eToro vs Stake 2026
eToro offers $0 ETF commissions and social copy-trading — but charges a published 0.75% FX and does not offer CHESS sponsorship. Stake charges A$3/trade with full CHESS and 0.55% FX. Here's what actually matters for Australian investors.
Key takeaways
- ·CHESS: Stake yes, eToro no. eToro holds your ASX shares in custody under its own name — you don't get a HIN.
- ·ETFs: eToro charges $0 commission. Stake charges A$3 (ASX) or US$3 (US). Big eToro advantage for frequent ETF buyers.
- ·FX: eToro publishes 0.75% for AUD→USD vs Stake's 0.55% — A$20 more per A$10,000 deposited, before eToro's Club-tier discounts.
- ·ASX stocks: eToro US$2/trade (open + close = US$4 round trip ≈ A$6.20). Stake A$3 + A$3 = A$6 round trip. Similar brokerage, but Stake is CHESS-sponsored.
- ·US stocks: eToro US$2 vs Stake US$3 per trade — eToro saves A$1.55/trade, and with the FX gap now just 0.20%, most of that saving survives.
- ·eToro's CopyTrader lets you mirror other investors automatically. Stake has no social trading feature.
- ·Stake referral bonus: free US stock + $10 credit with code jaymem884 (deposit A$50 within 24h).
The most important difference: CHESS sponsorship
Stake is CHESS-sponsored. Your ASX shares are registered directly in your name on the ASX's official registry and you receive your own Holder Identification Number (HIN). If Stake were to fail, your shares belong to you — not the broker.
eToro is not CHESS-sponsored. Your shares are held under eToro's name in a custodial model. You do not receive a HIN. Your shares are protected by client money segregation and up to $1M in insurance, but they are not independently registered to you on the ASX registry.
Both platforms are ASIC-regulated and structurally safe, but CHESS provides a level of direct ownership that eToro's custody model does not.
Quick verdict
Choose eToro if…
You primarily invest in ETFs (the $0 commission saves real money over time) and you're comfortable with custodial share ownership rather than CHESS. Also suits investors who want social/copy trading — eToro's CopyTrader is unique in the Australian market.
Choose Stake if…
CHESS sponsorship matters to you, or you want lower FX costs (0.55% vs 0.75%). Also better for investors making regular deposits where every 0.20% of FX adds up, and for anyone who values CHESS over copy-trading. Use code jaymem884 for a free stock + $10.
Side-by-side comparison
| eToro AU | Hello Stake | |
|---|---|---|
| ASX stock brokerageStake cheaper (≈A$3 vs A$3.10) | US$2/trade | A$3/trade |
| ASX ETF brokerageeToro wins | $0 commission | A$3/trade |
| US stock brokerageeToro saves A$1.55/trade | US$2/trade | US$3/trade |
| US ETF brokerageeToro wins | $0 commission | US$3/trade |
| FX fee (AUD→USD)Stake cheaper; gap is 0.20% — eToro Club tiers narrow it further | 0.75% published | 0.55% |
| CHESS sponsorshipStake: direct ASX ownership | No | Yes |
| Account fee | $0 | $0 |
| Inactivity feeBoth $0 per current schedules (verify — eToro has charged this before) | None | $0 |
| Withdrawal feeStake wins on USD withdrawals | US$5 from USD accounts; $0 from AUD | $0 |
| Min. deposit | US$50 (≈A$78) | A$50 (recommended) |
| CFD trading | Yes (stocks, ETFs, forex, crypto) | No |
| Copy trading | Yes (CopyTrader) | No |
| ASIC regulated | Yes (AFSL #491139) | Yes |
| Client funds | Segregated + $1M insurance | Segregated |
| Welcome bonus | None | Free stock + $10 ✓ |
| US stocks available | 3,000+ | 11,000+ |
Bold = lower cost or stronger outcome for that row. Verify current fees before trading.
ETF investors: when does eToro's $0 commission actually win?
eToro's $0 ETF commission looks compelling — and its published 0.75% FX creates only a small gap at today's rates. The table below shows how many ASX ETF trades (each saving A$3 vs Stake) are needed to break even on the FX cost difference for a given deposit.
