7 CommSec alternatives for investors
Searching for a reliable and easy-to-use investing platform? Learn about some alternatives to CommSec below and decide which platform is right for you.
- Stake offers $3 brokerage for all trades up to $30k
- Access 12,000+ shares and ETFs across ASX and Wall St
- Sign up and deposit within 24 hours to claim A$10 and/or a bonus U.S. stock. T&Cs apply.
Alternatives to CommSec
How do the CommSec alternatives compare
Each CommSec alternative had the following comparative considerations: brokerage fees, CHESS sponsorship, which markets they have available, accessibility and minimum investment requirements.
Stake
Stake is a powerful, intuitive investing platform that provides Australians with a seamless stock trading experience. Easily access Australian stocks (Stake AUS) and U.S. shares (Stake Wall St) on one easy-to-use platform that 500k+ investors trust.
Simple, transparent brokerage fees of just $3 (on trades up to $30k) help explain why Stake recently won Canstar’s 2023 Online Share Trading Award for Outstanding Value – Trader.
It only takes a few minutes to sign up and gain access to 12,000+ Australian and Wall St securities. Plus, Stake users can claim a bonus U.S. stock (Stake Wall St) and/or A$10 trading credit (Stake AUS) with their first deposit. T&Cs apply.
- CHESS-sponsored: Yes
- Brokerage fees: $3 brokerage for all trades up to $30,000. 0.01% on trades above $30,000 (AUD for Stake AUS, USD for Stake Wall St)
- Markets/Instruments available: Australian and U.S. markets available for shares, ETFs, OTC stocks, hybrid securities and bonds
- Accessibility: Web, mobile and tablet
- Minimum investment: US$10 for U.S. shares and A$500 for initial Australian investments as per the ASX Minimum Marketable Parcel
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs CommSec
Superhero
SuSuperhero is an online investing platform in Australia known for affordable brokerage and access to 9,000+ securities across U.S. and Australian markets. Touting a user-friendly interface and competitive pricing, Superhero aims to simplify investing and make markets accessible to a wide range of experience levels.
Superhero operates on a low-cost fee structure, with brokerage fees at A$2 for AUS or US$2 for Wall St (0.01% of trade value for trades over $20k for both markets). Superhero is not CHESS-sponsored, which means shares are not held under a user’s individual HIN but rather on their behalf by Superher
- CHESS-sponsored: No
- Brokerage fees: $2 for AUS or US$2 for Wall St(0.01% of trade value for trades over $20k for both markets).
- Markets/instruments available: Australian and U.S. markets available for shares and ETFs
- Accessibility: Web, mobile and tablet
- Minimum investment: US$10 for U.S. shares and A$10 for ASX shares
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs Superhero
Selfwealth
Selfwealth is an Australian-owned and operated investing platform founded in 2012. The platform aims to empower everyday Australians to navigate various markets in Australia and abroad.
Selfwealth operates on a flat-fee brokerage model regardless of the trade size. Their fixed brokerage fee of $9.50 per trade allows users to invest with clarity across Australian, U.S., and Hong Kong markets.
The platform boasts 129k+ Australian users and is currently listed on the ASX ($SWF).
- CHESS-sponsored: Yes
- Brokerage fees: A$9.50 for Australian securities, US$9.50 for U.S. securities and HK$88 for Hong Kong securities
- Markets/instruments available: Australian, U.S. and Hong Kong markets available
- Accessibility: Web, mobile and tablet
- Minimum investment: US$25 for U.S. securities. A$500 for initial Australian investments as per the ASX Minimum Marketable Parcel
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs Selfwealth
CMC Markets
CMC Markets is a UK-based financial services company that offers stock investing, CFD trading and advanced trading mechanics and toolkits for experienced investors. They have a strong global presence with offices in the UK, Australia, North America and Canada.
CMC Markets offers a comprehensive range of stock market exposure across U.S., UK, Canadian, Japanese and European markets. They also support CFD trading on 10k+ products including Forex, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities, Shares, ETFs and Treasuries.
