CommSec vs Selfwealth
We compare the two popular Australian investing platforms on fees, features and more.
Key takeaways
- CommSec charges $5 for ASX trades up to $1,000, while Selfwealth offers a flat $9.50 fee.
- Selfwealth provides cheaper US share brokerage at US$9.50, but CommSec accesses 13 global markets.
- Both platforms offer CHESS-sponsored ASX shares; Selfwealth provides a single login for US and ASX stocks.
CommSec vs Selfwealth
CommSec and Selfwealth are both popular Australian share trading platforms with fairly competitive brokerage fees and a long list of trading features and tools.
| CommSec | Selfwealth | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | 4.5/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Available countries | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Available securities | 3.5/5 | 1.5/5 |
| Trading tools | 4.1/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Research and education | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Customer support | 3.3/5 | 3.3/5 |
| Overall | 4.3/5 | 3.9/5 |
Check out how we rank share trading platform features here.
Which broker is best for you?
CommSec and Selfwealth have similar overall ratings by Finder, but the best broker for you will depend on how much you plan to trade each month, whether you want access to global shares and your preferred trading tools.
For Australian shares, Selfwealth and CommSec have similar broker fees if you're trading with $1,000 or less, with Selfwealth charging $9.50 and CommSec at $5.00 per trade.
However, on trades over $1,000 that fee jumps to $10 with CommSec while Selfwealth's flat rate never changes. For higher trade amounts the difference in fees is even greater.
The markets you intend to trade are also a big consideration here.
While CommSec's global account offers stocks from up to 13 countries, Selfwealth only offers US and Australian-listed shares. If these are the only two markets that you wish to trade, then Selfwealth offers cheaper commissions on both, at US$9.50 for US shares (flat) compared to CommSec's $19.95.
It's also worth mentioning that CommSec's international account is distinct from its ASX account and requires a separate login.
Meanwhile, Selfwealth offers US and ASX stocks within the same account.
Check out our comparison of fees and features in the table below.
How do CommSec and Selfwealth compare?
| CommSec | Selfwealth | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Finder’s rating | 4.3/5 As Australia's most popular share trading platform, CommSec is rich in features and trading tools. Users can access broker analysis, watchlists, market news and company updates from their Australian market account. It also features a long list of conditional orders with SMS alert options once a stock buy or sell order is actioned. On the downside its brokerage fees aren't the cheapest, with global stock fees particularly high. | 3.9/5 Selfwealth is the cheaper option of the two with a low, flat brokerage fee of $9.50, regardless of trade size. Like CommSec, it's also feature-rich and it offers CHESS-sponsored shares, meaning your stock ownership is registered with the ASX. It loses points for offering fewer global markets and types of securities compared to CommSec. But for those primarily interested in US and ASX stocks, it's a strong contender. |
| Available markets | 13 countries including Australia, US, UK | Australia, United States |
| ASX stock brokerage fee | $5.00 for trades up to and including $1,000; $10.00 for trades of $1,001 - $3,000; $19.95 for trades of $3,001 - $10,000 ; $29.95 for trades of $10,001 - $25,000; 0.12% over $25,000 | $9.50 (flat) |
| US stock brokerage fee | USD$5.00 or 0.12%, whichever is greater | US$9.50 (flat) |
| UK stock brokerage fee | GBP£12.00 or 0.40%, whichever is greater | Not available |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Currency conversion fee (for US stocks) | 0.55% | 0.60% |
| CHESS or custody model | CHESS-sponsored for ASX shares, custody model for global stocks | CHESS-sponsored for ASX shares, custody model for US stocks |
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| Platforms | Desktop, iOS, Android | Desktop, iOS, Android |
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| Learn more |
How do we rate brokers?
We use star ratings to help you identify strengths and weaknesses between different online brokers in Australia. To find an overall score, we take into account six key categories:
- Fees
- Available countries
- Available securities
- Trading tools
- Research and education
- Customer support
For more information about how we measure each feature, head to our methodology page and scroll down to "Star ratings".
Compare other brokers
Looking for something else? Check out our broker comparison table below to review the fees and features of others on the market.
Compare other products
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
How we picked theseFinder Score for share trading platforms
We've scored over 30 share trading platforms assessing them for their core features, fees, customer experience and accessibility. Our experts give each platform a score out of 10.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
Both Selfwealth and CommSec offer CHESS-sponsored shares, which means any ASX shares you buy will be held in your own name and belong to you.
Sources
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