InvestSMART Robo Advice vs Webull
InvestSMART Robo Advice and Webull are two fundamentally different products that happen to both offer managed investing. InvestSMART is a hands-off portfolio service with a flat $880 annual fee and a $10,000 minimum, while Webull is a full-featured broker that also offers auto-invest. The real choice is between paying for professional portfolio management versus building and automating your own portfolio across ASX and US markets.
- ›You want a fully managed portfolio where professionals handle asset allocation and rebalancing for you
- ›You are happy to pay a flat $880 annual fee in exchange for not having to pick individual stocks or ETFs
- ›You want access to managed funds and bonds as part of a diversified strategy
- ›You prefer a straightforward, no-fuss setup with BPAY and direct debit deposits
- ›You value extensive educational content and research reports included in the service
- ›You want to trade individual ASX shares, US shares, US ETFs, and even crypto and options from one account
- ›You want zero annual platform fees, zero inactivity fees, and zero withdrawal fees — just pay brokerage when you trade
- ›You want to start investing with as little as $500 and buy fractional US shares
- ›You want CHESS-sponsored ownership with your own HIN for ASX holdings
- ›You want a demo account to practice trading and weighted auto-invest for dollar-cost averaging
Where they differ
| Fact | InvestSMART Robo Advice | Webull |
|---|---|---|
| Annual platform fee | $880/year | $0/year |
| Minimum initial deposit | $10,000 | $500 |
| Markets available | Australia only (ASX ETFs, managed funds, bonds) | Australia, US, Hong Kong, China A-shares, crypto |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian model (no individual HIN) | CHESS-sponsored with individual HIN |
| Auto-invest style | Basic — set and forget managed portfolios | Weighted — you choose allocation percentages across holdings |
Choose InvestSMART if you want a true robo-managed portfolio; choose Webull if you want to trade and automate your own investments.
Common questions
How do InvestSMART Robo Advice and Webull compare on annual platform fee?
InvestSMART Robo Advice: $880/year. Webull: $0/year.
How do InvestSMART Robo Advice and Webull compare on minimum initial deposit?
InvestSMART Robo Advice: $10,000. Webull: $500.
How do InvestSMART Robo Advice and Webull compare on markets available?
InvestSMART Robo Advice: Australia only (ASX ETFs, managed funds, bonds). Webull: Australia, US, Hong Kong, China A-shares, crypto.
When is InvestSMART Robo Advice the better choice over Webull?
Pick InvestSMART Robo Advice if you want a fully managed portfolio where professionals handle asset allocation and rebalancing for you; you are happy to pay a flat $880 annual fee in exchange for not having to pick individual stocks or ETFs; you want access to managed funds and bonds as part of a diversified strategy; or you prefer a straightforward, no-fuss setup with BPAY and direct debit deposits.
When is Webull the better choice over InvestSMART Robo Advice?
Pick Webull if you want to trade individual ASX shares, US shares, US ETFs, and even crypto and options from one account; you want zero annual platform fees, zero inactivity fees, and zero withdrawal fees — just pay brokerage when you trade; you want to start investing with as little as $500 and buy fractional US shares; or you want CHESS-sponsored ownership with your own HIN for ASX holdings.
InvestSMART Robo Advice or Webull — what's the verdict?
Choose InvestSMART if you want a true robo-managed portfolio; choose Webull if you want to trade and automate your own investments.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | InvestSMART Robo Advice | Webull |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | — | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | AU | Hong Kong, China (A-shares) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | — | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Crypto trading | — | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $49.99/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $1 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.03% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $3,333 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | ASX ETFs: $0 brokerage on all trades, no conditions. ASX shares: not free — $1 minimum or 0.03% (whichever greater). |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $880/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | InvestSMART Funds Management Ltd | Webull Securities (Australia) Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 246,441 | 536,980 |
| AUSTRAC registration | — | Yes |
| Year founded | 1,999 | 2,022 |
| Parent / ownership | InvestSMART Group Limited (ASX:INV) - publicly listed parent | Webull Corporation (NASDAQ: BULL), Cayman Islands holding company; originally backed by Hunan Fumi Information Technology (China) with investors including Xiaomi, General Atlantic, Coatue, Lightspeed |
| Country of incorporation | AU | Australia |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $10,000 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $100 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct Debit | PayTo, Bank transfer (EFT), International wire |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 4-5 business days | 1-2 business days for AUD bank transfer; 1-5 business days for international wire |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | optional | authenticator |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Phone, Email, In-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 9:00am-5:30pm AEST Mon-Fri | Phone: Mon-Fri 08:30-18:00 AEST/AEDT. In-app chat: advertised 24-hour. |
| Education content | extensive | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | — |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | — | Yes |
| Limit orders | — | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | — | Yes |
| Conditional orders | — | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | basic | weighted |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |