Australia’s “Big Four” banks often have a reputation for being virtually identical, but there are several key differences in the products and services they offer that can have a huge bearing on which bank is right for you. ANZ and Commonwealth Bank are two of the biggest players in Australia’s banking industry, each of them offering a range of transaction accounts, savings accounts and other financial products and services.
But which of these two banks is right for you? We compare ANZ and CommBank side by side to help you decide.
Meet the contenders: ANZ vs CommBank
ANZ began life as the Bank of Australasia in Sydney in 1835. Today, ANZ is one of the world’s top 50 banks, operating across more than 30 global markets and having more than 5 million customers. It provides bank accounts, home loans, credit cards and many more financial products to its customers. ANZ has around 2500 ATMS around the country, and around 700 branches.
Commonwealth Bank was established in 1911 and now boasts more than 15 million customers, making it the largest bank in Australia. CommBank has locations across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a full range of banking services to its customers, including everything from savings and transaction accounts to credit cards and mortgages. CommBank has more ATMS than ANZ with about 4,000 around the country, as well as around 1000 branches.
ANZ and CommBank deposit products compared
ANZ or Commonwealth Bank: which bank is better for your day to day banking?
Transaction accounts
If you’re looking for a no-frills transaction account to help you take care of your day-to-day banking needs, ANZ offers the Access Advantage Account and CommBank provides the Smart Access Account.
ANZ Access Advantage Account
CommBank Everyday Account Smart Access
Monthly fee
$5 (fee waived if you deposit at least $2,000 per month)
$4 (fee waived if you deposit at least $2,000 per month)
Savings accounts: High interest bonus savings accounts
Both ANZ and CommBank offer bonus savings accounts, allowing customers to earn a higher bonus interest rate when they meet some account conditions. ANZ's bonus saver account is the ANZ Progress Saver, while ComBank's bonus savings account is the Goal Saver Account.
ANZ Progress Saver
CommBank Goal Saver Account
Maximum interest rate
4.25%
p.a.
4.9%
p.a.
Standard variable rate
0.01% p.a.
0.4% p.a.
Bonus interest rate
4.24% p.a.
4.5% p.a.
Bonus interest conditions
Earn bonus interest each month you make a single deposit of $10 or more, and no withdrawals.
Earn bonus interest each month you deposit $0.01 or more and make no withdrawals.
Account-keeping fees
None
None
Minimum balance required
None
None
Linked account required
Yes - you need to link to an ANZ bank account
Yes - you need to link to a CBA bank account
Account access
Internet banking and mobile banking app
Internet banking and mobile banking app
Introductory saver accounts (honeymoon savers)
Both banks also offer an introductory saver account, too. These accounts offer a bonus interest rate for the first few months after opening the account, which is then reduced to the standard ongoing variable rate after the 'honeymoon' period is over.
ANZ Online Saver
CommBank NetBank Saver
Introductory interest rate
3.65% for the first 3 months
5.1% for the first 5 months.
Standard variable rate
1.5%
2.35%
Conditions to achieve bonus rate
New account holders will earn the bonus rate for the first 3 months. Not deposit conditions to meet.
New account holders will earn the bonus rate for the first 5 months. Not deposit conditions to meet.
Term deposits provide safe and consistent returns on the money you invest. They allow you to deposit your money for a set time period and earn a fixed interest rate, meaning your balance is guaranteed to grow by a specified amount.
Both ANZ and Commonwealth Bank offer a range of term deposit accounts with terms ranging from 30 days through to five years. The interest rates on offer vary depending on the term you choose, as you can see in the table below.
Tim Falk is a writer for Finder, writing across a diverse range of topics. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, Tim has reported on everything from travel and personal finance to pets and TV soap operas. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors.
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We are looking at ANZ progressive savings a/c versus Comm. Bank goal savers a/c .
Are these accounts available to have within a super account?.
We are retired and in pension mode. Which is best?Thanks.
Hi Elizabeth, both the ANZ Progress Saver account and the CommBank Goal Saver account are only available for personal use and cannot be opened as part of your super/SMSF.
At the moment I am signing for a loan request to build a house. I told the broker I’m taking a home loan for $ 480000. He advised me to go with Comm Bank with 3.84% interest rate. I looked at ANZ bank and the interest rate is 3.75%. Why did my broker told me to go to CommBank?
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. 😃
While I might not be able to specifically tell you why your broker chose CommbBank over ANZ, there might be other factors that he considered. He might have considered factors such as ongoing fees, application fees, features, and others.
What I can suggest is for you to directly speak to your mortgage broker and discuss your concern with him/her.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
To open a bank account, you can do this online or visit a branch near you.
You can also check our guide in opening a bank account online. On the page is a comparison table you can use to see which account suits you. If you prefer to open an online account, press the “Go to site” button of your preferred bank to get started.
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We are looking at ANZ progressive savings a/c versus Comm. Bank goal savers a/c .
Are these accounts available to have within a super account?.
We are retired and in pension mode. Which is best?Thanks.
Hi Elizabeth, both the ANZ Progress Saver account and the CommBank Goal Saver account are only available for personal use and cannot be opened as part of your super/SMSF.
At the moment I am signing for a loan request to build a house. I told the broker I’m taking a home loan for $ 480000. He advised me to go with Comm Bank with 3.84% interest rate. I looked at ANZ bank and the interest rate is 3.75%. Why did my broker told me to go to CommBank?
Hi Donna,
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. 😃
While I might not be able to specifically tell you why your broker chose CommbBank over ANZ, there might be other factors that he considered. He might have considered factors such as ongoing fees, application fees, features, and others.
What I can suggest is for you to directly speak to your mortgage broker and discuss your concern with him/her.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
I need to open a bank account – Do I need to go into the bank for this or is there an alternate way to do this?
Hi Quentin,
Thanks for getting in touch.
To open a bank account, you can do this online or visit a branch near you.
You can also check our guide in opening a bank account online. On the page is a comparison table you can use to see which account suits you. If you prefer to open an online account, press the “Go to site” button of your preferred bank to get started.
Hope this clarifies.
Regards,
Nikki