Share Trading comparison
Marketech Focus vs Pearler
The biggest practical difference between Marketech Focus and Pearler is that Marketech Focus is ASX-only with a flat $20/month fee, while Pearler charges no monthly fee and gives you access to US stocks. If you trade infrequently or want dollar-cost averaging into US shares, Pearler is cheaper. If you trade often on the ASX and want CHESS sponsorship, Marketech Focus can work out more cost-effective.
Choose
Marketech Focus
if…
- ›You trade ASX shares frequently enough that the $5 minimum brokerage (0.03% above $16,667) beats Pearler's $6.50 minimum
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN — Marketech Focus is fully CHESS-sponsored, giving you direct share ownership on the ASX
- ›You need stop-loss and conditional orders, which Pearler doesn't offer
- ›You want a CGT calculator and distribution component breakdown built into the platform
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform over a mobile-only experience
Choose
Pearler
if…
- ›You want to invest in US stocks and ETFs without paying a monthly platform fee
- ›You want automated investing with rebalancing — Pearler's auto-invest feature is more sophisticated than anything Marketech Focus offers
- ›You don't want to pay $20/month just to access the platform, especially if you're a smaller or less frequent investor
- ›You want fractional US shares, which Marketech Focus doesn't support at all
- ›You value educational content and community — Pearler offers video courses and a more modern, guided investing experience
Where they differ
| Fact | Marketech Focus | Pearler |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month | $0/month |
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $6.50 |
| US shares supported | No | Yes (with fractional shares) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Full CHESS (own HIN) | Mixed model (CHESS + custodian) |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Yes, with rebalancing |
Verdict
Choose Marketech Focus for active ASX trading with CHESS sponsorship; choose Pearler for low-cost US access and automated investing.
Cost calculator
What would Marketech Focus vs Pearler actually cost you?
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 | Pearler |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | mixed |
| 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) | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | — | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $20/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $6.5 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 3% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $16,667 | — |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$6.5 |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $240/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd | Pearler Investments Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 337,927 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,018 |
| Parent / ownership | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited | Privately held (founder-led); backed by investors including AfterWork Ventures |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit | PayID, Osko, Bank transfer, PayTo (direct debit replacement) |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) | 1-2 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 | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | — | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | email, support portal | email, phone, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AET |
| Education content | basic articles | video_and_courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | No |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | rebalancing |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |