In order to trade successfully, it is very important to choose the right broker. in Australia, a large number of companies provide access to trading and you will have to choose the one for you among them. It is important to work only with reliable brokers providing all the required instruments for trading based on your trading strategy. TU analysts have selected the best investment brokers for short selling in Australia 2025. You can compare their features and trading conditions.
1
eToro - Best for short selling in Australia
The eToro broker was founded in 2007. The company promotes itself as a social trading platform working with traders from over 140 countries. The broker has several divisions operating under different jurisdictions and licensed by different regulators. For example, eToro (Europe) is licensed by the Cypriot regulator CySEC (109/10) and eToro (UK) is licensed by the British regulator FCA (583263). The broker also has a representative office in Australia and the USA.
👍 Advantages of trading with eToro for traders from Australia:
•High level of reliability ensured by the licenses of respected regulatory authorities and participation in the compensation funds.
•Wide selection of assets quoted at stock exchanges in the UK, U.S., Australia and Asia.
•An opportunity to combine active trading with social trading and passive investing.
•Zero-fee trading of a number of stocks.
•Access to ready-made diversified asset portfolios with various risk levels.
•Provision of leverage, educational materials on various markets and user-friendly trading platforms that can run on any device.
•Zero fees for portfolio management, depositing funds and account maintenance.
👎 Disadvantages of eToro for traders from Australia:
•High minimum deposit for users of a number of countries.
•No live chat on the website for quick connection to customer support.
2
eOption - Best for short selling in Australia
The eOption broker (eoption.com) is an American stockbroker headquartered in Glenview, Illinois. It has been operating since 2007 and is a member of FINRA (CRD#: 7297/SEC#: 8-21765) and SIPC. It specializes in options trading and also acts as an intermediary in trades involving the popular securities classes. The company offers low trading commissions, super-fast execution of orders, and modern platforms with an advanced set of analytical tools. In 2020-2021, eOption was recognized as the best options broker by several resources such as Investopedia, The Tokenist, Benzinga, Investormint, and NerdWallet.
👍 Advantages of trading with eOption for traders from Australia:
•Low commissions for options trading — $0.10 per contract plus $1.99 per trade.
•No minimum deposit requirements for cash trading accounts opened by US residents.
•FINRA membership and the protection of clients’ funds are available through Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
•Access to professional trading platforms such as DAS and Sterling Trader Pro are developed by third-party software developers for the proprietary eOption terminal.
•An affiliate program with high rewards.
•Compensation for commissions for funds or assets from other brokerage firms and institutions transfer.
•Prompt support by phone and online chat in the trading platform during company business hours.
👎 Disadvantages of eOption for traders from Australia:
•The narrow range of choice of investment solutions to generate passive income.
•You cannot trade Pink Sheet and Bulletin Board stocks.
•There is no online chat on the company's website.
3
Revolut - Best for short selling in Australia
Revolut is a British fintech company that has been providing investors with accounts for trading precious metals, cryptocurrencies, and stocks listed on U.S. exchanges since 2015. The broker offers its clients access to investing in stocks and ETFs on European stock exchanges. For organizations and private clients, the company offers a multi-currency account with the possibility of exchanging currencies at the current inter-bank exchange rate. Revolut is supervised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
👍 Advantages of trading with Revolut for traders from Australia:
•In addition to stock trades, customers can trade cryptocurrencies and precious metals.
•The broker offers commission-free trading plans.
•The minimum number of shares to buy is 0.00000001.
•There are no minimum deposit requirements.
•Social trading is available, which allows newcomers to the stock market to copy trades of successful traders.
•Communication with the support service via chat is available in the mobile application 24 hours a day.
•There is no fee for opening and maintaining a trading account.
👎 Disadvantages of Revolut for traders from Australia:
•Stock trading is currently only available to UK residents.
•Operations in precious metals and cryptocurrencies are not regulated by supervisory authorities.
•The company does not offer fiduciary management of its investment portfolio.
4
ChoiceTrade - Best for short selling in Australia
ChoiceTrade is a stockbroker that began providing services in 2000 and has steadily introduced ground-breaking technologies into its work. ChoiceTrade is aimed at working with investors who value order execution speed, a minimalistic approach to trading, and reliability. The broker is regulated by two bodies: FINRA (CRD#: 104021/SEC#: 8-52511) and SIPC. The latter regulator guarantees clients financial payments in case of unforeseen circumstances.
