Selfwealth vs CMC Invest (2026):
Australian Broker Comparison
These two brokers have fundamentally different pricing models. Selfwealth charges a flat A$9.50 per trade, every time. CMC Invest charges A$0 for your first ASX buy of A$1,000 or under per security per day, then A$11 or 0.11% above that. Which model wins depends on how much you invest, in what size, and on which markets. The break-even math tells the story clearly.
Quick snapshot
Key numbers side by side before the full breakdown below.
| Feature | Selfwealth | CMC Invest |
|---|---|---|
| ASX commission | A$9.50 flat | A$0 first buy per sec per day (max A$1k) A$11 or 0.11% otherwise |
| US commission | A$9.50 flat | A$0 |
| FX markup (international) | ~0.85% | Up to 0.60% |
| Annual custody fee | 0% | 0% |
| Platform fee | A$0 | A$0 |
| CHESS-sponsored (ASX) | Yes | Yes |
| International markets | US + Hong Kong | 15 markets |
| Fractional shares | No | No (min 1 unit) |
| Recurring investment | Auto-Invest (existing holdings) | Regular Investment Plan (monthly / fortnightly) |
| Cash interest (AUD) | 0% | Not published |
| ASIC licence | AFSL 421789 | AFSL 246381 |
| Publicly listed | No (Syfe-owned) | Yes (LSE: CMCX) |
Fees and the break-even math
Two different pricing philosophies. Run the numbers for your actual contribution size before choosing.
| Fee item | Selfwealth | CMC Invest |
|---|---|---|
| ASX buy (up to A$1,000) | A$9.50 | A$0 (first buy per sec per day) |
| ASX buy (A$1,001 to A$10,000) | A$9.50 | A$11 flat |
| ASX buy (above A$10,000) | A$9.50 | 0.11% (A$22 at A$20k; A$55 at A$50k) |
| ASX sell | A$9.50 | A$11 or 0.11% (always charged; free first-buy does not apply to sells) |
| US stocks and ETFs | A$9.50 + ~0.85% FX | A$0 + up to 0.60% FX |
| Hong Kong stocks and ETFs | HK$88 flat | A$0 |
| UK / Canada / Germany / Japan | Not available | A$0 commission |
| Annual custody fee | 0% | 0% |
Regular DCA under A$1,000 per ETF per day: CMC Invest wins outright. Twelve monthly A$500 contributions into VAS cost A$0/year at CMC Invest vs A$114/year at Selfwealth.
Buys between A$1,001 and A$10,000: Selfwealth wins by A$1.50 per trade (A$9.50 vs CMC’s A$11 minimum). Small gap, but it compounds over years of investing.
Large lump sums above A$10,000: Selfwealth wins decisively. A A$50,000 ASX purchase costs A$9.50 at Selfwealth and A$55 at CMC Invest (0.11%). At A$100,000: A$9.50 vs A$110.
A$5,000 US ETF buy: CMC Invest up to 0.60% FX = ~A$30. Selfwealth A$9.50 commission + ~0.85% FX = ~A$52. CMC Invest saves approximately A$22 per transaction.
Selfwealth FX note: Selfwealth quotes its FX charge as “60c USD per A$100 exchanged” rather than a clean percentage. At current exchange rates the effective rate is approximately 0.85%, making it the more expensive option for international trades regardless of commission.
Account structure, CHESS, and eligibility
Both brokers cover the major account structures used by Australian retail investors, including SMSF and kids accounts.
| Account type | Selfwealth | CMC Invest |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | Yes | Yes |
| Joint (up to 2 holders) | Yes | Yes |
| Company / Trust | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF | Yes | Yes |
| Minor / Kids account | Yes (held in trust by adult) | Yes |
| CHESS-sponsored (ASX) | Yes — individual HIN | Yes — individual HIN |
| International custody | Custodial via FNZ / PhillipCapital | Custodial via BNP Paribas / Morgan Stanley |
| Residency requirement | Australian tax resident or NZ citizen | Australian residency; TFN required |
| Demo / paper trading | Not available for share investing | CFD demo only — not for share investing |
What you can actually trade
CMC Invest has a significantly wider international reach. Selfwealth covers ASX, US, and HK.
| Market / asset | Selfwealth | CMC Invest |
|---|---|---|
| ASX stocks and ETFs | Yes | Yes (2,000+ securities) |
| US stocks and ETFs (NYSE / NASDAQ) | Yes | Yes (A$0 commission) |
| Hong Kong (HKEX) | Yes | Yes |
| UK (LSE) | No | Yes (A$0) |
| Canada, Germany, Japan | No | Yes (A$0) |
| Singapore, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Spain | No | Yes (15 markets total) |
| International ETFs | US + HK-listed only | 10,000+ across all 15 markets |
| Cryptocurrency | No | Yes (8 cryptocurrencies) |
| CFDs | No | Separate CMC Markets account required |
| Fractional shares | Not supported | Not broadly supported (min 1 unit; A$1,000 minimum on most international orders) |
Research, charting, and automation
CMC Invest has deeper research infrastructure; Selfwealth offers a community layer that CMC cannot match.
- Community portfolios: See anonymised asset allocations of other Selfwealth investors and benchmark your portfolio against top performers. Unique in the Australian retail broker market.
- Auto-Invest: Set a recurring investment schedule into existing stock or ETF positions. Choose the security, amount, and frequency.
- Refinitiv data: Stock screener with filters for analyst recommendations, valuations, community sentiment, and index selection.
- Premium membership: Adds live-stream pricing, advanced charting, member insights, and bonus free trades. The free plan covers the core investing workflow.
