International Share Trading Background

Compare International Share Trading Platforms

No two investors are the same, so help find the one suited to your investing goals and compare international share trading platforms with our comparison tool. Change the filter to suit your requirements.

Group Manager, Research & Ratings
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Instantly compare 41+ Canstar expert rated platforms based on the inputs below


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Features Glossary
  • icon App available
  • icon Trade with live prices
  • icon Trade ETFs
  • icon US market
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Custodial Glossary
$90 Glossary
USD Glossary
$0 USD Glossary
Foreign exchange fees apply Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon App available
  • icon Trade with live prices
  • icon Trade ETFs
  • icon US market
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Custodial Glossary
$10 Glossary
USD Glossary
$0 USD Glossary
Foreign exchange fees apply Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon App available
  • icon Trade with live prices
  • icon Trade ETFs
  • icon US market
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
Custodial Glossary
$1000 Glossary
AUD Glossary
$0 AUD Glossary
Foreign exchange fees apply Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon App available
  • icon Trade with live prices
  • icon Trade ETFs
  • icon US market

Not rated

Custodial Glossary
$1000 Glossary
AUD Glossary
$0 AUD Glossary
Foreign exchange fees apply Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon App available
  • icon Trade with live prices
  • icon Trade ETFs
  • icon US market

Not rated

Custodial Glossary
$1 Glossary
AUD Glossary
$0.99 USD Glossary
Foreign exchange fees apply Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon App available
  • icon Trade with live prices
  • icon Trade ETFs
  • icon US market

Not rated

Custodial Glossary
$500 Glossary
AUD Glossary
$2 USD Glossary
Foreign exchange fees apply Glossary

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

Recent Award Winners

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Latest in online share trading

What is international share trading?

International share trading platforms allow you to access overseas exchanges and buy and sell shares from some of the biggest companies in the world. According to ASIC, Australian securities only make up around 2% of the global market, so by trading international shares, you can have a much wider range of investment options and diversify your portfolio.

How do we compare international share trading platforms?

Canstar rates international share trading platforms using a sophisticated ratings methodology that compares both price and features.

Eligibility

To be considered within the Canstar International Share Trading Star Ratings, the provider must:

  • Offer trades on international exchanges in at least the US.
  • Offer online share trades in the US.
  • Directly hold an Australian Financial Services Licence or be an authorised representative of an Australian Financial Services Licence.
  • Hold assets in a separate trust with the customers as the beneficial owner.
  • Not have the ability to access customer funds without approval of the beneficial owner.

Price

The price score is based on 100 hypothetical trades in the US and accounts for any ongoing fees, brokerage costs and foreign exchange costs.

The price score is worth 50% of the final rating.

Features

The feature score accounts for the remaining 50% of the total score and takes into consideration a number of features from seven different categories:

  • Opening
  • Deposit and settlement
  • Research, including charting, company information, market information, dynamic trading platform and alerts
  • Trade, including capabilities and market access
  • Account management, including account access, security and reporting
  • Customer service, including account & client services and education
  • Closing

Products are ranked based on the total score received for each profile. Stars are then awarded based on the distribution of the scores with the objective to award the top 5-10% of products with a 5-Star rating.

View the full Star Ratings results


 

Frequently Asked Questions about international share trading platforms?

Canstar endeavours to include the majority of product providers in the market and compare the product features most relevant to consumers in our ratings. Complete market coverage is not always possible and some products or features may not be included.

In total, Canstar rated 23 products offered by 21 providers of international share trading platforms in 2023.

Below is a list of winning International Share Trading providers with 5-Star Rated products:

  • Interactive Brokers – International Share Trading
  • Tiger Brokers –  Tiger Trade
  • Webull – Webull – International

View the full Award results

View the full Star Ratings report

To directly trade international shares in Australia legally, you must use a broker. Many online share trading platforms and brokerage firms in Australia provide access to international trading.

Buying international shares can be more expensive than buying shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), with additional costs such as currency conversion fees and foreign security custody fees.

Who is eligible for an account?

Although the requirements can vary slightly depending on the platform, you generally need to:

be 18 years of age or older
have an Australian residential address
have an Australian mobile number.

What documentation or paperwork do I need before applying?

To apply for a new international share trading platform, you’ll need the following documentation:

  • Photo ID, such as your driver’s license, birth certificate or passport
  • Your Tax File Number (TFN) or exemption code.

If you’re applying in the name of a company or trust, you need:

  • The same photo ID
  • Your company’s Australian Business Number or TFN
  • Your Australian Company Number (ACN).

Once you have an account, making trades for international shares isn’t really any different to buying Australian shares. Again, this may depend on your choice of provider, but generally, all you need to do is:

  • Select the trading menu and choose the international option
  • Navigate the menu until you find the stock you want to buy
  • Choose to either buy or sell
  • Enter the quantity of shares to buy or sell and choose whether it is to be at market or a limit
  • Enter the relevant security check if there is one.

The right international share trading platform can give you access to dozens of different international exchanges, including:

  • The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
  • NASDAQ
  • London Stock Exchange
  • Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX)
  • The Tokyo Exchange; and more

Having access to these exchanges not only allows direct investment in shares, but can also enable the purchase of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Options (ETOs), managed funds, contracts for difference (CFDs) and other derivatives. The brokerage and fees charged can vary between securities.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be subjected to foreign taxes on investment income from international shares. You may also be eligible for a foreign income tax offset from the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Seek professional advice for more information.*

*Canstar is not a registered tax agent and does not provide tax advice.

About the authors

Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief

Nina Rinella
As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Nina has written countless articles about finance and has been interviewed on finance topics by media organisations including The Australian, Realestate.com.au, Domain, the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for 8 years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids. Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and Canstar on Facebook. Meet the Canstar Editorial Team. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Nina as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Group Manager, Research & Ratings, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s International Share Trading Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right super fund for them.

As one of Canstar’s spokespeople, Josh has been interviewed on a wide range of personal finance topics by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


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Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more.

Star Ratings in this table are updated yearly. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table.  You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display.  Learn more about our Online Share Trading Methodology and International Share Trading Methodology.  The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products. Check current rates and product details with the product issuer.

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match the inputs in the selector above the table, based on our profiles.  If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. You may need financial advice from a qualified adviser. Canstar is not providing a recommendation for your individual circumstances. It’s important you check product information directly with the provider. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination (TMD), before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure.