Stake vs SelfWealth 2026
Two flat-fee, CHESS-sponsored brokers with very different numbers. Stake charges A$3 per ASX trade and US$3 per US trade; SelfWealth charges $9.50 flat on both markets. Stake wins on price at nearly every trade size — SelfWealth wins on giant orders. Here's the honest breakdown.
Key takeaways
- ·CHESS: both. Stake and SelfWealth both give you your own HIN and direct ASX registration — no custody-model difference.
- ·ASX price: Stake's A$3 flat beats SelfWealth's A$9.50 at every trade size up to A$30,000 — a A$6.50 saving per trade.
- ·The crossover: only above roughly A$95,000 per ASX order (and US$95,000 per US order) does SelfWealth's flat fee become cheaper than Stake's 0.01% scale.
- ·US access: Stake offers 11,000+ US stocks/ETFs with fractional shares from US$10; SelfWealth offers 5,000+ with no fractional trading.
- ·FX: Stake's 0.55% conversion is charged once per deposit; verify SelfWealth's current conversion spread before funding a USD position.
- ·Auto-invest: SelfWealth has none — every order is manual. Stake supports fractional auto-invest for regular US buying.
- ·Stake referral bonus: free US stock + $10 credit with code jaymem884 (deposit A$50 within 24h). SelfWealth's offer: first 3 trades free.
The safety question is a tie — both are CHESS-sponsored
Unlike custodial platforms, both Stake and SelfWealth register your ASX shares directly in your name on the ASX registry and issue you your own HIN. If either broker failed, your shares are still yours. Both are ASIC-regulated. That means this comparison is genuinely about price, market access and features — not ownership structure. For a deeper explanation, see how CHESS sponsorship works.
Quick verdict
Choose Stake if…
You make ASX or US trades of any typical size (below ~A$95k per order), want the widest US range with fractional shares from US$10, deposit in batches (0.55% FX once per deposit), or want the referral bonus. This is the price winner for the overwhelming majority of retail investors.
Choose SelfWealth if…
You place very large ASX orders (above ~A$95,000), where its flat A$9.50 undercuts Stake's percentage scale. Also reasonable if you want its community performance-tracking or Premium tools ($29/month) and trade infrequently enough that the A$6.50-per-trade gap doesn't matter.
Side-by-side comparison
| SelfWealth | Hello Stake | |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerageStake saves A$6.50/trade | A$9.50 flat | A$3 flat (≤A$30k) |
| US brokerageStake saves US$6.50/trade | US$9.50 flat | US$3 flat (≤US$30k) |
| Large ordersSelfWealth wins above ~95k | Still $9.50 | 0.01% above A$30k/US$30k |
| US rangeStake's biggest range advantage | 5,000+ stocks, 3,000+ ETFs | 11,000+ stocks & ETFs |
| Fractional sharesStake wins for small regular buying | No | Yes, from US$10 |
| Auto-investSelfWealth has no recurring orders | No (manual only) | Yes |
| CHESS sponsorshipTie | Yes (HIN) | Yes (HIN) |
| FX conversionStake's is published and deposit-batched | Applies to US trades — verify current spread | 0.55% per deposit (min US$2) |
| Inactivity feeTie | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome offer | First 3 trades free (30 days) | Free US stock + $10 with jaymem884 |
| Extra toolsBoth optional, both skippable | Premium $29/mo (10 free trades/yr) | Stake Black $20/mo (reduced FX) |
Fees verified September 2026 against hellostake.com and selfwealth.com.au. Bold = lower cost or stronger outcome for that row.
Where each flat fee actually wins
Both brokers charge flat fees, but Stake's flips to a 0.01% scale above A$30,000 (ASX) / US$30,000 (US). That creates one crossover point per market — and it's far higher than most people trade.
