Assessment
Stake is used by self-directed investors in Australia and New Zealand who want to buy US and ASX shares and ETFs from one app. It says more than 1 million people have signed up, and it has more than 13,000 stocks and ETFs. Trades cost $3 up to $30,000 on US markets and A$3, about $2.11, on the ASX, which puts it at the low-cost end of Australian brokers, and its closest competitors are CommSec, Superhero, Sharesies, and Interactive Brokers.
Stake was founded in Sydney in 2017 by Matt Leibowitz and Dan Silver. Leibowitz returned as chief executive in September 2025, when Stake reported more than 750,000 customers, about $4.2B in assets under administration, and a place as the third-largest broker in Australia. It completed a Series A of about $63.3M in 2022 with Tiger Global and DST Global.
It fits a hands-on investor who trades both US and Australian shares and wants low, flat fees. It is a weaker fit for someone who wants advice, managed portfolios, or many international markets, and US trades carry a 0.55% currency fee on every conversion.
Rating by criterion
We score each of the eight criteria out of 100.
Sector criteria
Use it for US and ASX shares and ETFs. Stake offers more than 13,000 stocks and ETFs, US extended hours of 9.5 more hours a day, Stake Super for self-managed super funds, and the Accumulate cash fund.
Weigh the paid tier against how often you trade. Stake Black costs A$14 a month, about $9.85, for one market, or A$20, about $14.07, for both.
Expect an app-first service. Stake is built around its own app, with partners such as DriveWealth, FinClear, and Airwallex behind it, and US shares can be transferred out for $65.
Check how your shares are held. ASX holdings are CHESS-sponsored in your name through FinClear, and US shares are held through DriveWealth in the US.
Vendor criteria
The product line keeps growing, from US trading to the ASX in 2021, Stake Super, and the Accumulate income fund.
Sign-up happens in the app. Stake is a self-directed service, so there is no personal adviser to guide trades.
Read the Financial Services Guide before trading. It publishes the $3 trade fee, the 0.01% fee on trades over $30,000, the 0.55% FX fee with a US$2 minimum, and card funding fees of 0.5% for debit and 2.5% for credit.
Note the currency costs. Every US trade means converting Australian dollars, and the 0.55% FX fee applies each way.
Against its peers
These are the other companies in wealth and brokerage platforms, with their ratings.
User comments
We read Stake’s fee guide and company news to see what investors value, and set them against the main cost an investor meets.
- Upside
- Downside
Where customer reviews couldn't be found, our analysts attempted to give a voice to buyer sentiment, drawing on real information from review sites, forums and product documentation.
Based on: Stake, Financial Services Guide; Stake, Matt Leibowitz returns to lead Stake.
Fact file
| Legal entity | Stake Australia Pty Ltd |
|---|---|
| Chief executive | Matt Leibowitz, co-founder, returned September 2025 |
| Trade fee | $3 per trade up to $30,000 |
| FX fee | 0.55%, minimum US$2 |
| Assets under administration | About $4.2B, September 2025 |
| Customers | More than 750,000, September 2025 |
Competitive landscape
Share trading apps an Australian investor would compare with Stake.
Stake: 78
- Stake78
- Interactive Brokers83
- Lightyear80
- Raiz Invest77
- Sharesies75
- CommSecNot reviewed
- SuperheroNot reviewed
Comparisons
Key leadership
Matt Leibowitz co-founded Stake in 2017 and returned as chief executive in September 2025 after a period as executive director.
How this review was created
This profile gives our own assessment of Stake to companies selecting a Wealth & brokerage platforms provider. The Fintech Index receives nothing for featuring a firm, for sponsorship, or for advertising, and Stake gave us no payment for the profile.
The rating equals the average of eight criteria, with every criterion running from 0 to 100. Four address buyer needs in this sector, and four address the company together with its commercial terms.
Ratings are our editorial judgment, made from public information: pricing and legal pages, product documentation, compliance disclosures, public reviews and filings. Fact-checking took place on October 30, 2026. Figures reported in Australian dollars were converted to US dollars at the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of $0.7037 per Australian dollar on October 23, 2026.
Source pages
- Stake home page: https://hellostake.com/au (As of October 30, 2026)
- Stake Financial Services Guide: https://hellostake.com/au/legal/financial-services-guide (As of October 30, 2026)
- Stake, Matt Leibowitz returns: https://hellostake.com/au/newsroom/article/matt-leibowitz-returns-to-lead-stake-further-accelerating-its-impact-for-australian-investors (As of October 30, 2026)
- Stake, $90 million funding round: https://hellostake.com/au/newsroom/article/blt76f0dc4072026da3-stake-completes-90-million-funding-round (As of October 30, 2026)
- Stake, Damian Kassabgi joins board: https://hellostake.com/au/newsroom/article/damian-kassabgi-joins-stake-board (As of October 30, 2026)