Compare brokers side by side before you choose.
Compare trust, fees, platforms, and withdrawals. See the trade-offs and details worth checking before you choose.
Choose brokers
Pick 2-4 brokers to compare
The comparison reads the same evidence fields used by broker profiles, so users can scan scores, regulation, costs, platforms, withdrawals, and caveats side by side.
Broker 1
Broker 2
| VS field |  |  |
|---|---|---|
Decision summary | ||
| Overall score | 80 | 91 |
| Trust score | 84 | 100 |
| Cost score | 78 | 89 |
| Platform score | 82 | 94 |
| Withdrawal score | 74 | 89 |
| Best for | Australian ASX stock and ETF investors · Frequent traders who can use Direct Investment Account tiered brokerage · Investors who value Bell Potter research, ETF filters, tax repor… | Evidence supports Fidelity as a U.S.-focused, highly regulated multi-asset broker for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds/CDs, options, cash management, managed portfolios, and sepa… |
| Watch out | Needs verification | Needs verification |
Trust & regulation | ||
| Regulators | Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) via Australian Financial Services Licence regime Source | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is SEC registered and regulated by FINRA; FBS and NFS are members of NYSE and SIPC. Source |
| License numbers | AFSL 314341; ABN 74 121 227 905 Source | FBS CRD# 7784 / SEC# 8-23292; NFS CRD# 13041 / SEC# 801-50706, 8-26740. Source |
| Regulated entities | Third Party Platform Pty Ltd trading as Bell Direct; ABN 74 121 227 905 Source | Primary securities brokerage entities are Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (FBS) and National Financial Services LLC (NFS), each member NYSE/SIPC; advisory and crypto entities differ by product. Source |
| Negative balance protection | Negative-balance protection is not a stated feature for this stockbroker; margin lending carries margin-call risk. Source | Not applicable/not disclosed as a CFD-style negative balance protection policy; margin trading can create debt/interest obligations. Source |
| Investor compensation | Australian compensation includes PI insurance/possible NGF claims; US DriveWealth holdings have SIPC protection limits. Source | SIPC coverage up to $500,000/$250,000 cash plus Fidelity excess SIPC; FDIC sweep coverage may apply to eligible cash programs; important exclusions apply. Source |
| Restricted countries | Primarily Australia-oriented; full country availability not disclosed Source | U.S.-persons focused; sanctioned countries/prohibited parties restricted; no exhaustive country availability list found. Source |
Costs & account conditions | ||
| Minimum deposit | No minimum balance for Direct Investment Account; US trading has US$300 transfer and buy minimums. Source | $0 to open a retail brokerage account; Fidelity states no account minimum and ability to invest with as little as $1; exceptions apply by account/product. Source |
| Spread from | Not applicable or not broker-level for this investment-platform profile; review if leveraged products apply. Source | Not applicable to Fidelity's core U.S. stock/ETF brokerage model; securities trade by exchange/market prices rather than quoted CFD/FX spreads. Source |
| Commission | Direct Investment Account Australian equities/ETF brokerage starts at AUD $5 for trades up to $1,000 and scales by size/monthly activity. Source | $0 online U.S. stock and ETF trades; $0 online options commission plus $0.65/contract; other product/service fees apply. Source |
| Maximum leverage | No broker-wide maximum leverage disclosed; margin lending terms are portfolio/security dependent. Source | No universal maximum leverage ratio disclosed for Fidelity retail brokerage; margin borrowing is available subject to approval and margin requirements/rates rather than a single max leverage figure. Source |
| Deposit fee | Standard deposit fees were not disclosed in checked public fee pages. Source | $0 Fidelity fee for EFT and Fidelity does not charge wire fees; external banks may charge. Source |
| Withdrawal fee | Standard domestic withdrawal fees were not disclosed in checked public fee pages. Source | $0 Fidelity fee for EFT and domestic bank wire withdrawals; foreign exchange wire up to 3% of principal; receiving bank may charge. Source |
| Inactivity fee | No inactivity fee found in checked public fee schedules. Source | No explicit inactivity-fee line found in official fee schedule; official account pages state no retail brokerage account fees/no account or subscription fees. Treat as needs manual confirmation before publishing as '$0 inactivity fee'. Source |
Markets, platforms & payments | ||
| Tradable assets | ASX securities, equities, ETFs, warrants, interest-rate securities/XTBs, ETOs, IPOs, US shares/ETFs/ETNs/ADRs, and mFunds subject to transition. Source | Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, crypto, fixed income, bonds and CDs; Fidelity says stocks include domestic and international. Source |
| Trading platforms | Website, supported mobile devices/smartphone app and WebIRESS are disclosed order channels. Source | Fidelity.com, Fidelity mobile app, Fidelity Trader+ Web/Desktop/Mobile mode, and legacy Active Trader Pro Classic. Source |
| Account types | Domestic accounts support investors, companies, trusts and SMSFs; US trading currently limited to eligible individual accounts. Source | Broad account menu including taxable brokerage, retirement/IRA, cash management, HSA, custodial/youth, education, trust/business, managed and crypto accounts. Source |
| Deposit methods | Funding is via Direct Investment Account/Bell Financial Trust or Macquarie CMA; US trading uses AUD-to-USD transfer inside the platform. Source | EFT/ACH, bank wire, check/mobile check, direct deposit, recurring deposit, Fidelity-to-Fidelity/account transfer, transfer of assets, and eligible payment apps. Source |
| Withdrawal methods | Withdrawals go to a nominated external bank account; USD can be converted back to AUD before domestic withdrawal. Source | EFT/ACH, bank wire, paper check, Fidelity-to-Fidelity transfers, third-party/person-to-person transfers and eligible debit card/ATM access. Source |
| Withdrawal processing time | Domestic withdrawal processing is same day before 2:30pm AEDT, with funds expected next working day; after cutoff, processed next business day. Source | EFT withdrawals 1-3 business days; bank wire same day if submitted by 4 p.m. ET; paper check about 5-6 days. Source |
BrokerVS provides broker comparison research only. Scores and evidence can vary by country, account type, and legal entity; users should verify source links before opening an account.