nabtrade vs Stake
The biggest practical difference between nabtrade and Stake is cost. Stake charges just $3 for ASX trades and near-zero FX on US shares, while nabtrade charges $9.95 minimum and 0.8% FX spread. But nabtrade is a full-service CHESS-sponsored broker backed by NAB, with options, bonds, managed funds and international markets beyond the US — Stake keeps it simpler and cheaper, focused on ASX and US stocks.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN and direct ownership of ASX shares on the registry
- ›You trade options, managed funds or bonds — none of which Stake offers
- ›You need access to UK, German or Hong Kong markets, not just Australia and the US
- ›You want a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) — Stake doesn't offer one
- ›You prefer the backing of a Big Four bank and phone-based customer support
- ›You trade frequently and want ASX brokerage at $3 and US trades at $3 with near-zero FX spread (0.0055%)
- ›You buy US fractional shares — nabtrade doesn't offer them
- ›You want free market data with no monthly fee (nabtrade charges $19.95/month)
- ›You prefer a modern app with Apple Pay, Google Pay and card deposits for fast funding
- ›You want to transfer existing ASX holdings in and get brokerage waived for 12 months
Where they differ
| Fact | nabtrade | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.95 | $3 |
| US brokerage minimum | $9.95 USD | $3 USD |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.8% | 0.0055% |
| Market data fees | $19.95/month | $0/month |
| CHESS sponsorship model | CHESS (full) | Mixed (CHESS for ASX, custodian for US) |
Choose nabtrade for full-service investing with CHESS and global markets; choose Stake for low-cost ASX and US trading.
Common questions
How do nabtrade and Stake compare on asx brokerage minimum?
nabtrade: $9.95. Stake: $3. Stake is significantly cheaper per trade for ASX.
How do nabtrade and Stake compare on us brokerage minimum?
nabtrade: $9.95 USD. Stake: $3 USD. Stake undercuts nabtrade on US trades too.
How do nabtrade and Stake compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
nabtrade: 0.8%. Stake: 0.0055%. Stake's FX is dramatically cheaper for US investing.
When is nabtrade the better choice over Stake?
Pick nabtrade if you want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN and direct ownership of ASX shares on the registry; you trade options, managed funds or bonds — none of which Stake offers; you need access to UK, German or Hong Kong markets, not just Australia and the US; or you want a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) — Stake doesn't offer one.
When is Stake the better choice over nabtrade?
Pick Stake if you trade frequently and want ASX brokerage at $3 and US trades at $3 with near-zero FX spread (0.0055%); you buy US fractional shares — nabtrade doesn't offer them; you want free market data with no monthly fee (nabtrade charges $19.95/month); or you prefer a modern app with Apple Pay, Google Pay and card deposits for fast funding.
nabtrade or Stake — what's the verdict?
Choose nabtrade for full-service investing with CHESS and global markets; choose Stake for low-cost ASX and US trading.
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 | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | mixed |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| 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) | United States |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 80% | 0.55% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 80% | — |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | Yes |
| Market data fees | $19.95/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | — | Corporate actions (dividends, SPPs, rights issues, takeovers) are passed through where mandatory; Stake does not provide a DRP — investors must elect DRP directly with each company's share registry. No published per-event fee. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.95 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 11% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $20,000 | $30,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | US$9.95 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | 11% | 0.01% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | WealthHub Securities Limited | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 230,704 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) | Privately held (Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd group); investors include AGL Energy's former CEO and various private investors |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $20 |
| Deposit methods | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks | 1-2 business days for AUD (Stake AUS); 2-3 US business days for USD (Stake Wall St) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | structured | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| 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 | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |