nabtrade vs tastytrade
The biggest practical difference between nabtrade and tastytrade is that one is built for Australian investors trading ASX shares under CHESS sponsorship, while the other is a US-based platform that doesn't support ASX trading at all. nabtrade is a full-service bank-owned broker with access to ASX, US, UK, German and Hong Kong markets. tastytrade is a US options-focused broker offering zero-commission US equities and options, but you cannot buy a single ASX-listed stock on it.
- ›You want to trade ASX shares, ETFs or managed funds under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship
- ›You need a single platform for Australian, US, UK, German and Hong Kong markets
- ›You want instant withdrawals to a linked NAB account and same-business-day transfers to other Australian banks
- ›You need dividend reinvestment plans (DRP), tax statements with Australian reporting, and CGT reports
- ›You're opening an SMSF, trust, company or kids account — tastytrade doesn't support these
- ›You trade US options actively and want zero commission on US equities and options
- ›You want a desktop trading platform with advanced charting and a demo account to practice
- ›You want to avoid monthly market data fees — tastytrade charges $0 for real-time US data
- ›You trade during US market hours and don't mind support being available only overnight Australian time
- ›You're comfortable with a custodian model (no individual HIN) and don't need Australian tax statements
Where they differ
| Fact | nabtrade | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX trading | Supported — CHESS sponsored with individual HIN | Not supported at all |
| US brokerage | $9.95 USD or 0.11% (whichever is higher) | $0 USD commission |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.8% | Not disclosed — USD account held, so no ongoing FX conversion |
| Monthly market data fees | $19.95 AUD/month | $0 AUD/month |
| Account types supported | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids/minor | Individual, joint, company, trust only |
Choose nabtrade if you invest in ASX shares; choose tastytrade if you only trade US options and want zero commissions.
Common questions
How do nabtrade and tastytrade compare on asx trading?
nabtrade: Supported — CHESS sponsored with individual HIN. tastytrade: Not supported at all. tastytrade cannot trade any ASX-listed securities.
How do nabtrade and tastytrade compare on us brokerage?
nabtrade: $9.95 USD or 0.11% (whichever is higher). tastytrade: $0 USD commission. tastytrade is free for US equities and options.
How do nabtrade and tastytrade compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
nabtrade: 0.8%. tastytrade: Not disclosed — USD account held, so no ongoing FX conversion. nabtrade converts each trade; tastytrade lets you hold USD.
When is nabtrade the better choice over tastytrade?
Pick nabtrade if you want to trade ASX shares, ETFs or managed funds under your own HIN with CHESS sponsorship; you need a single platform for Australian, US, UK, German and Hong Kong markets; you want instant withdrawals to a linked NAB account and same-business-day transfers to other Australian banks; or you need dividend reinvestment plans (DRP), tax statements with Australian reporting, and CGT reports.
When is tastytrade the better choice over nabtrade?
Pick tastytrade if you trade US options actively and want zero commission on US equities and options; you want a desktop trading platform with advanced charting and a demo account to practice; you want to avoid monthly market data fees — tastytrade charges $0 for real-time US data; or you trade during US market hours and don't mind support being available only overnight Australian time.
nabtrade or tastytrade — what's the verdict?
Choose nabtrade if you invest in ASX shares; choose tastytrade if you only trade US options and want zero commissions.
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 | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 80% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 80% | — |
| 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 | — | Standard US corporate action processing applies (dividends, splits, mergers). Mandatory corporate actions are processed at no fee; voluntary corporate actions (e.g. tender offers) may incur a fee per tastytrade's fee schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.95 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 11% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $20,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | Not applicable — tastytrade does not offer ASX trading. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$9.95 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 11% | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | — | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | — |
| Off-market transfer fee | $55 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | WealthHub Securities Limited | tastytrade, Inc. |
| AFSL number | 230,704 | — |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | US |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Direct credit / EFT, BPAY, Internal transfer from linked NAB account | international wire (USD), ACH (US only), check (US only) |
| Settlement period | ASX T+2; US T+1; UK/Germany/HK T+2 | T+1 (US equities/ETFs, from May 2024) |
| Withdrawal time | Instant to linked NAB accounts; 1 business day to other Australian banks | International wire withdrawals to AU typically 3-5 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + PIN | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | Phone, Email, Secure messaging (via NAB Internet Banking) | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST/AEDT (contact centre typically 9am-5pm) | Monday-Friday, approx. 7am-5pm US Central Time = approx. 10pm-8am AET (next day). Weekend support limited. No AU business-hours coverage. |
| Education content | structured | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |