inaam is an ASIC regulated impact investing app for Australians making their first values-aligned investment. It is a managed investment schemeA fund where your money is pooled with other investors and run to a published strategy. You hold units in the fund., the inaam Impact Investments Fund, ARSN 691 614 132, and it names every holding to members in the app, each one mapped to one of five impact themes: renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable consumption, health and wellbeing, and waste and recycling. The impact data sits next to each holding, recurring contributions are supported, and the learning lab inside the app teaches the basics, so you can see what you own before you commit.
The subscription is $10 a month, which is $120 a year. The minimum to invest in the fund is $100. They are two separate numbers and it is worth checking which one any platform is quoting you. Sign-up happens in the app, on iOS and Android, not on this website. General information only, not financial advice. Consider the PDS and TMD before investing.
Every investing app looks trustworthy on its App Store page, with a clean design, five-star reviews and a promise about your money doing good. The marketing and the product are two different things. Before you download anything, run it through five questions. If a platform cannot answer them clearly, move on.
before you download anything
you are allowed to take your time on this
Nobody is grading you on how fast you open an account. The first app you pick is the one you are most likely to still be using in five years, so the questions below are worth half an hour.
the five-question filter
- Is it ASIC regulated? Every legitimate investment platform in Australia operates under an AFSLAustralian Financial Services Licence. Issued by ASIC, it authorises a person or company to provide financial services in Australia., or as an authorised representative of one. No licence means no legal obligation to protect you. Verify any licence on Moneysmart’s check before you invest page, which links to ASIC’s registers.
- What are the actual fees? Look past the headline number to the total annual cost, including management fees, platform fees and transaction fees. A percentage fee is charged on your whole balance every year, so it grows as your balance does. A flat fee does not.
- What is the impact method? How does the platform decide what counts as ethical? Does it exclude harmful industries, actively select companies creating good, or both? The RIAA certifies funds that meet genuine responsible investment standards.
- Can you see what you own? If you cannot see the companies your money is in, you cannot verify a single impact claim. Our transparency guide explains what good disclosure looks like.
- Can you start with what you have? If the minimum is thousands and you have fifty dollars, it does not matter how good the fund is. Our low minimum funds guide compares what is available.
check this one first
the fee question is the one people skip
A percentage fee and a flat fee cross over at some balance. Below the crossover the percentage is cheaper, above it the flat fee is. With inaam, from about $8,000 up the flat $120 a year sits below the typical 1.5% all-in cost of fund, platform and advice. Below that balance it does not, and our own calculator says so rather than hiding it.
The 1.5% comparison is fund, platform and advice combined: ASIC Moneysmart, June 2026, the low end of REP 702’s 1.45% to 2.3% range. Typical published ranges, not a quote from any named provider. The fund carries its own costs, set out in the PDS.
managed or self-directed
This is the first real decision, and it determines what kind of app you need.
Managed platforms handle everything for you. You sign up, set a contribution amount, and the platform builds and manages a portfolio on your behalf. You do not pick individual companies or make trading decisions. This is where many beginners start. It is the difference between cooking from scratch and a meal kit. The ingredients are chosen for you, and they are still good ingredients.
Self-directed platforms give you a brokerage account and let you buy what you want: ETFs, individual shares or bonds. You get full control, and the responsibility that comes with it. If you know what an ETF is and how to judge one, and our ETF guide covers that, self-directed can work. If you are starting from zero, a managed platform asks less of you in the first year or two.
how the platforms compare
The platforms most beginners weigh up here are inaam, Australian Ethical, Raiz Invest, Spaceship and Betashares ETHI. They sit in different categories, which matters more than any single feature. What each one publishes on type, entry point, cost and screening:
| type | minimum to start | fees as published | impact depth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| inaam | Managed fund inside an app | $100 into the fund. The $10 a month subscription is a separate thing from the money you invest | $10 a month, flat, which is $120 a year whatever the balance does. The fund carries its own costs, set out in our PDSProduct Disclosure Statement. The legal document you get before you invest, setting out the strategy, the risks, the fees and the key information. | Five impact themes, weighted by members, every holding published by name with its impact data beside it |
| australian ethical | Managed fund | $1,000, or $500 with a regular investment plan | 1.39% to 1.69% p.a. on its retail funds, depending on which one you pick, per its published fund pages | Comprehensive ESG charter, annual impact report |
| raiz invest | Managed, micro-investing | $5 | $2.50 to $6.50 a month by plan, or 0.275% p.a. on larger balances, per its published fee schedule | One socially responsible portfolio, Emerald, from its $5.50 plan |
| spaceship | Managed | No minimum | $3 a month once a portfolio reaches $100, plus 0.15% to 0.50% p.a., per its published fee schedule | Earth portfolio, picked for positive impact |
| betashares ethi | Self-directed, an ASX-listed ETF | About $17 a unit plus a brokerage fee, and most brokers ask for $500 on a first purchase | 0.59% p.a. plus your broker’s brokerage, per its fund page | Ethical screening of large global companies |
Those are the figures each provider published on 6 October 2026, taken from their own fee pages and fund pages. Fees and minimums move. Each product’s current PDS is the authority on its own numbers, ours included, and ours is here.
