Best Trading App in Australia: Control Your Finances in 2024

Best Trading App in Australia

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The best way to take control of your finances is to find the best trading app in Australia that allows you to invest in everything from stocks to CFDs and ETFs.

To help you with that, we’ve compared the top trading platforms in terms of fees, available assets, and other features that help you become a better trader.

So, start building a brighter future by reading the sections below!

Top 8 Trading Apps in Australia

  1. eToro—Best Overall
  2. Superhero—Best ASX Trading App
  3. Stake—Best Brokerage Fees
  4. CMC Markets—Best Learning Resources
  5. IG Trading—Best for Expert Traders
  6. Plus500—Best for CFD Trading
  7. Selfwealth—Best Customer Support
  8. AvaTrade—Best Trading Tools

Disclaimer: Always take into account your own individual circumstances before making any investment decisions, and don’t rely on the information presented here alone. We highly suggest that you consult with an expert before applying for any product or service mentioned on our site.

The Best Trading App in Australia: Mini-Reviews

If you’re looking for the best stock trading app in Australia for a smoother, faster, and more profitable experience, you will certainly find it among this mini-reviews below!

1. eToro—Best Overall

  • Available assets: 3,000+ across various markets
  • Minimum trade: $10 for stocks, ETFs, and crypto
  • Deposit methods: POLi, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, bank transfer
  • Fees: 0% stocks commission, 1% crypto fee, $0 management costs

As the best share trading app in Australia, eToro allows you to trade in all kinds of assets, such as stocks, indices, ETFs, CFDs, commodities, and crypto, at very low fees and via a simple, robust, and feature-rich app that comes with a slew of learning resources.

This multi-asset investment platform is best known for its social trading options, such as its CopyTrader feature that allows you to duplicate the investment strategies of eToro’s top traders at no extra charge, thus leveraging their expertise to boost your earnings.

Moreover, you’re joining a massive community of over 20 million traders in 140 countries where investors interact, trade insights to confidently invest in various short-, mid-, and long-term options with or without leverage, or even choose a ready-made portfolio.

All in all, eToro has something for everyone: beginners can learn to trade with virtual funds or rely on expert traders who can diversify their portfolio as they wish or even dip into ethical investing, all the while enjoying free insurance and top-notch cyber security.

PROS:

  • Free insurance of up to $1 million
  • Demo account and thorough online learning resources
  • Copy experienced traders free of charge

CONS:

  • High minimum trade size for commodities, indices, and currencies of $1,000

Read the full eToro review here.

2. Superhero—Best ASX Trading App

  • Available assets: 7000+ shares and ETF trades
  • Minimum trade: AU$100 for Aussie shares and US$10 for U.S. shares
  • Deposit methods: PayID, BPAY, direct bank transfer
  • Fees: $0 U.S. and $5 ASX brokerage fees, 0.70% FX transfer fee

Superhero is making a name for itself among the Australian stock trading apps as the best online broker for investing on the ASX market (Australian Stock Exchange) thanks to its low brokerage fees and access to thousands of Aussie shares and ETFs.

Additionally, you can move from Telstra to Tesla and invest in U.S.-based shares and funds (fractional or full shares) at $0 brokerage fees. With eligible trades and transfers, you even earn up to 10,000 (20,000 for companies) Qantas points.

After completing the quick signup procedure, download the app, fund your account, and start building your portfolio in minutes with low minimum investment and no management fees.

You can even transfer an existing portfolio from another broker or take control of your superannuation with Superhero Super—the platform’s superannuation fund options (Autopilot or Control) that allow you to invest up to 75% of your retirement savings.

PROS:

  • Invest your superannuation without an SMSF
  • Additional accounts for minors and companies
  • Earn Qantas points on each trade

CONS:

  • Only shares and ETF trades

Read the full Superhero review here.

