Share Trading comparison
Marketech Focus vs Pepperstone
Marketech Focus is a CHESS-sponsored ASX broker for genuine share ownership, while Pepperstone is a CFD provider that doesn't offer real shares at all. The biggest practical difference isn't fees or features — it's that one lets you own actual ASX-listed stocks under your own HIN, and the other gives you derivative contracts on global markets.
Choose
Marketech Focus
if…
- ›You want to own real ASX shares and ETFs under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You're a buy-and-hold investor who needs a CGT report, distribution breakdown and Sharesight integration for tax time
- ›You trade ASX frequently — 0.03% brokerage above $16,667 with a $5 minimum is cheaper than Pepperstone's 0.07%
- ›You want dividend reinvestment plans (DRP) and corporate action entitlements that come with real share ownership
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on US, UK, European, Hong Kong and Australian indices, forex, commodities and crypto — not real shares
- ›You want zero platform fees, zero market data fees and a $0 minimum deposit to get started
- ›You need a demo account to practise trading before committing real money
- ›You prefer paying with PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay — not just bank transfer
- ›You trade after hours or want 24/5 support with live chat and phone access
Where they differ
| Fact | Marketech Focus | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually get | Real ASX shares under your HIN (CHESS-sponsored) | CFD derivatives — you never own the underlying asset |
| ASX brokerage | 0.03% (min $5) | 0.07% (min $5) — but ASX CFDs only, not real shares |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month ($240/year) plus $20/month market data | $0/month, $0 market data fees |
| Markets available | ASX, Cboe Australia, NSX only | CFDs on US, UK, European, HK, Australian and other global markets |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer only | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit/credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill |
Verdict
If you want to own real ASX shares, go Marketech Focus. If you want leveraged CFD trading on global markets, go Pepperstone.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Marketech Focus | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | — |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | — | Yes |
| Company account | — | Yes |
| Trust account | — | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | No | No |
| US ETFs supported | No | No |
| Other markets supported | Cboe Australia, NSX (National Stock Exchange of Australia) | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | — | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 50% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 50% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $20/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Not applicable — Pepperstone offers share CFDs only, not real shares. Clients have no entitlement to rights issues, SPPs, takeover offers or shareholder voting. Dividend adjustments are passed through as cash entries on share CFD positions (credited on longs, debited on shorts, with franking credits not passed through). |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 3% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $16,667 | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $240/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd | Pepperstone Group Limited |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 414,530 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,010 |
| Parent / ownership | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited | Privately held. Majority owner FX Group Holdings (Fiona Lock, CEO Tamas Szabo and Andrew Defina) acquired the 60% stake previously held by CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) in 2018; founders Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport retain the remaining 40%. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill |
| Settlement period | T+2 | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open derivative contracts marked-to-market continuously, with overnight swap charges in lieu of settlement) |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) | Up to 2 business days for cards, PayID, BPAY and domestic bank transfer; up to 1 business day for PayPal/Neteller/Skrill. |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | — | authenticator |
| Customer support channels | email, support portal | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | 24/5 (Monday morning AEST to Saturday morning AEST), with 18 hours coverage on weekends; Melbourne-based Australian support team available during AEST business hours. |
| Education content | basic articles | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| 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 | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |