The best share trading platforms of 2022

Best share trading platforms in Australia

These are the 10 best trading platforms of 2022 according to the latest information:

1. Best overall broker: CMC Markets
2. Best low-cost broker: Superhero
3. Best for US stocks: eToro
4. Best for Australian share trading: SelfWealth
5. Best for international share trading: Interactive Brokers Australia
6. Best for beginners: Sharesies
7. Best for active traders: Interactive Brokers
8. Best for ETFs: Superhero
9. Best for long-term investing: SelfWealth
10. Best for penny stocks: Interactive Brokers

Retail activity in the share market soared during lockdowns and the habit seems to have stuck as we head into 2022. But with literally dozens of share trading apps, how do you know which one to choose?

Picking a share trading platform is about more than just the fees.

In fact, the best platform for you will depend on how often you trade, which markets you're investing in and how experienced you are.

To make it easier for you, we've compared some of Australia's top share trading platforms by looking at fees, features and available products. To get the best results, we compared 39 different features, including fees structures, support options, trading tools and range of markets.

How did we pick this list?

We use a proprietary algorithm that calculates the ranking of our share trading platforms based on fees, features, available markets and user experience. Bear in mind that the brokers displayed on this page may not always be the best for you and you're encouraged to compare for yourself. Although we work hard to track and compare each and every broker in Australia, this may not always be the case.

For more information about how we calculated our categories, head to our share trading ranking page.

1. CMC Markets Invest

Best overall broker

• Zero brokerage global share trading
• Low brokerage fees for ASX CHESS-sponsored share trading
• No inactivity fee or account fees for basic account
• Suitable for new investors and advanced traders

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CMC Markets offers extensive features and options to suit all traders, including CHESS-sponsored Australian shares, global shares and currencies. You also get extensive trading tools such as advanced technical charts, stock watchlists and conditional orders.

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2. Superhero share trading

Best low-cost broker

• Lowest brokerage fees for active or inactive traders
• Zero brokerage ETF investing
• No inactivity fee
• No account or subscription fees

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Superhero's share trading platform offers both US and Australian stocks for the lowest brokerage fees in Australia. Australian shares are $5 per trade order, US stocks are $0 per trade and ETFs cost $0 for purchase orders. The platform is available on both mobile and desktop and is user-friendly enough for beginners to get started.

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3. eToro (global stocks)

Best for US stocks

• Zero brokerage US stock trading
• Low currency conversion fee
• Fractional share trading available
• Conditional orders available

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eToro is well known for its social features that allow users to imitate the trades made by other popular traders. The platform launched US share trading in Australia in 2020 and more recently European and Hong Kong stocks. It's a top choice for US stocks thanks to its $0 brokerage fees, low currency conversion rate and trading features.

_{Disclaimer: CFD service. Capital at risk.}

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4. SelfWealth (Basic account)

Best for Australian share trading

• Stock/portfolio analysis tools
• Low flat brokerage fee for CHESS-sponsored ASX shares
• Comprehensive research tools
• No inactivity fee/subscription fee for basic account

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SelfWealth offers Australian (CHESS-sponsored) and US-listed stocks and ETFs. For Australian (ASX) share trading, the platform offers a low-cost flat brokerage of $9 per trade as well as an extensive list of research features, including portfolio and stock analysis tools, news updates and watchlists.

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5. Interactive Brokers Australia

Best for international share trading

• Stocks from 33+ countries
• Low brokerage fees for global share trading
• Low currency conversion rate
• Fractional share trading

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Interactive Brokers is ranked number 1 for international share trading thanks to its long list of global markets, cheap global brokerage fees and low currency conversion fees. It also offers a number of markets not typically available on Australian apps, including access to global bond markets and over-the-counter (OTC) small-cap stocks out of the US.

