money with a mission.
get the app
Start investing in what matters. Available on iOS and Android.
$10/month. No lock-in. Cancel anytime.
You don't need $1,000 to start investing in what matters. A comparison of the apps that let university students put small, regular amounts into values-based portfolios.
Most university students have been told investing is something you do after you get a real job. That was true when the minimum investment was $5,000 and you needed a financial adviser to open an account. It is not true anymore.
Several platforms now let you invest from as little as $1-10 per month. And a growing number of those platforms offer values-based or impact-focused options. The question isn't whether you can afford to invest as a student. It's which platform actually matches what you care about.
Before picking an app, here is what actually matters when you're investing small amounts regularly.
Here is how the main apps compare for university students investing small, regular amounts.
| app | min investment | fees (small balance) | impact focus | recurring | ASIC registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inaam | $10/month | $10/month flat | Deep: 24 curated impact companies | Yes (auto) | Yes (ARSN 691 614 132) |
| Raiz Invest | $5 | $4.50/month | Moderate: Sapphire ESG portfolio | Yes (round-ups) | Yes |
| Spaceship | $1 | $0 (free under $5K) | Light: Earth portfolio sustainability tilt | Yes | Yes |
| Australian Ethical | $1,000 | 0.39%-1.59% p.a. | Deep: ethical charter since 1986 | Yes | Yes |
| Future Super | Super only | $1.50/week + 0.39%-0.99% | Deep: fossil-fuel-free super | Auto (employer) | Yes |
Spaceship wins on cost for small balances. $0 fees under $5,000 is hard to beat. But the Earth portfolio is a sustainability tilt, not a deep impact fund. If your priority is low cost and you're comfortable with lighter screening, Spaceship is a strong starting point. If impact depth matters to you, it's more of a stepping stone.
Round-ups are genuinely clever. You spend, spare change gets invested automatically. The Sapphire portfolio provides basic ESG screening. But at $4.50/month on a small balance, the effective fee rate is high. And the ethical component is one option among several, not the platform's core identity.
If what matters to you is knowing exactly where your money goes and why, inaam's model of 24 disclosed companies with a published methodology is the most transparent option. The $10/month flat fee is higher than Spaceship's $0, but as your balance grows, the effective rate drops while percentage-based fees scale up. The fund is an ASIC-regulated managed investment schemeA fund where your money is pooled with other investors and managed by professionals based on a published strategy. with Primary Securities Ltd as the Responsible Entity.
The main options include inaam ($10/month flat fee, 24 curated impact companies), Raiz Invest ($5 minimum with round-ups and an ethical portfolio), and Spaceship ($1 minimum with an Earth sustainability portfolio). Each has different fee structures and impact screening depths. The best choice depends on whether you prioritise cost, convenience, or impact transparency.
You can start with as little as $1 (Spaceship), $5 (Raiz), or $10/month (inaam). The barrier is lower than most people think. Consistency matters more than the starting amount. Regular small contributions over time build both the habit and the portfolio.
Raiz is a micro-investing app with multiple portfolio options, one of which (Sapphire) has ESG screening. inaam is a dedicated impact investing app with a single curated fund of 24 companies chosen for measurable impact. Raiz charges $4.50/month for balances under $20,000. inaam charges a flat $10/month. Raiz offers broader choice. inaam offers deeper impact focus and full holdings transparency.