Been doing some research on share trading platforms in Australia lately and honestly, there's way more options now than I expected. The whole thing isn't just about picking the cheapest one anymore - what you actually own, how much you pay per trade, and which markets you can access all matter way more than I thought.

So I looked into six of the main ones people talk about. Mitrade keeps coming up for beginners because it's got zero commission and lets you trade shares, forex, crypto, all that stuff from one account. CommSec is solid if you want to actually own your shares directly - they've got that CHESS sponsorship thing and Goldman Sachs research, but yeah, the fees add up if you trade a lot.

CMC Invest is interesting because it's basically free for your first ASX buy each day, then $11 after that. Stake is super straightforward - flat $3 per trade up to 30k, very transparent. eToro has this copy trading feature which is kind of wild if you're into that social angle. And Interactive Brokers is basically for people who know what they're doing and want access to everything globally.

The thing that surprised me was how different the fee structures actually are. Like, if you're trading frequently, zero commission platforms make way more sense than per-trade fees. But if you just want to buy and hold some ASX stocks, CommSec or Stake might be better because you actually own the shares.

I tested a demo account on one of them just to see how it works. Having that practice space with virtual money before going live is honestly a game changer for anyone starting out. Really helps you figure out which best share trading platform australia actually fits your style before risking real cash.

The best share trading platform australia really depends on what you're trying to do though. Direct ownership? CommSec or Stake. Want everything in one place? Mitrade. Active trader who needs global access? CMC Invest or Interactive Brokers. Each one's different enough that it's worth checking what they actually offer.

Anyone else been comparing these? Curious what people are actually using for their portfolios.