Share Trading comparison
Pearler vs Stake
Pearler and Stake both let you trade ASX and US shares from Australia, but they take very different approaches. Pearler is built for long-term, hands-off investors with auto-invest and CHESS-sponsored holdings. Stake is a lower-cost, more active trader's platform with cheaper brokerage, real-time data, and after-hours US trading — but it uses a custodian model for US shares and lacks auto-invest.
Choose
Pearler
if…
- ›You want to set-and-forget with auto-invest and dividend reinvestment (DRP) — Pearler has both, Stake has neither
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN for ASX holdings, giving you direct ownership on the registry
- ›You need joint accounts, kids/minor accounts, or managed fund access — Stake doesn't offer these
- ›You want to buy US stocks with a tighter FX spread (0.5% vs Stake's 0.55%) and don't need a USD account
Choose
Stake
if…
- ›You want cheaper ASX trades — Stake charges $3 brokerage vs Pearler's $6.50
- ›You want cheaper US trades — Stake charges $3 USD vs Pearler's $6.50 USD
- ›You want after-hours US trading, real-time market data, and free research reports — Pearler charges for data and doesn't offer extended hours
- ›You want to hold USD in a separate account and use the currency switch trick to avoid FX on round-trips
- ›You want a CGT calculator built in and stop-loss orders for active trading
Where they differ
| Fact | Pearler | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $6.50 | $3.00 |
| US brokerage | $6.50 USD | $3.00 USD |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes (with rebalancing) | No |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes (individual HIN) | Mixed — CHESS for ASX, custodian for US |
| USD account | No | Yes |
Verdict
Choose Pearler for hands-off, long-term investing with CHESS sponsorship; choose Stake for cheaper trades and active US trading.
Cost calculator
What would Pearler vs Stake 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 | Pearler | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | 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 States | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 0.55% |
| Holds USD account | No | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | Yes |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| 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 | $6.5 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $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$6.5 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $0 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Pearler Investments Pty Ltd | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 337,927 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 2,018 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately held (founder-led); backed by investors including AfterWork Ventures | 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 | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $20 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, Osko, Bank transfer, PayTo (direct debit replacement) | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 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 | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator_app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | email, phone, in-app | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AET | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | video_and_courses | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | No | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | rebalancing | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | Yes |