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6. Sharesies

Best for beginners

• Easy to navigate
• Low brokerage fees for Australian and global share trading
• Invest from a few cents
• Australian, NZ and US shares
• Fractional share trading

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Sharesies is an easy-to-use share trading platform that offers stocks and ETFs from Australia, New Zealand and the US. The app is great for beginners because it has no minimum investment (you can invest a few cents at a time) and low brokerage fees for local and global stock trading. There's also educational content offered through the platform and no ongoing fees to worry about.

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7. Interactive Brokers Australia

Best for active traders

• Extensive technical analysis charting tools
• Extensive research tools, including stock analysis
• News, company announcements feeds
• Margin, options, CFD, forex, trading options

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Interactive Brokers has extensive trading tools for active traders, such as advanced charting, fractional shares and a long list of conditional order options. Its brokerage fees are among the lowest on the market for Australian and global share trading, especially for high-frequency traders. Users can also trade OTC stocks.

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8. Superhero share trading

Best for ETFs

• $0 brokerage on ETFs
• Access US and Australian shares and ETFs
• No ongoing monthly or inactivity fees
• Easy-to-use platform
• $5 brokerage for Australian shares

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Superhero made waves when it launched onto the Australian scene last year thanks to its super low brokerage fees and easy-to-use design. The platform charges no brokerage fees when you invest in Australian-listed ETFs, a flat $5 brokerage fee for Australian stocks and $0 brokerage on US stocks. Because it also has no ongoing fees, this makes it a top pick for long-term and ETF investing.

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9. SelfWealth (Basic account)

Best for long-term investing

• No inactivity fees or subscription fee for basic account
• Low flat brokerage fee for infrequent stocks and ETF trades
• Extensive research tools, including stock analysis and charts
• Availability of US and Australian shares

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With no monthly subscription or inactivity fees for the standard account, SelfWealth customers can buy and sell Australian (CHESS-sponsored) and US shares for a flat $9.50 fee without worrying about ongoing costs. SelfWealth also offers portfolio tracking tools, stock recommendations, company analysis and other excellent research features.

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10. Interactive Brokers Australia

Best for penny stocks

• Stocks from 33 countries
• OTC stock trading
• Fractional investing
• Conditional orders

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Interactive Brokers is one of the few online brokers to offer OTC stock trading here in Australia. It also features advanced trading tools, global share trading and an extensive list of conditional order types.

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Name	Product	Standard brokerage fee	Inactivity fee	Markets	International
eToro (global stocks)		US$0	US$10 per month if there’s been no login for 12 months	Global shares, US shares, ETFs	Yes	Zero brokerage share trading on US, Hong Kong and European stocks with trades as low as $50. Note: This broker offers CFDs which are volatile investment products and most clients lose money trading CFDs with this provider. Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
ThinkMarkets Share Trading Exclusive		$8	No	ASX shares	No	Exclusive: Sign up through Finder and get 3 months of free trading up to 50 trades. Offer available to new customers only. Following your first three months, enjoy $8 flat fee CHESS sponsored brokerage as well as free live stock data all from the convenience of an easy-to-use mobile app	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IG Share Trading Exclusive		$5 – 8	No	ASX shares, US shares, UK shares, ETFs, and more	Yes	Exclusive: Finder customers who apply for a share trading account in June will be able to trade Aussie shares from $2.50 commission until the end of August. T&Cs apply. Enjoy some of the lowest brokerage fees on the market when trading Australian shares, international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tiger Brokers Exclusive		$6.49	No	ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs	Yes	Exclusive to Finder: Sign up to Tiger through Finder and on completion of your first deposit of any amount or transfer of shares receive 4 extra free grab shares. T&Cs apply. Get started with $0 brokerage on ASX and US stocks for the first 3 months upon completion of your first qualifying deposit. Also receive a free Apple share if you deposit $3,000 or more.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
SelfWealth (Basic account)		$9.5	No	ASX shares, US shares	Yes	Trade ASX and US shares for a flat fee of $9.50, regardless of the trade size. New customers receive free access to Community Insights with SelfWealth Premium for the first 90 days. Follow other investors and benchmark your portfolio performance.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CMC Markets Invest		$0	No	ASX shares, Global shares, mFunds, ETFs	Yes	$0 brokerage on global shares including US, UK and Japan markets. Trade up to 35,000 products, including shares, ETFs and managed funds, plus access up to 15 major global and Australian stock exchanges. Plus, buy Aussie shares for $0 brokerage up to $1,000. (Limited to one buy order per stock per trading day).	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bendigo Invest Direct		$19.95	No	ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, mFunds, ETFs, Warrants	Yes	Gain access to 12 markets from one account with Bendigo. Invest in Australian shares and access major international markets through a trusted local brand. Plus, fine tune your investment knowledge with Bendigo’s advanced research and analysis tools.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
GO Markets Share Trading		$7.70	No	ASX shares, Forex, CFDs, ETFs	No	Zero Brokerage on your next 50 trades! Simply transfer an existing HIN before 30 June and pay no fees on your next 50 transactions. Alternatively, transfer your existing shares and receive 5 transactions at zero cost for each shareholding transferred, once again up to 50 free trades. T & Cs apply	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Saxo Capital Markets (Classic account)		$5	No	ASX shares, Global shares, ETFs	Yes	Access 22,000+ stocks on 50+ exchanges worldwide Low fees for Australian and global share trading, no inactivity fees, low currency conversion fee and optimised for mobile.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bell Direct Share Trading		$15	No	ASX shares, mFunds, ETFs	No	Get $300 free brokerage until 30 June when you move to Bell Direct. T&Cs apply. Bell Direct offers a one-second placement guarantee on market-to-limit ASX orders or your trade is free, plus enjoy extensive free research reports from top financial experts.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Superhero share trading		$5	No	ASX shares, US shares, ETFs	Yes	Sign up & fund your account with A$100 or more and receive US$10 of Tesla stocks on Superhero. T&Cs apply. Enjoy $0 brokerage on US stocks and buying ETFs as well as a flat $5 fee to trade Australian shares.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Important: Share trading can be financially risky and the value of your investment can go down as well as up. Standard brokerage is the cost to purchase $1,000 or less of equities without any qualifications or special eligibility. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

With dozens of share trading platforms in Australia, it's not easy to work out which one is best suited to you

The best app for beginners is going to be different from a platform that suits active or professional traders. Meanwhile, somebody who wants to invest in Australian shares and ETFs may have no interest in currencies trading or international markets.

The fees can also change depending on how often you trade in a month, a quarter or a year. Recent Finder research found that the average share trader could save approximately $1,048 in brokerage fees a year by switching to a more suitable broker (calculated on 7 trades per month of $1,000).

It may even save money to have more than 1 platform. For example, you could have 1 app to trade US stocks, 1 for ASX shares and another for currency markets.

What's your trading style?

There are many different kinds of share traders. Once you know which category you fall into, you'll be able to more easily pick the best share trading app for you. For example, there are casual traders, active traders and long-term investors.

This will influence the features you're looking for in an online broker. From the ease of use of the system to the market research information available, it's important that the platform complements your trading needs.

Ask yourself the following questions to determine your trading style:

How often will I trade? If you buy or sell shares once or twice a month (or even less), you're a casual investor. You may want to avoid brokers that have an inactivity fee or charge higher broker fees for less frequent trades.

If you intend to buy and sell shares multiple times in a day, you're an active trader. You'd want to look for platforms that offer low brokerage for high-frequency trading and an extensive range of trading features, such as charting tools and order options.

Am I a trader or an investor? Traders try to make money from share price movements by buying and selling stocks frequently, often several times in a day or week.

Investors use the "buy and hold" strategy by targeting quality companies they think will rise over a long time frame and possibly offer dividends. They may only buy and sell a few times in a year. Investors may find the inactivity fee more important than a stock analysis feature.

For traders, a low brokerage fee and advanced features are key. They might find the stock analysis feature more important than an inactivity fee.

How will I place trades? Will you be placing all your trades online, via a mobile app or over the phone? Make sure the app offers your preferred choice. Check the fees as well.

What will I be trading? Do you want to trade Australian shares, US shares or other international markets? Some online brokers also offer other markets such as global currencies and cryptocurrencies. Depending on your priorities, you may wish to get a broker that offers all of the above or several different brokers – 1 for each market.

How much money am I trading? Do you intend to invest 1 lump sum of $5,000 into the stock market or would you prefer to make several small trades of a few hundred dollars? Brokerage fees sometimes differ depending on the amount you're buying and selling per month, per year or by trade.

How to compare online brokers

There are plenty of things you'll need to consider when looking at different platforms. Of course, it all comes down to how you're intending to use it.

Here are some of the key features to look at when comparing online share trading platforms:

• The broker fees. Almost every online trading platform will charge you a brokerage fee (also called a commission fee) when you buy or sell shares, ranging from around $10 to $30 per trade. These fees may be calculated as a percentage of the transaction amount for larger trades and may also be lower depending on how frequently you trade.
• Monthly fees. Some providers charge ongoing subscription or inactivity fees where you're charged if you make too few trades. This will especially be the case where a platform offers an extensive range of features for advanced traders.
• What can you trade? Some trading platforms will give you access to both Australian and international shares. Others will also allow you to trade currencies, indices, cryptocurrencies and much more, so look for this functionality if it's important to you.
• Ease of use. Share market trading can be complicated and often requires you to respond quickly to market changes. With this in mind, look for a platform that allows you to make fast and precise trades with minimum fuss.
• Access to market data. Does the platform offer dynamic, real-time or delayed market updates? Some platforms offer research and broker analysis on individual stocks that can come in handy.
• Order types. Consider the options available when you're buying or selling shares. Can you place orders at market and/or at limit? Are other order types such as stop/loss orders an option to add more flexibility to your trading?
• Reporting. Check the reporting tools on each platform to help you track how your trades are performing, record dividends and pass on any relevant information to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at tax time.
• Customer support. Look for phone, email and live online chat support. Does it offer customer service 24/7 if you're having trouble placing a trade?
• Education. Some platforms also feature a range of educational tools and resources, such as how-to guides and webinars, to help you get more out of your trading account.
• Security. How secure is the platform? What measures are in place to ensure the safety of your funds?

What fees will I pay to trade shares?

There are 3 main fees that commonly apply when you use online share trading platforms: brokerage fees, monthly fees and foreign exchange fees if you trade global shares.

Brokerage fees vary greatly between providers but typically start at around the $10 to $20 range. For large transactions, fees of around 0.1% and up usually apply. If you're planning on making lots of trades, you'll want to keep an eye out for a platform that offers low per-trade fees.

Some providers will not charge any monthly fees at all. However, more advanced trading platforms and those that offer premium services will often charge a monthly fee that could be as high as around $80 per month. A number of brokers will waive this fee if you perform more than a certain number of trades each month.

Finally, remember that many brokers offer different membership levels – for example, gold, silver and platinum – which offer different features and attract varying fees.

• Brokerage fees. Brokerage fees (also called commission fees) are the charges that apply to each buy and sell transaction of stocks and ETFs. They usually vary depending on the size of your buy or sell order or how often you trade.
• Ongoing fees. These apply monthly or annually, but not all providers will charge ongoing fees. This may depend on how frequently you trade. For example, inactivity fees are often charged if you don't place any trades within a certain period of time.
• Withdrawal fees. Some brokers charge a fee to withdraw money from your account.
• Foreign exchange fees. If you want to buy US or other global shares, you'll need to pay an exchange fee when you deposit money into your account to convert your Australian dollars to the applicable currency.