Raiz Invest vs Sharesies
Raiz is a subscription-based managed fund that invests your money into pre-built ETF portfolios, while Sharesies is a full brokerage that lets you pick individual ASX, US and NZ shares and ETFs. The biggest practical difference: Raiz bundles everything into a flat $5.50/month fee, whereas Sharesies charges 1.9% per trade (capped at $6) unless you prepay with a monthly plan. One is set-and-forget; the other is pick-your-own.
- ›You want a completely hands-off investing experience where Raiz manages the portfolio and rebalances automatically
- ›You want to invest small amounts frequently — round-ups, recurring deposits, and zero extra fees per transaction
- ›You need an SMSF account or a simple way to invest for a minor without opening a separate brokerage
- ›You dislike per-trade costs and prefer a predictable monthly subscription that covers all ASX ETF trading
- ›You want to buy and sell individual ASX shares, US stocks, or NZ stocks — not just managed ETF portfolios
- ›You want direct US shares and US ETFs with fractional trading, plus a USD account to hold currency
- ›You want more trading control — limit orders, stop losses, conditional orders, and after-hours trading
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your holdings, which Raiz doesn't offer
- ›You prefer pay-as-you-go pricing or a low monthly plan ($5/mo) rather than a flat $5.50/mo fee regardless of activity
Where they differ
| Fact | Raiz Invest | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| Fee model | $5.50/month flat (no per-trade costs) | 1.9% per trade (capped at $6) or monthly plans from $5/mo |
| Investment type | Managed ETF portfolios only | Individual ASX, US & NZ shares, ETFs, and fractional shares |
| US stocks | Not supported | Supported (with USD account and fractional shares) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian (no HIN) | Custodian (no HIN) |
| Minimum to start | $5 | $1 |
Pick Raiz for effortless, hands-off ETF investing; pick Sharesies if you want to choose your own stocks and markets.
Common questions
How do Raiz Invest and Sharesies compare on fee model?
Raiz Invest: $5.50/month flat (no per-trade costs). Sharesies: 1.9% per trade (capped at $6) or monthly plans from $5/mo. Raiz is cheaper for frequent small trades; Sharesies is cheaper if you trade rarely or only a few times.
How do Raiz Invest and Sharesies compare on investment type?
Raiz Invest: Managed ETF portfolios only. Sharesies: Individual ASX, US & NZ shares, ETFs, and fractional shares. Raiz is a fund; Sharesies is a brokerage — you can pick stocks.
How do Raiz Invest and Sharesies compare on us stocks?
Raiz Invest: Not supported. Sharesies: Supported (with USD account and fractional shares). Sharesies gives access to the US market; Raiz does not.
When is Raiz Invest the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick Raiz Invest if you want a completely hands-off investing experience where Raiz manages the portfolio and rebalances automatically; you want to invest small amounts frequently — round-ups, recurring deposits, and zero extra fees per transaction; you need an SMSF account or a simple way to invest for a minor without opening a separate brokerage; or you dislike per-trade costs and prefer a predictable monthly subscription that covers all ASX ETF trading.
When is Sharesies the better choice over Raiz Invest?
Pick Sharesies if you want to buy and sell individual ASX shares, US stocks, or NZ stocks — not just managed ETF portfolios; you want direct US shares and US ETFs with fractional trading, plus a USD account to hold currency; you want more trading control — limit orders, stop losses, conditional orders, and after-hours trading; or you want dividend reinvestment (DRP) on your holdings, which Raiz doesn't offer.
Raiz Invest or Sharesies — what's the verdict?
Pick Raiz for effortless, hands-off ETF investing; pick Sharesies if you want to choose your own stocks and markets.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Raiz Invest | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | — | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | No | No |
| Trust account | No | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | NZ | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | — | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | — | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | — | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | No fee for receiving DRP shares ('You don't pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP'). Sharesies handles corporate actions via the Voting & Corporate Actions Policy; specific fees for rights issues, SPP, takeovers not separately listed in pricing schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $315.79 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Brokerage free across all plans — bulk ASX execution is bundled into the monthly subscription / management fee. No fees on deposits, withdrawals, or portfolio switches. | Pay-as-you-go: 1.9% per buy/sell order, capped at AU$6 for ASX, US$5 for US, NZ$25 for NZ. Monthly plans cover transaction fees on a set volume: $5/mo plan ($54/yr) covers $500 AUD buy/sell + $1,000 AUD auto-invest; $10/mo plan ($108/yr) covers $1,000 AUD buy/sell + $3,000 AUD auto-invest; $20/mo plan ($216/yr) covers $3,000 AUD buy/sell + $8,000 AUD auto-invest. Kids plan $2/mo covers $500 buy/sell + $1,000 auto-invest. Once monthly cover used up, pay-as-you-go applies. No truly free trade option. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| Monthly platform fee | $5.5/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $66/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Raiz Invest Australia Limited | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 434,776 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,016 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Raiz Invest Limited (ASX: RZI) — Australian publicly listed parent | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $5 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | bank_transfer, debit_card, round_ups, recurring_direct_debit | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX) — applies to fund trading via the underlying ETFs; member contribution settles in ~1-2 business days into the fund. | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 3-5 business days (T+2 ASX settle, then 1-3 days bank transfer) | 1-2 business days for settled funds; longer if recently sold (T+2 settlement plus 1-2 days reconciliation plus 1-2 days bank transfer) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | No |
| 2FA support | SMS | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, in_app | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm Sydney time | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST |
| Education content | basic articles | basic_articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | — | Yes |
| Limit orders | — | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | — | Yes |
| Conditional orders | — | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | weighted/rebalancing | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | — | Yes |