Sharesies is New Zealand’s largest retail investing platform, with over 700,000 members as of 2026. It launched in 2017 and made investing accessible to ordinary New Zealanders by removing minimum investment requirements and creating a genuinely usable mobile app.
But accessible isn’t the same as cheap or best. Here’s an honest look at what Sharesies offers, what it costs, and who it suits.
Best for: Investors who want to buy individual NZX, ASX, or US shares. Good for beginners who want a slick app experience. Not ideal for: Pure index fund investors — InvestNow's Foundation Series is cheaper for managed fund investing. At balances above $15,000, Sharesies' platform fee becomes significant relative to alternatives.
Sharesies at a Glance
| Founded | 2017 (Wellington, NZ) |
| Members | 700,000+ (2026) |
| FMA licensed | ✅ Yes |
| Platform fee | 0.50% p.a. on balances up to $50,000 (capped at $250/yr); $0 above $50k for NZ/AU shares |
| Transaction fee | NZX/ASX: 0.5% (min $0.50, max $25); US shares: $3/trade |
| FX fee | 0.4% on currency conversion |
| Minimum investment | $1 |
| Auto-invest | ✅ Yes — from $1/week |
| Individual NZX shares | ✅ Yes |
| Individual ASX shares | ✅ Yes |
| US shares | ✅ Yes (3,000+ companies) |
| Managed funds | ✅ Some (ETFs and portfolios) |
| KiwiSaver | ❌ No |
Fees in Detail
Platform fee (annual)
Sharesies charges 0.50% per year on portfolios up to $50,000, billed monthly. This is capped at $250/year ($20.83/month), which means once your portfolio exceeds $50,000, the platform fee is effectively zero for NZ/AU shares.
| Portfolio size | Annual platform fee |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $25 |
| $10,000 | $50 |
| $25,000 | $125 |
| $50,000 | $250 (cap reached) |
| $100,000 | $250 (still capped) |
Important: The platform fee applies to your total portfolio value — NZ shares, AU shares, US shares, and any Sharesies funds you hold.
Transaction fees
Every time you buy or sell, a transaction fee applies:
| Market | Fee |
|---|---|
| NZX (NZ shares) | 0.5% of trade value, min $0.50, max $25 |
| ASX (Australian shares) | 0.5% of trade value, min AUD$0.50, max AUD$25 |
| US shares | $3 flat fee per trade (NZD) |
For a $1,000 NZX trade: $5 fee. For a $10,000 NZX trade: $25 (the maximum). For a $100 US trade: $3.
FX fee
When converting NZD to USD (or AUD) for overseas shares, Sharesies adds a 0.4% FX fee on top of the market exchange rate. This applies each time you buy and sell overseas shares.
On a $5,000 US purchase: $20 FX fee on the way in, $20 on the way out — $40 total for a round trip.
Fund-specific fees
For the funds and portfolios available inside Sharesies (e.g. Sharesies-curated ETF portfolios), the underlying fund management fee applies on top of the platform fee. Always check the fund’s PDS for the total cost.
What You Can Invest In
NZX shares
All companies listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, including the NZX 50 index companies (Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Meridian, Contact Energy, etc.) and smaller companies. Fractional shares are available, so you can buy $50 of a $12 share.
ASX shares
Major Australian listed companies and ETFs. Useful for accessing ASX-listed Vanguard ETFs (e.g. VAS, VGS) — though the FX conversion and platform fee make InvestNow’s Foundation Series cheaper for index fund exposure.
US shares
Over 3,000 US-listed companies and ETFs. Popular choices include Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, S&P 500 ETFs (SPY, VOO), and Nasdaq ETFs (QQQ). Sharesies holds US securities through DriveWealth, a US broker with SIPC protection.
Funds and portfolios
Sharesies offers some Smartshares ETFs and curated portfolios. The fund selection is narrower than InvestNow — if you want access to a broad range of NZ managed funds (Vanguard Foundation Series, Nikko, Harbour, etc.), InvestNow has a significantly larger fund universe.
Sharesies App and User Experience
Sharesies’ app is widely considered the best investing UX in New Zealand. Key features:
- Auto-invest: Set weekly, fortnightly, or monthly automatic contributions into any share or fund
- Round-ups: Connect a bank account and round up purchases to the nearest dollar, investing the difference
- Watchlists and portfolio views: Clean portfolio dashboard with performance tracking
- Kids accounts: Sharesies offers custodial accounts for children, managed by a parent
The desktop platform (web) is also polished, with performance history, dividend tracking, and basic research tools.
Tax Handling
Sharesies issues a tax summary at the end of each year showing:
- Dividends received
- FX gains/losses
- Transaction history
For PIE funds held through Sharesies, tax is handled at your PIR rate. For NZ and AU shares, you pay tax on dividends at your marginal rate (Sharesies withholds RWT for NZ dividends). For US shares, the US government withholds 15% withholding tax on dividends under the NZ-US tax treaty — you can claim a foreign tax credit for this.
Sharesies does not generate FIF reports. If your overseas shareholdings exceed $50,000 cost price, you will need to calculate FIF yourself (or use Sharesight). See FIF Tax NZ.
PIR Rate: Make sure your PIR is set correctly in your Sharesies account settings if you hold PIE funds.
Who Sharesies Is Best For
✅ Good for:
- Investors who want to own individual NZX, ASX, or US company shares
- People who enjoy following specific companies and markets
- Beginners who prioritise ease of use over fee optimisation
- Investors with portfolios over $50,000 (platform fee is capped; trading fees are competitive)
- Parents setting up investing accounts for children
❌ Less ideal for:
- Pure index fund investors — InvestNow’s Foundation Series is significantly cheaper
- Small balance investors — 0.5% platform fee is expensive on, say, a $2,000 portfolio
- Frequent traders — 0.5% brokerage per NZX trade adds up; Tiger Brokers charges 0.1%
Sharesies vs Alternatives
| Sharesies | InvestNow | Kernel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0.50% p.a. (capped $250) | $0 | $0 |
| Individual shares | ✅ NZX/ASX/US | ❌ | ❌ |
| Managed funds | Limited | 100+ funds | Kernel funds only |
| Best total cost for index funds | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| US shares | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Full comparison: Sharesies vs InvestNow · Sharesies vs Kernel
Is Sharesies Safe?
Sharesies is FMA-licensed. Client investments are held through Sharesies Nominee Ltd — a separate legal entity — which means your shares are ring-fenced from Sharesies Ltd’s business assets if the company faced financial difficulty. US shares are held through DriveWealth with SIPC protection up to USD$500,000.
See What Happens If an Investment Platform Goes Bust NZ? for a full explanation of investor protections.
Verdict
Sharesies earns its place as NZ’s most popular platform through genuine accessibility and a best-in-class app. If you want to invest in individual companies — particularly US shares — it’s a strong choice. The 0.5% platform fee on smaller balances and the brokerage on NZX trades make it more expensive than InvestNow or Kernel for index fund investors.
Recommended for: Share investors, US stock buyers, beginners prioritising experience over pure cost optimisation, and investors with portfolios above $50k who trade occasionally.
Next Steps
- InvestNow Review NZ 2026 — The main alternative for index fund investing
- Best Investing Platform NZ 2026 — Full platform comparison
- FIF Tax NZ — Important if your US holdings exceed $50,000
- PIR Rate NZ — Check your tax rate is correct
- Back to Platform Reviews