CommSec and nabtrade may be two of Australia's most popular share trading platforms, but each one has its own pros and cons depending on how you prefer to invest.
If you're tossing up between opening an account with one of the two, this guide is designed to help choose the best account for your needs. No two investors are alike, so it's important to compare the account features of CommSec and nabtrade that are most relevant to you.
For our top picks, we compared our Finder partners using a proprietary algorithm in 2023. Keep in mind that our top picks may not always be the best for you. You're encouraged to compare for yourself to find one that works for you. Read our full methodology here to find out more.
nabtrade vs CommSec features
To help you make a better informed decision, we've listed the main fees and features of CommSec and nabtrade.
$5.00 per trade up to $1,000 (with CommSec CDIA cash account)
$10.00 per trade between $1000 and $3000 (with a CommSec CDIA cash account)
$19.95 per trade between $3000 and $10,000 (with a CommSec CDIA cash account)
$29.95 per trade between $10,000 and $25,000 (with your own cash account)
0.12% of trade value for trades over $25,000
Inactivity fee: No
nabtrade
Up to $1,000 $9.95
$14.95 per trade up to $1,001 - $5,000
$19.95 per trade over $5,000 -$20,000
0.11% of trade value for trades over $20,000.00
CommSec
United States: USD$5.00 or 0.12%, whichever amount is greater
Canada: CAD$40.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands: EUR€12.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
Hong Kong: HKD$130.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
Japan: JPYÂ¥1,500 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
Norway: NOK175.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
Singapore: SGD$25.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
Sweden: SEK155.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
Switzerland: CHFâ‚£17.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
United Kingdom: GBP£12.00 or 0.40%, whichever amount is greater
FX fee: 0.60% of the trade transaction value
Inactivity fee: $25 per year
nabtrade
Free dynamic data: Latest market insights will help develop your investment strategy.
Advanced charting: Leverage nabtrade's charting tools to locate your next trading opportunity.
CommSec
Market insights: CommSec provide live share market data and reports, video tutorials, movements in stock prices and the latest market trends.
Executive interviews: Video interviews with leading industry figures discussing investment strategies and opportunities.
nabtrade
Order types: At market, limit order (with expiry date)
Global Scanner: Source strategies for both local and global stocks.
Real-time notifications: Keep up to date with any movements in share trading prices or volumes of shares traded.
CommSec
Order types: Market order, limit order (with expiry date)
Charting tools: These can help you compare stocks and assess their value.
Conditional orders: Using conditional orders can help you ensure your trades are placed even when you’re not actively assessing the market.
nabtrade
Trading Central: This provides strategic insights to help with the timing of your investments.
Wise-Owl.com: This identifies opportunities amongst ASX emerging companies.
Investing Insights: Investment newsletter, webinars, podcasts and events for nabtrade members.
CommSec
Research platform: With a diverse range of research tools and reports, you can make better informed investment decisions.
nabtrade
FAQ: nabtrade feature a comprehensive FAQ section.
Customer Care: You can contact a nabtrade customer service representative Monday-Friday 8am-8pm AEST.
CommSec
CommSec Advisory: This advisory platform helps you to increase your wealth by accessing resources and professional guidance.
Customer Care: You can contact a CommSec customer service representative Monday-Friday 8am-7pm AEST.
nabtrade
Access: Trade online with nabtrade using the IRESS Trader app- available on iOS.
Global Markets: Trade international shares across five markets, eight exchanges and over 10,000 global equities and exchange traded funds.
CommSec
Access: Manage your portfolio when you’re on the go with the free CommSec app, available on both iOS and Android.
Global Markets: Access over 25 global markets with professional stock recommendations to help you manage and diversify your portfolio.
Should you trade ASX shares with CommSec or nabtrade?
CommSec and nabtrade have features that will appeal to new and experienced share traders, but there are a few differences in their fees structures.
If you are comparing purely on price, nabtrade comes in slightly ahead, although the savings are pretty minimal. For example if you were to trade $1,000 with both brokers, you would save 5 cents in brokerage fees. Although it's worth pointing out that Commsec is running a special until the end of April where it is offering $0 brokerage for 10 trades for those who sign up with Commsec, making it for a little while the more competitively priced broker for anyone looking to sign up.
How do they compare for global share trading?
The costs for overseas share trading is quite different. For example, CommSec's broker fee for US listed stocks us is upwards of $19.95, depending on the trade amount, while all other overseas markets are $39.95 and above.
Placing a trade is a fairly similar set up on both CommSec and nabtrade, each platform offering market order or limit order trading types with optional expiry dates. The below images show what you'll see when you place a trade:
CommSec trade order screen
nabtrade order screen
Take a deeper look into the details of the CommSec and nabtrade share trading accounts. Click through the links below and take a look at our featured reviews of the two brokers.
CommSec share trading review - "With a CommSec share trading account, clients can buy shares online quickly, easily and most importantly, affordably. Whether via their browser or mobile app, CommSec clients have access to real time quotes, news and state of the art charting to help give them the competitive advantage required to succeed in the share market."
nabtrade online share trading review - "Whether you're a seasoned trader or someone who's new to the investment game, nabtrade simplifies the share trading process. The online trading platform has a user-friendly interface, comprehensive research and reporting available and a tiered service level tailored to your trading activity. Whatever type of trading you're looking to do, nabtrade can help you research, invest and optimise your trades and investments."
Compare share trading accounts
If neither CommSec or nabtrade look right for you, take a look at our guide on choosing the best online trading share trading platform or take a look at some of the brokers in the table below.
Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs and forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for the product on the provider's website.
Kylie Purcell is the senior investments editor and analyst at Finder. She has completed a Certificate of Securities and Managed Investments (RG146) and specialises in investment products including online brokers, robo-advisors, stocks and ETFs.
You may refer to our list of ASX brokers. Please take note that this service comes with a broker’s fee whenever you place a trade to buy or sell shares, so it’s worth your while to shop around for the online share trading platform that offers the lowest brokerage fees.
Which one (Nabtrade vs Commsec) is better for international share trading (Mainly US)?
Is my understanding correct that while Nabtrade offers a lower brokerage rate at $AUD 14.95/transaction, it charges a foreign currency exchange margin with every transaction.
On the other hand, it appears that CommSec opens an US account (through Pershing LLC) and conduct transaction using this US account, hence avoiding the foreign exchange margin (unless of course you transfer money from the US account to the CommSec cash account).
So while the Brokerage fee of CommSec appears higher ($US 19.95), the total cost per transaction between the two might end up being similar?
Can you please provide further insight comparing the two platforms in regards to international share trading?
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I need to sell my mothers shares. I have power of attorney. I’d like to see someone and not post the information back and forth. Who can I go to.
Hi Andrew,
Good day and thanks for your inquiry.
You may refer to our list of ASX brokers. Please take note that this service comes with a broker’s fee whenever you place a trade to buy or sell shares, so it’s worth your while to shop around for the online share trading platform that offers the lowest brokerage fees.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki
Hi : )
Which one (Nabtrade vs Commsec) is better for international share trading (Mainly US)?
Is my understanding correct that while Nabtrade offers a lower brokerage rate at $AUD 14.95/transaction, it charges a foreign currency exchange margin with every transaction.
On the other hand, it appears that CommSec opens an US account (through Pershing LLC) and conduct transaction using this US account, hence avoiding the foreign exchange margin (unless of course you transfer money from the US account to the CommSec cash account).
So while the Brokerage fee of CommSec appears higher ($US 19.95), the total cost per transaction between the two might end up being similar?
Can you please provide further insight comparing the two platforms in regards to international share trading?
Many thanks.
Max
Hi Max,
Thanks for your feedback and comment.
We’ll be writing up a case study on this however, the answer will depend on the amount the person wants to trade.
Regards,
Clarizza