ETF saving per trade vs Stake: A$3. FX gap = eToro 0.75% minus Stake 0.55% = 0.20% of deposit. Break-even = FX gap ÷ A$3. Based on eToro's published 0.75% — its Club tiers and any expiry of the discount change the maths.
| AUD deposit | eToro FX cost | Stake FX cost | FX gap | ETF trades to break even |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A$1,000 | A$7.50 | A$5.50 | A$2.00 | 1 trades |
| A$2,000 | A$15.00 | A$11.00 | A$4.00 | 2 trades |
| A$5,000 | A$37.50 | A$27.50 | A$10.00 | 4 trades |
| A$10,000 | A$75.00 | A$55.00 | A$20.00 | 7 trades |
| A$20,000 | A$150.00 | A$110.00 | A$40.00 | 14 trades |
| A$50,000 | A$375.00 | A$275.00 | A$100.00 | 34 trades |
On a A$10,000 deposit, you need just 7 ETF trades from that deposit to cover the FX gap at eToro's published 0.75% rate — far fewer than the ~32 the old 1.5% schedule implied. At today's rates the FX argument against eToro's $0 ETF commissions is modest; the decision hinges on CHESS sponsorship, custody and platform features instead. If eToro's discount ends and the rate reverts to 1.5%, the break-even climbs back above 30 trades.
CopyTrader: eToro's unique feature
eToro's CopyTrader is the only feature like it in the Australian retail broker market. You search for an eToro trader, view their historical performance, and allocate a portion of your portfolio to mirror their activity automatically. When they buy AAPL, your account buys proportionally too.
This is genuinely useful for investors who want active stock-picking strategies without doing the research themselves. The risk: you're entirely dependent on another retail investor's decisions, past performance is not predictive, and the 0.75% FX cost applies to your copy portfolio just as much as any other position.
Stake has nothing equivalent. Stake is a direct-access broker — every trade is placed by you. If social/copy trading is part of your strategy, eToro is the only Australian-regulated option that offers it.
Which investor each platform suits
eToro suits
High-frequency ETF traders
$0 commission on ETFs benefits investors who buy multiple times per month from small deposits. The FX gap shrinks when deposits are small and trades are many.
Copy-trading investors
CopyTrader is genuinely unique in Australia. Investors who want to mirror experienced traders with minimal research will find no equivalent at Stake.
CFD traders
eToro offers CFD access on stocks, ETFs, forex, and crypto with leverage. Stake does not offer CFDs or leveraged products.
Global diversification
Access to Hong Kong, European, and UK-listed stocks alongside US and ASX — broader than Stake's ASX + US focus.
Stake suits
CHESS-conscious investors
If you want your ASX shares registered in your name on the ASX registry — and your own HIN — Stake is CHESS-sponsored. eToro holds shares in custody.
Large deposit investors
eToro's 0.75% FX vs Stake's 0.55% adds A$20 per A$10,000 deposited — modest, but it compounds with every deposit. Stake's FX is charged once at deposit with no tier conditions attached.
No inactivity or withdrawal fees
eToro's current schedule lists no inactivity fee and a US$5 withdrawal fee only from USD accounts (AUD-account withdrawals are free). Stake charges $0 withdrawals either way. Verify eToro's live fees — it has charged US$10/month inactivity and US$5 withdrawals in the past.
New investors with the referral bonus
Code jaymem884 gives new Stake users a free US stock + $10 credit — a tangible offset on early trades. eToro has no equivalent offer.
Our verdict
The CHESS question is the first thing any Australian investor should settle. If direct share registration matters to you, Stake is the only choice — eToro's custodial model is fine for most investors, but it's not CHESS.
If CHESS isn't a dealbreaker, the maths depends on what you're buying and how. ETF investors making small, frequent purchases from small deposits can genuinely benefit from eToro's $0 commission — at its published 0.75% FX, the gap to outrun is small (our table shows break-even in 1–34 trades per deposit at typical sizes).
For most Australian investors — particularly those making regular ETF purchases of A$1,000–$10,000 at a time — Stake's lower FX (0.55%), CHESS ownership, no inactivity or withdrawal fees, and the new-user referral bonus make it the better starting point. Use code jaymem884 to get a free US stock and $10 to begin.
Not financial advice. Verify current fees at hellostake.com/au/pricing and etoro.com/en-au before investing.
Frequently asked questions
No — eToro holds your ASX shares in a custodial model under its own name. You don't receive a HIN or direct registration on the ASX registry. Stake is CHESS sponsored — your shares are in your name. For investors who consider direct share ownership important (e.g. if the broker ever fails, CHESS means your shares are yours regardless), this is a meaningful distinction.