Best Share Trading Platform Australia 2023
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If you’re an Australian trader that is looking to trade in the share markets online, then you are going to need a quality share trading platform. The best share trading platforms Australia will offer you a large range of markets to trade, low and transparent brokerage fees, and great customer support.
It is also important that your brokerage and trading platform are tightly regulated by the Australian regulator ASIC.
In this in-depth guide, we go through the best share trading platform Australia as well as some of the other quality alternatives.
Best Share Trading Platform Australia 2023 List
We review the top trading platforms Australia further down this page, but before we get into it, here’s a quick snapshot of the best share trading platform Australia and some other great brokers to consider.
- eToro – Overall Best Share Trading Platforms Australia with 0% Commission
- AvaTrade – Best Share Broker Australia With MT5
- Plus500 – CFD Share Trading Platform with Tight Spreads
- CMC Markets – Best Stock Broker Australia for Customer Support
- Go Markets– Multi Award Winning Australian CFD Broker
- Selfwealth – Best Fixed Fee Australian Stock Broker
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- 0% commissions on the purchase of shares
- Friendly and easy-to-use platform
- Highly regulated broker
68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
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Fees per operation
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- Supports MT4 & MT5
- Very competitive fees
- Fast execution & premium liquidity
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- No spreads
- Educational content
- User-friendly platform
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.3% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
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Best Share Trading Platforms Australia Reviewed
Let’s now take a more thorough look at Australia’s best share trading platforms for 2023.
1. eToro – Overall Best Share Trading Platform Australia with 0% Commission
eToro came out on top in our review.
With you visit eToro you can trade on over 2,400 stocks and they can all be traded commission-free.
The way eToro makes its money is through their spread which is why they do not charge any commissions.
When trading stocks as CFD’s through eToro in Australia you can get access to their leverage. As a retail trader, you can leverage your stock trades by up to x5. If you qualify as a professional trader, this leveraged amount can be increased so you can leverage your trades up to x20 on some selected stocks.
Whilst making your own trades is a great way to take part in the stock market, one of the main features of eToro is its copy trading function.
eToro is a social trading platform that allows you to interact with other traders and it also offers copy trading tools. Copy trading works by letting you follow other successful traders and make money from their winning trades. You can also follow and copy as many other traders as you like.
The eToro trading platform is their own custom-built platform and it is very easy to use. You can access it via the web on your desktop or through any of your mobile devices.
Placing a trade on the eToro platform is very straightforward and before you enter your trade the platform will show you the potential profit or loss to make sure you are not making a mistake.
Whilst eToro offers a huge range of stocks you can trade, they also offer an extensive range of other markets. These markets include; ETF’s, cryptocurrencies – which makes it one of the best bitcoin trading platforms, Forex, indices such as ASX, oil, Gold, Silver, and thousands of different stocks. You can also trade all of these markets and assets commission-free.
eToro is strictly regulated and this includes being regulated by the ASIC in Australia, according to its disclaimer. It also holds other tier-one licences throughout the world including with the FCA in the UK making it a very tightly regulated CFD provider.
This is one of the cheapest Australian share trading platforms that allow you to trade stocks with leverage. The platform is easy to use on desktop or mobile and has a range of deposit and withdrawal options that include e-wallet, bank transfers, and debit/credit cards.
Pros:
- Social and copy trading.
- Zero commission on stocks and ETFs.
- Very large range of countries accepted.
- Small minimum deposit.
- Quick and easy to open an account.
- Fast and helpful customer support.
Cons:
- Only have their own platform and no Metatrader.
- Educational resources not as great as others.
Your capital is at risk.
75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
2. Avatrade - Best Share Broker Australia With MT5
AvaTrade was formed in 2006 and now has a very large offering.
This offering includes more than 1,000 different internal shares you can choose to trade from.
AvaTrade is internationally regulated including being regulated by ASIC in Australia.
When trading shares as CFD’s with AvaTrade you can get access to leverage that will allow you to leverage your trades up to 5:1.
There are multiple trading platforms provided by AvaTrade and they include; MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGo, and webtrader. These platforms can be used on both desktop and mobile.
AvaTrade offers zero commission share trading meaning the only costs you will pay to enter your trade is the spread that they charge.
This MT4 trading platform caters to 30 x different languages and as well as offering a very large range of stocks to trade from, you can also trade Forex, cryptocurrencies, indices, ETF's and options.
Pros:
- They allow many different trading techniques.
- Many assets.
- 30 different languages.