- CHESS-sponsored: Yes
- Brokerage fees: $0 on first buy order on the ASX up to A$1,000 (limited to one trade/day), A$11 or 0.1% for subsequent orders. $0 brokerage for U.S, UK, Japanese and Canadian securities. $59.95 or 0.59% brokerage (whichever is greater) for Hong Kong and European markets (HKD and EUR respectively).
- Markets/instruments available: Australian, UK, US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Denmark and Sweden stock markets available. Managed funds, options, CFDs and warrants are also available.
- Accessibility: Web, mobile and tablet
- Minimum investment: A$500 for initial Australian investments as per the ASX Minimum Marketable Parcel and A$1,000 equivalent order size for international trades
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs CMC Markets
eToro
eToro is a social trading and multi-asset investing platform that provides investors with access to shares, forex, cryptocurrencies and commodities with competitive brokerage fees. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, eToro has established offices in the UK, U.S., Cyprus and Australia.
Starting out with simple Forex and CFD trading options – eToro has since branched out to offer additional financial instruments including stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies. Combining traditional investing with social networking eToro allows users to interact with, follow and automatically replicate the trading behaviours of other users of the platform in real-time.
- CHESS-sponsored: No
- Brokerage fees: $0 (fees may apply on bid/ask market spread, FX conversions, withdrawal and inactivity fees)
- Markets/instruments available: Australian, U.S., UK and European stock exchanges available. Cryptocurrencies and CFDs are also available.
- Accessibility: Web, mobile and tablet
- Minimum investment: US$10
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs eToro
Pearler
Pearler is an Australian-owned investing app with a strong focus on simplifying long-term investing for its users. The platform provides access to shares and ETFs across Australian and U.S. markets.
The platform charges a flat, low-cost fee of A$6.50 for all ASX and U.S. trades and provides access to 6,000+ securities across both markets. Pearler offers alternative investing tools including micro-investing and family-based investing accounts.
- CHESS-sponsored: Yes
- Brokerage fees: A$6.50 (or A$5.50 with prepay) for Australian shares and A$6.50 for U.S. securities
- Available markets/instruments: Australian and U.S. stock exchanges available. Micro-investing and family-based investing (Headstart) accounts are also available.
- Accessibility: Web, mobile and tablet
- Minimum investment: A$500 for initial Australian investments as per the ASX Minimum Marketable Parcel
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs Pearler
nabtrade
nabtrade is an online investing platform in Australia from the National Australia Bank (NAB) offering individuals and businesses a diverse range of financial instruments. Users can access 10k+ shares, ETFs, bonds, managed funds and more across Australian, U.S., UK, German and Hong Kong markets.
Brokerage fees start at A$9.95 for domestic and international trades up to $1,000. nabtrade equips the security and reliability of an established financial institution with the convenience and flexibility of an online trading platform to offer Australians a secure investing platform. Learn more about the differences between CommSec vs nabtrade.
- CHESS-sponsored: Yes
- Brokerage fee: A$9.95 brokerage on trades up to A$1,000 or 0.11% for trades over A$20,000
- Markets/instruments available: Australian, U.S., UK, Germany and Hong Kong share markets available. Capital raises, options, warrants and hybrids are also available
- Accessibility: Web, mobile, tablet and over-the-phone
- Minimum investment: A$500 for initial Australian investments as per the ASX Minimum Marketable Parcel
✅ Learn more in our comparison guide: Stake vs nabtrade
Which CommSec alternative should you use?
When comparing alternatives to CommSec, it's important to identify the platform features that align with your specific investing goals and current financial circumstances. Share trading carries risk and you are always encouraged to conduct your own research before investing.
Stake could be considered a great alternative to CommSec if you are looking for an affordable investing platform with accessible features and a slick user interface. Here are a few reasons why 500k+ investors choose Stake:
- Simple, transparent brokerage fees of $3 on any trade up to $30,000 instead of $5-$29.95 (for CommSec trades up to $25,000).
- Own a slice of the world’s biggest companies like Tesla and Apple from just US$10 with fractional shares.
- A seamless, easy-to-use investing platform, whether you’re a starter or a pro.
✅ If you've made the decision to start investing with Stake, sign up here.
How Stake compares at a glance
See how different investing platforms stack up
Platform |  | CommSec | Superhero | Selfwealth | CMC Markets | eToro | Pearler | nabtrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AU brokerage fee (AUD) | $3 (trades up to $30k) | With CDIA: $5.00-$29.95 up to 0.12% (over $25,000) | $2 or 0.01% over $20k | $9.50 | $0 first buy order up to $1,000 | $0 | $6.50 | $9.95-$19.95 (trades up to $20k) |
U.S. brokerage fee (USD) | $3 (trades up to $30k) | $5.00 | $2 or 0.01% over $20k | $9.50 | $0 | $0 | $6.50 | $9.95-$19.95 (trades up to $20k) |
CHESS- sponsored? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sign-up offer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last updated 29 May 2024. The information displayed is not exhaustive and is subject to changes. For up-to-date competitor pricing and product offerings, visit their website. See full pricing details for Stake.
Get rewarded when you sign up
Kickstart your portfolio with a bang. Simply signup and fund a new account and you’ll be rewarded with a full U.S. share (Stake Wall St) and/or A$10 trading credit (Stake AUS). Do both, get both!
Sign up now1000's of 5-star reviews
As a former commsec user, I love how easy the app is to navigate and with ASX now available switching between markets is easy.
I've never written an App review before, but Stake really has continued to wow me.
I started using Stake for US trading, and recently (very easily) transferred my ASX portfolio across to utilise the cheap trades.
Switched from nabtrade. Much better experience. Far cheaper.
A well designed and easy to use app to trade on the USA and AUS markets.
FAQs on CommSec Alternatives
CommSec is a well-established and respected investing platform that has been operating since 1997. The platform has unique strengths and features that investors should always take into consideration.
There are many alternatives to CommSec that offer more competitive brokerage fees. However, it's important to note that CommSec also offers a range of available markets, products and tools that can be beneficial for advanced investors seeking complex insights and analysis.
You should always conduct your own research and decide on the platform that best suits your investing goals and current financial circumstances.
When comparing CommSec and nabtrade, it's important to consider the specific features and offerings that align with your investing needs. Both platforms offer international share markets with brokerage fees ranging from A$5 - 0.12% for ASX trades and US$5 - 0.12% for international trades.
Ultimately, the answer to which platform is better depends on your individual investment goals. We recommend you identify the features that resonate with your financial situation. This could include fees, available products, user interface or customer support channels.
When comparing CommSec and Selfwealth, it's important to consider the specific features and offerings that align with your investing needs. Both platforms offer international share markets with brokerage fees ranging from A$5 - 0.12% for ASX trades and US$5 - 0.12% for international trades.
Ultimately, the answer to which platform is more suitable is dependent on your individual investment goals and financial circumstances. It's recommended to identify the most important features to you, this may include available financial instruments, market availability, customer support channels, brokerage fees etc.
When comparing CommSec and CMC Markets, it's important to consider the specific features and offerings that align with your investing needs. Both platforms offer international stock markets and financial instruments with brokerage ranging from $0 - 0.12% on ASX trades and $0 - 0.12% for international trades. Each platform has its own pros and cons that can impact your individual investing experience.
Ultimately, the answer to which platform is better depends on your own investment goals and priorities. It's recommended to identify and discover the features that matter the most to you. These could be related to brokerage fees, access to multiple stock exchanges, research tools, advanced charting etc.
Curious to see how Stake stacks up against other investment platforms? Have a look at the comparisons below to help you identify and decide the platform that’s right for you.