3. Stake—Best Brokerage Fees

  • Available assets: 8,000+ stocks and ETFs
  • Minimum trade: $500 for first-time ASX trades
  • Deposit methods: POLi, bank transfer, debit/credit cards
  • Fees: $0 U.S. and $3 ASX brokerage fees, $0 FX fees per trade

Another excellent entry on our list of free trading apps in Australia is Stake—a CHESS-sponsored broker (shares held under your name) with the lowest fees for Aussie traders and access to over 2000 ASX stocks and exchange-traded funds.

However, Stake users can also hold a U.S.-based account to buy and sell over 6000 Wall Street stocks and ETFs just as easily, without paying any brokerage or FX fees to boot.

Like Superhero, this platform allows you to establish your own self-managed super fund (SMSF) with complete investment control and advanced accounting features.

Finally, beginner and expert investors using Stake report a straightforward yet powerful trading experience with advanced search options on both desktop and mobile.

Note: If you deposit at least $50 in a new account within the first 24 hours of signing up, you get $10 for ASX trades. On the other hand, Wall Street traders get a free stock.

PROS:

  • Automated U.S. tax compliance
  • Trade on Wall Street with $10 investments
  • Free-of-charge portfolio transfer

CONS:

  • No live chat or phone support

Read the full Stake review here.

4. CMC Markets—Best Learning Resources

  • Available assets: 10,000+ products and markets
  • Minimum trade: $500 for the first ASX trade, $1,000 for international orders
  • Deposit methods: Credit/debit cards, bank transfer, PayPal, BPAY
  • Fees: $0 for first orders up to 1,000, $11 or 0.10% on other orders

CMC Markets is an award-winning platform with access to a wide range of domestic and international markets and assets, including commodities, indices, Forex products, shares, ETFs, crypto, fiat currencies, CFDs, and more.

The platform’s main selling point is its offering of educational tools and resources that turn newbie traders into experts with the help of free eBooks, webinars, online guides, platform tool manuals, fundamental and technical analysis, and more.

However, the feature that makes CMC the best stock trading app for beginners in Australia is its demo account, as it allows you to trade with virtual funds and try out different investment strategies in real markets to improve your trading skills and confidence.

All things considered, regardless of whether you are currently learning the essentials of investing in the stock market or have already dabbled in online trading, this platform is the perfect companion to help you on your way to becoming a master trader.

PROS:

  • Native mobile app packed with features
  • Multi-award winner for its trading services
  • Plenty of assets to choose from

CONS:

  • A bit complex to navigate for newbie traders

5. IG Trading—Best for Expert Traders

  • Available assets: 18,000+ global markets
  • Minimum trade: $1 per trade for the first two weeks
  • Deposit methods: Credit/debit cards, PayPal, BPAY
  • Fees: $0 on UK and US shares, $5 or 0.05% on Aussie shares

As one of the world-leading online brokers, IG is available to Aussies looking to invest in a wide range of markets across the globe, especially if they are interested in CFDs and stocks and require round-the-clock support and a superb app packed with features.

Since IG trading is mainly geared towards experts, it offers several trading platforms, from a native web-based and mobile app experience to popular third-party platforms for analysis, CFDs, and shares, such as ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, and L2 Dealer.

To help you react to trading opportunities quickly, IG offers up-to-date HTML5-based charts, fast and reliable trade execution, investment alerts and watchlists, access to the latest news and the IG community, and other monitoring and analysis tools.

On the whole, while IG is not the most beginner-friendly trading platform, once you get the hang of its many tools, you’ll be playing the markets in no time.

PROS:

  • Personal, corporate, and SMSF accounts
  • Available across all platforms
  • Excellent phone support

CONS:

  • Higher than expected CFD fees

6. Plus500—Best for CFD Trading

  • Available assets: 2,800+ financial instruments
  • Minimum trade: Varies per instrument
  • Deposit methods: Bank transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill
  • Fees: $0 trade commission, varying market spreads, 0.7% FX fee

As one of the leading CFD trading apps in Australia, Plus500 mainly focuses on providing a large selection of contracts for difference on most financial instruments, including shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, forex, indices, and options.

To make CFD investing as simple as possible, Plus500 offers a streamlined signup procedure and a clean and clutter-free web and mobile experience with simple-to-read analytics, real-time quotes and watchlists, and fast and reliable order execution.

Also, since CFD trading is inherently risky (traders do not own the asset, and they can open a position up to 30 times their deposit amount), Plus500 comes with advanced risk management tools, like ‘stop limit’, ‘stop loss’, ‘guaranteed stop’, and ‘trailing stop’.

PROS:

  • Fast and secure withdrawals
  • Alerts for changes in price, percentage, and traders’ sentiments
  • Tight buy/sell spreads

CONS:

  • Low number of assets available

7. Selfwealth—Best Customer Support

  • Available assets: 2,000+ shares
  • Minimum trade: $500 for ASX trades, $100 for U.S. trades
  • Deposit methods: Direct bank transfer, BPAY
  • Fees: AU$9.50 for ASX, US$9.50 for U.S., and HK$88 for Hong Kong trades

Another contender for the title of the best stock trading app in Australia is Selfwealth—an Aussie company empowering countless traders to build better financial features by investing in CHESS-sponsored shares on the Australian stock market.

In addition to buying and selling ASX stocks, Selfwealth’s users can directly trade in U.S. and Hong Kong-based shares via the web or the mobile app, all the while paying the same flat fees and using Selfwealth’s diagnostic, monitoring, and research tools.

However, regarding its customer support, this online broker exceeds all expectations as it offers a variety of support channels (email, live chat, online ticket, article centre) that help you resolve any issue you might have fairly quickly.

Note that you can also trade for free on the ASX by referring your friends, thus getting ten free trades and saving up to $95 for each new member that joins at your behest.

PROS:

  • Flat rates regardless of the trade size
  • CHESS-sponsored shares
  • Helpful investors’ community

CONS:

  • Limited choice of financial assets

8. AvaTrade—Best Trading Tools

  • Available assets: 1,250+ across products and markets
  • Minimum trade: $100 first deposit
  • Deposit methods: Credit/debit cards, wire transfer
  • Fees: $0 commission fee, varying buy/sell spreads

The last entry on our list of the best trading apps in Australia is AvaTrade—a globally regulated broker that offers access to the world’s most popular stocks, commodities, options, cryptocurrencies, forex, indices, ETFs, and bonds.

To enhance the investment process, AvaTrade offers the full package: popular assets, educational tools and materials, various trading platforms, risk management tools, thorough analysis and market insights, robust security, and more.

For example, in addition to the WebTrader and the AvaTradeGO app, you can access the incredibly popular and feature-rich MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 or several automated trading platforms like Duplitrade, ZuluTrade, and AvaSocial.

Ultimately, this online broker follows you on your investing journey at all times, offering you expert account managers and support services for non-stop assistance.

PROS:

  • Access to state-of-the-art trading platforms
  • Dedicated account manager when you deposit more than $1,000
  • Thorough educational resources

CONS:

  • More complex to use than other platforms

Further reading: Best options trading platform in Australia

How to Choose a Trading App in Australia

How can you tell which trading app fits your needs and circumstances? Well, you’ll find out below as we cover the crucial factors when looking for the best stock app in Australia.

1. Ease of Use

Apps with a simple and clean interface that includes clear instructions are easy to navigate as they allow you to immediately access and use your favourite features.

Moreover, opening an account should be a straightforward procedure that can be completed in as few steps as possible with minimum documentation.

2. Regulation & Safety

Since the safety of your data and funds is of the utmost importance, you should always restrict your choice of platforms to those that have been properly regulated by the relevant institutions, such as the Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).

So don’t be fooled by trading apps claiming to offer low fees or access to diverse markets if they don’t hold the required authorisations, as such platforms may disobey the country’s anti-money laundering laws, avoid government oversight, or dip into your funds.

