Share Trading comparison
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.
Choose
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
- ›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
Choose
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%)
- ›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 |
Verdict
Choose SelfWealth if CHESS ownership matters; choose Superhero if rock-bottom fees and fractional US shares are your priority.
Cost calculator
What would SelfWealth vs Superhero actually cost you?
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 |