ASX trade cost (AUD)
| Order size | Stake | SelfWealth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| A$1,000 | A$3.00 | A$9.50 | Stake |
| A$10,000 | A$3.00 | A$9.50 | Stake |
| A$30,000 | A$3.00 | A$9.50 | Stake |
| A$50,000 | A$5.00 | A$9.50 | Stake |
| A$95,000 | A$9.50 | A$9.50 | Tie |
| A$150,000 | A$15.00 | A$9.50 | SelfWealth |
US trade cost (USD)
| Order size | Stake | SelfWealth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| US$1,000 | US$3.00 | US$9.50 | Stake |
| US$5,000 | US$3.00 | US$9.50 | Stake |
| US$30,000 | US$3.00 | US$9.50 | Stake |
| US$50,000 | US$5.00 | US$9.50 | Stake |
| US$95,000 | US$9.50 | US$9.50 | Tie |
| US$150,000 | US$15.00 | US$9.50 | SelfWealth |
The crossover is ~A$95,000 per order. Below that, Stake is cheaper on every single trade — typically by A$6.50 or US$6.50. An investor making 12 ASX trades a year saves A$78 at Stake; 24 trades saves A$156. SelfWealth's flat fee only wins when single orders exceed the crossover, which for most retail investors is rare.
Beyond price: where SelfWealth genuinely differs
No fractional shares. SelfWealth trades whole shares only. On Stake you can buy US$10 slices of any US stock — which matters when a single Berkshire or Booking Holdings share costs five figures. If you dollar-cost-average small amounts into US names, this is a bigger practical difference than the brokerage gap.
No auto-invest. SelfWealth has no recurring-order feature — every trade is placed manually. That's the entire premise of our Pearler vs CommSec Pocket vs SelfWealth auto-invest comparison, where SelfWealth's role is the cheap manual option rather than the automated one.
Smaller US catalogue. SelfWealth covers 5,000+ US stocks and 3,000+ ETFs — respectable, but Stake's 11,000+ means fewer "not available" moments on mid-caps and newer ETFs.
Where SelfWealth is genuinely good: the flat fee has no tiers to decode, its Premium tier ($29/month) bundles 10 free trades a year for frequent traders, and its community performance tracking is unique. Its current welcome offer — first three trades free within 30 days — is a fair trial window.
Which investor each platform suits
Stake suits
Everyday ASX investors
A$3 vs A$9.50 per trade is a 68% saving at Stake — A$78/year on a trade a month, with CHESS sponsorship either way.
US-focused investors
US$3 flat, 11,000+ securities, fractional shares from US$10, and one 0.55% FX conversion per deposit rather than per trade.
Automated buyers
Fractional auto-invest handles regular purchases without manual orders.
New investors
Code jaymem884 adds a free US stock + $10 credit on a A$50 first deposit.
SelfWealth suits
Very large single orders
Above ~A$95,000 per ASX trade, its flat A$9.50 beats Stake's 0.01% scale — the one scenario where it's the price winner.
Set-and-forget ASX holders
If you trade a handful of times a year and hold otherwise, the A$6.50 gap matters little and the flat fee is predictable.
Premium-tool users
The $29/month Premium tier (live pricing, charting, 10 free trades/year) can suit higher-frequency traders who value those extras.
Promo tasters
Three free trades in the first 30 days is a genuine zero-cost trial.
Switching between them
Because both brokers are CHESS-sponsored, moving ASX holdings between them is a standard off-market transfer — no selling, no capital gains tax event, cost base preserved. It takes 3–7 business days. Stake charges nothing to receive shares; our transfer guide walks through the process and what each originating broker may charge on the way out.
If you're weighing SelfWealth against other platforms rather than Stake directly, the auto-invest comparison covers how its $9.50 manual fee stacks up against Pearler's $6.50 schedules and CommSec Pocket's $2 recurring orders.
The verdict
For most Australian investors, Stake wins this matchup clearly. It's A$6.50 cheaper on every ASX trade below the ~A$95,000 crossover, US$6.50 cheaper on US trades, offers more than double the US catalogue, adds fractional shares and auto-invest, and the CHESS safety story is identical. There's no ownership-structure trade-off to weigh — just price and features, and Stake leads on both for typical usage.
SelfWealth keeps a real niche: investors whose single trades routinely exceed ~A$95,000, where its flat fee undercuts Stake's percentage scale, and those who prefer its Premium tooling. For everyone else, the A$6.50-per-trade gap compounds quickly.
Starting with Stake? Use code jaymem884 at sign-up for the free stock + $10 welcome bonus.
Not financial advice. Fee comparisons based on publicly available pricing pages as of September 2026 — verify current rates at hellostake.com and selfwealth.com.au before investing.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — both register your ASX shares directly in your name with your own HIN. If broker safety structures matter to you, this one is a tie: neither holds your ASX shares in a custodial model. The differences that matter are price, US market access and features like fractional shares.