Share Trading comparison
Pepperstone vs Superhero
Pepperstone and Superhero aren't really competitors — they're in completely different businesses. Pepperstone is a CFD broker that doesn't offer real shares at all, while Superhero is a low-cost ASX and US share broker. If you want to own actual shares on the ASX, Superhero is your only option here.
Choose
Pepperstone
if…
- ›You want to trade CFDs on forex, indices, commodities or international markets (US, UK, Europe, Hong Kong) with leverage
- ›You need a desktop trading platform with advanced charting and order types (stop losses, conditional orders)
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, PayPal, Neteller or Skrill — Superhero only takes bank transfers, PayID and BPAY
- ›You trade 24/5 and want access to after-hours / overnight trading sessions
- ›You want a demo account to practise before risking real money
Choose
Superhero
if…
- ›You want to buy and hold actual ASX or US shares and ETFs in your own name (custodial model, but real shares)
- ›You want the cheapest ASX brokerage in Australia — $2 flat up to $20,000, then 0.01%
- ›You want to invest small amounts regularly with auto-invest / DCA (multiple frequency options)
- ›You need an Australian tax statement, CGT report and Sharesight integration at tax time
- ›You want a kids / minor account or an SMSF account — Pepperstone offers neither
Where they differ
| Fact | Pepperstone | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| What you actually buy | Share CFDs (derivatives) — you never own the underlying shares | Real shares and ETFs on ASX and US markets |
| ASX brokerage | $5 minimum + 0.07% (but ASX CFDs only) | $2 flat up to $20,000, then 0.01% |
| US brokerage | $0.02 minimum (CFDs) | $2 USD minimum (real shares) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.5% | 0.005% |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian (CFDs — no HIN possible) | Custodian (no HIN, but real shares are held on your behalf) |
Verdict
Choose Pepperstone for leveraged CFD trading; choose Superhero for cheap, real ASX and US share investing.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Pepperstone | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | — | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | No | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | US, UK, DE, FR, HK, BE, CH, DK, NO, SE, FI, IE, PT, ES, AT, AU | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 50% | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 50% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Not applicable — Pepperstone offers share CFDs only, not real shares. Clients have no entitlement to rights issues, SPPs, takeover offers or shareholder voting. Dividend adjustments are passed through as cash entries on share CFD positions (credited on longs, debited on shorts, with franking credits not passed through). | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $2 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $20,000 |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$2 |
| 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 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Pepperstone Group Limited | Superhero Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 414,530 | 430,150 |
| Year founded | 2,010 | 2,020 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately held. Majority owner FX Group Holdings (Fiona Lock, CEO Tamas Szabo and Andrew Defina) acquired the 60% stake previously held by CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) in 2018; founders Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport retain the remaining 40%. | Independent (founder-controlled). Previously merged into Swyftx in 2022; demerger completed December 2022 returning ownership to co-founders John Winters and Wayne Baskin. |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $100 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer |
| Settlement period | N/A (CFDs are not settled — positions are open derivative contracts marked-to-market continuously, with overnight swap charges in lieu of settlement) | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | Up to 2 business days for cards, PayID, BPAY and domestic bank transfer; up to 1 business day for PayPal/Neteller/Skrill. | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator | SMS |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | email, in-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 (Monday morning AEST to Saturday morning AEST), with 18 hours coverage on weekends; Melbourne-based Australian support team available during AEST business hours. | Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm AEST |
| Education content | video + courses | basic |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | No | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |