Share Trading comparison
Sharesies vs Webull
The biggest practical difference between Sharesies and Webull is ownership structure: Sharesies is a custodian model (you don't get a HIN), while Webull is CHESS-sponsored and gives you an individual HIN. That means Webull puts your ASX holdings directly on the ASX settlement system in your name, whereas Sharesies holds them in a nominee structure. Beyond that, their fee models and account types diverge sharply.
Choose
Sharesies
if…
- ›You want to invest small amounts regularly — minimum deposits and purchases start at $1
- ›You want a kids / minor account to invest for children
- ›You want fractional shares on the ASX, not just US stocks
- ›You prefer a simple pay-as-you-go or subscription fee model with no minimum brokerage
- ›You want dividend reinvestment (DRP) included at no extra transaction fee
Choose
Webull
if…
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN for direct ASX ownership
- ›You trade US stocks heavily — Webull charges $0 US brokerage and a tighter FX spread (0.005% vs 0.006%)
- ›You need a joint, company, trust or SMSF account — Sharesies doesn't offer any of these
- ›You want options trading, crypto trading, or access to Hong Kong and China A-share markets
- ›You prefer a desktop trading platform with a demo account to practice
Where they differ
| Fact | Sharesies | Webull |
|---|---|---|
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodian (no HIN) | CHESS-sponsored (individual HIN) |
| ASX brokerage (shares) | 1.9% capped at $6, or monthly plan | $1 minimum or 0.03% (whichever greater) |
| ASX ETF brokerage | Same as shares (1.9% capped $6, or plan) | $0 — completely free |
| US brokerage | 1.9% capped at US$5 | $0 |
| Account types | Individual + kids only | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF |
Verdict
Choose Sharesies for simple, small-dollar investing and kids accounts; choose Webull for CHESS ownership, free US trades, and serious account flexibility.
Cost calculator
What would Sharesies vs Webull actually cost you?
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All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | Sharesies | Webull |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | chess |
| Individual HIN | No | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| 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 | Hong Kong, China (A-shares) |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | Yes | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Crypto trading | — | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $49.99/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. | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $1 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 1.9% | 0.03% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $315.79 | $3,333 |
| 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. | ASX ETFs: $0 brokerage on all trades, no conditions. ASX shares: not free — $1 minimum or 0.03% (whichever greater). |
| 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 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $50 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Sharesies Australia Limited | Webull Securities (Australia) Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 529,893 | 536,980 |
| AUSTRAC registration | — | Yes |
| Year founded | 2,021 | 2,022 |
| Parent / ownership | Sharesies Group Limited (New Zealand) | Webull Corporation (NASDAQ: BULL), Cayman Islands holding company; originally backed by Hunan Fumi Information Technology (China) with investors including Xiaomi, General Atlantic, Coatue, Lightspeed |
| Country of incorporation | AU | Australia |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $1 | $500 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $1 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | PayID, OSKO, direct credit, card | PayTo, Bank transfer (EFT), International wire |
| 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 bank transfer; 1-5 business days for international wire |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | No | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator_app | authenticator |
| Customer support channels | email, in_app | Phone, Email, In-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 4 PM AEST | Phone: Mon-Fri 08:30-18:00 AEST/AEDT. In-app chat: advertised 24-hour. |
| Education content | basic_articles | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | — |
| 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 | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | multiple_assets | weighted |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |