Tiger Brokers is an international online brokerage that launched in New Zealand in 2021. It’s grown steadily since then, primarily attracting NZ investors who want lower trading fees for NZX and US shares than Sharesies offers. In 2026 it has established itself as a credible low-cost alternative for active traders.
Best for: Cost-conscious investors who trade NZX or US shares regularly. Tiger Brokers charges 0.1% on NZX trades (min $2) — significantly cheaper than Sharesies' 0.5% (max $25) for mid-to-large trades. US stock trading from USD$1.99 per trade. Not ideal for: Complete beginners or investors who prioritise app polish and NZ-based customer support.
Tiger Brokers NZ at a Glance
| Parent company | UP Fintech Holding Ltd (Nasdaq-listed) |
| NZ entity | Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited |
| FMA licensed | ✅ Yes — Financial Service Provider |
| FMA registration | FSP657836 |
| Minimum deposit | $1 |
| Platform fee | $0 |
| NZX transaction fee | 0.10% (min $2) |
| US stock fee | From USD$1.99 per trade |
| HK stock fee | From HKD$15 per trade |
| FX fee | ~0.20% |
| Interest on cash | Paid on uninvested USD cash balances above certain thresholds |
| Managed funds | ❌ No |
| Auto-invest | ❌ No (manual trading only) |
Fee Comparison: Tiger Brokers vs Sharesies (NZX)
| Trade value | Tiger Brokers | Sharesies |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | $2.00 | $2.50 |
| $1,000 | $2.00 | $5.00 |
| $5,000 | $5.00 | $25.00 |
| $10,000 | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| $20,000 | $20.00 | $25.00 |
For most NZX trades above $2,000, Tiger Brokers is cheaper. The gap is especially significant for trades of $5,000+ where Sharesies hits its $25 cap but Tiger Brokers continues at 0.1%.
Note: Sharesies also charges a 0.50% p.a. platform fee on balances up to $50,000. Tiger Brokers has no platform fee. For a $30,000 portfolio, this saves $150/year before any trading cost comparison.
US Stock Trading
Tiger Brokers offers access to US-listed shares and ETFs (NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX). Trading fees start from USD$1.99 per trade, which is competitive with Hatch ($3 NZD) and cheaper than Sharesies ($3 NZD + 0.4% FX).
Tiger Brokers also pays interest on uninvested USD cash balances — useful if you hold a USD wallet for US trading.
FX: Tiger Brokers charges approximately 0.20% on currency conversion — lower than Sharesies (0.4%) and Hatch (~0.5%).
Platform and App Quality
Tiger Brokers’ app is built for active traders — it has real-time quotes, advanced charting, order types (limit, stop-loss, market), and a watchlist. It’s more feature-rich than Sharesies for trading purposes.
However, the app is more complex to navigate than Sharesies or Kernel, and the educational resources are more limited. New investors may find the interface overwhelming. The platform is less NZ-focused in its design — it’s an international platform adapted for NZ use.
Customer support: Primarily via in-app chat and email. Response times can be slower than Sharesies, which has NZ-based staff.
Safety and Regulation
Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited is registered as a Financial Service Provider in New Zealand (FSP657836) and is required to comply with NZ AML/CFT laws and FMA requirements. The parent company (UP Fintech) is Nasdaq-listed.
NZ client assets are held in a custodial structure. However, unlike Sharesies or Kernel, Tiger Brokers’ NZ business is smaller and less established in NZ. It does not have SIPC protection for US assets — confirm current custodial arrangements via their PDS before investing large amounts.
Recommendation: Tiger Brokers is appropriate for US and NZX share trading, but maintain your primary managed fund investments on InvestNow or Kernel — more established NZ-based platforms with stronger local supervision.
Who Tiger Brokers Is Best For
✅ Good for:
- Investors who trade NZX shares regularly and want the lowest brokerage in NZ
- US stock investors who want lower FX costs than Sharesies or Hatch
- Investors with existing market knowledge who want a full-featured trading platform
- Those who also want access to Hong Kong (HK) listed shares (rare in NZ platforms)
❌ Less ideal for:
- Complete beginners — the platform is more complex and less guided
- Index fund investors — Tiger Brokers doesn’t offer managed funds
- Investors who prioritise NZ-based customer service
Tiger Brokers vs Sharesies — Summary
| Tiger Brokers | Sharesies | |
|---|---|---|
| NZX brokerage | 0.10% (min $2) | 0.50% (max $25) |
| US brokerage | From USD$1.99 | $3 NZD |
| FX fee | ~0.20% | 0.40% |
| Platform fee | $0 | 0.50% p.a. (max $250) |
| Managed funds | ❌ | Some |
| App polish | Moderate | Excellent |
| NZ focus | Moderate | High |
For frequent NZX traders with balances over $20,000, Tiger Brokers can save hundreds of dollars per year in fees.
Next Steps
- Best Platform for US Stocks NZ 2026
- Sharesies Review NZ 2026
- Best Investing Platform NZ 2026
- FIF Tax NZ — Applies if your US holdings exceed $50,000
- Back to Platform Reviews