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How to choose the best investment platform for you in Australia
Looking for the best investment platform for you? Learn how to choose a platform that suits your investment needs and risk profile.
What is an investment platform?
An investment platform is a digital space where you can buy and sell equity in a publicly listed company or fund. You can monitor your investment on the platform to keep track of the performance of your portfolio. With us, you can buy and hold shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investment trusts through a share trading account.
What is a share trading account?
A share trading account enables you to buy and hold a financial asset, taking outright ownership and making a profit if you sell it at a higher price. If you sell it at a lower price, you’d incur a loss.1
You could earn a passive income through dividend-paying assets if you’re eligible. With us, you can choose from over 11,000 shares and ETFs. When using our platform to invest, you’ll pay zero commission on international shares (0.7% FX fee applies)2 and $5 on Aussie shares.3
How to choose an investment platform
Before you choose an investment platform, you need to consider a variety of factors. With some platforms having similar aspects, it’s important to compare factors such as:
Types of investments
Platforms with several asset types and a wide range of available markets are typically more attractive to investors. With us, you’ll choose between investing in local and international shares, ETFs and investment trusts.
Here’s what sets us apart:
- Shares: we offer thousands of global markets to invest in and extended hours on key US stocks
- ETFs: we have thousands of ETF markets available that track different sectors, indices, bonds, commodities and more
- Bonds: learn how to buy and sell corporate and government bonds ETFs on our platform. Get exposure to bond ETFs with us and get interest on the investment for the duration of the term
Risk management
When investing, you usually need to commit the full value of your position upfront to get exposure. This poses the risk of loss if your holding loses value, making it important for you to manage your risk.
Some of the types of risks you can consider include:
- Market risk (including interest rate risk)
- Inflation risk
- Liquidity risk
- Exchange rate risk
The level of your investments’ risk can also be influenced by your risk appetite. Investors who are risk averse tend to get exposure with limited probability for loss, coupled with lower possible returns. Conversely, a higher risk tolerance is the trade-off for higher potential returns.
Despite investing carrying limited risk compared to trading, risk management tools available on a platform are still important to mitigate potential losses.
Learn more about the differences between trading and investing
Resources and tools
Educational resources and tools can help you with useful information about investing. These can help you make informed decisions, including mitigating possible losses.
Here are some of the resources and tools that are available on our platform:
- IG Academy – access extensive educational content to help you sharpen your skills and knowledge
- News updates – stay up to date with developments relevant to your investments and assets you’re interested in
- Charts – track price movements of any asset available and customise the view to suit your preferences
- Indicators – choose from a selection of ways to find patterns in price action based on historical performance4
- Alerts – set up automatic notifications for when certain price levels are reached in markets you’re interested in
Fees and charges
Every investment platform has fees that they charge for services rendered. But the amounts charged differ depending on the platform. You should always consider the fees and charges before you sign up, as this will impact your overall outlay and any investment returns you make.
There are other factors that can impact costs, such as the frequency of your investments. With us, you’ll pay zero commission on international shares (0.7% FX fee applies),2 and $5 on Aussie shares.3
Customer service
Customer service that’s reliable and accessible with ease and convenience is another important consideration when choosing an investment platform. Our expert client services are available 24/7.5
You can contact us via phone, email, WhatsApp or live chat. If you have an account with us and you would like to transfer your investments from a different platform to ours, we can assist you with this.
Investment platform comparison
| IG share trading | CommSec | CMC Markets | Saxo | |
| Types of investments | Shares, ETFs and bonds | Shares and ETFs | Shares and ETFs | Shares, ETFs, bonds and mutual funds |
| Resources and tools | IG Academy, market news and trading ideas, articles, videos, charting tools, podcast, seminars and webinars, glossary and price alerts | CommSec Learn, CommSec Stock'd, market news, articles, videos, charting tools, webinars, podcast, glossary and price alerts | Invest Knowledge Hub, market news, articles, videos, charting tools, webinars, glossary and price alerts | Educational resources, market news, articles, videos, charting tools, events and webinars, podcast and price alerts |
| Fees and charges | Zero commission on international shares (0.7% FX fee applies),2 and $5 or 0.05% on Aussie shares3 | From $5. Commission fee depends on the trade size and where the shares are listed | $0 on first buy per Aussie share under $1,000, each day (terms and conditions apply); from $11 (or 0.10% of the trade value); FX spreads on international shares | A percentage of the position size, based on asset class and your account tier (certain minimums apply) |
| Customer service | 24/75 client service: phone call, email, WhatsApp, FAQs (help and support centre) and live chat | Phone call (8am to 6pm,* weekdays), email, X and help centre with FAQs |
Phone call (7.30am to 7pm, weekdays), global shares support (Monday to Saturday morning),* live chat, X and FAQ hub | Phone call, email, live chat, raising a ticket, FAQ support centre and X |
* Sydney time
The data in the above table was collected in January 2025 from each provider’s website.
Best investment platform for you
When looking for the best investment platform for you, it’s vital to consider factors that are relevant to the product offering, including benefits, customer service and awards won by the provider.
- We offer 11,000 shares, ETFs and bonds
- Extended share trading hours6
- Commissions-free trading on international shares2
- Round the clock support5
Trade with a multi-award-winner
We’ve been recognised by industry experts time and again for our cutting-edge tech and great value for money. We’ve won awards year after year from ADVFN, Money Magazine, Canstar and finder.
How to start investing with us
With us, you would start investing by following these steps:
- Fill in a form. We’ll ask you some questions so we can provide you with the best experience on our platform
- Get verification. We’ll verify your information
- Fund your account and start investing. When you’re ready, you’ll be able to deposit money into your account and start investing. You can withdraw your funds for free, whenever you like
Investment need-to-knows
Before you start investing, there’s some fundamental information that you need to understand to help you make informed decisions. Below are some of the questions that are commonly asked about the basics of investing.
When should I start investing?
You can determine when the right time is for you to start investing based on your financial situation. It’s important to cover your bases to ensure that you have a solid understanding of how investing works and the risks involved.
Doing your due diligence can help you align your investment decisions with your needs, goals and risk tolerance. By backing your investment choices with thorough research, you lessen the probability of unfavourable outcomes,4 but profits are still not guaranteed.
Part of your research should include factors such as technical and fundamental analysis, market conditions and a comparison of investment providers.
How much should I invest?
You should only invest what you can afford. While there’s potential for profits, especially in the long run, it’s worth noting that you could lose a significant amount of your capital. You could even lose everything you put into an investment.
Stocks, for example, can lose all their value through bankruptcy. While this is unlikely, it’s important to bear in mind that it’s possible. In such a case, you’d lose the entire amount you paid for the shares of the stock in question.
How long should I invest for?
The length of time you hold your investment also depends on you. Buying and holding is often done over the long term, with the aim to realise a significant return on investment (ROI).4 So, it’s generally not ideal to use money that you’ll need in the short term.
To plan for living expenses, unforeseen emergencies or something else that might require funds in the short term, you can consider a different course. Choosing a savings account for this – for example – protects your funds, while giving you access to the money in the short- to medium term.
Investors often buy and hold assets for years or decades, with hopes that their value will appreciate exponentially over time.4
Let’s say you buy shares worth $10,000 in Company ABC. Suppose you hold the shares for ten years and the share price grows by 60% during that time. That means you’d make a profit of $6,000, excluding any provider fees payable and dividends received (if the company offers them and you’re eligible).
FAQs
Is there a minimum deposit required to start investing with IG?
With us, there's no minimum deposit amount required for bank transfers, although you can also deposit via credit card at a fee or for free using a debit card.
Are there withdrawal fees?
No, we don’t charge fees for withdrawals, provided no currency conversion is required.
What is active investing?
Active investing involves buying and selling assets, like stocks and ETFs, frequently in hopes that they outperform a market benchmark—such as the ASX 200 or the S&P 500—in the short term.
What is passive investing?
Passive investing involves buying assets and then holding them for long periods. The aim of this strategy is to increase ROI gradually over time.
What is dollar-cost averaging?
Dollar-cost averaging is a strategy where you invest small amounts of money regularly, with the aim of buying more shares when the market price is lower. It involves investing capital incrementally into one position over time, instead of committing a single lump sum.
Explore the platform types we have available for you to choose from.
Find out how you can take outright ownership of financial assets.
Learn how to get exposure through trading and investing with us.
1 When investing with us, you’ll do so via our share trading platform using our custodial model. This means that we manage, hold and safeguard securities you choose to buy and sell on your behalf. Via our custodial model, you’ll be able to buy and have a stake in actual assets – for example, shares in an ASX 200-tracking ETF or ASX 200-constituent company. You’ll also be entitled to dividends if any are paid, and granted voting rights if applicable.
2 Zero commission applies to clients who opt for the default setting of 'instant currency conversion' on our platform when buying international shares online (an FX fee of 0.7% applies). Clients who choose to convert currencies manually will pay commission of 2 cents per share, with a minimum charge of $10 on US stocks. For European markets, we charge £10/€10 or 0.1% per trade, whichever is higher. Learn more about our share trading fees and charges.
3 If Australian-listed, there is a standard rate of A$5 per trade or 0.05% for trades above A$10,000.
4 Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
5 Our client service team is available 24 hours a day, except from 7am to 5pm Saturdays (AEST).
6 Our share trading extended hours for key US shares are 9pm to 7:30am Monday to Thursday, and 9pm Friday to 7am Saturday (AEST). You'll find our extended trading hours markets labelled ‘All Session’, to distinguish them from the shares which can only be traded in normal US market hours.
Contact us
Interested in opening an account?
Contact 1800 601 799 or newaccounts.au@ig.com
Want to check on your application’s progress?
Email newaccounts.au@ig.com
Have another question?
Browse our Help and Support portal
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