Marketech Focus vs nabtrade
Marketech Focus is the low-cost ASX specialist, while nabtrade is the full-service bank-backed broker with global reach. The biggest practical difference comes down to price versus breadth: Marketech Focus charges a flat $20 monthly fee and just $5 ASX brokerage, but only trades Australian shares. nabtrade costs more per trade ($9.95 minimum) but opens up US, UK, Hong Kong and German markets, plus managed funds, bonds and IPOs.
- ›You trade ASX shares or ETFs frequently and want the lowest cost — $5 brokerage up to $16,667 per trade beats nabtrade's $9.95 minimum every time.
- ›You're happy to pay a $20/month platform fee in exchange for dirt-cheap per-trade costs and don't need international shares.
- ›You want CHESS-sponsored ownership with your own HIN and don't need a big bank behind you.
- ›You're comfortable with email and portal support rather than phone-based customer service.
- ›You need access to US, UK, Hong Kong or German markets — nabtrade covers them all; Marketech Focus doesn't do any international shares.
- ›You want a one-stop shop that includes managed funds, bonds, IPOs and options trading alongside standard shares and ETFs.
- ›You value bank-grade support with phone, email and secure messaging, plus structured educational content.
- ›You prefer free real-time ASX market data — nabtrade includes it for $19.95/month, while Marketech Focus charges the same $20/month for data on top of its platform fee.
Where they differ
| Fact | Marketech Focus | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5.00 | $9.95 |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month | $0/month |
| International markets | None (ASX, Cboe, NSX only) | US, UK, Germany, Hong Kong |
| Managed funds & bonds | Not supported | Supported |
| Free real-time data | No (extra $20/month) | Yes (included in $19.95/month market data fee) |
Choose Marketech Focus for cheap ASX-only trading; choose nabtrade if you need global markets, a wider product range or bank-backed support.
Common questions
How do Marketech Focus and nabtrade compare on asx brokerage minimum?
Marketech Focus: $5.00. nabtrade: $9.95. Marketech Focus is nearly half the price on small trades.
How do Marketech Focus and nabtrade compare on monthly platform fee?
Marketech Focus: $20/month. nabtrade: $0/month. nabtrade has no platform fee; Marketech Focus charges $20/month regardless of activity.
How do Marketech Focus and nabtrade compare on international markets?
Marketech Focus: None (ASX, Cboe, NSX only). nabtrade: US, UK, Germany, Hong Kong. nabtrade is the clear choice if you want global diversification.
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over nabtrade?
Pick Marketech Focus if you trade ASX shares or ETFs frequently and want the lowest cost — $5 brokerage up to $16,667 per trade beats nabtrade's $9.95 minimum every time; you're happy to pay a $20/month platform fee in exchange for dirt-cheap per-trade costs and don't need international shares; you want CHESS-sponsored ownership with your own HIN and don't need a big bank behind you; or you're comfortable with email and portal support rather than phone-based customer service.
When is nabtrade the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick nabtrade if you need access to US, UK, Hong Kong or German markets — nabtrade covers them all; Marketech Focus doesn't do any international shares; you want a one-stop shop that includes managed funds, bonds, IPOs and options trading alongside standard shares and ETFs; you value bank-grade support with phone, email and secure messaging, plus structured educational content; or you prefer free real-time ASX market data — nabtrade includes it for $19.95/month, while Marketech Focus charges the same $20/month for data on top of its platform fee.
Marketech Focus or nabtrade — what's the verdict?
Choose Marketech Focus for cheap ASX-only trading; choose nabtrade if you need global markets, a wider product range or bank-backed support.
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 | Marketech Focus | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | — | Yes |
| Company account | — | Yes |
| Trust account | — | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) | United Kingdom (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | — | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | — | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 80% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 80% |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $20/month | $19.95/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $59.95 |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $9.95 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 3% | 11% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $16,667 | $20,000 |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$9.95 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 11% |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month | — |
| Annual platform fee | $240/year | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $55 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd | WealthHub Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 230,704 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account |
| Settlement period | T+2 | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | — | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | email, support portal | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) |
| Education content | basic articles | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |