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Opentrader review
Check out the fees, features, pros and cons of Opentrader.
Finder's rating: 4.1/5
★★★★★
OpenTrader (the retail division of OpenMarkets) is a low-cost Sydney-based online stockbroker that offers shares, ETFs, and options trading. Brokerage fees for Australian stocks and ETFs start from $5 per trade while the fee to trade options is $25.
Along with competitive pricing, the platform features a decent selection of tools, including a stock screener, watchlists (with alerts), technical analysis charts and portfolio tracking.
AUD $5
Standard brokerage fee
ASX, Chi-X, NSX
Available markets
Phone, Email, Live chat
Support
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Details
| Type of broker |
Online |
|---|---|
| ASX products |
Shares Exchange traded options Exchange traded funds Warrants |
| Available markets |
ASX Chi-X NSX |
| Standard brokerage | AUD $5 |
| Support |
Phone Live chat |
| Fees |
★★★★★ 4.7/5 |
Opentrader is one of the lowest cost brokers on the market with brokerage fees starting from $5 per trade. |
| Trading tools |
★★★★★ 2.4/5 |
Opentrader has limited advanced trading tools and few conditional order types (limit and stop limits) but it does feature charting options for technical analysis |
| Research and education |
★★★★★ 3/5 |
There are training and education videos plus a demo account to practice on. Equities research tools such as broker analysis are limited. |
| Available securities |
★★★★★ 3/5 |
You can trade stocks, ETFs, warrants, options and XTBs. There are no CFDs/forex and no margin trading. |
| Customer support |
★★★★★ 3/5 |
You can email or phone locally-based support services; there is no live chat through the app, although you can chat via the Opentrader Facebook group. |
Note: Opentrader's final rating of 4.1 is for Australian-listed stock trading. It would get a lower score for global trading for instance, because it does not offer global stocks.
What can I trade with Opentrader?
- Equities (shares and stocks). Opentrader customers can buy and sell shares on the ASX, Chi-X and NSX exchanges.
- Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are investment funds that are listed on a stock exchange and can be bought and sold in the same way as shares. They offer an easy way for you to diversify your investment portfolio across a range of asset classes.
- Warrants. Issued by banks and other financial institutions, warrants can be traded on the ASX through your Opentrader account. There are two types of warrants available: ordinary warrants and instalment warrants.
- Exchange Traded Bond Units (XTBs). XTBs are a relatively new investment opportunity that offer the fixed income stability of corporate bonds and are available on the ASX.
- Exchange traded options (ETOs). Opentrader offers options trading of Australian equities through exchange traded options (ETOs).
Key features
Low fees
Opentrader's fees are among the lowest on the market, with brokerage per trade starting from just $5 and options trading at $25. There is also no monthly fee and no inactivity fee for the standard account.
Market data
All new Opentrader clients get access to live news, streaming data, and advanced charting for two months. Once the trial period is over, clients can either select to have the free ‘basic’ version or upgrade to the Pro Tools account ($99 per month) with all the bells and whistles.
Research and analysis
Opentrader doesn't offer personalised investment advice to customers. However the platform does have live ASX company news, historical trade data, historical dividend data as well as a Stock Screener which lets you filter stocks by industry, balance sheet, income statements and other technical and fundamental data.
Access
Opentrader is a web-based platform but also has a progressive web app that is compatible with iOS and Android and so can be used on any handheld device or tablet.
Order types
You can place limit orders and stop-limit orders on Opentrader. You can also select whether you want the limit order to last just for the day or until you cancel it.
Available markets
Opentrader gives you direct access to the ASX, CHI-X and NSX stock exchanges. To date, there are no global exchanges available on Opentrader.
What are the training and support available with Opentrader?
Opentrader offers an extensive range of support and educational tools. You can get free access to training videos, plus there are specialised tutorials available to help you understand how to use the platform.
If you need further assistance, a detailed online help centre has more advice. Alternatively, locally-based phone and email support are available from 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday (EST).
While there's no live chat available through the platform, you can chat via the Opentrader Facebook group. From experience, the response time can be slow although top quality.
Back to topOpentrader accounts
| Investor | Pro Tool Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Account Fee | Free | $99 per month |
| Suited to | Semi-active and long-term investors | Professional traders |
| Products you can trade | Australian Equities, Warrants, ETFs, Options | Australian Equities, Warrants, ETFs, Options |
| Brokerage | Equities: $5.00 from $0.01 to $5,000 of the transaction value | Options: Min. $25 per trade | Equities: $5.00 from $0.01 to $5,000 of the transaction value | Options: Min. $25 per trade |
| Market data | Click-refresh live data | Live streaming data |
| Order types | Limit and Stop-Limit | Limit and Stop-Limit |
What are Opentrader's fees?
Opentrader offers the lowest brokerage fees on the market for CHESS-sponsored Australian shares as of June 2021, according to a Finder analysis. There are also no monthly account fees or inactivity fees, making it one of Australia's cheapest brokers on the market.
- Standard brokerage fee: Equities: $5.00 from $0.01 to $5,000 of the transaction value, $10 for trades between $5,001 - $10,000, $15 for trades between $10,001 to $15,000, 0.1% of your trade value over $15,000.
- Options brokerage fee: Min. $25 trade
Pros and cons
Pros
- Affordable brokerage. Brokerage fees for AXS stocks and ETFs start from $5 per trade while the fee to trade options is $25.
- Choice of platforms. Opentrader offers two platform choices: one to suit casual investors and the other to suit experienced traders.
- Support and education. If you ever need help understanding the share market, your account or how to place a trade, Opentrader provides an extensive range of customer support options and educational resources.
Cons
- Execution-only. Opentrader is an execution-only trade service so it does not provide access to trade recommendations and investment advice.
How to sign up with Opentrader
If Opentrader sounds like the right trading platform for you, click the ‘apply now’ link on this page. You will be taken to the Opentrader website where you can begin an application to open an account.
It’s free to open a trading account with Opentrader, but remember that you will also need to open an approved linked cash account in order to start trading. Australian and international investors are eligible to open an account by filling out an application form with your personal and contact details, tax information, choice of trading platform and linked cash account details. An original certified copy of your driver’s licence or passport will need to be provided, as will a recent bill in your name.