3. Available Assets

If you have your mind set on trading specific types of financial assets, ensure the investment app of your choice provides a varied offering of those investment assets. For example, various share trading platforms in Australia now offer zero brokerage fees when investing and trading in US stocks.

For instance, if you want to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, opt for crypto trading apps with a wide assortment of crypto assets, such as CoinJar or Coinspot.

Those traders who are unsure which investment strategies and assets they might prefer can always go for a platform that offers most of them, such as eToro.

4. Investment Goals

Not everyone has the time, energy, or funds to trade daily for large sums like professional traders. Also, some beginner traders are driven by the excitement behind playing the markets, and any gain they see in the long term is a bonus perk.

Therefore, consider your investment goals and the time you plan to spend on them when choosing your go-to trading platform, as they may cater to different profiles:

Type of investorTrading FrequencyApp Requirements
Casual investorOnce a monthSimple user interface, low costs, and solid educational platform
Active investorUp to ten times a monthLow costs, access to managed funds, and thorough research tools
Experienced traderDaily trading routineDynamic trading platform, аccess to derivates, detailed and current market analysis

So casual investors should look into Superhero and Stake as they offer competitive fees; active traders will enjoy eToro, CMC Markets, and Selfwealth and their slew of helpful tools, and frequent traders will be pleased with the complexity of AvaTrade, IG, and Plus500.

Note: Beginners should check our article on the best brokers for novice traders in Australia.

5. Customer Care

Since you invest real money with these platforms, good customer care is essential to quickly and efficiently resolve potential issues with the app and your account balance.

Therefore, look for a reliable investment app with multi-channel customer support, including most of the following: email, phone number, live chat, online contact, forum, FAQs, etc.

6. Applicable Fees

Another important consideration when looking for the best trading app in Australia is to find one with a clear and affordable pricing structure without any hidden fees.

Typical investment platforms charge either a percentage-based or a set fee per transaction, which may also be adjusted depending on the trade value. Some brokers even waive the cost to buy and sell specific types of assets, such as shares or ETFs.

However, trading platforms that do so may include other types of administrative fees, such as account maintenance, deposit, withdrawal, and inactivity payments. Therefore, prior to committing to a platform, carefully review its pricing scheme, so you do not overpay.

7. Additional Features

The best trading apps in Australia and elsewhere also pack in added features and functionality to give you an edge when trading online, such as:

  • Demo practice account
  • Copy experienced traders
  • Overnight financing
  • Real-time prices
  • Thorough portfolio analysis
  • Risk management tools
  • Helpful educational tools
  • Various deposit options
  • CHESS-sponsored trades

Note: Consider your exact needs when choosing a trading app, as you won’t necessarily enjoy a smooth investing experience if you pick one just because it’s packed with features.

Bottom line

So, which app is the best trading app? Recently, the majority of Aussie investors\ have been using eToro, but every platform listed above provides a unique set of tools for diverse types of traders. Ensure you read through every mini-review to find out which app has the tools you need to make your trading experience easier and more profitable.

FAQs:

1. Which stock trading site is best for beginners in Australia?

eToro is the ideal trading platform for beginner Aussie traders since it implements a robust CopyTrader feature that allows anyone to copy the investment strategy of proven traders, in addition to a wide variety of educational content available through the eToro Academy.

Check out our article on the best trading apps for beginners to learn more.

2. What is the cheapest trading platform in Australia?

One of the best trading platforms available in Australia in terms of affordability is Stake, as it does not charge any account management, brokerage, or FX fees per trade.

3. Where can I download trade-sharing apps?

To ensure you download a regulated and secure trading app, use Google Play or the App Store, or visit the platform’s site to download their PC client for laptops and desktops.

4. What is the best trading app in Australia?

Arguably, the overall best trading app in Australia for 2022 is eToro, as it implements a host of features aimed to make life easier for both novice and expert traders. However, you can find other apps of similar quality in the sections above.

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