If you hold ASX shares alongside US and global stocks, ETFs and crypto, the right portfolio tracker has to speak AUD, handle foreign currency gains properly, and help you keep clean records for tax time. This guide compares the real options Australians use today, including Sharesight, Navexa, Delta and Simply Wall St, against PortfolioTrackr, so you can decide for yourself which one fits your portfolio.
What does an Australian investor actually need from a portfolio tracker?
An Australian investor needs a tracker that prices ASX holdings in AUD, sits local shares next to US and global positions in one view, and keeps records clean enough for tax time. The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is where most locals buy their domestic shares, but very few portfolios stop there.
A typical Australian portfolio mixes several layers, and each one has its own quirk:
- ASX-listed shares and ETFs, priced in AUD, often paying franked dividends that carry franking credits.
- US and global shares such as AAPL or VOO, priced in USD, where a falling or rising Australian dollar changes your real return.
- Crypto like BTC-USD or ETH-USD, which trades around the clock and settles in no currency at all.
- Superannuation and SMSF holdings, which many investors like to see in the same dashboard even though the tax treatment differs.
The thing most casual trackers miss is currency. If your US shares rose 10% in USD but the Australian dollar strengthened, your AUD return is smaller, and at tax time the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) cares about the AUD figure. A tracker that treats USD and AUD as interchangeable will quietly mislead you.
The local landscape worth researching by name
Before signing up to anything, it helps to know the tools and accounts in play. Australians commonly hold shares through brokers like CommSec, SelfWealth, Stake, CMC Markets Invest and Pearler, and track them with Sharesight, Navexa, Yahoo Finance or a spreadsheet. On the tax side you will meet the CGT discount, franking credits, and for US dividends the W-8BEN form.
If you are weighing a dedicated tracker against a DIY approach first, our comparison of portfolio trackers versus spreadsheets lays out where each one breaks down for a multi-currency portfolio.
Why does AUD and foreign currency handling matter so much?
AUD handling matters because a foreign holding has two moving parts: the price in its own currency and the exchange rate. A weak tracker blends them and hides which one actually drove your gain or loss.
PortfolioTrackr separates them cleanly. The cost of a foreign holding is converted at the exchange rate of the day you bought it, its value is converted at today's rate, and the currency gain or loss appears as its own line on the summary card and the P&L chart. So if your US shares were flat in USD but the Australian dollar fell, you can see exactly how much of your AUD gain was currency and how much was the stock.
- Every value is convertible to AUD, with support for 100 currencies for display and conversion.
- PortfolioTrackr supports the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with prices in AUD, alongside US, European and Asian markets. You can see the full list of supported exchanges before you commit.
- Sold holdings use the sale-day rate and dividends the pay-date rate, which matters when you reconcile against ATO expectations.
That currency-line approach is the single biggest reason a generic US-centric tracker can frustrate an Australian investor: it shows you one blended number and leaves you guessing.
How do the main portfolio trackers compare for Australia?
Here is a like-for-like comparison of the tools an Australian investor realistically considers. Prices are shown in the currency each tool publishes, never converted.
| Tool | Price | Free tier | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PortfolioTrackr | Starter USD 9/mo, Pro USD 19/mo, Lifetime USD 299 once | 3-day trial, everything in Starter, no card | Not an ATO tax-form engine; CGT records, not lodgement |
| Sharesight | See their site | Limited free holdings count | Priced per holdings tier; depth you may not need |
| Navexa | USD 7.50/mo or 90/yr (Basic) | None, 14-day trial | No permanent free plan; AU-focused, lighter on crypto |
| Delta | PRO USD 6.99/mo, PRO+ USD 13.99/mo or 299 lifetime | Basic free, 10 assets | No ASX-specific AUD tax reporting |
| Simply Wall St | Premium 119.40/yr, Unlimited 239.40/yr | 1 portfolio, 10 holdings | Research tool first, tracker second |
| Empower | USD 0 (advisory fees separate) | Whole dashboard free | US-centric; no ASX or AUD-native CGT view |
For a broader, data-led breakdown beyond the Australian angle, our comparison of six portfolio trackers tests them on real holdings.
Where does each tool fit, and where does it stop?
Sharesight
Sharesight is the best-known Australian tracker and does a lot well: it is built around ASX reporting, handles dividends and corporate actions, and generates tax-friendly reports local investors rely on. It imports from major Australian brokers and tracks performance across markets.
Where it stops for some: pricing is tiered by holdings count, crypto depth is lighter than a crypto-native app, and the reporting breadth can feel heavy if you simply want a clean live dashboard with alerts. Check its published pricing directly, as tiers change.
Navexa
Navexa is the deepest ATO-specific tax engine in a tracker, with myTax-ready CGT and taxable-income reports, five CGT calculation methods, manual parcel selection and unrealised-CGT forecasting. For an investor whose main pain is Australian capital-gains tax, it is purpose-built.
Where it stops: no permanently free plan, only a 14-day trial, and it leans toward shares over a mixed stock-and-crypto life. Basic is USD 7.50/mo or USD 90/yr, with extra portfolios charged separately.
Delta Investment Tracker
Delta is strong for crypto-native investors who also hold stocks: polished mobile app, wallet and exchange sync, NFT tracking. The free Basic tier caps you at 10 tracked assets, and paid PRO starts at USD 6.99/mo.
Where it stops for Australia: there is no ASX-specific AUD tax reporting and no franking-credit or CGT-discount lens. It tracks your portfolio well; it does not prepare you for the ATO.
Simply Wall St
Simply Wall St is a research tool first. Its Snowflake visual condenses valuation, growth, financial health and dividends across 120,000+ stocks in 90 markets into one shape. The free plan allows 1 portfolio with 10 holdings; Premium is 119.40/year, Unlimited 239.40/year, billed yearly only.
Where it stops: portfolio tracking is secondary, and it is not where you go for AUD CGT records or multi-broker import.
Empower Personal Dashboard
Empower offers free whole-net-worth aggregation with a serious retirement planner, but it is built for the US financial system: 401(k)s, IRAs and US banks. For an Australian holding ASX shares and AUD cash, the account aggregation and tax lens simply do not map.
How do franking credits, the CGT discount and US dividends affect your tracking?
These concepts affect what records you need to keep, and a good tracker helps you capture the raw data cleanly even if it does not lodge your return. Here are the pieces to understand, with no rates quoted, because rates change and a wrong number is worse than none.
- Franking credits: ASX companies paying fully or partially franked dividends pass on credits for company tax already paid. Your tracker should record the dividend and let you note the franking detail.
- The CGT discount: individuals and trusts holding an asset beyond a qualifying period may access a capital-gains tax discount. This is why purchase dates and parcels matter, and why Navexa and Sharesight lean into parcel selection.
- US dividends and the W-8BEN: Australian residents holding US shares typically complete a W-8BEN form with their broker to establish treaty status on US dividend withholding. The withheld amount and the AUD value at the pay-date rate are what you record.
PortfolioTrackr converts dividends at the pay-date rate and each trade in the tax report at the rate of its own date, showing the rate on every row, with 10 years of daily exchange rates behind it. That gives you a clean AUD trail. It is a record-keeping aid, not an ATO lodgement tool, and that distinction is worth being honest about.
How does PortfolioTrackr fit an Australian portfolio?
PortfolioTrackr fits an Australian investor who wants ASX, US and global shares plus crypto in one AUD view, with proper currency-gain separation and alerts that reach them on the channels they actually use.
What it does, claiming only the verified facts:
- Supports the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with prices in AUD, and multi-currency portfolios with every value convertible to AUD.
- Separates the currency gain or loss as its own line, cost converted at the buy-day rate, value at today's rate.
- Price alerts at levels you set, sent by WhatsApp, Telegram, email or push, checked once a minute while the market is open and around the clock for crypto. The ASX trades Monday to Friday, so stock alerts are skipped on the weekend and on exchange holidays. See how WhatsApp and Telegram alerts work, and the ASX trading hours and holidays that govern when stock alerts run.
- Entry via manual, voice, text, CSV and broker screenshots on every plan, with native iPhone and Android apps.
Pricing is a 3-day free trial with everything in Starter and no card, then Starter USD 9/mo, Pro USD 19/mo, or Lifetime USD 299 once. Full details are on the pricing page.
Where it is not the right tool: if your single biggest need is ATO myTax-ready CGT reports with multiple calculation methods and parcel selection, a tax-first engine like Navexa is built more precisely for that job. PortfolioTrackr gives you a clean AUD record and a live multi-asset dashboard; it does not lodge your return.
How should you choose a tracker for an Australian portfolio?
Choose by running every tool against the same checklist, then decide alone. The right answer depends on whether your pain is tax, crypto, research or a single live AUD view.
- Does it price ASX holdings in AUD and sit them next to US and global positions?
- Does it show the currency gain or loss separately, or blend it into one number?
- Does it keep purchase dates and parcels cleanly for CGT-discount record-keeping?
- Can you record franked dividends and US withholding with the AUD value at the right date?
- Does it reach you with alerts on channels you use, at a cadence you understand?
- Does the free tier or trial let you test with your real holdings before paying?
- Can you import the way you want, whether that is CSV, screenshot or manual entry?
If you also hold accounts across borders, the same logic applies in other markets, and our guides to the best portfolio tracker for the UK and the best portfolio tracker for Canada walk through the equivalent local checks.
The bottom line
For an Australian investor, the honest shortlist splits by need. Navexa and Sharesight lead on ATO-specific tax reporting; Delta suits a crypto-heavy life; Simply Wall St is for research; and PortfolioTrackr fits anyone who wants ASX, US and global shares plus crypto in one AUD view with clean currency separation and real alerts. Test two of them free with your own holdings, run the checklist, and choose the one that fits, not the one with the loudest marketing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best portfolio tracker for ASX shares in Australia?
There is no single best; it depends on your need. Navexa and Sharesight lead on ATO-specific CGT reporting, while PortfolioTrackr suits investors wanting ASX, US and global shares plus crypto in one AUD view with the currency gain or loss shown as its own line. Test the free tiers with your real holdings first.
Can a portfolio tracker handle both ASX shares and US stocks in AUD?
Yes. PortfolioTrackr supports the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with AUD prices and converts every foreign value to AUD, with the cost converted at the buy-day exchange rate and the currency gain or loss shown separately. That lets you see how much of a US stock's return came from currency versus the share itself.
Do I need a W-8BEN form to track US shares from Australia?
You typically complete a W-8BEN form with your broker to establish treaty status on US dividend withholding as an Australian resident. A tracker does not file it, but it should record the dividend and its AUD value at the pay-date rate so your records are clean for the ATO.
Does PortfolioTrackr do Australian CGT tax reports?
PortfolioTrackr keeps a clean AUD record, converting each trade at the exchange rate of its own date and showing the rate on every row, backed by 10 years of daily rates. It is a record-keeping aid, not an ATO lodgement tool. For myTax-ready CGT reports with multiple calculation methods, a tax-first engine like Navexa is purpose-built.
Can I get price alerts for ASX shares on WhatsApp or Telegram?
Yes. PortfolioTrackr sends price alerts at levels you set by WhatsApp, Telegram, email or push, on every plan. ASX positions are checked once a minute while the market is open, Monday to Friday, and crypto is checked around the clock. Alerts are skipped on weekends and exchange holidays when the market is closed.