- Sharesies makes investing accessible by allowing fractional ownership of shares across global markets, so even small amounts can be put to work.
- Fractional investing democratizes access, making it possible to buy into companies like Tesla or Apple for just a few dollars.
- Founded in 2017, the platform has grown rapidly, with millions of customers and billions under management.
Investing has grown in popularity amid the proliferation of easy-to-use investment apps, while dismally low savings account interest rates drive many people to chase a higher return for their spare cash.
Sharesies has been steadily building its profile among everyday investors, so how does it actually work?
What is Sharesies?
Sharesies is a micro-investing app that allows you to invest in companies from a variety of stock markets:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX),
- New Zealand Exchange (NZX),
- New York Stock Exchange (NYSE),
- Nasdaq
- Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE)
That means you can invest in Aussie companies like Commonwealth Bank, Coles, and BHP Billiton, but also household name US companies like Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Disney, and Coca-Cola.
Additionally, you have the option to invest in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which typically allow you to invest in a number of companies or assets with a single trade.
Founded in 2017, Sharesies has over 1 million customers in New Zealand and Australia with $12 billion in funds under management.
Aimed at new investors looking to gain financial skills and make themselves more secure, the platform had over 1,500 portfolios with more than $1 million invested in August 2025.
Upon launching, it was the first micro-investing app in Australia to allow users to invest in multiple markets and the first with no minimum investment amount.
This means you aren’t forced to buy whole individual shares that may be out of your price range and can instead buy a share of one share, known as fractional investing.
For example, at the time of writing, a Tesla share costs around $580. You could buy 1% of this share for less than $6.
Customers can choose to invest in lump sums or set up a recurring deposit with the option to auto-invest. The app also has 'Kids Accounts' to help prepare them for life and build financial literacy.
Speaking on the Savings Tip Jar Podcast, Brooke Roberts, co-founder and co-chief executive of Sharesies, said the platform is intended to make investing accessible and enable more people to become investors.
"We started Sharesies because we thought financial empowerment should be for everyone and with the technology available today, there's no reason that more people can't get access to developing wealth," Ms Roberts said.
"Often in other platforms, you have to buy a full share. But with us, we really care about how can we help people put it invest how much they want at any time and and build their wealth in the long term."
Is it still worth investing despite higher taxes?
Generally, if you look over the history and you look long-term, investing is a really important way to be able to develop wealth. And so no matter if there is more tax, there's still an ability to keep part of the capital gains that you receive, and that is important to be able to make sure your money is working hard for you.
Overall, it's still a really important aspect of our economy and our way to be able to grow wealth.
How much does Sharesies cost?
When you invest through Sharesies, the costs are structured to be simple but vary depending on the market you’re buying into.
The table below shows the transaction fees and corresponding fee caps for US, Australian, and New Zealand shares:
| Market | Transaction Fee | Fee Cap | Threshold for Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| US shares | 1.9% | $5 USD | Orders > $264 USD |
| Australian shares | 1.9% | $6 AUD | Orders > $316 AUD |
| NZ shares | 1.9% | $25 NZD | Orders > $1,316 NZD |
In short, you’ll never pay more than the fee cap, no matter how large your order.
Beyond trading, Sharesies also retains interest on money held in your Wallet. Funds are kept in trust accounts, but any interest earned is kept by Sharesies.
The retained rates are pegged to official benchmarks:
- The Reserve Bank of Australia’s cash rate minus 0.25% for AUD
- The New Zealand Official Cash Rate minus 0.25–0.5% for NZD
- The US Federal Funds Rate (lower bound) minus 0.65% for USD
If you invest in ETFs, you’ll encounter a management fee charged by the fund provider, built into the unit price. For ADRs, depositary banks may charge less than $0.10 USD per receipt annually, deducted either from dividends or directly from your Wallet.
Here's a glance at other key costs:
- Currency exchange: 0.6% per exchange.
- Transfers out: $50–$100 depending on market and method.
- Account closure: $15.
- Top-ups: Card fees apply, linked bank capped at $2 AUD, PayID flat $0.25.
Who can use Sharesies?
Sharesies is available to anyone over the age of 16, and Ms Roberts said one of the main goals of the platform was removing inaccessibility to investing so people of all ages and backgrounds could utilise it.
“We’ve got people up to 97 years old on Sharesies. We’re creating a platform that’s inclusive and not exclusive, that’s available to anyone who wants to invest.
“Our research has found many women feel left out of investing and the adviser network hasn’t been equal so we’ve made sure we’ve created something that everyone can feel a part of.”
Will new tax rules hurt young investors?
The recent changes to Australia’s investment tax regime have sparked debate, particularly around their impact on younger investors, the very group many policies are meant to encourage.
Speaking on the importance of investing, Ms Roberts underscored how crucial it is for young people to build wealth through ownership in the economy, and how the new rules may erode that opportunity.
“Investing is incredibly important for our economy. When you're investing, say, in Australian businesses, you're actually helping that business grow or employ people or fulfill what it needs within the Australian economy. So it's a real productive part of how we operate and it's really crucial,” she said.
"For our young people, it's even more important to be investing because they've got so much time on their side... And so it's really important that young people get to own stakes of the economy and own parts of companies… so they're not only relying on their wages and their superannuation.”
Previously, investors benefited from a 50% discount on capital gains tax (CGT). That discount has now been removed.
Ms Roberts pointed to modelling by the Financial Services Council to illustrate the impact: “For a 25-year-old with a medium income investing $10,000 in Australian shares, they would pay more in tax after two years. $1,443 more in tax after 10 years and $7,552 more in tax after 20 years.”
For young investors, the loss of compounding returns is particularly damaging.
“The biggest benefit for them is that long-term compounding returns... And the new regime does bite into that quite a bit… it just shows the real power of how much that is impacting their ability to get access to those returns, which is part of the benefit of taking that risk and investing.”
Savings.com.au’s two cents
Sharesies is unique in its offering, allowing you to invest in a range of global markets and companies. The oft-quoted philosophy of “time in the market is more important than timing the market” is worth considering in the volatile markets currently seen around the world.
Sharesies' no minimum investment amount means curious, first-time investors can dip a toe in without fear they’ll fall in and drown in the complexities of the stock market. Keep in mind, all investment has an element of risk.
What makes Sharesies different from other apps?
Sharesies functions quite differently from established Australian micro-investing apps like Raiz or Spaceship. Both only allow you to invest in different portfolios, made up of a range of Australian, Asian, European, and US companies, with few options for customisation. In contrast, Sharesies doesn’t have portfolios but lets you invest in individual companies across the world, as well as ETFs.
However, both Raiz and Spaceship don’t charge brokerage fees, instead charging a fee based on the size of your portfolio.
Ms Roberts said in addition to being the only app with no minimum investment, Sharesies was aimed at improving financial literacy and well-being in the community.
“Our philosophy is people build their portfolio one payday at a time with amounts they can afford because it's about time in the market not timing the market.
“Additionally, we’re a B-Corp, which means we’re essentially a business aiming to have a positive impact on our customers, community, and the environment, and that is at the core of everything we do.”
What are the dangers of using Sharesies?
All investment comes with inherent risk and Sharesies is no different, making that fact clear throughout its website and app.
Ms Roberts said Sharesies didn’t allow customers to make investments that are often considered high-risk.
“We don’t offer access to any derivatives, leveraging, or options. We’ve found the majority of our customers slowly build their investment.”
Sharesies also keeps detailed records of all of the money in your Wallet and investments in your account. Your funds are held in an account separate from the daily operations of the company and an annual audit is complete to ensure Sharesies is meeting its legal obligations to customers.