Investing has become more accessible than ever in Australia, with a wide range of apps designed to help beginners and experienced investors manage their money with ease. Users can trade shares and exchange-traded funds, and can do micro-investing, all on mobile devices.
The growing popularity of investment apps comes from their ability to simplify the process, reduce entry barriers, and provide tools for informed decision-making. Whether you want to build long-term wealth, track your portfolio, or learn about different markets, there is an app designed for your needs. This guide explores some of the most popular investment apps in Australia and what makes them stand out.
Investment Apps in Australia You Should Know
1. eToro
If you’re looking for a simple stock trading program with excellent social trading capabilities, eToro is the one for you. This trading platform, which is highly regulated in Australia, is ideal for novice and intermediate traders due to its inexpensive brokerage fees, user-friendly interface, and good copy-trading tools.
The main aspect that sets eToro apart is its social trading functionality. You can follow the trading tactics of more seasoned traders, which saves you time. You can take counsel from them and learn from their trades. The harsh reality is that most novice investors who try to choose equities end up losing money.
By copy trading, you can postpone judgments about purchasing stocks to more seasoned investors who have a track record of success. By adopting the tactics of professional traders, you can stop wasting your evenings on technical and fundamental research and instead concentrate on your actual work.
2. Interactive Brokers
The oldest brokerage here, Interactive Brokers, was established in 1978 and is a reputable international brokerage. It’s among the popular investment apps in Australia. Interactive Brokers, like eToro, lets Australians trade currencies, equities, futures, bonds, investment funds, options, and even CFDs.Interactive Brokers, as a platform, provides an incredible variety of investment opportunities.
You can trade on 150 international markets, including 90 stock exchanges. Fractional shares and ESG investing opportunities are also available. Interactive Brokers, like eToro, allows fractional share trading on a few US, European, and Canadian equities and exchange-traded funds.
With Interactive Brokers, you have access to at least five desktop platforms and two apps, in contrast to eToro, which only offers one online interface and one mobile app. Yes, there are seven interfaces overall. You will spend more time on one platform than another, depending on your level of experience.
3. Selfwealth
Selfwealth is a great trading app that lets you trade US shares for US$9.50 and Australian shares for a flat AU$9.5 per deal. It’s among the popular investment apps in Australia. It was one of the first low-cost platforms sponsored by CHESS to gain popularity in Australia. Today, it has more than 100,000 customers. The investing app will charge you a fixed $9.5 fee rather than making your life more complicated with tiers, percentages, and several fees.
The only additional “cost” you should consider is the 0.6 basis point spread on currency exchange transfers from AUD to USD, which you will have to pay when purchasing US stock. This translates to roughly US$6 for every $1,000 deposited in AU. After you pop the bonnet of Selfwealth, what do you get? Hong Kong, the USA, and Australia all provide a great selection of equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
While you can’t do everything on the go (for example, converting USD to AUD requires using the desktop platform), you can make and cancel orders, research companies in-depth, and track the success of your portfolio. Additionally, the PC platform is excellent. Although the sidebar navigation may use a few details, the overall layout is welcoming and easy to use.
4. Webull Australia
You can access US and ASX stocks, US options, and shares from developing Asian nations with Webull, a low-cost trading app. Despite having a far smaller selection of tradable assets than eToro, it more than makes up for it with ridiculously low costs and free brokerage for the first 30 days.
Webull is one of the few inexpensive brokers in Australia that provide CHESS sponsorship on ASX charts. According to Webull’s app-first concept, its feature-rich mobile trading app should be the focal point of your trading experience rather than an afterthought. The available trading assets have intriguing twists and a heavy concentration on shares and ETFs. You have access to:
- US options
- Australian and US ETFs
- Australian and USStocks
- Hong Kong Stocks and Chinese A-Shares
This is a fair variety of assets for someone trying to develop a diversified foreign stock portfolio (although it may disappoint those who want access to cryptocurrency, forex, and leveraged trading ). Fees are extremely minimal and are Webull’s key selling feature.
5. Moomoo
Moomoo is one of the more recent fintech innovators, having competed for supremacy in the Australian online trading sector and global share markets since 2022. It’s among the popular investment apps in Australia. Momooo is now fully sponsored by CHESS instead of using a shared HIN (custodian) arrangement, all without raising its prices.
Both the mobile app and PC user interface are really straightforward, and the signup procedure is quick and uncomplicated. If you limit your trading to the ASX and avoid the temptation to make frequent, tiny deals, you will get the most from Moomoo and lessen the impact of the $3 brokerage cost. US stock investors would benefit more from a more comprehensive site like eToro, which is equally user-friendly and has free copy trading capabilities.
6. Douugh
Douugh is more than just an investment platform. It functions as an online bank, offering options for saving, lending, and investing. The software has a smooth integration of all three aspects. You utilize the funds to make regular purchases or investments after connecting it to your bank account.
Special recognition should be given to the integrated pay-later feature. It’s the Spot Jar, and for a fixed price of $9.99, it will spot you up to $2,000. On paper, that looks like a really decent deal, but keep in mind that $9.99 times $2,000 over four weeks equals an effective 60% annual interest rate. Through the app’s investing section, you can create periodic microinvesting savings plans and allocate your extra funds to diverse portfolios managed by BlackRock, a major asset management company.
7. Stake
Stake is a microinvesting platform with its headquarters in Australia that enables low-cost trading in both the US and Australian markets. It’s among the popular investment apps in Australia. More than 2,500 Australian stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and over 9,500 investments that trade on US stock exchanges will be available to users. Up to $30,000 in US and Australian currency, a $3 brokerage fee is applied to each trade.
The bare minimum is $50. Investors who take advantage of its CHESS-sponsored investing option will have their shares registered on the official ASX shares system and held in their name. You can also invest in fractions. Among other benefits, a Stake Black premium membership offers quick fund settlement, market depth information, and analyst ratings.
8. Blossom
Blossom is a special opportunity in the market since it provides access to bonds, which are often a class of assets that are only available to wealthy people or organizations. It may be a good fit for investors looking to grow their money with low-risk, fixed-income assets such as bonds and mortgage-backed securities.
With just $5, users of this microinvesting app can begin making investments in managed funds with specific returns. Due to the conservative character of bonds, returns are almost guaranteed, and management fees are subtracted from any profits beyond that threshold.
Similar to a term deposit, users who commit to a term may also generate a higher return. The platform is ideal for people who want to combine their advocacy and wealth-building objectives because it concentrates on ethical and sustainable investments, avoiding industries like coal and tobacco.
9. Raiz Invest
Raiz was the first micro-investing app to enter the Australian market and is currently one of the most widely used apps. It’s among the popular investment apps in Australia . It made “round-up” or spare change investment more common. With as little as $5, users can begin investing in a variety of ETFs. Investors choose their investments based on their intended market time and tolerable risk level. The portfolios fall into one of the following categories: Conservative, Moderate, Moderately Aggressive, Aggressive, Emerald, Sapphire, Property, or Plus.
A 5% Bitcoin allocation is in the Sapphire package, while Plus allows you to personalize your portfolio. Although it offers some of the most customization options and portfolio selections, it also comes with some of the highest costs.
10. Spaceship Voyager
One of the easiest microinvesting apps in the nation is Spaceship Voyager, which has no minimum investment quantity. This stock trading app shows market insights and trading solutions. It enables users to automatically invest in managed funds of stocks from Australian and international businesses that are thought to have growth potential or to have a beneficial impact.
Investment boosts and a round-up tool are also in the app. When your paycheck arrives in your account, Payday Boost invests a predetermined amount. Conversely, Budget Boost makes an automated investment each time you spend money in a particular area; for example, it invests each time you purchase coffee. Brokerage costs are not charged by Spaceship, but portfolio-specific management fees are. Accounts with balances over $100 are subject to fees each month.
11. Sharesies
This is among the popular investment apps in Australia. With the Sharesies app, users may invest in more than 8,000 firms and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a variety of markets. These markets comprise US exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ, as well as the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and New Zealand Exchange (NZX).
Users can acquire fractions or portions of shares instead of the entire share with its fractional investing function. This is especially advantageous for people who want to invest in pricey stocks like Apple or Tesla but have limited cash. Additionally, it has sophisticated features like stop loss orders, trigger purchase orders, and limit orders that are generally not available in microinvesting platforms.
Benefits of Investment Apps
1. Compounding Potential
Apps for microinvesting enable users to benefit from the compounding effect even with modest initial investments. If you are persistent in your investments and have long-term growth in mind, your spare change can grow significantly over time.
2. Accessible for Novice Investors
Making investment reasonable and accessible for investors with little resources and expertise is arguably the greatest benefit of investing apps. ” Complex investment procedures are also made simpler by features like automation and educational materials, which are particularly helpful for novices in the stock markets.
3. Exposure to Diversified Portfolios
One important risk management concept is diversification. Additionally, micro-investing platforms make it simple for consumers to invest in a variety of diversified portfolios and obtain exposure to several share markets, lowering risks and raising the possibility of larger returns. New investors can also create a balanced portfolio with minimal effort thanks to these apps.
Conclusion
Investment apps have reshaped the way Australians approach wealth building by making the process simple, affordable, and accessible. From micro-investing platforms to advanced trading tools, there is an option for every type of investor. Choosing the right app depends on your financial goals and level of experience. By exploring the most popular options, you can find the platform that best supports your journey toward smarter investing and long-term growth.
