Tiger Brokers is an international online brokerage that launched in New Zealand in 2021. It offers a trading platform with access to NZX, US, and Hong Kong markets. Its NZX pricing is not the lowest at every trade size (see the fee comparison below).
What it offers: US and Hong Kong share access alongside NZX. On smaller NZX trades (under roughly $8,000 per trade), Tiger's combined 0.3% fee costs less than Sharesies' capped 1.9%; for larger single NZX trades, Sharesies' $25 cap usually costs less. US stock trading from a USD$2 flat fee (up to 200 shares). Limitations: A more complex, less guided platform, higher cost on large single NZX trades, and support via in-app chat and email rather than NZ-based staff.
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 (no ongoing/annual fee — see NZX transaction fee for per-trade charges) |
| NZX transaction fee | 0.1% commission (min $2) + 0.2% platform fee (min $2) = 0.3% combined, $4 minimum per order |
| US stock fee | USD $2 flat (up to 200 shares), then USD $0.01/share |
| HK stock fee | From HKD$15 per trade |
| FX fee | ~0.35% (NZD⇆USD and NZD⇆AUD; new clients get $0 FX on the first NZ$2,000 exchanged per month) |
| 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)
Tiger Brokers’ NZX pricing has two components — a 0.1% commission and a separate 0.2% platform fee, each with its own $2 minimum (so the effective rate is 0.3% of trade value, $4 minimum per order). Sharesies charges 1.9% per trade, capped at $25.
| Trade value | Tiger Brokers (0.3%, $4 min) | Sharesies (1.9%, $25 cap) |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | $4.00 | $9.50 |
| $1,000 | $4.00 | $19.00 |
| $5,000 | $15.00 | $25.00 |
| $10,000 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| $20,000 | $60.00 | $25.00 |
Tiger Brokers is cheaper for smaller NZX trades (roughly under $8,300, where Sharesies’ uncapped 1.9% overtakes Tiger’s 0.3%). Above that, Sharesies’ $25 cap makes it the cheaper option — Tiger’s 0.3% has no equivalent cap, so its cost keeps scaling with trade size.
Note: Neither platform charges an ongoing asset-based platform fee any more — Sharesies moved from its old 0.50% p.a. holding fee to the per-trade brokerage shown above, so the two platforms now compete purely on their respective transaction fees.
US Stock Trading
Tiger Brokers offers access to US-listed shares and ETFs (NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX). Trading fees are a flat USD $2 for orders up to 200 shares, then USD $0.01 per additional share — cheaper than Hatch ($3 USD flat) and typically cheaper than Sharesies’ 1.9% (capped at USD $5) for smaller US orders.
Tiger Brokers also pays interest on uninvested USD cash balances above certain thresholds.
FX: Tiger Brokers charges approximately 0.35% on NZD⇆USD currency conversion (new clients get $0 FX on the first NZ$2,000 exchanged per month) — lower than Sharesies (0.5%) and Hatch (~0.5%), though not as low as Interactive Brokers’ near-zero IdealPro FX margin.
Platform and App Features
Tiger Brokers’ app has real-time quotes, advanced charting, order types (limit, stop-loss, market), and a watchlist, with more trading tools than Sharesies.
The app has more screens and options than Sharesies or Kernel and fewer educational resources. It is an international platform adapted for NZ use.
Customer support: Primarily via in-app chat and email. Sharesies, by comparison, 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. Tiger Brokers launched in NZ in 2021. It does not have SIPC protection for US assets; current custodial arrangements are set out in its PDS.
Tiger Brokers offers share trading only, with no managed funds.
Features and Limitations
Features:
- Lower fees than Sharesies on smaller NZX trades (roughly under $8,000/trade)
- Lower FX costs than Sharesies or Hatch on US stocks
- Advanced charting and order types
- Access to Hong Kong (HK) listed shares (rare in NZ platforms)
Limitations:
- More complex and less guided than app-first platforms
- No managed funds or index funds
- Support via in-app chat and email rather than NZ-based staff
Tiger Brokers vs Sharesies — Summary
| Tiger Brokers | Sharesies | |
|---|---|---|
| NZX brokerage | 0.3% combined (min $4) | 1.9% (capped at $25) |
| US brokerage | USD $2 flat (up to 200 shares) | 1.9% (capped at USD $5) |
| FX fee | ~0.35% | 0.5% |
| Ongoing platform fee | None | None (optional $3/$7/$15 monthly plans) |
| Managed funds | ❌ | Some |
| NZ-based support staff | ❌ | ✅ |
For NZX trades under roughly $8,000, Tiger Brokers costs less. For a single larger NZX trade, Sharesies’ $25 cap usually costs less, so which platform is cheaper depends on your typical trade size, not simply your total balance.
Where to check the latest data
Rates, fees and returns change often. Before deciding, check current figures yourself:
- Sorted Smart Investor: compares fees, returns and risk levels of KiwiSaver and managed funds.
- Disclose register: holds each fund's product disclosure statement and quarterly fund updates.
- Financial Service Providers Register: shows whether a provider is registered to offer financial services in New Zealand.
- The provider's own website: has its current rates, fees and full terms; these change more often than any comparison page.
Next Steps
- Platforms for US Stocks NZ 2026
- Sharesies Review NZ 2026
- Investing Platforms NZ 2026 Compared
- FIF Tax NZ — Applies if your US holdings exceed $50,000
- Back to Platform Reviews