- They offer Islamic accounts.
Cons:
- Minimum deposits sizes.
- Inactivity and overnight fees.
- US and Belgian customers are not accepted.
Your capital is at risk.
72% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
4. Plus500 - CFD Share Trading Platform with Tight Spreads
Plus500 was formed in 2008 and has been a dominant player in the share trading space ever since.
This stock broker offers their own CFD trading platform that is easy to use and can be used on desktop and mobile devices.
Plus500 is a market maker style of broker that offers over 2,000 stock CFDs to trade.
When trading stocks using CFD’s Plus500 allows you to leverage your trades up to 1:5. This means that with $200 you could be trading $1,000 worth of shares.
Whilst the Plus500 CFD trading platform has an extensive range of shares for you to trade, they also offer a good range of other markets. These include; Forex, crypto, options, and even ETF's.
Plus500 offer zero commission stock CFD trading, with just spreads to consider, and they are also tightly regulated by ASIC in Australia.
Pros:
- Good range of stock CFDs to trade.
- User-friendly platform.
- Very tight spreads and no commission
- They offer Islamic accounts.
Cons:
- Do not offer PayPal to deposit or withdraw.
- Some countries not accepted as clients.
72% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
5. Go Markets- Multi Award Winning Australian CFD Broker 
If you're looking for a reputable platform that offers excellent customer support services, tight spreads and a variety of assets to trade, look no further than Go Markets. The multi-award winning broker is a favorite amongst Australian investors and traders in [cru_year].
Go Markets is a CFD broker that allows traders to trade the price movement of an asset rather than owning the asset directly. This means that you don't need to worry about storing that asset in a wallet. CFD trading is a great choice for short-term traders or investors who want to take advantage of price volatility.
One of the biggest reasons that we have put Go Markets on our list is that the broker offers very low spreads and leverage up to 30:1. The broker is also free to use meaning that users are not charged for deposits, withdrawals or inactivity.
Go Markets is regulated by the CySEC and ASIC for Australian traders. Therefore, traders can rest assured that their funds are in safe hands.
Amid the range of assets available, traders can trade forex, indices, metals and commodities. This means that you can easily diversify your portfolio to reduce your risk. Furthermore, traders can practice using the Go Markets platform without putting any capital at risk with the free demo account. This is a great way to test out the different trading platforms that are offered including MT4 and MT5.
Pros:
- Trade a variety of CFDs including indices and forex
- Access to MT4 and MT5 trading platforms
- Up to 30:1 leverage
- Tight spreads and low fees
Cons:
- Only CFD trading available
- 200 AUD minimum deposit
Your money is at risk.
6. CMC Markets – Best Stock Broker Australia for Customer Support
CMC Markets is a share trading platform that has offices in the UK, Australia and Singapore.
This stock broker was founded 1989 and operates as a market maker broker.
CMC Markets is listed on the London Stock Exchange and has strong regulation around the world including being regulated by ASIC in Australia.
The platform offered by this stock broker is their own custom build platform. You can use the CMC Markets share trading platform on desktop and also on all of your mobile devices.
When trading shares as CFD’s with CMC you can gain access to leverage to boost your trading position and trading costs start at just 0.6%.
If you like to trade shares as well as other markets, then CMC has you covered. Along with share trading they also offer; Forex, indices, commodities, treasuries, and cryptocurrencies.
This broker offers one of the more advanced online share trading platforms and their free educational content in the form of trading guides and videos is also first class.
Pros:
- Huge range of financial instruments and markets to trade
- Very good educational resources
- Supports algorithmic and expert advisor trading
- Platforms available include MT4
- Offer mobile platforms for iOS and Android
Cons:
- No social or copytrading
- Do not accept US traders
Your capital is at risk.
75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
6. SelfWealth – Best Stock Broker Australia with Fixed Fee
This Australian stock broker was founded in 2011 and works a bit differently to the other brokers on the list.
With this broker, you are not buying and selling shares with CFD’s and you are not using leverage. This broker works similar to the way Commsec works in that they allow you to carry out traditional share investing.
With this type of share trading you are taking out shares and part ownership in the company. This gives you all the rights of a part-owner including any potential dividends. With CFD trading you are not physically buying the underlying asset and are only speculating on whether the price will move higher or lower.
SelfWealth has their own trading platform and they are fast becoming known through the industry for their very low-cost methods.
With SelfWealth share trading, you will pay no commissions for buying your shares. The only cost you will pay is a fixed $9.50. Unlike some stock brokers where the fee rises with the more you buy, this fee is fixed.
SelfWealth now has over 78,000 Australian investors using their platform and you can trade both Australian and US shares.
Another nice feature is what they call their ‘wealthcheck’ feature. With this, you can see where and how your portfolio ranks against the other investors on the platform.
Pros:
- Fixed fee broker.
- No other hidden fees like some other brokers.
- Live stock prices.
- First-class customer support.
Cons:
- Limited to trading in Australia and the US.
Your capital is at risk.
All financial products involve risk. Past performance is not a reliable indication of future performance.
Best Share Trading Platforms Australia Fees Comparison
Wondering how Australia best stock brokers compare in terms of fees? Look no further. As many of the best online share trading platforms Australia have dynamic costs, we've shown you fee fees for popular assets like Amazon. We have also included other markets such as the GBP/USD forex pair to give you an idea of the cheapest CFD brokers with the lowest fees.
| Trading Platform Fees | Spread or commission? | Amazon | GBP/USD | Overnight fees |
| eToro | Spread | 0.09% (applies to all stocks) | 2 pips | Yes/ Overnight fees for all CFD instruments. |
| CMC Markets | Commission and spread | 0.09% | 0.9 pips | Yes. Taken at end of each trading day at 5 pm New York time, which may be positive or negative. |
| Plus500 | Spread | 0.75% | 0.13 pips | Yes. Applies to all instruments and can either be positive or negative. |
| AvaTrade | Spread | 0.13% | 1.6 pips | For CFD assets an overnight fee is taken at end of each trading day at 9 pm GMT as interest, which may be positive or negative. |
| SelfWealth | Fixed Fee | $9.50 | N/A | No overnight fees. |
How to Choose the Best Share Trading Platform for You
As this thorough review shows, there are a lot of options when it comes to share trading in Australia.
However, it is important you keep in mind some of the important factors that will help your stock trading success when choosing your broker and trading platform.
Some of these points will be important with whatever share trading platform you use. These include making sure that the platform is ASIC regulated in Australia, you have good options for deposits and withdrawals and the customer support is first-rate. Some of the other factors will be dependant on the type of trading you are suited to and the best broker for your individual needs.
The main benefits you should always look for in your stock broker and share trading platform include;
Regulation
For any trader whether an absolute beginner or a professional, regulation is important.
If your money is important to you, then trading with a stock broker that has strong regulation is extremely important.
Around the world regulation continues to change, however, there are what is known as tier one regulators that your broker should be regulated by.
These include ASIC in Australia, the FCA in Australia and the CFTC in the US.
These regulations ensure a tightly controlled financial marketplace and that the brokers under their control are following strict guidelines.
Assets
The more shares you have to trade from, the more trading opportunities you have and the more potential trades you can make.
Unfortunately, not all brokers will have the shares and markets you want to trade.
The best share trading platforms Australia will have a very extensive range of shares for you to trade both in Australia and internationally. These brokers will also offer other markets that include;
- Commodities
- Cryptocurrencies
- Forex
- Stocks
- Bonds
- ETFs
- Indices
Fees
When trading shares fees can often be hard to understand. Some brokers can hide the different fees they are charging or they make them very complicated.
The best stock brokers are very transparent with their fees and when placing your trade you will know exactly what the cost is.
Obviously the less you are paying to make your trades, the more profits you are keeping at the end of the day.
The two most common types of fees you will run into when share trading commissions and spread.
Some brokers will charge you a commission to buy and sell your shares and others like eToro will charge zero commissions, but they will charge a spread.
Some other common share trading fees you need to keep in mind are:
- Overnight Financing Fee: If you are trading your shares as CFDs and holding your trades overnight, then you will be subject to an overnight financing fee.
- Deposit or Withdrawal Fees: Some brokers will charge a deposit or withdrawal fee. Some will also charge a conversion fee if your account is in a different currency.
- Inactivity Fees: Some Australian share trading platforms will start charging you monthly inactivity fees if your account goes inactive.
Trading Tools & Features
Trading tools and features can vary wildly from stock broker to stock broker.
The better quality the tools that your broker provides, the better your chance for trading success.
Some of the tools and features you should look out for include copy trading, social trading, and free demo or virtual trading account.
The copy trading feature that eToro provides is an industry leading tool that lets you copy other professional traders and make money from the exact same trades they are making.
