Marketech Focus vs Sharesies
The biggest practical difference between Marketech Focus and Sharesies is ownership structure. Marketech Focus is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name on the ASX register. Sharesies is a custodian model — you don't get a HIN and Sharesies holds the legal title. That distinction drives most of the other differences in fees, features and who each platform suits.
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship so shares are registered in your name on the ASX
- ›You trade ASX shares in higher volumes — the $5 minimum brokerage and 0.03% rate above $16,667 is cheaper than Sharesies' percentage-based model
- ›You need an SMSF account to trade inside a self-managed super fund
- ›You want integration with Sharesight or Navexa for portfolio tracking and CGT reporting
- ›You prefer a full desktop trading platform with conditional and stop-loss orders
- ›You want to invest small amounts regularly — $1 minimum buys, fractional shares on both ASX and US stocks, and auto-invest across multiple assets
- ›You want US shares and ETFs in the same account without needing a separate USD account or broker
- ›You prefer no monthly or annual platform fees and pay only for what you trade via a pay-as-you-go or subscription model
- ›You're opening a kids' account or want a low-barrier entry for a new investor
- ›You want to trade after hours and use PayID/OSKO for instant deposits
Where they differ
| Fact | Marketech Focus | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) | Custodian model (no HIN) |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month (or $240/year) | $0/month |
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 minimum | $0 minimum (1.9% capped at $6) |
| US shares | Not supported | Supported (fractional shares, $0 min brokerage) |
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
Choose Marketech Focus if CHESS ownership matters and you trade ASX in volume. Choose Sharesies for low-cost, small-dollar investing across ASX and US markets.
Common questions
How do Marketech Focus and Sharesies compare on chess sponsorship?
Marketech Focus: CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN). Sharesies: Custodian model (no HIN).
How do Marketech Focus and Sharesies compare on monthly platform fee?
Marketech Focus: $20/month (or $240/year). Sharesies: $0/month.
How do Marketech Focus and Sharesies compare on asx brokerage minimum?
Marketech Focus: $5 minimum. Sharesies: $0 minimum (1.9% capped at $6).
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick Marketech Focus if you want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship so shares are registered in your name on the ASX; you trade ASX shares in higher volumes — the $5 minimum brokerage and 0.03% rate above $16,667 is cheaper than Sharesies' percentage-based model; you need an SMSF account to trade inside a self-managed super fund; or you want integration with Sharesight or Navexa for portfolio tracking and CGT reporting.
When is Sharesies the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick Sharesies if you want to invest small amounts regularly — $1 minimum buys, fractional shares on both ASX and US stocks, and auto-invest across multiple assets; you want US shares and ETFs in the same account without needing a separate USD account or broker; you prefer no monthly or annual platform fees and pay only for what you trade via a pay-as-you-go or subscription model; or you're opening a kids' account or want a low-barrier entry for a new investor.
Marketech Focus or Sharesies — what's the verdict?
Choose Marketech Focus if CHESS ownership matters and you trade ASX in volume. Choose Sharesies for low-cost, small-dollar investing across ASX and US markets.
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 | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | — | No |
| Company account | — | No |
| Trust account | — | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| 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) | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | — | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.6% |
| 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 | — | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 3% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $16,667 | $315.79 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| 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 | — | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Marketech Online Trading Pty Ltd | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| 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, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | basic articles | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |