CommSec vs Hello Stake 2026
Australia's most established broker goes up against one of its most popular fintech challengers. Full comparison across fees, features, research tools, and which is right for your investing style.
Key takeaways
- ·For US stocks: Stake wins on price — US$3 flat vs CommSec's US$19.95 per trade (up to US$30,000 trade size).
- ·For ASX trading: CommSec's research tools are unmatched — Stake undercuts it at A$3 flat but offers limited research depth.
- ·CommSec's biggest advantage is its integration with Commonwealth Bank and its breadth of ASX company data.
- ·Many Australian investors use both — CommSec for ASX research and analysis, Stake for US stock execution.
- ·Both are ASIC-regulated — CommSec is a CBA subsidiary, Hello Stake holds an Australian Financial Services Licence.
Quick verdict
Choose Hello Stake if…
You invest in US stocks and want low flat fees (US$3 per trade), access to 9,500+ US stocks and ETFs, fractional shares, and a purpose-built modern platform. Get a free stock + $10 credit with referral code jaymem884.
Choose CommSec if…
You invest primarily in ASX shares and rely heavily on research tools — analyst ratings, company reports, economic data — and want the reassurance of a major bank-backed platform with a 30+ year track record.
Side-by-side comparison
| Hello Stake | CommSec | |
|---|---|---|
| US brokerage | US$3 flat (≤US$30K) | ~A$19.95–$29.95 |
| ASX brokerage | A$3 (CHESS) | $9.95–$19.95 |
| FX fee (AUD→USD) | 0.55% on deposits | ~1.0%+ spread |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes (ASX) | Yes |
| Account fee | $0 | $0 |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| US stocks | 9,500+ NYSE/NASDAQ | Limited, high cost |
| Fractional shares | Yes (from US$10) | No |
| ASX research tools | Basic | Extensive |
| Analyst ratings | Stake Black only | Yes (included) |
| Margin lending | No | Yes |
| Bank backing | No (AFSL regulated) | CBA (Big Four) |
| Welcome bonus | Free stock + $10 ✓ | None |
| App rating (iOS) | 4.6 ★ | 3.9 ★ |
Fee comparison in detail
US stock brokerage
This is where the gap between CommSec and Stake is most stark. CommSec's international share trading charges approximately A$19.95 per trade for trades under A$10,000, rising to A$29.95 for larger orders, plus a currency conversion fee on top. Hello Stake charges a flat US$3 per US trade for trades up to US$30,000.
For an investor making 12 US trades per year, the annual brokerage difference alone is roughly A$200–$300 — before accounting for the FX difference. CommSec also charges a higher FX conversion spread (around 1.0%+) compared to Stake's 0.55% on deposits.
| Trade size | Stake total cost | CommSec total cost |
|---|---|---|
| A$500 | ~A$5.75 | ~A$23–$30+ |
| A$1,000 | ~A$8.50 | ~A$23–$30+ |
| A$2,000 | ~A$14.00 | ~A$23–$30+ |
| A$5,000 | ~A$30.50 | ~A$32–$45+ |
| A$10,000 | ~A$58.00 | ~A$45–$60+ |
Stake cost = A$3 brokerage (converted) + 0.55% FX on deposit. CommSec cost estimates based on published international trading schedule. Verify current rates at each platform before trading.
ASX brokerage
CommSec charges $9.95 per ASX trade (up to $1,000), rising to $19.95 for trades between $1,000 and $10,000. Hello Stake charges a flat A$3 per ASX trade on the standard account, with CHESS sponsorship included.
For an active ASX investor making 20 trades per year at $1,000 each, CommSec costs $399 in brokerage versus $60 on Stake — a saving of over $300 annually just on ASX brokerage.
Research tools: CommSec's biggest advantage
If research tools matter to you, CommSec is genuinely ahead. This is the platform's clearest differentiator and the main reason many investors — myself included — maintain a CommSec account even if they trade on other platforms.
CommSec research tools
- Expert analyst ratings & recommendations
- Company research reports
- AI-generated earnings summaries
- Economic calendar
- Fundamental data & financial statements
- Market depth (Level 2)
- IPO centre
- Margin lending
- Full CBA banking integration
Hello Stake research tools
- Price charts (real-time)
- Basic fundamental data
- News feed
- Analyst ratings (Stake Black only)
- Market depth (Stake Black only)
- 9,500+ US stocks coverage
- Fractional share support
- US earnings calendar
For serious research, I personally supplement Stake's built-in tools with: Simply Wall Street for fundamental health screening, TradingView for charting, and HotCopper for ASX sentiment. Together they fill the research gap that Stake's platform leaves.
Pros and cons
Hello Stake
CommSec
Why many investors use both
This is actually what I do personally. CommSec and Hello Stake serve different purposes, and using both gives you the best of each:
CommSec for ASX research
CommSec's expert analyst recommendations, AI summaries, and financial data tools are genuinely useful for evaluating Australian companies before investing. I use it as a research platform even for positions I might execute elsewhere.
Hello Stake for US stocks
US$3 flat brokerage is transformative for building a US portfolio incrementally. A regular monthly buy of US stocks on CommSec would cost $20+ per trade; on Stake it's $3. Over a year of 12 monthly contributions, that's a saving of $200+ in brokerage alone.
Research gap is fillable
Stake's limited research tools are easily supplemented with free and low-cost tools: Simply Wall Street for health screening, TradingView for charting, and HotCopper for ASX sentiment reading. Together they fill the gap.
Overall verdict
For US stock investing, Hello Stake wins clearly. The brokerage difference — US$3 vs ~A$19.95–$29.95 — makes CommSec prohibitively expensive for building a US portfolio. The lower FX fee (0.55% vs ~1.0%+) adds to Stake's cost advantage. There is no realistic scenario where CommSec is the better choice for regular US stock investing.
For ASX investing, Hello Stake is now competitive on price. At A$3 per trade with CHESS sponsorship, Stake undercuts CommSec's $9.95–$19.95. The main reason to prefer CommSec for ASX is access to its research tools and analyst recommendations — not price.
The ideal setup for most Australian investors is both: CommSec for its research ecosystem and ASX depth, Hello Stake for US stocks and cost-effective ASX execution. They complement each other well.
Open Hello Stake with a free stock
New Hello Stake accounts opened with referral code jaymem884 receive a free US stock (Nike, GoPro, or Dropbox) plus A$10 trading credit — fund your account within 24 hours of signing up to claim.
Open Stake with code jaymem884This reflects my personal experience. Not financial advice. Verify current fees at hellostake.com and commsec.com.au.