👍 Advantages of trading with ChoiceTrade for traders from Australia:
•A vast array of trading accounts for clients with different needs.
•The broker sets the lowest fees for users, regardless of the type of account.
•The broker is focused on cooperation with clients from different countries, the site interface is presented in more than 30 languages.
•Clients' financial assets are protected up to $500,000 by an independent regulatory body.
•Lightning-quick speed of order execution.
👎 Disadvantages of ChoiceTrade for traders from Australia:
•The minimum deposit is $100, which is not always within the power of novice traders.
•The broker does not provide clients with training materials for development in the field of trading and investments.
•The company offers only two ways to replenish a trading account and withdraw earned funds; there are no electronic payment systems.
5
Tastytrade - Best for short selling in Australia
Tastytrade is a brokerage company that strives to allow its clients to trade single-handedly, without managing the account or copying transactions of other traders. To make self-investing a reality, the company has created a separate platform with a humongous library of learning materials. Tastytrade (Tastyworks) is controlled by bodies such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA, CRD#: 277027/SEC#: 8-69649 ), the National Futures Association (NFA, 0492333), and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
👍 Advantages of trading with Tastytrade for traders from Australia:
•No minimum deposit. The client independently chooses how much to deposit to the trading account.
•A vast array of educational materials for which the broker has allocated a special platform it calls the Tastytrade.
•The company offers clients flexible trading accounts with different functions. Any of the three offered accounts have varieties, so the trader can choose the option that suits him the most.
👎 Disadvantages of Tastytrade for traders from Australia:
•To gain access to trading, the user must go through a snail-paced registration procedure and provide a list of documents that the broker requests.
•To open a trading account and start working, a client must have an open account with an American bank.
•The broker does not allow clients to test trading on a demo account; only a real trading account can be opened.
Commissions & Fees
Brokerage fees are the amount of money that you pay for using the services that a brokerage offers in order to perform trading and manage investments. The brokerage fee structure and regulations vary from broker to broker, and there are two primary fee types which are:
Trading Fees: This type of fee is only charged when you perform a trade. It can be a conversion fee, margin rate, financing rate, spread, or commission.
Non-Trading Fees: This type of fee isn't directly related to your trading activity, and it can include inactivity fee, withdrawal fee, deposit fee, etcetera.
eToro Commissions and Fees
Registration on the eToro platform is free. The broker does not charge a fee for opening and closing long positions on stocks quoted at the US stock exchanges. The stocks of other markets are available as derivatives, with eToro charging a trading fee on them in the form of the spread. Also, the fees are applied to short positions and leveraged orders. The company accepts and allows withdrawals of only US dollars. If a client deposits or withdraws another currency, it is converted into USD at a fee of 0-50 pips. Members of eToro club get a 50-100% fee reduction on conversion. If a client shows no activity for a period of 12 month, the broker charges the inactivity fee of $10. There is no deposit fee. eToro charges $5 on each withdrawal.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
$5 |
Yes |
|
Pro |
from $1.1 |
$5 eToro’s fee + the fees of payment systems |
eOption Commissions and Fees
The experts at Traders Union analyzed the terms and conditions of eOption by searching for obvious and hidden fees and commissions, and found the following: options cost 10 cents per contract (+$1.99 per trade); stocks and ETFs cost $0 (but foreign stocks cost $39); mutual funds cost $5 per trade; and the first 25 quoted bonds cost $5 per bond, then $3 per bond after that (but at least $39). Exchange fees are also provided: OCC commissions on contract trades are $0.05 for the first 1,100 trades; then $55 per trade. There is also an options regulation fee of $0.0181 per contract, as well as a trading activity fee and an SEC trade fee depending on the asset. The eOption broker withholds a $35 non-trading fee when withdrawing funds via Wire Transfer.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Margin Account |
From $2.09 |
Yes |
|
Cash Account |
From $5 |
Yes |
Revolut Commissions and Fees
During our analysis of trading conditions, it was found that Revolut limits the number of trades without commissions. Depending on the account type, 1-5 transactions per month are free. There is a monthly subscription fee of £2.99-£12.99 on different accounts, which can be reduced by 20% if you pay in advance for a year. The broker charges a fee of 1 USD for additional orders. Since stocks listed on American exchanges are offered for investment, the fees are calculated in USD and then the funds are converted to the account currency at the current exchange rate. For transactions in cryptocurrency, the commission is 1.5-2%, and for transactions in precious metals, it’s 0.5-1.5% of the transaction volume. The amount of interest depends on the selected trading account. No additional hidden commissions were revealed.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
From £2.99 |
No |
|
Plus |
From £2.99 |
No |
|
Premium |
From £2.99 |
No |
|
Metals |
From £2.99 |
No |
ChoiceTrade Commissions and Fees
Traders Union specialists analyzed the trading conditions at ChoiceTrade, including the presence of trading and non-trading fees. Information about the fees for replenishing an account, withdrawing funds, making transactions with various assets and other financial transactions can be found on the broker's official website. There are no hidden fees. Account maintenance, forced margins, or inactive account fees are charged on a separate basis.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Joint account |
$30 per trade |
From $0 to $75, depending on the payment system |
|
Custodial account |
$30 per trade |
From $0 to $75, depending on the payment system |
|
Special account |
$30 per trade |
From $0 to $75, depending on the payment system |
|
IPS |
$30 per trade |
From $0 to $75, depending on the payment system |
Tastytrade Commissions and Fees
The trading conditions of both Tastyworks and Tastytrade were analyzed by experts at Traders Union. They searched for the presence of trading and non-trading fees. Information about trading fees, replenishment of a trading account, and other operations are freely available on the broker's website. There are no hidden fees. Please note that when depositing and withdrawing funds, a fee is charged if you use any payment system except ACH.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Individual |
$1.20 |
No |
|
Entity/Trust |
$1.20 |
No |
|
Joint |
$1.20 |
No |
Summary
Many brokers are available for traders from Australia, but not all of them offer good conditions. In this review, TU experts chose the Best investment brokers for short selling in Australia 2025. These are the most trusted companies that offer the best conditions for traders. You will also be able to review the general assessment of each broker.
Overall score of the best Investment Brokers For Short Selling in Australia
| eToro | eOption | Revolut | ChoiceTrade | Tastytrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
7.75 |
7.63 |
7.69 |
6.55 |
6.31 |
|
Execution of orders |
9.1 |
9 |
9.2 |
7.4 |
7.29 |
|
Investment instruments |
9.7 |
9.6 |
9.8 |
8 |
7.71 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
9.5 |
9.4 |
9.6 |
7.8 |
7.35 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.3 |
9.2 |
9.4 |
7.6 |
7.65 |
|
Variety of instruments |
9 |
8.9 |
9.1 |
7.3 |
7.13 |
|
Trading platform |
9.8 |
9.7 |
9.9 |
8.1 |
7.87 |
|
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FAQ
What commissions and fees should I take into consideration when I am choosing a broker?
The commissions and fees in the financial markets are divided into trading and non-tradings ones. Trading fees are the fees that are charged directly during trading (spread, commission per lot, etc.), while non-trading fees are the ones charged outside the trading process (for example, account fee, inactivity fee, deposit and withdrawal fee).
Is it possible to work with offshore brokers?
It is best not to work with offshore brokers. However, if you have chosen such a company, you need to check and analyze it very thoroughly. There are offshore brokers with good reputations. Before you start working with such a company, deposit the minimum amount and start trading. Once you’ve worked with the broker for a little while and checked how it operates and how quickly it processes withdrawals, you can start depositing higher amounts.
What are the risks of trading in the financial markets?
Any trading in the financial markets carries risks of losing your money due to asset volatility. Therefore, it is important to develop the rules of risk management in your strategy and strictly follow them.
Why is a license important for a broker?
License is the key document testifying to the broker’s reliability. It means that the company complies with the requirements of the financial regulatory authority that issued it. It is recommended that you choose brokers with licenses from top financial regulators: the USA, European Union, the UK, as these jurisdictions have the strictest licensing requirements.
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.