Commonwealth Securities Limited
Commonwealth Securities Limited (CommSec) is an Australian online retail broker and wholly owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, offering self-directed trading in ASX shares, 13 international markets, and ETFs to individual investors via web and mobile platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Commonwealth Securities Limited does
Commonwealth Securities Limited, trading as CommSec, is an Australian retail online broker and a wholly owned (non-guaranteed) subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Sydney, CommSec provides self-directed share trading access to over 2,000 companies listed on the ASX and to shares across 13 international markets (including the U.S.), alongside ETFs. Its underlying account infrastructure is the Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA), issued by CBA and administered by CommSec, and it holds AFSL 238814 with Market Participant status at ASX Limited and Cboe Australia and Clearing/Settlement Participant roles at ASX Clear and ASX Settlement.
The platform is delivered through a web portal and native iOS and Android applications, supplemented by watchlists with home/lock-screen widgets, alerts, and the "CommSec Market Update" podcast. Educational and content layers include The Academy (bite-sized investor learning modules), daily expert market insights, and Morningstar-powered customisable investment recommendations. The product surface is modular: Australian share trading, international share trading, and ETFs are the core revenue-generating modules, with mobile, watchlists, education, and podcast as engagement add-ons.
CommSec generates revenue primarily through transaction/brokerage fees on trades executed on behalf of retail customers (Australian shares, international shares, ETFs), supplemented by account administration fees on the CDIA. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and product-led: free sign-up, free app download, free educational content, with promotional offers (30 free international trades) to drive acquisition of new global-market customers. Customer segments span beginner investors seeking simplicity and education, experienced/active investors requiring advanced tools and global access, and new international account holders acquired via targeted promotional offers. Distribution relies on digital self-serve channels (web, iOS, Android) cross-promoted through the CBA retail franchise.
Commonwealth Securities Limited firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Commonwealth Securities Limited
- Legal name
- Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814
- Website
- https://comsec.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Commonwealth Securities Limited (CommSec) is an Australian online retail broker and wholly owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, offering self-directed trading in ASX shares, 13 international markets, and ETFs to individual investors via web and mobile platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Commonwealth Securities Limited industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Retail Brokerage
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equity Capital Introduction & Prime Services (FSACAFAK)
Keywords
Where Commonwealth Securities Limited is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Commonwealth Securities Limited business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Brokerage/Trading Fees: CommSec generates revenue primarily through transaction/brokerage fees charged on share trades executed on behalf of customers. The company offers trading in Australian shares (ASX), international shares (U.S. and 12+ other markets), and ETFs.
- Account Management: Revenue derived from account-related services including the Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) which is administered by Commonwealth Securities Limited.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard trading fees by product type |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Commonwealth Securities Limited product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Commonwealth Securities Limited (CommSec) is an Australian online retail broker that enables self-directed investors to buy and sell Australian shares, international shares, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through a web trading platform and dedicated mobile applications. Customers hold funds and settle transactions in a linked Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) and access market data, research, watchlists, and price alerts as part of the trading service.
Product overview
CommSec operates as a unified multi-channel trading platform with a core modular architecture. The primary offerings consist of Australian Share Trading, International Shares, and Exchange Traded Funds as the core investment products, all powered by the Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) as the underlying account infrastructure. The platform supplements its trading capabilities with complementary tools including the CommSec Mobile App for on-the-go trading, Watchlists and Alerts for portfolio monitoring with widget support, The Academy for investor education, and the Market Update Podcast for market intelligence. The platform integrates Morningstar-powered investment recommendations to provide personalised guidance. CommSec positions itself as a comprehensive investing ecosystem serving both beginners and experienced investors through web, mobile, and educational channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Australian Share Trading Online brokerage service that allows Australian retail investors to buy and sell shares listed on the Australian Securities Exchange through CommSec's web and mobile trading platforms.
- International Shares Online brokerage service that allows Australian retail investors to trade shares listed on selected overseas exchanges directly through their CommSec account.
- Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Online brokerage service that enables Australian retail investors to buy and sell exchange-traded funds listed on Australian exchanges through the CommSec platform.
- CommSec Mobile App Mobile application that allows CommSec customers to place trades, monitor portfolios, set watchlists and alerts, and access market information from iOS and Android devices.
- Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) Integrated cash and investment account issued by Commonwealth Bank that holds customers' trade settlement funds and linked brokerage balances for use with the CommSec trading platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Access to 2000+ Australian companies on ASX
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Commonwealth Securities Limited
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Commonwealth Securities Limited technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Commonwealth Securities Limited partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty LimitedcoreCommSec is a Market Participant of ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, enabling direct access to Australian exchange trading.
- ASX Clear Pty LimitedcoreCommSec is a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited, providing trade clearing services.
- ASX Settlement Pty LimitedcoreCommSec is a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited, enabling trade settlement services.
- Apple (App Store)minorCommSec Mobile app is distributed through Apple's App Store for iOS users.
- Google (Google Play)minorCommSec Mobile app is distributed through Google Play for Android users.
- Commonwealth Bank of AustraliacoreCommSec is a wholly owned but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The CDIA product is issued by CBA and administered by CommSec.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Commonwealth Securities Limited competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Westpac Online Investing: Online share trading offering from Westpac, another major Australian bank; competes head-to-head with CommSec in the bank-distributed retail trading category.
- IG Markets: Global online trading provider with Australian operations across shares, ETFs and derivatives; comparable on multi-market retail trading infrastructure and target customer profile.
- Selfwealth: Australian online retail brokerage offering ASX and US share trading at flat-rate fees; directly competes with CommSec on price and platform simplicity for Australian retail investors.
- Tiger Brokers (UP Fintech Holding): Asia-focused online broker with an active Australian customer base offering multi-market access similar to CommSec's 13-market footprint; competes for internationally oriented retail traders.
- Bell Direct: Australian online broker offering ASX and international share trading with research and education tools; competes with CommSec in the active retail investor segment.
- Stake: Australian-born neobroker (operating via DriveWealth in the US) offering commission-free US share trading; directly targets the same beginner-to-active retail investor segments as CommSec.
- nabtrade: Online brokerage subsidiary of National Australia Bank; directly comparable to CommSec as a bank-affiliated retail broker leveraging a large incumbent bank's customer base.
- CMC Markets: ASX-listed global broker with significant Australian retail trading presence in shares, ETFs and CFDs; comparable on multi-product, multi-market retail trading platform.
Broad incumbents
- Interactive Brokers: Global incumbent online broker with deep multi-market access and active trader tools; comparable as a more sophisticated alternative to CommSec for experienced retail investors.
Emerging players
- Robinhood: US-headquartered zero-commission retail broker and category-defining challenger; relevant international comparable shaping Australian retail expectations on pricing and UX.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Commonwealth Securities Limited social profiles
Digital presenceCommonwealth Securities Limited compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Commonwealth Securities Limited financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Commonwealth Securities Limited leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Commonwealth Securities Limited funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Commonwealth Securities Limited M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Commonwealth Securities Limited
What does Commonwealth Securities Limited do?
Commonwealth Securities Limited (CommSec) is an Australian online retail broker that enables self-directed investors to buy and sell Australian shares, international shares, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through a web trading platform and dedicated mobile applications. Customers hold funds and settle transactions in a linked Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) and access market data, research, watchlists, and price alerts as part of the trading service.
Is Commonwealth Securities Limited a public or private company?
Commonwealth Securities Limited is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Commonwealth Securities Limited founded?
Commonwealth Securities Limited was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Commonwealth Securities Limited based?
Commonwealth Securities Limited is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Commonwealth Securities Limited make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Brokerage/Trading Fees are the primary driver. The others are account Management.
Who are Commonwealth Securities Limited's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Westpac Online Investing, IG Markets, Selfwealth, Tiger Brokers (UP Fintech Holding), Bell Direct, Stake, nabtrade and CMC Markets. Interactive Brokers is listed as a broad incumbent. Robinhood is listed as an emerging player.
Does Commonwealth Securities Limited have an API?
No public API is recorded for Commonwealth Securities Limited.
What industry is Commonwealth Securities Limited in?
Commonwealth Securities Limited's product category is Online Retail Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACAFAK, Equity Capital Introduction & Prime Services. Its NAICS code is 5231 and its SIC code is 6211.