- Simplicity: Clean, uncluttered interface designed for buy-and-hold ETF investors rather than active traders.
- TradingView-powered charts: 7 chart types, 200+ technical indicators, drawing tools, and advanced modelling on the standard plan.
- Morningstar research: Full independent stock reports, ESG scores, financial summaries, and risk ratings for individual companies.
- Reuters news feeds: Live breaking news, ASX announcements, and corporate calendars integrated into the platform.
- OPTO thematic watchlists: 40+ curated thematic investment ideas across tech, energy, healthcare, and other sectors.
- Regular Investment Plan: Automated monthly or fortnightly purchases into eligible ASX stocks and ETFs. Minimum A$500 for a new holding.
- Sharesight integration: Direct portfolio sync for performance reporting and tax tracking without manual imports.
Regulation, CHESS, and what protects your money
Both are ASIC-regulated and CHESS-sponsored for ASX holdings. Australia has no government-backed investor compensation scheme equivalent to the UK FSCS.
- ASIC-regulated: AFSL 421789.
- Ownership: Acquired by Syfe in 2024; now privately held. Previously listed on the ASX (ticker: SWF).
- Client cash: Held in a segregated omnibus trust account at ANZ. Separate from Selfwealth’s own funds.
- ASX holdings: CHESS-sponsored under your individual HIN. Not at risk from broker insolvency for Australian shares.
- International holdings: Custodial model via FNZ / PhillipCapital. Held separately from broker assets but not individually registered.
- ASIC-regulated: CMC Markets Stockbroking: AFSL 246381. CMC Markets Asia Pacific (derivatives): AFSL 238054.
- Publicly listed: CMC Markets plc listed on the London Stock Exchange (CMCX). Greater transparency and third-party oversight compared to a private entity.
- Client cash: Held in segregated client money accounts at tier-1 Australian banks under ASIC client money rules.
- ASX holdings: CHESS-sponsored under your individual HIN. Same direct ownership protection as Selfwealth.
- International holdings: Custodial via BNP Paribas; execution via Morgan Stanley.
Who should choose which broker
- You invest in larger lump sums — A$1,000 to A$100,000+ — and want the same flat A$9.50 regardless of order size. The difference versus CMC’s 0.11% becomes material very quickly above A$10,000.
- You make periodic contributions (quarterly or half-yearly) rather than frequent small DCA purchases where the free first-buy matters.
- You value the community portfolio benchmarking feature and want to see how your asset allocation compares to other retail investors.
- You invest primarily on the ASX with occasional US or HK trades, and do not need access to European, Canadian, or broader Asian markets.
- You prefer a cleaner, simpler interface not built around active trading or dense research tools.
- You DCA regularly into ASX ETFs in amounts under A$1,000 per security per day, and want to pay zero brokerage on those purchases.
- You want access to international markets beyond the US and HK — UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and more — at A$0 commission.
- You are buying US or internationally-listed ETFs and want the lower FX cost (up to 0.60% vs Selfwealth’s ~0.85%).
- You want Morningstar research, TradingView charts, and Reuters news as part of your investment process.
- You want to automate investing with the Regular Investment Plan on a monthly or fortnightly schedule from A$500.
- You also want access to crypto or options alongside your core share portfolio.
Both brokers are CHESS-sponsored and carry no annual custody fee. Use the fee breakdown above to match the right pricing model to your contribution size and target markets.
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Common questions
Is CMC Invest free to trade in Australia?
Partially. CMC Invest charges A$0 on the first ASX buy of each security per calendar day, provided the order is A$1,000 or under. All other ASX buys and all ASX sells are charged at A$11 or 0.11%, whichever is greater. US, UK, Canadian, and Japanese listed stocks and ETFs are A$0 commission with no threshold. For regular small DCA purchases under A$1,000 per security, CMC Invest is effectively free for ASX — but it is not fully commission-free for all trades.
Which broker is better for ASX ETF investing — Selfwealth or CMC Invest?
It depends on trade size and frequency. For regular small contributions under A$1,000 per ETF per day, CMC Invest’s free first-buy makes it the cheaper option. For medium-to-large ASX purchases above A$1,000 — for example, a quarterly lump sum into VAS or VGS — Selfwealth’s flat A$9.50 undercuts CMC’s A$11 minimum, and significantly undercuts CMC’s 0.11% on orders above A$10,000. If you also regularly buy US or internationally-listed ETFs, CMC Invest has the lower FX cost.
Do both Selfwealth and CMC Invest offer CHESS sponsorship?
Yes. Both brokers are CHESS-sponsored for Australian shares listed on the ASX and Cboe Australia. Your ASX holdings are registered under your own unique Holder Identification Number (HIN) — they are not pooled under the broker’s name. International shares (US, HK, and others) are held under a custodial arrangement at both brokers, as direct CHESS sponsorship is not available for overseas markets.
Can I transfer my ASX shares between Selfwealth and CMC Invest without selling?
Yes. Because both brokers are CHESS-sponsored, you can transfer ASX holdings via an off-market transfer using your HIN without triggering a sale. This avoids capital gains tax and brokerage costs. Initiate the transfer with your destination broker and provide your current HIN and the Securityholder Reference Number (SRN) for each holding. Processing typically takes a few business days.
Which broker has better international market access — Selfwealth or CMC Invest?
CMC Invest clearly wins on international breadth. It covers 15 markets including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with A$0 commission on most international trades (minimum A$1,000 order on most stocks). Selfwealth is limited to US (NYSE and NASDAQ) and Hong Kong (HKEX), charged at A$9.50 per trade plus approximately 0.85% FX. For a globally diversified portfolio using international ETFs or stocks, CMC Invest offers significantly wider access at lower cost.
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