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.
- ›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
- ›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 |
Choose Pearler for hands-off, long-term investing with CHESS sponsorship; choose Stake for cheaper trades and active US trading.
Common questions
How do Pearler and Stake compare on asx brokerage?
Pearler: $6.50. Stake: $3.00. Stake is less than half the price for ASX trades.
How do Pearler and Stake compare on us brokerage?
Pearler: $6.50 USD. Stake: $3.00 USD. Stake is also cheaper on US trades.
How do Pearler and Stake compare on auto-invest / dca?
Pearler: Yes (with rebalancing). Stake: No. Pearler is built for automated investing; Stake has no DCA feature.
When is Pearler the better choice over Stake?
Pick 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; or 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.
When is Stake the better choice over Pearler?
Pick 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; or you want to hold USD in a separate account and use the currency switch trick to avoid FX on round-trips.
Pearler or Stake — what's the verdict?
Choose Pearler for hands-off, long-term investing with CHESS sponsorship; choose Stake for cheaper trades and active 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 | 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 |