Sharesies vs Stake
The biggest practical difference between Sharesies and Stake comes down to ownership structure and minimums. Sharesies is a custodian model (no individual HIN) with a $1 minimum — great for tiny portfolios and kids. Stake offers CHESS-sponsored ASX trading with your own HIN, but requires a $500 minimum deposit to start.
- ›You want to start investing with as little as $1 — no minimum deposit required
- ›You want a kids / minor account to invest on behalf of children
- ›You want to buy fractional shares on the ASX (not just US stocks)
- ›You want auto-invest / DCA functionality to dollar-cost average into multiple assets automatically
- ›You want a simple subscription model where transaction fees are capped monthly
- ›You want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship for ASX-listed shares — Sharesies is a custodian
- ›You want to trade US stocks with the FX currency-switch trick to avoid the FX spread on the return leg
- ›You need company, trust, or SMSF account structures — Sharesies only offers individual and kids accounts
- ›You want free real-time market data and research reports included
- ›You plan to transfer your portfolio to another broker — Stake charges $0 for off-market transfers vs Sharesies' $50
Where they differ
| Fact | Sharesies | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage model | 1.9% capped at $6 per order (or monthly subscription plans) | $3 flat fee per trade (0.1% on trades over $30,000) |
| Minimum initial deposit | $1 | $500 |
| CHESS sponsorship / HIN | Custodian model — no individual HIN | Mixed model — individual HIN available for ASX holdings |
| Account types offered | Individual and kids accounts only | Individual, company, trust, and SMSF accounts |
| FX currency-switch trick | Not supported | Supported — convert AUD to USD at low spread then trade USD |
Choose Sharesies for micro-investing, kids accounts, and auto-invest; choose Stake for real CHESS ownership and lower US trading costs.
Common questions
How do Sharesies and Stake compare on asx brokerage model?
Sharesies: 1.9% capped at $6 per order (or monthly subscription plans). Stake: $3 flat fee per trade (0.1% on trades over $30,000). Sharesies is percentage-based but capped low; Stake is a flat $3 for most retail trades.
How do Sharesies and Stake compare on minimum initial deposit?
Sharesies: $1. Stake: $500. Sharesies has no barrier to entry; Stake requires a meaningful first deposit.
How do Sharesies and Stake compare on chess sponsorship / hin?
Sharesies: Custodian model — no individual HIN. Stake: Mixed model — individual HIN available for ASX holdings. Stake lets you hold ASX shares in your own name; Sharesies holds them on your behalf.
When is Sharesies the better choice over Stake?
Pick Sharesies if you want to start investing with as little as $1 — no minimum deposit required; you want a kids / minor account to invest on behalf of children; you want to buy fractional shares on the ASX (not just US stocks); or you want auto-invest / DCA functionality to dollar-cost average into multiple assets automatically.
When is Stake the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick Stake if you want your own HIN and CHESS sponsorship for ASX-listed shares — Sharesies is a custodian; you want to trade US stocks with the FX currency-switch trick to avoid the FX spread on the return leg; you need company, trust, or SMSF account structures — Sharesies only offers individual and kids accounts; or you want free real-time market data and research reports included.
Sharesies or Stake — what's the verdict?
Choose Sharesies for micro-investing, kids accounts, and auto-invest; choose Stake for real CHESS ownership and lower US trading costs.
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 | Sharesies | Stake |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | mixed |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | No |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | 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 | NZ | United States |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.55% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | Yes |
| 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. | Corporate actions (dividends, SPPs, rights issues, takeovers) are passed through where mandatory; Stake does not provide a DRP — investors must elect DRP directly with each company's share registry. No published per-event fee. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 1.9% | 0.01% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $315.79 | $30,000 |
| ASX 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. | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$3 |
| US brokerage percentage | 1.9% | 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 | $50 | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Sharesies Australia Limited | Stakeshop Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 529,893 | 548,196 |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) | Privately held (Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd group); investors include AGL Energy's former CEO and various private investors |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | private | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $1 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $1 | $20 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US |
| Withdrawal time | 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) | 1-2 business days for AUD (Stake AUS); 2-3 US business days for USD (Stake Wall St) |
| 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 | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator_app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | email, in_app | Email, In-app chat, Help centre |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies |
| Education content | basic_articles | structured courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple_assets | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |