Marketech Focus vs Superhero
The biggest practical difference between Marketech Focus and Superhero is custody. Marketech Focus is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Superhero uses a custodian model, so shares sit in the platform's name — faster to set up but you don't get a direct holding on the ASX registry.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN for direct ASX ownership
- ›You trade ASX frequently and can offset the $20/month platform fee with the 0.03% brokerage
- ›You need conditional, stop-loss and limit orders for more sophisticated trade execution
- ›You want DRP (dividend reinvestment) to automatically reinvest your ASX dividends
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform alongside the mobile apps
- ›You want zero monthly fees and brokerage from just $2 on ASX trades
- ›You want to buy US stocks and ETFs with fractional shares from as little as $2 USD brokerage
- ›You want to automate regular investments with multiple DCA rules
- ›You want free real-time ASX market data without paying extra
- ›You want a lower minimum deposit of $100 to get started
Where they differ
| Fact | Marketech Focus | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes (individual HIN) | No (custodian model) |
| Monthly platform fee | $20/month | $0/month |
| US shares | Not supported | Supported (with fractional shares) |
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $5 or 0.03% | $2 or 0.0001% |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Available (multiple rules) |
Choose Marketech Focus if CHESS ownership matters; choose Superhero for low fees, US stocks and auto-investing.
Common questions
How do Marketech Focus and Superhero compare on chess sponsorship?
Marketech Focus: Yes (individual HIN). Superhero: No (custodian model). Marketech Focus gives you direct ASX ownership; Superhero holds shares on your behalf.
How do Marketech Focus and Superhero compare on monthly platform fee?
Marketech Focus: $20/month. Superhero: $0/month. Marketech Focus charges a flat fee regardless of activity; Superhero is free.
How do Marketech Focus and Superhero compare on us shares?
Marketech Focus: Not supported. Superhero: Supported (with fractional shares). Superhero offers US stocks and ETFs; Marketech Focus is ASX-only.
When is Marketech Focus the better choice over Superhero?
Pick Marketech Focus if you want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN for direct ASX ownership; you trade ASX frequently and can offset the $20/month platform fee with the 0.03% brokerage; you need conditional, stop-loss and limit orders for more sophisticated trade execution; or you want DRP (dividend reinvestment) to automatically reinvest your ASX dividends.
When is Superhero the better choice over Marketech Focus?
Pick Superhero if you want zero monthly fees and brokerage from just $2 on ASX trades; you want to buy US stocks and ETFs with fractional shares from as little as $2 USD brokerage; you want to automate regular investments with multiple DCA rules; or you want free real-time ASX market data without paying extra.
Marketech Focus or Superhero — what's the verdict?
Choose Marketech Focus if CHESS ownership matters; choose Superhero for low fees, US stocks and auto-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 | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | — | No |
| 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 | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $20/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $2 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 3% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $16,667 | $20,000 |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$2 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| 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 | Superhero Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 430,150 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,020 |
| Parent / ownership | Australian-owned private company; AFSL backing from Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd; trade execution via OpenMarkets Australia Limited | Independent (founder-controlled). Previously merged into Swyftx in 2022; demerger completed December 2022 returning ownership to co-founders John Winters and Wayne Baskin. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $100 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (to Macquarie CMA), Direct credit | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (via Macquarie CMA) | 1-3 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 | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | — | SMS |
| Customer support channels | email, support portal | email, in-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | — | Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm AEST |
| Education content | basic articles | basic |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | — |
| 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 | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |