SelfWealth vs Superhero
The biggest practical difference between SelfWealth and Superhero comes down to ownership structure. SelfWealth is CHESS-sponsored, meaning you get your own HIN and shares are registered in your name. Superhero uses a custodian model, so shares are held in the platform's name — you're a beneficiary, not the legal owner. That distinction ripples through fees, features, and who should use each platform.
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship — your name on the ASX register, not the platform's
- ›You trade ASX stocks regularly and can justify the $9.50 brokerage (or $29/month Premium for 10 free trades)
- ›You need joint accounts, trust structures, or SMSF accounts with full legal ownership of shares
- ›You want DRP (dividend reinvestment) and after-hours trading capabilities
- ›You're comfortable with a $500 minimum deposit and don't need fractional US shares
- ›You want the lowest possible ASX brokerage — $2 per trade up to $20,000
- ›You want fractional US shares (buy a slice of a US stock for as little as $100)
- ›You prefer a tiny FX spread of 0.005% on US trades (Superhero is significantly cheaper than SelfWealth's 0.6%)
- ›You want a lower minimum deposit of $100 and free real-time ASX market data
- ›You're happy with a custodian model and don't need DRP, joint accounts, or after-hours trading
Where they differ
| Fact | SelfWealth | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $9.50 flat | $2 flat (up to $20,000, then 0.01%) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes — individual HIN provided | No — custodian model |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.005% |
| Fractional US shares | Not supported | Supported |
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $100 |
Choose SelfWealth if CHESS ownership matters; choose Superhero if rock-bottom fees and fractional US shares are your priority.
Common questions
How do SelfWealth and Superhero compare on asx brokerage?
SelfWealth: $9.50 flat. Superhero: $2 flat (up to $20,000, then 0.01%).
How do SelfWealth and Superhero compare on chess sponsorship?
SelfWealth: Yes — individual HIN provided. Superhero: No — custodian model.
How do SelfWealth and Superhero compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
SelfWealth: 0.6%. Superhero: 0.005%.
When is SelfWealth the better choice over Superhero?
Pick SelfWealth if you want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship — your name on the ASX register, not the platform's; you trade ASX stocks regularly and can justify the $9.50 brokerage (or $29/month Premium for 10 free trades); you need joint accounts, trust structures, or SMSF accounts with full legal ownership of shares; or you want DRP (dividend reinvestment) and after-hours trading capabilities.
When is Superhero the better choice over SelfWealth?
Pick Superhero if you want the lowest possible ASX brokerage — $2 per trade up to $20,000; you want fractional US shares (buy a slice of a US stock for as little as $100); you prefer a tiny FX spread of 0.005% on US trades (Superhero is significantly cheaper than SelfWealth's 0.6%); or you want a lower minimum deposit of $100 and free real-time ASX market data.
SelfWealth or Superhero — what's the verdict?
Choose SelfWealth if CHESS ownership matters; choose Superhero if rock-bottom fees and fractional US shares are your priority.
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 | Superhero |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 60% | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.5 | $2 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $20,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Selfwealth Premium subscribers ($29/month or $240/year) receive 10 complimentary trades annually; otherwise no free-trade conditions. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$9.5 | 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 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $27.5 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | SelfWealth Pty Ltd | Superhero Securities Limited |
| AFSL number | 421,789 | 430,150 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,020 |
| Parent / ownership | Syfe (Svava Pte Ltd, Singapore) | 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 | $500 | $100 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $100 |
| Deposit methods | OSKO, BPAY, EFT/bank transfer | PayID, BPAY, bank transfer |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-3 business days |
| 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 | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS |
| Customer support channels | live chat, email, phone | email, in-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 10am-4pm AET, Monday-Friday (closed public holidays) | Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm AEST |
| Education content | basic articles | basic |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | No | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |