Best ASX & US Share Trading Platforms in Australia (2026)

Don’t pay Big-Four bank brokers $19.95 to $29.95 per trade. Compare CHESS-sponsored Australian brokers that issue your own personal Holder Identification Number (HIN) for $0 to $3 per ASX trade.

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Top 2 Options — Ranked & Reviewed

⭐ Editor's Choice 2026
Rank #1

Stake AUS & Wall St (CHESS-Sponsored Broker)

★4.8 / 5.0Issuer: Stake (Hellostake Limited • AFSL 548196 / FinClear CHESS)

Stake shattered the high-fee monopoly of Big-Four bank brokers (like CommSec and nabtrade) by offering full CHESS-sponsored ASX share and ETF trading for a flat $3 AUD fee on trades up to $30,000. Every Australian investor receives their own personal Holder Identification Number (HIN) registered directly with the ASX, plus seamless switching to Stake Wall St for 24-hour extended US stock and ETF trading.

Annual Fee
$0 Account Fee • Flat $3 AUD ASX Brokerage (Up to $30k)
Loan Amount
$50 AUD Minimum First ASX Trade ($0 Min Deposit)
Regular APR
CHESS-Sponsored Individual HIN (ASX) + SIPC (US)
Credit Needed
Instant PayID / Osko AUD Funding

Top Benefits

  • $3 flat CHESS-sponsored ASX fee saves 70%–90% compared to CommSec ($10–$29.95)
  • Shares are held directly in your legal name under your personal HIN, not a pooled custodian
  • Transferring an existing ASX portfolio over $1,000 unlocks $0 ASX brokerage for 12 months

Considerations

  • US Wall St currency conversion charges a 70 bps (0.70%) AUD-to-USD FX fee
  • Does not offer margin lending or ASX exchange-traded options (ETOs)
Flat $3 AUD Brokerage on All ASX Stock & ETF Trades Up to $30,000 (0.01% Above $30k)Full ASX CHESS Sponsorship with Your Own Individual HINFree Automated HIN Portfolio Transfer From CommSec, SelfWealth, or CMCIntegrated US Wall St Access with 6,000+ US Stocks, ETFs & Extended Hours Trading
⭐ Editor's Choice 2026
Rank #2

CMC Markets Invest (Australia)

★4.8 / 5.0Issuer: CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited (ASX Market Participant • AFSL 246381)

CMC Markets Stockbroking is the second-largest retail stockbroker in Australia (and powers Bank of Queensland and Bendigo Bank’s share trading platforms). Its flagship "Zero Brokerage on ASX Buys Under $1,000" policy makes it the undisputed mathematical winner for Australian ETF investors who dollar-cost average every fortnight or month: your first buy order per ASX security each trading day up to $1,000 AUD incurs $0.00 brokerage, while remaining 100% CHESS-sponsored under your own personal HIN.

Annual Fee
$0 Account Fee • $0 ASX Buy Brokerage Under $1,000/Day
Loan Amount
$11 or 0.10% on ASX Sells & Buys Over $1,000
Regular APR
CHESS-Sponsored Individual HIN (ASX Market Participant)
Credit Needed
$500 Minimum First ASX Buy Order

Top Benefits

  • Investing $500–$1,000 every payday into VAS, VGS, or IVV costs $0.00 in brokerage under your own CHESS-sponsored HIN
  • Unlike Stake ($3 flat on every buy and sell), frequent sub-$1,000 ETF buyers pay literally $0 brokerage on accumulation
  • Direct integration with Sharesight automates Australian dividend and capital gains tax reporting at EOFY

Considerations

  • Selling ASX shares (or buying more than $1,000 of a single stock in one day) costs $11 or 0.10%—compared to Stake’s flat $3 fee
  • International share trades incur a 0.60% foreign exchange conversion spread
$0 Brokerage on Your First ASX Buy Order Under $1,000 Per Stock/ETF Each Trading DayFull ASX CHESS Sponsorship With Your Own Personal Holder Identification Number (HIN)$0 Brokerage on US, UK, Japanese & Canadian International Share Trades (0.60% FX Spread)Morningstar Quantitative Research, dividend tracking & ShareSight tax integration

Direct Head-to-Head Matchups in Australia ASX & US Share Trading Platforms

Still torn between two top contenders? Inspect our side-by-side mathematical showdowns:

1v1 Showdown
Stake AUS & Wall St (CHESS-Sponsored Broker) vs CMC Markets Invest (Australia)

CHESS-Sponsored (Individual HIN) vs. Custodial Brokers in Australia

When buying Australian shares or ETFs (like VAS, VGS, or A200) on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), the most important structural question is CHESS Sponsorship:

  • CHESS-Sponsored with Individual HIN (Stake AUS, Pearler, CMC Markets, CommSec): Your shares are registered directly in your legal name on the ASX sub-register under your personal Holder Identification Number (HIN). Even if your broker went out of business tomorrow, your ASX shares remain registered directly to you via Computershare/Link Market Services, and you can participate automatically in Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRPs).
  • Flat $3 CHESS Brokerage: Stake AUS disrupted CommSec ($10–$29.95/trade) by offering full CHESS-sponsored ASX trading under your own HIN for a flat $3 AUD per trade up to $30,000.

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