CommSec vs Selfwealth

We compare the two popular Australian investing platforms on fees, features and more.

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Kylie Purcell

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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.

CommSecSelfwealth
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 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?

CommSecSelfwealth
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
Benefits
  • Feature rich. The platform makes researching and tracking your stock portfolio easy.
  • Broker analysis. You can access broker analysis and price targets for ASX stocks from Morningstar and Goldman Sachs.
  • Alerts. Set alerts and keep up to date with company announcements for stocks in your watchlist.
  • Cheap brokerage. Commission on ASX trades of $1,000 or less is relatively cheap.
  • Switch accounts. If you're a CommBank account holder you can easily switch between banking and investment accounts. Plus, cash transactions between the two are immediate.
  • Flat brokerage fee. Regardless of how much you're investing each trade, your commission fee stays the same.
  • Single login for global. You can trade both Australian and US stocks from the same account.
  • No account fees. There are no subscription or inactivity fees to access the standard Selfwealth account.
  • Portfolio management. You can easily track the performance and risk profile of your portfolio and even compare it to others on the app.
  • Create watchlists. Keep track of potential stocks by setting up alerts in your watchlists.
Drawbacks
  • Global brokerage fees. The fees to trade stocks listed outside of Australia are comparatively high compared to other brokers in the market.
  • Limited support. Investors facing issues must phone or wait a few days for an email response. There is no live chat.
  • No CFDs. CommSec closed its CFD account in 2019, meaning you cannot trade forex, stock CFDs or commodities.
  • US brokerage. The brokerage fees for US shares are higher than some others in the market.
  • No leveraged products. You can only trade stocks and ETFs; there are no options, warrants or CFDs.
  • Limited stock analysis. There are no broker ratings offered on Selfwealth, however it does feature stock forecasting tools.
Tools and research
  • Company announcements. Review relevant company updates throughout the app.
  • Daily stock information. Receive a daily rundown of significant shifts in the stock market.
  • Analyst ratings. Use analyst ratings to help you determine whether to buy, hold or sell a security.
  • Live data. Get live data for free if you make 8 trades or more per month or pay $82.50 per month for the service.
  • Conditional orders. There are 8 order types to choose from when buying or selling stocks or ETFs.
  • Portfolio tracking. Analyse your portfolio, review your holdings, identify risks and compare your performance against others.
  • Stock analysis. Get stock price forecasts, historical data and key financial information to help you make an informed decision.
  • Set watchlists. Create watchlists of current and potential future stock purchases and set alerts.
  • Stock popularity. See how many of your peers are buying or selling individual stocks and vote on whether you're bullish or bearish.
Platforms
Desktop, iOS, Android
Desktop, iOS, Android
Support
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Phone
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.

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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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.

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.

    • Kylie Purcell's headshot
    Written by

    Investments Analyst

    Kylie Purcell is an experienced investments analyst and finance journalist with over a decade of expertise in a wide range of financial products, including online trading platforms, robo-advisors, stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies. She is a sought-after commentator and regularly shares her insights on the AFR, Yahoo Finance, The Motley Fool, SBS and News.com.au. Kylie hosts the Investment Finder video series and actively contributes to the investment community as a judge and panellist. She holds a Master of Arts in International Journalism, a Graduate Diploma in Economics, and ASIC-recognised certifications in securities and managed investments. See full bio

    Kylie's expertise
    Kylie has written 195 Finder guides across topics including:
    • Investment strategies
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    • Exchange traded funds (ETFs)
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    • ASX stocks
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