CommSec vs nabtrade

CommSec and nabtrade are two of Australia's most popular share trading platforms, but how do they actually compare on things like brokerage fees, features and available markets?

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CommSec vs nabtrade

To help you make a better informed decision, we compared CommSec and nabtrade on the following features:

• ASX brokerage fees
• International brokerage fees
• Available markets
• Trading tools
• Research and market data
• Customer support

ASX brokerage fees

This is a breakdown of CommSec and nabtrade's trading fees on ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) shares, based on different trade sizes. For the purposes of this comparison, we're comparing a CommSec account that has Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) attached.

nabtrade

• $9.95 per trade up to $1,000
• $14.95 per trade between $1,000-$5,000
• $19.95 per trade between $5,000-$20,000
• 0.11% of trade value for trades over $20,000
• Inactivity fee: No

CommSec

• $5.00 per trade up to $1,000
• $10.00 per trade between $1,000-$3,000
• $19.95 per trade between $3,000-$10,000
• $29.95 per trade between $10,000-$25,000
• 0.12% of trade value for trades over $25,000
• Inactivity fee: No

Verdict

Overall, CommSec is generally more cost effective than nabtrade on ASX trades on smaller size trades (under $3,000), while nabtrade is more cost effective on larger trades (above $10,000).

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International brokerage fees

nabtrade has one brokerage fee structure for international shares, while CommSec has variable brokerage fees based on which global market you want to trade. It's also worth noting that CommSec has a much larger range of global markets compared to nabtrade, which we'll touch on in the next section.

nabtrade

• $9.95 per trade up to $1,000
• $14.95 per trade between $1,000-$5,000
• $19.95 per trade between $5,000-$20,000
• 0.11% of trade value for trades over $20,000
• Currency conversion fee: 0.5%-0.8%

CommSec

You'll be charged either a flat fee or a percentage fee, depending on which is greater:

• United States: USD$5.00 or 0.12%
• Canada: CAD$40.00 or 0.40%
• France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands: €12.00 or 0.40%
• Hong Kong: HKD$130.00 or 0.40%
• Japan: JPY¥1,500 or 0.40%
• Norway: NOK175.00 or 0.40%
• Singapore: SGD$25.00 or 0.40%
• Sweden: SEK155.00 or 0.40%
• Switzerland: CHF₣17.00 or 0.40%
• United Kingdom: GBP£12.00 or 0.40%
• Currency conversion fee: 0.55%
• Inactivity fee: $0.00

Verdict

CommSec is likely to be more cost effective on US trades, while nabtrade should be more cost effective on UK, Hong Kong and German stocks.

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Available markets

Both nabtrade and CommSec offer CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks, but CommSec has a much larger range of international markets. nabtrade only lets you trade the US, UK, Hong Kong and German markets, while CommSec lets you trade those plus a number of other European markets as well as the Japanese, Singapore and Canadian markets.

nabtrade

Trade across 8 exchanges in the following 5 markets:

• Australia
• US
• UK
• Germany
• Hong Kong

CommSec

Trade 13 global markets:

• Australia
• US
• UK
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Sweden
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• Singapore

Verdict

CommSec is the clear winner on available markets, offering access to a range of Asian and European markets that aren't available with nabtrade.

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Trading tools and features

Both nabtrade and CommSec let you trade options and also access margin lending. Both also let you place market and limit orders, as well as conditional orders.

nabtrade

• Warrants and options
• Margin loans
• Order types: Market order, limit order (with expiry date), conditional orders (on mobile and IRESS Viewpoint)
• Watchlists
• Charting tools

CommSec

• Warrants and options
• Margin loans
• Order types: Market order, limit order (with expiry date), conditional orders
• Charting tools

Verdict

It's effectively a dead heat on trading tools with both nabtrade and CommSec offering options trading and advanced order types.

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Research and data

nabtrade

• Free ASX market streaming data
• Day ahead and technical analysis (on desktop only)
• Company research
• Education: Trading Central newsletter, webinars, podcasts and events for nabtrade members

CommSec

• ASX market streaming data (free if you make more than 8 trades or $220 in brokerage per month)
• Live share market data and reports
• Education: video tutorials, podcasts, webinars, beginner guides
• Executive interviews: video interviews with leading industry figures discussing investment strategies and opportunities

Verdict

Both platforms provide solid educational resources and research, however nabtrade offers free market data, while CommSec only offers it for free if you hit a certain minimum trade threshold each month.

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Customer support

nabtrade

• Contact methods: you can contact a nabtrade customer service representative on Monday-Friday between 8am-6pm AEDT/AEST.
• Support centre: nabtrade offer an online FAQ and help centre.

CommSec

• Contact methods: you can contact a CommSec customer service representative on Monday-Friday between 8am-6pm Sydney time, or via an online form.

Verdict

CommSec and nabtrade both offer phone support Monday to Friday, but neither offers an online or live chat function.

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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 fee structures.

In terms of ASX share trading, CommSec will likely be cheaper on trades under $3,000, while nabtrade will be cheaper for trades above $10,000.

How do they compare for global share trading?

The costs for overseas share trading are quite different. CommSec offers a much broader range of international markets (13 to nabtrade's 5) so will be a better option if you're wanting to trade certain Asian or European markets.

CommSec is also more cost effective on smaller US stock trades, while nabtrade will likely be more cost effective on German, UK and Hong Kong stocks.

In terms of currency conversion fees, CommSec has a flat 0.55% fee, while nabtrade's fee is generally between 0.50% and 0.80% of the trade transaction value.

Want to dive deeper?

Check out our in-depth reviews of CommSec and nabtrade for a more detailed analysis of the two trading platforms:

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 nor nabtrade looks right for you, take a look at our guide on choosing the best online 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.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the best broker to use in Australia?

  IG Share Trading was named the best share trading platform overall in the Finder Share Trading Platform Awards 2026.

• Does nabtrade or CommSec have inactivity fees?

  No, neither CommSec nor nabtrade charges any inactivity fees if you don't use your trading account.

• Are nabtrade or CommSec good for beginners?

  Both nabtrade and CommSec offer strong educational resources and learning tools, which may make them suitable for beginner investors.