The table is a starting point. These are the questions worth putting to any platform on the list, us included, because what a number means for you is the part the table cannot show.
| what inaam does | what to ask any other platform | |
|---|---|---|
| what type it is | One managed investment schemeA fund where your money is pooled with other investors and run to a published strategy. You hold units in the fund., run by a responsible entity, bought inside the app. | Managed fund, micro-investing app, super fund or a listed ETF you buy through a broker? They behave very differently. |
| what it costs | $10 a month, flat, which is $120 a year whatever the balance does. The fund carries its own costs, set out in the PDSProduct Disclosure Statement. The legal document you get before you invest, setting out the strategy, the risks, the fees and the key information.. | Is the fee a flat amount or a share of your balance, and what else is charged on top: platform fees, brokerage, account fees? |
| what it takes to start | $100 into the fund. The $10 a month subscription is a separate thing from the money you invest. | What is the minimum, and is the number they are quoting a minimum investment or a subscription? |
| how deep the impact goes | Five impact themes, weighted by members, every holding published by name with its impact data beside it. | Is impact the whole product or one option among several? Is it screening, active selection, or a tilt? |
| what you can see | Every company in the fund, by name, in the app, with the reason it is held. | Can you see the full holdings list, and how often is it updated? |
| who regulates it | ASIC. inaam Impact Investments Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 1318254) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL 430126). Primary Securities Ltd (AFSL 224107) is the responsible entity of the fund. | What is the AFSLAustralian Financial Services Licence. Issued by ASIC, it authorises a person or company to provide financial services in Australia. number, who is the responsible entity, and is there a current PDS and TMD? |
Every platform named on this page is regulated under Australian financial services law. Features, fees and terms change, ours included. Check the current PDS for any product before you invest. inaam is not affiliated with any other platform, and nothing here is a recommendation about anybody else’s product.
what happens after you hit invest
You set up an account, link your bank, choose an amount and tap a button. What happens next depends on the kind of platform.
On a managed platform, your money is pooled with other investors and allocated across the fund’s holdings. Your contribution buys a proportional slice of everything the fund holds. The manager rebalances the portfolio periodically, some quarterly, some continuously. You do not need to do anything. Your holdings rise and fall with the market and the fund handles the trading.
On a self-directed platform, your money sits in a cash account until you manually buy something. You search for an ETF code, decide how many units, place the order, and it executes during market hours. If you do not buy anything, the money stays in cash.
the difference that matters
the now-what moment is what stops people
Managed platforms remove it. Your money starts working as soon as it lands. On a self-directed platform you still have to know what to buy and when, and that friction is why a lot of first-time investors open an account and never invest.
the mistakes that cost beginners money
These come up often enough to be worth flagging before you start.
Choosing on the app design. A beautiful interface does not mean the investment underneath is any good. Some of the most carefully run ethical funds have the plainest apps. Read the PDSProduct Disclosure Statement. The legal document you get before you invest, setting out the strategy, the risks, the fees and the key information. before the App Store reviews.
Ignoring fees because they are percentages. A percentage fee is charged on your whole balance, every year, so it grows as the balance grows and it compounds against you the same way returns compound for you. On a $10,000 balance held for thirty years, assuming a 7% return each year, the gap between a 0.5% fee and a 1.5% fee comes to more than $15,000. The 7% is an assumption the illustration runs on, not a forecast of what any fund will do, and the point is the size of the gap rather than the size of the balance. ASIC’s Moneysmart managed funds fee calculator lets you put your own numbers in.
Switching every time a friend recommends something new. Compounding needs time. Moving your money between platforms every few months resets your position. Pick one that passes the five-question filter and give it at least twelve months.
Assuming ethical means safe. Ethical investments carry market risk like everything else. A portfolio of renewable energy companies can fall in a downturn the same as any other portfolio.
Not setting up automation. The biggest predictor of long-term investing is whether you kept contributing. Set up a recurring contribution the day you sign up, whatever size it is. Our recurring contributions guide covers why that matters more than the amount.
your first week, day by day
A realistic timeline for somebody starting from scratch:
- Day 1. Pick a platform using the five-question filter, download the app and create an account. You will need your TFN (Tax File Number) and valid ID.
- Day 2 to 3. Identity verification completes. Link your bank account and read the PDS all the way through.
- Day 3 to 4. Make your first contribution. Set up a recurring monthly amount.
- Day 5 to 7. Your money gets invested. On a managed platform that happens automatically. Check what you now own. On a self-directed platform you place the buy order yourself.
- After that. Check once a quarter and leave it to compound in between.
week one
the setup is the easy part
The whole process takes less time than setting up a streaming account: identity checks, a bank link and one contribution. The hard part is deciding to start, and then not undoing it three months later.
where inaam fits
inaam is a managed impact fund inside an app. Companies across five themes: health and wellbeing, renewable energy, waste and recycling, sustainable agriculture and sustainable consumption. Every holding is visible and mapped to a theme. The fund does the stock picking and the trading, and there is no brokerage. You rank the five themes and member weights shape how the fund leans.
The subscription is $10 a month, which is $120 a year, and it is separate from the money you invest. The minimum to invest in the fund is $100. SMSFs and family trusts are welcome. Sign-up happens in the app, not on this website.
How companies get selected, on financial robustness, purposeful impact and leadership calibre, is set out on how it works. The money values quiz takes two minutes if you want to see which themes match your priorities. And if you want to weigh us against the other options before committing, compare puts the criteria side by side.
what to take away
Run any app through the five questions: regulation, fees, method, transparency and entry point. Pick the one that answers all five without making you dig, start with an amount you will not miss, automate it, and leave it alone.
The app you pick matters less than whether you keep contributing to it.
