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.
- ›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
- ›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) |
Choose nabtrade if you want to own real shares; choose Plus500 only if you want leveraged CFD speculation.
Common questions
How do nabtrade and Plus500 compare on what you actually own?
nabtrade: Real shares under your HIN (CHESS-sponsored). Plus500: CFD contracts — you never own the underlying asset. This is the fundamental difference between the two platforms.
How do nabtrade and Plus500 compare on asx brokerage?
nabtrade: $9.95 flat (0.11% over $20,000). Plus500: $0 commission (spread-based pricing). Plus500 has no brokerage because it doesn't trade real shares.
How do nabtrade and Plus500 compare on minimum deposit?
nabtrade: $500. Plus500: $100. Plus500 has a lower barrier to entry.
When is nabtrade the better choice over Plus500?
Pick 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; or you're investing for the long term and want to own the asset, not just bet on its price.
When is Plus500 the better choice over nabtrade?
Pick 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; or you're a short-term speculator who doesn't need tax statements, CGT reports or dividend reinvestment.
nabtrade or Plus500 — what's the 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 |