To help you to find the best international online brokers in Australia in 2022, we went ahead and did the research for you. We selected 101 quality online brokers, checked and compared basically every aspect of their services, with a special focus on fees, safety, trading platforms, as well as deposit and withdrawal options. Service providers had to prove their excellence in multiple areas to be considered among the best online brokers. And now, without further ado...
Top 5 picks for best international online brokers in Australia in 2022:
- Interactive Brokers is the best international online brokers in Australia in 2022. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Saxo Bank takes second place. Great trading platform. Outstanding research. Broad product portfolio.
- eToro rounds out the top three. Free stock and ETF trading. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
- Capital.com is numero quattro. Low forex CFD fees and commission-free real stocks. Great account opening experience. Excellent email and chat support.
- Oanda just made it to the list in fifth place. Great trading platforms. Outstanding research tools. Fast and user-friendly account opening.
| Broker | Info | Score | Minmum deposit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Interactive Brokers | International broker providing all asset classes | 4.9 | $0 |
| #2 | Saxo Bank | Danish investment bank | 4.8 | $2,000 |
| #3 | eToro | Global social trading broker | 4.7 | $200 |
| #4 | Capital.com | Global CFD broker | 4.7 | $20 |
| #5 | Oanda | US forex broker | 4.6 | $0 |
What makes a good online broker? Surely, they need to provide great services in all areas, especially in terms of fair fees and safety. Depositing and withdrawing money should be either free or cheap and the process user-friendly. Great trading platforms, an easy account opening procedure and a wide range of products also weighed heavily in the scoring.
These features are easy to list, but hard to figure out. We are testing brokers based on nearly 500 criteria with real accounts and real money. You can find all the ranking criteria in our methodology.
For a tailored recommendation, check out our broker finder tool. Answer 4 simple questions and get a list of the most relevant brokers.
And now, let's see the best international online broker in Australia in 2022 one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.
#1 Best international online brokers for citizens in Australia
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers, one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, was founded in 1977. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Given that the broker has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, Interactive Brokers is considered safe. The fact that it has a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange all point to IB being a safe service provider.
Interactive Brokers recently launched a new app for global stock trading: read our review of IBKR GlobalTrader.
In addition, Interactive Brokers also has an app you can use for ESG investing: read our review of IMPACT by Interactive Brokers.
Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Complicated account opening process |
| • Wide range of products | • Complex desktop trading platform |
| • Many great research tools | • Understaffed customer service |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Fees
Interactive Brokers has low trading fees and the best margin rates in the industry. For US clients, stock and ETF trading is free if they choose the Lite plan.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | None |
| • Free stock and ETF trading for US clients | |
| • Low margin rates |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $1.0 | $10.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| UK stock | $4.2 | $11.2 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $10.4 | $7.1 | $7.8 | $8.7 | $7.9 |
| US stock index options | $6.5 | $30.0 | - | - | - |
| Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | - | - | - |
| S&P 500 index CFD fee | $2.8 | $1.2 | $1.5 | $3.4 | $1.1 |
All commissions, spreads and financing rates (if applicable) for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
#1 Interactive Brokers
Mobile trading platform
The Interactive Brokers mobile trading platform boasts a lot of functions and a useful chatbot, but its user interface could be better.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Two-step (safer) login | • Minor technical glitches |
| • Good variety of order types | |
| • Price alerts |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Deposit and withdrawal
Interactive Brokers offers several account base currencies and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawback is that you can only use bank transfer.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • Several account base currencies | |
| • First withdrawal free each month |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 | $0 | $0 |
#2 Best international online brokers for citizens in Australia
Saxo Bank
Saxo Bank, a Danish investment bank founded in 1992, provides online trading and investment services. The company is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including the Danish Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Saxo Bank is a global service provider and its subsidiaries are present in the form of separate legal entities in different regions of the world. The services offered by the various entities may differ slightly, especially with respect to fees and product portfolios. In this review, we tested Saxo Bank UK.
Being regulated by top-tier financial authorities, and having a long track record and a banking background, are all good signs for Saxo Bank's safety.
HEADS UP: Recent issues with account opening - Saxo Bank seems to have a delay in sending you a crucial URL to start your account opening. For more info, see Saxo Bank account opening issues in the review's Account opening chapter. If you'd like to open an account regardless, click here to read about Saxo Bank alternatives.
Recommended for investors and traders looking for a great trading platform and solid research
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Great trading platform | • High bond, options and futures fees |
| • Outstanding research | • High minimum deposit |
| • Broad product portfolio | • Lacks live chat and 24/7 availability |
#2 Saxo Bank
Fees
Saxo Bank has overall average trading and non-trading fees, but the structure is quite mixed, with great differences between the fees for various asset classes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low forex fees | • Inactivity fee |
| • Low fund fees | • Custody fee |
| • No withdrawal fee | • High fees for options and futures |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $1.0 | $10.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| UK stock | $4.2 | $11.2 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $10.4 | $7.1 | $7.8 | $8.7 | $7.9 |
| US stock index options | $6.5 | $30.0 | - | - | - |
| Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | - | - | - |
| S&P 500 index CFD fee | $2.8 | $1.2 | $1.5 | $3.4 | $1.1 |
All commissions, spreads and financing rates (if applicable) for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
#2 Saxo Bank
Mobile trading platform
Saxo Bank's user-friendly mobile app has the same look and very similar functionalities as the web platform.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | None |
| • Two-step (safer) login | |
| • Good search function |
#2 Saxo Bank
Deposit and withdrawal
Saxo Bank provides multiple deposit and withdrawal options free of charge, on a user-friendly interface.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • Electronic wallets not available |
| • Free withdrawal | |
| • No deposit fee |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 | $0 | $0 |
Want to stay in the loop?
Sign up to get notifications about new BrokerChooser articles right into your mailbox.
#3 Best international online brokers for citizens in Australia
eToro
eToro is a well-known Israeli fintech company and a social trading broker, established in 2007.
Check out our eToro review tailored to the needs of beginner investors and traders.
eToro serves UK clients through a unit regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Australians through an Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)-regulated entity. All other customers are served by a Cypriot unit that is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
eToro is not listed on any stock exchange, does not disclose its annual report on its website and does not have a bank parent.
Being regulated by the top-tier FCA and ASIC is a good sign for eToro's safety.
HEADS UP: Minimum deposit based on residency and account activation - Be sure to check the minimum deposit required to activate your account. After uploading your documents, a deposit is also needed to be available to trade and it would be based on your residency, ranging from $10-$10,000. More details are available in the eToro review’s Account opening section.
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Recommended for traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and zero commission stock trading
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • High non-trading fees |
| • Seamless account opening | • Only one account base currency |
| • Social trading | • Customer support should be improved |
#3 eToro
Fees
eToro offers free stock and ETF trading, while forex and CFD fees are low. On the negative side, non-trading fees are high, including a $5 withdrawal fee.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Inactivity fee |
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • $5 withdrawal fee |
| • Low forex and CFD fees |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $1.0 | $10.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| UK stock | $4.2 | $11.2 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $10.4 | $7.1 | $7.8 | $8.7 | $7.9 |
| US stock index options | $6.5 | $30.0 | - | - | - |
| Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | - | - | - |
| S&P 500 index CFD fee | $2.8 | $1.2 | $1.5 | $3.4 | $1.1 |
All commissions, spreads and financing rates (if applicable) for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
#3 eToro
Mobile trading platform
eToro's mobile platform is well-designed and intuitive but lacks biometric authentication.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • No Touch/Face ID login |
| • Two-step (safer) login | |
| • Good search function |
#3 eToro
Deposit and withdrawal
Depositing money is easy, with a lot of available options, although there is a $5 withdrawal fee. As only USD accounts are available, you may pay a high conversion fee if you deposit or withdraw in another currency, like EUR or GBP.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • Only one account base currency |
| • User-friendly | • $5 withdrawal fee |
| • Conversion fee for non-USD deposits |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 | $0 | $0 |
#4 Best international online brokers for citizens in Australia
Capital.com
Capital.com is a global CFD broker founded in 2016. It has offices located in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Australia, Seychelles and Gibraltar where each is authorized and regulated locally respectively by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Financial Services Authority of Seychelles (FSA).
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 79.17% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Recommended for investors and cfd traders looking for a great trading platform and excellent customer service
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low forex CFD fees and commission-free real stocks | • High stock index CFD fees |
| • Great account opening experience | • Only CFD, real stock, and spread betting (for UK clients) available |
| • Excellent email and chat support | • Smaller account currencies not available |
#4 Capital.com
Fees
Forex CFD fees are low and some clients can trade real stocks for free, but stock index CFD fees (spreads plus overnight fees) are high. As a plus, there are no inactivity or withdrawal fees.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low forex CFD fees | • High stock index CFD fees |
| • Commission-free real stocks (with tight spreads) | |
| • No withdrawal or inactivity fee |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $1.0 | $10.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| UK stock | $4.2 | $11.2 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $10.4 | $7.1 | $7.8 | $8.7 | $7.9 |
| US stock index options | $6.5 | $30.0 | - | - | - |
| Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | - | - | - |
| S&P 500 index CFD fee | $2.8 | $1.2 | $1.5 | $3.4 | $1.1 |
All commissions, spreads and financing rates (if applicable) for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
#4 Capital.com
Mobile trading platform
Capital.com's mobile trading platform is user-friendly, has a modern design, provides two-step login as well as price alerts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • Touch/Face ID login only on iOS |
| • Two-step (safer) login | |
| • Good search function |
#4 Capital.com
Deposit and withdrawal
Deposits and withdrawals are free at Capital.com and many options are provided, including Apple Pay or PayPal. However, only four major currencies (USD, GBP, EUR, AUD) and one smaller (PLN) are available.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • Smaller currencies not available |
| • Free withdrawal | |
| • No deposit fee |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 | $0 | $0 |
#5 Best international online brokers for citizens in Australia
Oanda
Oanda is a US-based forex broker founded in 1996. It is a private company and therefore not listed on any stock exchange.
Oanda operates via several entities worldwide and is regulated by top-tier authorities, such as the US Commodity Trading Futures Commission, the National Futures Association (CFTC) and the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The services offered by Oanda's various entities differ slightly. In this review, we mainly focus on the UK one.
Recommended for forex traders who value a user-friendly platform and great research tools
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Great trading platforms | • Only FX and CFD available |
| • Outstanding research tools | • No stock exchange listing and banking background |
| • Fast and user-friendly account opening | • Customer support is not 24/7 |
#5 Oanda
Fees
Oanda has low forex fees but average CFD fees. Withdrawal fees are low but not in all cases, while there's also a small inactivity fee.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Average CFD fees |
| • Low forex fees | |
| • First card withdrawal each month is free |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $1.0 | $10.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| UK stock | $4.2 | $11.2 | $0.0 | $0.0 | - |
| EURUSD benchmark fee | $10.4 | $7.1 | $7.8 | $8.7 | $7.9 |
| US stock index options | $6.5 | $30.0 | - | - | - |
| Mutual fund | $15.0 | $0.0 | - | - | - |
| S&P 500 index CFD fee | $2.8 | $1.2 | $1.5 | $3.4 | $1.1 |
All commissions, spreads and financing rates (if applicable) for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
#5 Oanda
Mobile trading platform
Oanda's mobile platform is similar to the web trading platform in functionality, and as a plus, you can also set price alerts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • No Touch/Face ID login |
| • Two-step (safer) login | |
| • Good search function |
#5 Oanda
Deposit and withdrawal
Oanda charges no deposit and account fees. You can withdraw your money free of charge to a debit/credit card, but bank transfer withdrawals are quite costly.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • High withdrawal fee for bank transfers |
| • Free withdrawal | |
| • No deposit fee |
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 | $0 | $0 |
Best international online brokers for in Australia in 2022
What makes a good online broker
Now that you know the top 5, you probably want to know how we came up with this list. Let's go through a few points quickly.
Are these brokers reliable?
Absolutely. You can be sure none of them is a scam. They are all regulated by at least one top-tier regulator.
How did BrokerChooser pick the best online brokers?
At BrokerChooser, we test online brokers based on more than 500 criteria, with real accounts and real money. We don't want to overwhelm you, so we will list only the top 5 criteria.
| 1. Fees | Trading fees for a given stock trade can be 50 times higher at one online broker compared to another. The brokers listed here all have low fees. |
| 2. Deposit and withdrawal | At some online brokers, funding and withdrawing funds can take much longer and be much more expensive than at others. |
| 3. Trading platform | A user-friendly and well-equipped trading platform can significantly increase your trading comfort. |
| 4. Account opening | Some online brokers require a minimum deposit to start investing while others don't ask for a fix first-time deposit. Check these requirements before opening an account. |
| 5. Markets and products | Want to invest in Japanese stocks or trade Bitcoin? They are not be available at each broker. We selected brokers with a wide range of products so you can trade many asset types. |
Best international online brokers for in Australia in 2022
Bottom line
These were the details, now let's zoom out. Here are the best international online brokers in 2022 for residents in Australia:
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Capital.com | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Fees score | 4.5 stars | 3.3 stars | 4.3 stars | 4.4 stars | 4.2 stars |
| Mobile platform score | 3.5 stars | 5.0 stars | 4.7 stars | 4.9 stars | 5.0 stars |
| Deposit and withdrawal score | 3.0 stars | 4.8 stars | 3.9 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.2 stars |
| Account opening score | 3.2 stars | 2.0 stars | 5.0 stars | 5.0 stars | 4.2 stars |
| Markets and products score | 5.0 stars | 5.0 stars | 4.3 stars | 3.1 stars | 1.8 stars |
| Visit broker | Visit broker |
Visit broker
Your capital is at risk |
Visit broker
79.17% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
Visit broker
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
Interactive Brokers is our winner, the best international online broker in Australia in 2022. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
Still unsure? For a tailored recommendation, check out our broker finder tool. If you enter the name of your country, it will show only the brokers that are relevant to you. Want more details? Compare brokers with the help of this detailed comparison table.
