Share Trading comparison
nabtrade vs Plus500
nabtrade and Plus500 are not really competitors — they serve completely different purposes. nabtrade is a full-service CHESS-sponsored broker that lets you buy and hold real ASX, US and international shares under your own HIN. Plus500 is a CFD provider: you never own the underlying asset, you're speculating on price movements with leverage. That single difference dictates everything else.
Choose
nabtrade
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold real ASX shares under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You need access to managed funds, bonds, IPOs and international markets (UK, Germany, Hong Kong)
- ›You want dividend reinvestment plans and proper CGT reports for tax time
- ›You're investing for the long term and want to own the asset, not just bet on its price
- ›You need joint, trust, SMSF or minor account options
Choose
Plus500
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs with leverage on indices, commodities, forex or crypto — not real shares
- ›You prefer a demo account to practise strategies before risking real money
- ›You want 24/7 customer support and a wider range of deposit methods including PayPal and Apple Pay
- ›You're a short-term speculator who doesn't need tax statements, CGT reports or dividend reinvestment
- ›You want zero monthly market data fees and no brokerage per trade (Plus500 makes money from the spread)
Where they differ
| Fact | nabtrade | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually own | Real shares under your HIN (CHESS-sponsored) | CFD contracts — you never own the underlying asset |
| ASX brokerage | $9.95 flat (0.11% over $20,000) | $0 commission (spread-based pricing) |
| Minimum deposit | $500 | $100 |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids/minor | Individual and company only |
| After-hours trading | Not available | Available (overnight trading on CFDs) |
Verdict
Choose nabtrade if you want to own real shares; choose Plus500 only if you want leveraged CFD speculation.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | nabtrade | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | — |
| Individual HIN | Yes | — |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 80% | 70% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 80% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| Market data fees | $19.95/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | — | Not applicable — Plus500 only offers CFDs, so users do not participate in real corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers). Dividend adjustments on share CFDs are credited/debited to positions automatically. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.95 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 11% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $20,000 | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$9.95 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 11% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $10 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | WealthHub Securities Limited | Plus500AU Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 230,704 | 417,727 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,008 |
| Parent / ownership | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) | Plus500 Ltd (UK/Israel, LSE-listed parent) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account | BPAY, Bank transfer, Credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Settlement period | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 | — |
| Withdrawal time | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks | Typically 1-3 business days; same payment method as deposit (card, bank, e-wallet). |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | SMS only |
| Customer support channels | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) | Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, Contact form |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) | 24/7 live chat, email and WhatsApp support |
| Education content | structured | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | 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 |