Share Trading comparison
nabtrade vs Sharesies
The biggest difference between nabtrade and Sharesies is ownership structure. nabtrade is a CHESS-sponsored broker backed by NAB, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are held in your name. Sharesies is a custodian model — it buys shares in its own name and you're a beneficiary. That distinction ripples through fees, features, and who this suits.
Choose
nabtrade
if…
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship so ASX-listed shares are held directly in your name
- ›You trade larger parcels — the 0.11% brokerage (min $9.95) is cheaper than Sharesies' percentage-based fee once you're over about $500 per trade
- ›You need access to international markets beyond the US and NZ, such as the UK, Germany and Hong Kong
- ›You want a full-service offering with managed funds, bonds, IPO access and options trading
- ›You prefer the backing of a major bank with phone support and secure messaging via NAB Internet Banking
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You're starting small — no minimum deposit, trades from $0 brokerage (1.9% capped at $6), and fractional shares on both ASX and US stocks
- ›You want to automate investing with a proper auto-invest feature that supports multiple assets
- ›You trade US stocks regularly — Sharesies holds a USD account and charges just 0.006% FX spread versus nabtrade's 0.8%
- ›You want a simple app-first experience with no monthly market data fees and no inactivity fees
- ›You need a kids account with a low-cost plan ($2/month covers $500 in trades)
Where they differ
| Fact | nabtrade | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS-sponsored (own HIN) | Custodian (no HIN) |
| ASX brokerage (small trade) | $9.95 minimum | 1.9% capped at $6 |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.8% | 0.006% |
| Fractional shares | Not offered | Yes (ASX & US) |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and kids only |
Verdict
Choose nabtrade for direct CHESS ownership and larger trades; choose Sharesies for low-cost small trades, fractional shares and automated investing.
Cost calculator
What would nabtrade vs Sharesies actually cost you?
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 | nabtrade | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom (LSE), Germany (Xetra), Hong Kong (HKEx) | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 80% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 80% | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $19.95/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| 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 | $9.95 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 11% | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $20,000 | $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$9.95 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 11% | 1.9% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | WealthHub Securities Limited | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 230,704 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks | 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 | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | structured | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | 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 |