Our guide outlines the investment apps, platforms and options for new and experienced investors alike. Whether you have $100 or $100,000 to invest, our guide explains everything you need to know
Updated 20 June 2023
Important: Sharesies and Stake Fee Change
- On 21 December 2022, Sharesiesannounced a fee changethat will affect most customers. In short, the average investor's brokerage fee jumps from around 0.50% to 1.90%. This excludes foreign exchange fees which are also set to increase.
- The response has been negative, as outlined in thisReddit forumandMoneyKing article. More complaints appear on theSharesies Facebook page.
- Please be aware that for most New Zealanders who invest around $500-$5,000, the new fees significantly increase, makingthe platform less attractive.
- Stake announced it was ending its 'free trade fees' in March 2023 and charging US$3 per trade. This guide reflects both Sharesies' and Stake's fee increases.
Finding the Best Investment App for Your Needs
Investing apps have taken New Zealand by storm since the launch of Sharesies in 2017. While web-based platforms such as ASB Securities and Direct Brokinghave existed for years, the 'Sharesies effect' has made investing accessible for everyone. You can invest as little as 1 cent with Sharesies and $1 on many other platforms, and you can do it from your phone. With the arrival of innovative services like Sharesies, Hatch, InvestNow, Stake, Tiger Brokers and specific fund managers, the range of investing apps continues to grow. Best of all, every innovation directly benefits the New Zealand consumer with lower fees and more choice.
This guide outlines investment platforms and apps currently available to anyone residing in New Zealand. We cover:
- Summary of Best Investment Apps
- Investment Apps Pros and Cons
- Our Favourite Investing Apps (for Specific Purposes)
- Frequently Asked Questions
Know this first: We've included investment platforms that are web-based in our list of investing apps. This is because we believe for the majority of New Zealanders, a web-based interface and an app are both sufficient for the type ofinvesting being conducted. If you do feel as if you need further insights beyond a particular app's offering, we suggest looking at Sharesight as a possible add-on.
Are you looking to understand investment terms?Investment apps can be confusing - our extensiveinvesting glossaryoutlines must-know words and explains what they mean with relevant New Zealand examples.
Our Favourite Investment Apps
Based on our research and evaluation of the various apps, platforms and interfaces, we believe the five apps stand above the competition based on their offering, features, pricing and service:
- Hatch:Best App or Platform for New Zealanders Growing their Portfolio while Learning About Investing
- Tiger Brokers (NZ): Best Low-Cost Shares Platform
- Sharesies:BestApp or Platformfor Beginners and Auto-Investing
- InvestNow:Best App or Platform for Managed Funds
- Kernel:BestApp or Platformfor Specialised Index Funds
- Simplicity InvestmentFunds:BestApp or Platformfor Low-Cost Index Funds
- Flint Wealth: Best App or Platform for Research and Education
Summary of New Zealand's Best Investment Apps
Investment | Investment | Commission | Minimum Purchase | More |
Sharesies | NZ Shares, NZ ETFs, NZ Managed Funds (unlisted), ASX Shares, ASX ETFs, US Shares, US ETFs | 1.90% on the trade with caps: | 1 cent | Sharesies Review |
Hatch | US Shares and ETFs | US$3 per trade (buy and sell) | $1 | Hatch Review |
Stake | US Shares and ETFs | $3 per US trade up to $30,000, or 0.01% per US trade $30,000 or greater. 1% FX conversion fee | $1 | Stake Review |
InvestNow | ETFs Managed Funds and Index Funds | No platform fees, fund management fees vary | $250 | InvestNow Review |
Flint Wealth | Managed Funds | No platform fees, fund fees vary | $50 | Flint Wealth Review |
ASB Securities | NZ and Australian Shares | $15 ( < NZ$1,000) | $1 | ASB Securities Review |
Simplicity Investment Funds | Index Funds | 0.10% or 0.31% p.a. management fee | $1,000 per fund | Simplicity Investment Funds Review |
Kernel Wealth | Index Funds | 0.25% p.a. (core funds management fee) and $5/month membership fee (if investing over $25,000) | $1 per fund | Kernel Wealth Review |
Tiger Brokers (NZ) | US Shares and ETFs | Varies based on market, but cheaper than Sharesies, Hatch and Stake for US trades | $1 | Tiger Brokers (NZ_ Review |
How do I use an Investment App?
- Signing up: For most investment apps, you'll need to be 16 years or older, aNew Zealand resident with a New Zealand bank account. There will usually be an anti-money laundering check after you apply. Once approved, you'll set up a login and password.
- Investing:You'll be able to see the range of investments offered, which depending on the app, can be anything from 4 to 4,000+. The investment app will guide you through how to fund your account, either by setting up aregular automatic payment from your bank account, or transferring in a one-off sum. Once your account is funded, you can buy and sell investments based on the current market price.
- Monitoring: Most investment apps have tools so you can see the performance of your investments, helping you make ongoing decisions.
Investment Apps: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Low minimum investment – many platforms have a $5 or $10 minimum investment, which allows you to start investing right away. Sharesies, for example, innovates further with a 1 cent minimum investment.
- Low fees for smaller accounts – if a platform charges are membership fee, it will (usually) be less than $30/year. Others only charge a transaction fee, so there’s no ongoing cost unless you buy and sell investments. In contrast, others such as Hatch, Sharesies, InvestNow and Stake don’t charge anything.
- Simple to use – design and user experience are at the heart of keeping investors happy. This means you can sign up for an account in minutes and, after your details are approved, quickly fund your account. You can then track the progress of your investments, visualise your profits, and view investment options.
- Automatic investments - many platforms offer automatic investing, meaning you can actively save for your future. Sharesies, for example, lets you allocate regular contributions to one (or many) or its funds to help grow your balance.
- Socially responsible investing (SR) opportunities are highlighted – many apps categorise their investment options under SRI and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) so you can invest in things that are important to you. For example, Sharesies offers the Pathfinder funds which invest in sustainable businesses.
Cons:
- You may under-invest – if you add $5 or $10 to your investment balance, it’s unlikely to add up to anything significant unless you commit to the long term. An investment app with a balance of $500 or $1,000 after 2+ years of contributing isn’t substantial in the scheme of things. To protect your future, a solid savings plan is needed – sporadic (and small) top-ups are unlikely to provide a suitable long-term strategy.
- Fees can eat into profits – Before investing, check what the platform fees are (per month) and calculate the annual costs and how that affects your expected returns. For example, if a platform charges $30/year to be a member and you invest $1,000, the $30 represents an annual fee of 3%. This is relatively high and means your returns must be above 3% per year to break even.
- Limited account options – right now, most investments apps don’t offer joint accounts or the opportunity to invest on behalf of your business. Only some apps offer managed funds, and investing with Hatch, Stake and Sharesies means a foreign exchange risk if your investments are held in USD (which may increase or decrease against the NZD, affecting the local value of the investments).
- Investing based on hype and buzz can have consequences – there has been a surge of investing Whatsapp and Facebook groups established in the last couple of years. While the intentions are genuine, many ‘tips’ are shared around New Zealand, encouraging inexperienced investors to buy and sell particular shares. If you’re going to actively pick shares to invest in, you have to accept that there is risk and your investment could fall in value. With any investment, the best approach is to diversify your portfolio so that you’re not overly exposed should one asset drop in value.
Our Favourite Investing Apps (for Specific Purposes)
- Hatch:Best App or Platform for New Zealanders Growing their Portfolio while Learning About Investing
- Tiger Brokers (NZ): Best Low-Cost Shares Platform
- Sharesies:BestApp or Platformfor Beginners and Auto-Investing
- InvestNow:Best App or Platform for Managed Funds
- Kernel:BestApp or Platformfor Specialised Index Funds
- Simplicity InvestmentFunds:BestApp or Platformfor Low-Cost Index Funds
- Flint Wealth: Best App or Platform for Research and Education
Hatch: Best App or Platform for Low-Cost Investing in the US Markets
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Tiger Brokers (NZ): Best Low-Cost Shares Platform
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Sharesies: Best App or Platform for Beginners and Auto-Investing
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InvestNow: Best App or Platform for Managed Funds
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Kernel: Best App or Platform for Specialised Index Funds
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Simplicity Investment Funds: Best App or Platform for Low-Cost Index Funds
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Flint Wealth: Best App or Platform for Research and Education
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Investment Apps - Frequently Asked Questions
Investing apps are increasingly simple to use, but there are some must-know facts. Our FAQs below explain what's important for making the right choice.
How much money do I need to invest?
$1 is the minimum investment for most (but not all) investment apps and platforms. New Zealanders who do the best out of their investing activities, i.e. make the most money, tend to invest regularly, are diversified and stay committed for the long term.
Our list of apps above generally works best when you invest at least $100 to avoid ongoing fees eating into returns. A sensible amount to start with is at least $100 to $500 and then contribute regularly.
What investment app is best for buying shares?
It depends on the amount you’re buying and selling. In the summaries above, we have itemised the apps based on price (which is trading costs and ongoing member fees), app features and investing minimums.
I’m new to investing – what is the best app?
For new investors wanting to learn as they go, Sharesies is arguably New Zealand’s most popular option with hundreds of thousands of users. Sharesies lets you invest in New Zealand, Australian and US sharemarkets, as well as invest in a select number of New Zealand-based managed funds. It has several useful features, such as regular contributions and top-ups helping users invest for the long-term. There’s also a highly active Facebook group to help new investors.
What assets can I buy and sell using these apps?
It depends on the app and platform; some offer shares, ETFs and index funds (such as Sharesies), whereas others offer US shares only (Hatch and Stake). Others specialise in ETFs and funds (InvestNow), while Simplicity and Kernel exclusively offer their branded index funds.
Is my money safe?
All New Zealand-based apps and platforms are highly regulated. Popular services such asSharesies,Hatch,Stake,InvestNow,ASB SecuritiesandDirect Brokinghave a strong custodial structure in place to prevent you losing any of your investment in the case that the services fail financially. Our dedicated guideexplains custodians in detail and how they protect investors. A custodian exists with one purpose - to hold assets on behalf of specific beneficiaries. It can't go bust as it is tightly regulated and regularly monitored.
However, it’s essential to be aware of the risks of investing. The decisions that you make, i.e. what you invest in, are not protected. This can mean the balance of your investments can drop, and you’ll lose money if you then sell or redeem.
How many investment apps should I sign up for?
It depends. It's unwise to double-up on apps that charge membership fees as you're paying twice for access to the same (or similar) investment opportunities. A new investor would be prudent to pick two apps to use, and then, once established and experienced, look for further opportunities.
How can I quit or leave an investing app?
The standard practice is to sell, transfer or redeem your investments (so your balance is $0). You can then notify the client/customer service team to close down access. Many investing apps charge ongoing membership fees which will be avoided by cancelling the account.
To recap our selections:
MoneyHub's Best Investment Apps
- Sharesies
- Hatch
- InvestNow
- Flint Wealth
- ASB Securities
- Simplicity Investment Funds
- Kernel Wealth
Related guides:
- Comparing Sharesies vs Investnow vs Hatch and more
- Custodian guide
- NZX in a Nutshell
- Investing in US Shares (from New Zealand)
- ETFs vs Shares
- ETFs vs Index Funds
- Investing glossary
