eToro vs Plus500 2026

Neither broker charges a separate commission on CFDs — costs are built into the spread. Both are market-maker style, so spreads are wider than the ECN brokers we usually recommend. In our 30-day recording, eToro averaged about 1.0 pip on EUR/USD and Plus500 around 0.9 pips. The bigger cost story for Australians, though, is the non-trading fees.

eToro accounts are denominated in USD. Every AUD deposit is converted at a 0.5% fee (bank transfer) or up to 1.5% (card/PayPal), and there’s a US$5 withdrawal fee. Plus500 offers AUD-denominated accounts, so you avoid the conversion fee entirely if you fund in AUD, and withdrawals are free.

Because eToro accounts run in USD, Australians pay to convert in and out. On a A$5,000 bank-transfer deposit, the 0.5% fee is A$25 each way. Frequent traders who fund and withdraw often feel this. Plus500’s AUD account avoids it. If you trade in AUD, this is the single biggest cost difference between the two.

eToro’s value isn’t in spreads — it’s in copy trading and real share ownership. If you plan to mirror experienced traders or hold real stocks and ETFs long-term, the platform offers something Plus500 simply doesn’t. Verify current spreads and fees directly with each broker before opening an account.

eToro pioneered copy trading and still leads it. You can automatically mirror the trades of experienced investors, or invest in thematic Smart Portfolios. Combined with real share and ETF ownership and the largest social community in retail trading, eToro is a genuinely different product — more an investing-and-social platform than a CFD terminal.

Plus500’s WebTrader is uncluttered and beginner-friendly, with TradingView integration, guaranteed stop-loss orders and unusual extras like options CFDs. There’s no copy trading, no MetaTrader and no automated trading — it’s purely a streamlined CFD platform. For traders who just want to speculate cleanly in AUD, that focus is a feature, not a flaw.

Both brokers are ASIC-regulated — the baseline we insist on for any broker listed on KolaTrading. Both keep client funds segregated and provide negative balance protection for Australian retail clients. The ASIC protection is identical at both.

Plus500 has faced an Australian class action related to the marketing of leveraged CFDs, and historic UK compliance issues years ago. None of this changes its current ASIC standing or fund safety, but it’s worth knowing. Both brokers are publicly listed, which adds a layer of financial transparency. For an Australian retail trader, both provide identical ASIC protections — verify both AFSLs on the ASIC Connect register.

We funded and withdrew real AUD at both brokers in March 2026. At eToro, the AUD-to-USD conversion applied on the way in and a US$5 fee on the way out. At Plus500, funding an AUD account incurred no conversion fee and the withdrawal was free. Processing at both took one to three business days.

For Australians, Plus500 is clearly the cheaper platform to move money in and out of. eToro’s lower A$50 minimum is friendlier to start, but its USD base and per-withdrawal fee add up for active users.