Just been looking into trading platforms for Aussies and honestly there's way more options than I thought. Spent way too long comparing them, so figured I'd share what I found since a lot of beginners are probably confused about what the best trading platform actually is.

So the thing is, what works best really depends on what you're after. If you want something straightforward that doesn't make your head spin, Mitrade seems to hit different - clean interface, 100+ assets to play with (forex, crypto, commodities, all that), and zero commission which is pretty nice. Plus they do PayID which makes funding super easy if you're in Australia.

eToro's another one people rave about because of the social trading thing - basically you can copy what experienced traders are doing, which is good if you don't want to figure everything out from scratch. Clean interface too, though they do hit you with currency conversion fees.

Then there's Plus500 which is all about keeping things simple and fast. Spreads instead of commissions, which makes it easier to understand what you're actually paying. The downside is they've got an inactivity fee after a few months and limited educational stuff.

IG Markets is solid if you want advanced tools and tons of markets, but ngl it can feel overwhelming when you're just starting out. Same with CMC Markets - competitive pricing but the interface is kinda complex. Pepperstone and AvaTrade are more for people who know what they're doing, though AvaTrade does have that social copy trading feature which is helpful.

Honestly for beginners the best trading platform seems to be whichever one doesn't stress you out with confusing fees and complicated dashboards. That's probably why Mitrade keeps getting mentioned - it's just straightforward. But yeah, depends on your style really. Anyone else tried these or have a favorite?