Finder Investment Awards 2021

Selfwealth's comprehensive research tools and low flat brokerage fee for CHESS-sponsored ASX shares make it a clear winner. With an accessible platform that offers plenty of functionality, it's an appropriate platform for both total beginners and experienced investors of Australian assets.

It's no surprise that Interactive Brokers came out on top. It has an extensive list of available markets, low brokerage fees for global assets and a low currency conversion fee for global trades. It also offers 24/7 phone and live chat support and an option of 2 platforms to suit both casual investors and advanced traders.

Interactive Brokers' extensive trading tools and investment options make it a clear winner in this category. The IB Trader Workstation features a long list of global stocks, forex, options and futures products that are ideal for experienced traders. It also offers low brokerage fees for high-frequency trading as well as a range of conditional orders so customers can optimise their trade positions.

Selfwealth takes the crown thanks to its low fees and stock research tools. Along with a low brokerage fee, it has no ongoing account subscription or inactivity fees, making it a great option for long-term investors. The platform also offers both Australian (CHESS-sponsored) and US shares and ETFs and is suitable for both beginners and experienced investors.

Sharesies is an easy-to-navigate platform making share trading accessible to total beginners. It has low minimum investment options and educational resources available to help Aussies that are just starting out. It's also the first platform to offer fractional Australian, US and New Zealand shares from as little as a few cents per investment.

eToro's $0 brokerage stock offer combined with comprehensive research tools make it a strong winner in this category. The share trading platform lets you trade US and other global stocks from your desktop or mobile and is suited to new and experienced investors. It also offers educational and social resources such as webinars, chat forums and a demo account for practice.

Superhero is the clear winner when it comes to low-cost trading. It has no subscription or inactivity fees and charges just $5 per trade for ASX stocks, $0 brokerage for ETF purchase orders and $0 brokerage for US stocks. These fees are the lowest on the market for Australian and US stock trading. It also has a low foreign exchange fee for US investments and no additional fees to access live stock prices or conditional orders.

CMC Markets is a low-cost global share trading platform that is suitable for new and experienced investors. It has a wide availability of products and assets including global stocks, ETFs, mFunds, forex, CFDs, options and margin trading. The research tools like technical analysis charts, news feeds and company announcements make this platform stand out as a great all-rounder.