Demo or virtual accounts are also important features that your broker should provide to you for free. Not only does a demo account let you practice on the trading platform without risking any real money, it lets you practice any new trading strategies before going into a live account.
Education, Research & Analysis
The very best stock brokers in Australia give you access to free daily market analysis and investment education.
Daily market research and analysis can be a crucial edge over the market when share trading, especially if it is high quality.
Major news and economic announcements have the ability to move shares prices rapidly and being able to stay one step ahead of the curve with quality analysis and market research is a major benefit to have with your stock broker.
User Experience: Easy to Use Online Share Trading Platform Australia
The Australian share trading platform that you choose to use needs to be easy to use and have a quick trade execution time.
You do not want a trading platform that is overly complicated and hard to use. This will leave you unable to make and manage your trades quickly when you need to.
The very best stock trading platforms Australia like eToro have everything built-in and can be used on both desktop and mobile platforms.
The eToro platform shows you everything before you place your trade such as the amount you could profit or lose and the exact trade parameters.
Mobile App
You are not always going to be at your desktop to make or manage your trades.
Having a high-quality mobile trading app for your stock trading is crucial.
There will come times when you need to check your share portfolio or when you need to exit a trading position. Having a quality mobile app that you can easily check all of your trading statistics and manage your trades with should be an important focus when choosing your share trading broker.
Most of the top share trading platforms offer mobile trading apps, but we recommend eToro's above all others due to its excellent design, clear layout, and intuitive interface.
Payment Methods
Some brokers will offer many different deposit and withdrawal payment methods.
It is important you are using a broker that accepts that type of payment method that you trust and are comfortable with.
It is also important that this payment method is fast, efficient and it comes with minimal fees or conversion costs.
Customer Service
This is another feature that can vary extremely wildly in quality from broker to broker.
The best stock brokers will offer you first-class customer service. They will have multiple methods you can get into contacts with them such as phone, live chat, or email and their staff will be knowledgeable.
Whilst some brokers are easy to get into contact with, their customer support has very limited knowledge of the markets. This is not going to help you if you have a question about one of your trades or something in particular about the markets.
The best customer service teams have been thoroughly trained and are very easy to get into contact with.
How to Get Started with the Best Share Broker Australia
In this guide so far we have gone through how you can select the very best stock trading platform Australia and the important factors you should take into account.
We are now going to go through a step-by-step guide on how you can signup and start making share trades. For this, we are showing you how to signup and get started with our number one rates share trading platform in Australia, eToro.
Step 1: Open an Account and Upload ID
The first step you will need to take whether opening a demo, investor, or copy trading account is to go to eToro here and start the account opening process.
Your capital is at risk.
75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
You will then have to enter your name, username, email, password, and phone number.
Step 2: Confirm Identity
Because eToro is so strongly regulated, including by ASIC in Australia, they are required to confirm your identity. This only takes a few moments and once done will ensure that you can withdraw your profits. It will also ensure that the deposit limit is increased and your account is verified.
To get verified you will need;
- Valid passport or driver’s license
- Utility bill or bank account statement (issued within the last 3 months)
Often eToro will automatically approve your account after you have uploaded the correct documents and your account will be verified instantly.
Step 3: Deposit Funds
The next step is to deposit funds into your account so you can start trading.
eToro has a few different deposit methods that include;
- Debit cards
- Credit cards
- E-wallets (Paypal, Skrill, or Neteller)
- Bank transfer
Down the bottom left you will see the 'Deposit' button. Click on this and you can then make your first deposit. The current minimum deposit is $200.
Step 4: Start Trading
Now you have funds in your account you are all set to start trading.
The first thing you will need to do is search for the market or asset you want to trade. You can use the search bar up the top of the screen to find the market you want to trade.
Your capital is at risk.
75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
To place a trade click on the 'trade' button on the market you want to use. A box will then open that allows you to change all the required parameters.
After filling these in you will be able to see your potential profit and loss before making a trade. Make sure these are correct and then you can place the trade.
Best Share Trading Platforms Australia - Conclusion
The marketplace is now stacked with many different Australian share trading platforms and brokers.
All of these online brokers offer vastly different offerings. Some have lower costs than others and have some far superior customer support.
After carrying out a detailed investigation and review we found that eToro came out on top for almost all categories when it came to shares trading in Australia.
eToro offers a huge range of markets, it is strongly regulated by ASIC, there are zero commissions when trading stocks and their customer support is first class.
eToro – Best Share Trading Platform Australia with 0% Commission
Your capital is at risk.
75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
FAQs
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