SelfWealth vs Sharesies
The biggest difference between SelfWealth and Sharesies is how you pay for trades and whether you own your HIN. SelfWealth charges a flat $9.50 per ASX trade and is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you hold your own HIN. Sharesies uses a custodian model with no HIN and charges a percentage-based fee (0.019%, capped at $6) or a monthly subscription — great for small trades but you don't directly own the shares on the ASX register.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN so shares are held in your name on the ASX register
- ›You trade larger parcels where a flat $9.50 works out cheaper than Sharesies' percentage model
- ›You need joint, company, trust, or SMSF account types — Sharesies only offers individual and kids accounts
- ›You want to transfer your portfolio to another broker without a $50 off-market transfer fee (SelfWealth charges $27.50)
- ›You prefer a straightforward flat-fee structure without worrying about monthly plan caps or tiered pricing
- ›You trade small amounts regularly — Sharesies' 0.019% fee (capped at $6) is far cheaper than SelfWealth's $9.50 minimum
- ›You want to buy fractional shares in ASX or US stocks, which SelfWealth doesn't offer
- ›You want a built-in CGT calculator and distribution component breakdown for tax time — SelfWealth lacks both
- ›You want to start with as little as $1 and use card deposits, PayID, or OSKO
- ›You invest in NZ shares — Sharesies supports the NZ market, SelfWealth doesn't
Where they differ
| Fact | SelfWealth | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship model | Mixed (individual HIN available) | Custodian (no individual HIN) |
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.50 flat | 0.019% (capped at $6) |
| Fractional shares | Not supported | Supported on ASX and US |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF, kids | Individual and kids only |
| CGT calculator / report | Not available | Built-in |
Choose SelfWealth for CHESS ownership and flat fees; choose Sharesies for micro-investing, fractional shares, and tax reporting.
Common questions
How do SelfWealth and Sharesies compare on chess sponsorship model?
SelfWealth: Mixed (individual HIN available). Sharesies: Custodian (no individual HIN). SelfWealth lets you hold shares in your own name; Sharesies holds them on your behalf.
How do SelfWealth and Sharesies compare on asx brokerage minimum?
SelfWealth: $9.50 flat. Sharesies: 0.019% (capped at $6). Sharesies is cheaper for small trades; SelfWealth is cheaper for large ones.
How do SelfWealth and Sharesies compare on fractional shares?
SelfWealth: Not supported. Sharesies: Supported on ASX and US. Sharesies lets you buy dollar amounts rather than whole shares.
When is SelfWealth the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick SelfWealth if you want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN so shares are held in your name on the ASX register; you trade larger parcels where a flat $9.50 works out cheaper than Sharesies' percentage model; you need joint, company, trust, or SMSF account types — Sharesies only offers individual and kids accounts; or you want to transfer your portfolio to another broker without a $50 off-market transfer fee (SelfWealth charges $27.50).
When is Sharesies the better choice over SelfWealth?
Pick Sharesies if you trade small amounts regularly — Sharesies' 0.019% fee (capped at $6) is far cheaper than SelfWealth's $9.50 minimum; you want to buy fractional shares in ASX or US stocks, which SelfWealth doesn't offer; you want a built-in CGT calculator and distribution component breakdown for tax time — SelfWealth lacks both; or you want to start with as little as $1 and use card deposits, PayID, or OSKO.
SelfWealth or Sharesies — what's the verdict?
Choose SelfWealth for CHESS ownership and flat fees; choose Sharesies for micro-investing, fractional shares, and tax reporting.
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 | SelfWealth | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | HK | NZ |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 60% | 0.6% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | — | 0.6% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $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 | $9.5 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $315.79 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Selfwealth Premium subscribers ($29/month or $240/year) receive 10 complimentary trades annually; otherwise no free-trade conditions. | 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$9.5 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 1.9% |
| 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 | $27.5 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | SelfWealth Pty Ltd | Sharesies Australia Limited |
| AFSL number | 421,789 | 529,893 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,021 |
| Parent / ownership | Syfe (Svava Pte Ltd, Singapore) | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $1 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $1 |
| Deposit methods | OSKO, BPAY, EFT/bank transfer | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 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 | authenticator app | authenticator_app |
| Customer support channels | live chat, email, phone | email, in_app |
| Support hours (AU time) | 10am-4pm AET, Monday-Friday (closed public holidays) | 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 |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | multiple_assets |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |