership | InvestSMART Group Limited (ASX:INV) - publicly listed parent | Independent / privately held (founder Chris Brycki; shares common major shareholder with Global X Australia) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $10,000 | $1,000 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $100 | $500 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct Debit | Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY, Direct debit (recurring) |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 (ASX standard) |
| Withdrawal time | 4-5 business days | Typically 2-5 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | — |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | optional | authenticator-app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | phone, email |
| Support hours (AU time) | 9:00am-5:30pm AEST Mon-Fri | Monday-Friday 9am-5pm AEST |
| Education content | extensive | structured-articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Limit orders | — | No |
| Stop loss orders | — | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | basic | weighted-rebalancing |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |