Just spent way too much time comparing share trading platforms in Australia and figured I'd share what I found since a bunch of people have been asking me about this lately.

So I looked at 8 different platforms and honestly, picking the best share trading platform really depends on what you're after. If you want something super simple with low fees, Webull or Stake are solid - both charge around $3 per trade for ASX stocks. Webull's got this AI chatbot thing that summarizes financial data which is kinda neat if you're lazy like me. Stake's SUPER program is interesting if you're thinking tax-advantaged investing.

Meanwhile if you want more options and don't mind paying a bit more, eToro's copy trading features are actually pretty cool, and they let you buy fractional shares. CMC Invest is good if you want leverage and CFD access alongside regular share trading. Interactive Brokers is the heavyweight here - they've got access to 170+ markets and 29 currencies, but their fees are percentage-based so it depends on trade size.

CommSec's the local veteran with 30+ years in the game, which gives some people peace of mind even though their $5 flat fee is higher than competitors. Moomoo's somewhere in the middle - decent fees, good research tools, and they support US options if that matters to you.

The thing is, what's the best share trading platform for you depends on whether you want direct share ownership or if you're cool with CFDs, how much you're starting with, and whether you trade Australian stocks only or want international exposure. I ended up going with one for direct ASX trades and using another for US stocks because no single platform seemed to do everything perfectly.

Anyone else here tried a few of these? Would be interested to hear which one stuck with you and why.