Sharesies vs tastytrade
Sharesies and tastytrade are both low-cost platforms, but they serve completely different investors. Sharesies lets you buy ASX and US shares with tiny dollar amounts, fractional shares, and a CHESS-like custody model — it's built for Australians who want to start small. tastytrade is a US-focused options and equities broker with zero commission on US stocks, but it doesn't support ASX trading at all and you'll need to fund it via international wire transfer.
- ›You want to invest on the ASX — tastytrade doesn't offer Australian shares at all
- ›You want to buy fractional shares in US or ASX stocks for as little as $1
- ›You want a kids' account to invest on behalf of a minor
- ›You want to auto-invest regularly with a dollar-cost averaging plan
- ›You want to deposit via PayID or OSKO and avoid international wire fees
- ›You want to trade US options — Sharesies doesn't offer options at all
- ›You want zero-commission US stock and ETF trades with no percentage fee
- ›You want a professional-grade desktop trading platform with real-time market data included
- ›You want to trade US bonds alongside equities
- ›You want a demo account to practise trading before committing real money
Where they differ
| Fact | Sharesies | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX trading | Supported (ASX shares & ETFs) | Not supported |
| US brokerage fee | 0.019% per trade (capped at US$5) | $0 per trade |
| Fractional shares | Yes (ASX & US) | No |
| Options trading | Not offered | Yes (core feature) |
| Deposit methods | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card | International wire (USD only) |
Pick Sharesies for simple, low-dollar ASX and US investing; pick tastytrade for zero-commission US options and equities.
Common questions
How do Sharesies and tastytrade compare on asx trading?
Sharesies: Supported (ASX shares & ETFs). tastytrade: Not supported.
How do Sharesies and tastytrade compare on us brokerage fee?
Sharesies: 0.019% per trade (capped at US$5). tastytrade: $0 per trade.
How do Sharesies and tastytrade compare on fractional shares?
Sharesies: Yes (ASX & US). tastytrade: No.
When is Sharesies the better choice over tastytrade?
Pick Sharesies if you want to invest on the ASX — tastytrade doesn't offer Australian shares at all; you want to buy fractional shares in US or ASX stocks for as little as $1; you want a kids' account to invest on behalf of a minor; or you want to auto-invest regularly with a dollar-cost averaging plan.
When is tastytrade the better choice over Sharesies?
Pick tastytrade if you want to trade US options — Sharesies doesn't offer options at all; you want zero-commission US stock and ETF trades with no percentage fee; you want a professional-grade desktop trading platform with real-time market data included; or you want to trade US bonds alongside equities.
Sharesies or tastytrade — what's the verdict?
Pick Sharesies for simple, low-dollar ASX and US investing; pick tastytrade for zero-commission US options and equities.
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 | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | No | Yes |
| Trust account | No | Yes |
| SMSF account | No | No |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | NZ | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | 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. | Standard US corporate action processing applies (dividends, splits, mergers). Mandatory corporate actions are processed at no fee; voluntary corporate actions (e.g. tender offers) may incur a fee per tastytrade's fee schedule. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 1.9% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $315.79 | — |
| 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. | Not applicable — tastytrade does not offer ASX trading. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 1.9% | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | — |
| Off-market transfer fee | $50 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Sharesies Australia Limited | tastytrade, Inc. |
| AFSL number | 529,893 | — |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | US |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $1 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $1 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card | international wire (USD), ACH (US only), check (US only) |
| Settlement period | T+2 ASX/NZX, T+1 US | T+1 (US equities/ETFs, from May 2024) |
| 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) | International wire withdrawals to AU typically 3-5 business days |
| 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 | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator_app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | email, in_app | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST | Monday-Friday, approx. 7am-5pm US Central Time = approx. 10pm-8am AET (next day). Weekend support limited. No AU business-hours coverage. |
| Education content | basic_articles | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple_assets | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |