SelfWealth vs Tiger Brokers
SelfWealth and Tiger Brokers both let you trade ASX and US stocks, but they take very different paths to get there. SelfWealth is CHESS-sponsored with your own HIN, giving you direct ownership of ASX holdings — a big deal for Australian investors who want to hold shares in their own name. Tiger Brokers is cheaper on brokerage (from $3 on ASX) and offers US fractional shares and options, but its ASX trades are custodian-based, meaning you don't get a personal HIN.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN so ASX shares are registered directly in your name
- ›You need to open accounts for kids or minors — SelfWealth supports them, Tiger Brokers doesn't
- ›You prefer a flat $9.50 ASX brokerage with no percentage component, regardless of trade size
- ›You want a simple, no-frills platform without the bells and whistles of options or fractional shares
- ›You want the lowest ASX brokerage — Tiger Brokers starts at $3 (or 0.03% above $10,000) and new clients get up to 4 free trades per month
- ›You trade US stocks actively and want ultra-low US brokerage ($2 minimum) plus US fractional shares and options trading
- ›You want a demo account to practice trading before committing real money
- ›You need a desktop trading platform alongside the mobile app, plus free real-time market data
- ›You want access to Hong Kong and China A-shares markets
Where they differ
| Fact | SelfWealth | Tiger Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.50 | $3 (or 0.03% above $10,000) |
| CHESS sponsorship model | Mixed — individual HIN available | Custodian-based — no individual HIN |
| US brokerage minimum | $9.50 USD | $2 USD |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.0055% |
| Fractional shares (US) | Not supported | Supported |
Pick SelfWealth for genuine CHESS-sponsored ASX ownership; pick Tiger Brokers for cheaper trades, US options and fractional shares.
Common questions
How do SelfWealth and Tiger Brokers compare on asx brokerage minimum?
SelfWealth: $9.50. Tiger Brokers: $3 (or 0.03% above $10,000).
How do SelfWealth and Tiger Brokers compare on chess sponsorship model?
SelfWealth: Mixed — individual HIN available. Tiger Brokers: Custodian-based — no individual HIN.
How do SelfWealth and Tiger Brokers compare on us brokerage minimum?
SelfWealth: $9.50 USD. Tiger Brokers: $2 USD.
When is SelfWealth the better choice over Tiger Brokers?
Pick SelfWealth if you want CHESS sponsorship with your own HIN so ASX shares are registered directly in your name; you need to open accounts for kids or minors — SelfWealth supports them, Tiger Brokers doesn't; you prefer a flat $9.50 ASX brokerage with no percentage component, regardless of trade size; or you want a simple, no-frills platform without the bells and whistles of options or fractional shares.
When is Tiger Brokers the better choice over SelfWealth?
Pick Tiger Brokers if you want the lowest ASX brokerage — Tiger Brokers starts at $3 (or 0.03% above $10,000) and new clients get up to 4 free trades per month; you trade US stocks actively and want ultra-low US brokerage ($2 minimum) plus US fractional shares and options trading; you want a demo account to practice trading before committing real money; or you need a desktop trading platform alongside the mobile app, plus free real-time market data.
SelfWealth or Tiger Brokers — what's the verdict?
Pick SelfWealth for genuine CHESS-sponsored ASX ownership; pick Tiger Brokers for cheaper trades, US options and fractional shares.
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 | Tiger Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | chess |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| 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 | Hong Kong, China A-shares |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | — | Yes |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 60% | 0.55% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $9.5 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0.03% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | — | $10,000 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Selfwealth Premium subscribers ($29/month or $240/year) receive 10 complimentary trades annually; otherwise no free-trade conditions. | New clients receive zero-brokerage on up to 4 trades per month on ASX/US stocks, ETFs or options (minimum brokerage waived; third-party fees still apply). |
| 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 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | SelfWealth Pty Ltd | Tiger Brokers (AU) Pty Limited |
| AFSL number | 421,789 | 300,767 |
| Year founded | 2,012 | 2,020 |
| Parent / ownership | Syfe (Svava Pte Ltd, Singapore) | UP Fintech Holding Limited (NASDAQ: TIGR) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | OSKO, BPAY, EFT/bank transfer | PayID, PayTo, Bank transfer (direct credit) |
| Settlement period | T+2 | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days (Tiger review) plus bank processing; can arrive same day |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | Yes |
| Free research reports | No | — |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | live chat, email, phone | phone, email, live chat, in-app |
| Support hours (AU time) | 10am-4pm AET, Monday-Friday (closed public holidays) | Phone: 9am-5pm weekdays (AET). Live chat: 9am-8:30pm weekdays. Email: ongoing. |
| Education content | basic articles | structured courses |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple | single asset |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |