Sharesies vs. Hatch: The Ultimate Investing Showdown For Kiwis

First, What Exactly is Sharesies? The People's Platform

Think of Sharesies as the platform that blew the doors wide open for investing in New Zealand. Before it came along, buying shares felt like something reserved for people in suits with thousands of dollars to spare. Sharesies' mission was simple: make investing accessible to everyone, regardless of how much money they have. Their big selling point is the ability to buy 'fractional shares'. This means you don't need to buy a whole, expensive share in a company like Apple or Amazon. You can just buy a small slice of it for as little as one cent. This single feature completely removes the biggest barrier for most beginners. They offer access to companies and funds listed on the New Zealand (NZX), Australian (ASX), and American (Nasdaq, NYSE, CBOE) stock exchanges, giving you a wide range of options right from the start. It’s designed to be colourful, simple, and anything but intimidating.

And Who is Hatch? The US Market Specialist

If Sharesies is the friendly general store, Hatch is the specialist American delicatessen. Hatch was created with one primary goal: to give Kiwis easy and affordable access to the world's biggest stock market, Wall Street. They focus exclusively on US-listed shares and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). This singular focus allows them to build a streamlined experience for buying and selling shares in giants like Tesla, Google, and Microsoft. Hatch also allows fractional shares, but their fee structure is geared towards slightly larger investment amounts. Instead of a monthly subscription, they charge a flat fee per trade, which becomes more cost-effective the more you invest in a single transaction. It’s a no-fuss, powerful platform for those who know they want to target the US market for their stock market investing.

The Core Showdown: Fees & Pricing Compared

This is where the real battle begins, because fees can eat into your investment returns over time. Sharesies and Hatch have totally different approaches. Sharesies uses a transaction fee (a percentage of your trade) plus a subscription fee if your portfolio is over a certain size. For portfolios up to $3,000, transaction fees are 1.9% with a cap. For bigger portfolios, you pay an annual subscription fee which gives you a certain amount of included trades. Hatch, on the other hand, has no subscription fees at all. They charge a flat $3 USD for any trade up to 300 shares. This is simple and predictable. For very small, frequent investments (like $10 a week), Sharesies' percentage fee is smaller. For larger, less frequent investments (like $500 a month), Hatch's flat $3 fee is often cheaper. You also have to consider the currency exchange fee: both charge around 0.5% to convert your NZD to USD, so that's a draw.

• Sharesies: Percentage-based transaction fees + optional annual subscription for larger portfolios.
• Hatch: Flat $3 USD fee per trade (up to 300 shares). No subscription fees.
• Winner for small, regular investments (<$150): Sharesies.
• Winner for larger, lump-sum investments (>$300): Hatch.
• Currency Exchange: Both platforms charge a similar fee (around 0.5%) to convert NZD to USD.

Investment Options: Where Can You Put Your Money?

What you can invest in is just as important as the fees you pay. This is another area where the two platforms diverge significantly. Sharesies offers a much broader universe of investment options. You can invest in the New Zealand stock market (NZX), giving you access to familiar Kiwi companies like Air New Zealand or Spark. You can also access the Australian market (ASX) and the major US markets. This is perfect for a beginner who wants to build a diversified portfolio across different countries without leaving the app. Hatch is a specialist. It only offers access to US-listed shares and ETFs. While this includes over 5,000 companies and funds, including all the big names you know, you can't use it to buy shares in Kiwi or Aussie companies. If your goal is to exclusively invest in the US market, Hatch is fantastic. But if you want a one-stop-shop for a more global (and local) investment strategy, Sharesies clearly wins on variety.

• Sharesies: Access to NZ, Australian, and US stock markets.
• Hatch: Access to US stock markets ONLY.
• Diversification: Sharesies makes it easier to diversify your investments across different countries.
• Specialization: Hatch is laser-focused on providing the best access to the US market.

My First Investing Story: How I Turned $50 into Confidence

I remember staring at my screen, frozen. The words 'stock market investing' sounded so grown-up and complicated. I had $50 set aside, and I was terrified of losing it all with one wrong click. This was the classic beginner's dilemma. I compared Sharesies and Hatch for weeks. Hatch seemed cool and professional, but the idea of a $3 USD fee on my tiny $50 investment felt steep. That's when I chose Sharesies. The sign-up was painless, and the app felt welcoming. I decided to put my $50 into a simple, diversified ETF. The transaction fee was less than a dollar. The moment the trade went through, something clicked. I wasn't a Wall Street guru, but I was an investor. I owned a tiny piece of hundreds of companies. That small, easy win gave me the confidence to set up an automatic weekly deposit. Sharesies didn't just help me make an investment; it helped me build an investing habit, and that has been priceless.