Share Trading comparison
Stake vs tastytrade
Stake and tastytrade both launched in 2017, but they serve completely different investors. Stake is an Australian broker that gives you CHESS-sponsored ASX trading plus low-cost US stocks. tastytrade is a US-based platform famous for options trading — it doesn't offer ASX shares at all. If you want to trade Australian shares, Stake is your only option here.
Choose
Stake
if…
- ›You want to buy and sell ASX shares or ETFs with CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN
- ›You need a simple AUD deposit via Osko/PayID and want to avoid international wire transfers
- ›You want fractional US shares (Stake offers them; tastytrade does not)
- ›You prefer an Australian tax statement and local business-hours support
- ›You want a low 0.55% FX spread on AUD-to-USD conversions with the ability to use the 'currency switch trick' to minimise conversion costs
Choose
tastytrade
if…
- ›You trade options — tastytrade is built for multi-leg options strategies with zero-commission US options trades
- ›You want zero US brokerage on equities and options with no minimum deposit
- ›You need a full desktop trading platform with advanced charting and conditional order types
- ›You want to try before you commit — tastytrade offers a demo account; Stake does not
- ›You trade US stocks or ETFs in size and don't need ASX access at all
Where they differ
| Fact | Stake | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| ASX trading | Yes — CHESS-sponsored with your own HIN | No — US-only broker |
| Options trading | Not supported | Core offering — zero-commission options |
| US brokerage | $3 minimum (0.01% over $30k) | $0 |
| Fractional US shares | Yes | No |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit/credit card | International wire only (no AUD deposit accounts) |
Verdict
Pick Stake for ASX and simple US investing; pick tastytrade if you're an active US options trader.
Cost calculator
What would Stake vs tastytrade 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 | Stake | tastytrade |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | mixed | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | No | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | No | 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 | United States | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | Yes |
| IPO access | — | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.55% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | Yes | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | 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. | 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 | $3 | — |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.01% | — |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $30,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | No free-trade promotion ordinarily offered; brokerage waived for 12 months on transferred ASX holdings worth A$1,000+ | Not applicable — tastytrade does not offer ASX trading. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$3 | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.01% | 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 | $0 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Stakeshop Pty Ltd | tastytrade, Inc. |
| AFSL number | 548,196 | — |
| Year founded | 2,017 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Privately held (Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd group); investors include AGL Energy's former CEO and various private investors | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | US |
| Public company status | private | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $20 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (Osko/PayID), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Debit card, Credit card | international wire (USD), ACH (US only), check (US only) |
| Settlement period | T+2 for ASX; T+1 for US | T+1 (US equities/ETFs, from May 2024) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-2 business days for AUD (Stake AUS); 2-3 US business days for USD (Stake Wall St) | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | Email, In-app chat, Help centre | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Business hours AEST/AEDT (approximately Mon-Fri); chat/email response varies | Monday-Friday, approx. 7am-5pm US Central Time = approx. 10pm-8am AET (next day). Weekend support limited. No AU business-hours coverage. |
| Education content | structured courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |