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.
- ›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
- ›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 |
Choose Marketech Focus for active ASX trading with CHESS sponsorship; choose Pearler for low-cost US access and automated investing.
Common questions
How do Marketech Focus and Pearler compare on monthly platform fee?
Marketech Focus: $20/month. Pearler: $0/month. Marketech Focus charges a flat $20 monthly fee regardless of activity; Pearler has no platform fee.
How do Marketech Focus and Pearler compare on asx brokerage minimum?
Marketech Focus: $5. Pearler: $6.50. Marketech Focus is cheaper per trade on the ASX, especially for larger trades where the 0.03% rate kicks in.
How do Marketech Focus and Pearler compare on us shares supported?
Marketech Focus: No. Pearler: Yes (with fractional shares). Marketech Focus is ASX-only; Pearler offers US stocks and ETFs including fractional shares.
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over Pearler?
Pick 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; or you want a CGT calculator and distribution component breakdown built into the platform.
When is Pearler the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick 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; or you want fractional US shares, which Marketech Focus doesn't support at all.
Marketech Focus or Pearler — what's the verdict?
Choose Marketech Focus for active ASX trading with CHESS sponsorship; choose Pearler for low-cost US access and automated investing.
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 |