Sharesies and Hatch offer Kiwis largely the same service: the ability to invest in US companies from their smartphones and laptops. The biggest difference between the two companies – apart from Sharesies offering access to NZ stocks – is how they structure their fees.
Annoyingly, comparing the two services side-by-side isn’t a straightforward task because each pricing model is so different. Here’s what you need to know (about the fees) if you’re looking to use either platform:
- Hatch charges USD$3 for the first 300 shares and then USD$0.01 per share thereafter.
- Sharesies charges 0.5% on your $3,000 worth of investments and then 0.01% thereafter + monthly charges (see above).
This usually means Sharesies is cheaper for making smaller-sized investments (<$500), but if you are going to be investing more than $500, then Hatch is the more affordable option.
However, that’s not always the case…
When the share price is low, and you’re therefore able to buy more shares per dollar, Hatch can become a lot more expensive. For example, T-Mobile shares only cost USD$0.12, so investing USD$1,000 in T-Mobile would buy you 8,333.33 shares. Sharesies would charge you USD$5.00 for this transaction (or USD$10 if you already have a portfolio worth over USD$3,000), whereas Hatch would charge you USD$83.33.
Hatch (in USD)
Investment | T-Mobile TMUSR ($0.12) | GE ($11.63) | Apple ($135.37) | Amazon ($3,277.71) |
---|---|---|---|---|
$100 | 833.3 shares ($8.33 fee) | 8.60 shares ($3.00 fee) | 0.74 shares ($3.00 fee) | 0.03 shares ($3.00 fee) |
$1,000 | 8,333.3 ($83.33 fee) | 85.98 ($3.00 fee) | 7.39 ($3.00 fee) | 0.31 ($3.00 fee) |
$10,000 | 83,333.3 ($833.33 fee) | 859.85 ($3.00 fee) | 73.87 ($3.00 fee) | 3.05 ($3.00 fee) |
Sharesies (in USD)
Investment | T-Mobile TMUSR ($0.12) | GE ($11.63) | Apple ($135.37) | Amazon ($3,277.71) |
---|---|---|---|---|
$100 | 833.3 shares ($0.50 fee) | 8.60 shares ($0.50 fee) | 0.74 shares ($0.50 fee) | 0.03 shares ($0.50 fee) |
$1,000 | 8,333.3 ($5.00 fee) | 85.98 ($5.00 fee) | 7.39 ($5.00 fee) | 0.31 ($5.00 fee) |
$10,000 | 83,333.3 ($22.00 fee) | 859.85 ($22.00 fee) | 73.87 ($22.00 fee) | 3.05 ($22.00 fee) |
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If you’re looking for a quick and dirty (and slightly inaccurate) rule of thumb: Sharesies is usually cheaper for making smaller-sized investments (<$500), but if you are going to be investing more than $500, then Hatch is the more affordable option.
There’s a big caveat though.
If you plan on investing in stocks with a low share price, then things can add up fast using Hatch – as it charges $3 for the first 300 shares and then $0.01 per share thereafter. This means investing in companies such as T-Mobile – where the share price is only USD$0.12 – is more cost-effective with Sharesies (depending on the size of your investment, of course).