If you trade large volumes without the need for research and investment advisory services then you should open an account with discount brokers. Discount brokers charge a flat fee of Rs. 20 per order.
Full-service brokers charge brokerage in percentage terms that range from 0.3% to 0.55% of the trade volume and offer a host of research and investment advisory.
List of Top 20 stock brokers in India
- Zerodha
- Upstox
- 5Paisa
- Angel Broking
- Paytm Money
- Groww
- Wisdom Capital
- IIFL
- Alice Blue
- Sharekhan
- ICICI Direct
- Kotak Securities
- HDFC Securities
- Axis Direct
- Motilal Oswal
- SBI Securities
- Edelweiss
- Religare
- Geojit
- Anand Rathi
Our Top Picks Demat Accounts in India
BEST DISCOUNT BROKER
Zerodha
Free stock delivery
FASTEST GROWING BROKER
Upstox
Free account opening & 0 AMC
BEST MOBILE APP
5paisa
Rs 10 per trade with special plan
Detailed Review of 10 Best Stock Brokers in India
#1. Zerodha
BEST DISCOUNT BROKER IN INDIA
Zerodha
- Fix Rs. 20 per trade on intraday trades
- Zero brokerage on the stock delivery
- Good customer support
- Best charts and tools for technical analysis
Zerodha is a Bengaluru based stockbroker that brought the concept of the discount broking model to India. Zerodha now contributes over 15% of the total retail trading volumes in India having more than 3 million client base.
Zerodha is best for placing high volume trades with minimal margin requirements. Zerodha charges a flat Rs. 20 for intraday and F&O trades.
You can invest in mutual funds, bonds and IPO (through Bhim UPI). Equity delivery and direct mutual fund investment are free.
Why Zerodha is at #1
- Most trusted stockbroker by the traders
- Fix brokerage of Rs 20/trade on intraday
- Zero brokerage on delivery
- Good customer support
- Advanced charts and tools for trading & technical analysis
Zerodha Brokerage Charges
Trading Type | Brokerage Charges |
Equity Delivery | Rs. 0 |
Equity Intraday | Lower of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.03% |
Equity Futures | Lower of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.03% |
Equity Options | Rs. 20 per executed order |
Currency Futures and Options | Lower of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.03% |
Commodity F&O | Lower of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.03% |
Zerodha Account Opening & AMC Charges
Particulars | Charges |
Trading and Demat account opening charges | Rs. 200 |
Commodity Account | Rs. 100 |
Trading account annual maintenance charges | Rs. 0 |
Demat account annual maintenance charges | Rs. 300 |
Click here to Open Zerodha account
#2. Upstox
FASTEST GROWING STOCKBROKER
Upstox
- Free account opening & Zero AMC
- Fix Rs. 20 per trade
- Fast account opening process
Upstox is the fastest growing discount broker in India. Upstox is the best choice for high volume traders looking for high margins (up to 15X), low brokerages, and decent trading platforms.
You only pay brokerage of Rs. 20 to do an intraday, F&O, currencies, and commodities trading irrespective of the trade volume. The stock delivery is free.
Why Upstox
- Free account opening
- Zero AMC charges
- Fix brokerage of Rs 20/trade
- Advanced trading platforms with charts & tools
Upstox Brokerage Charges
There are two trading plans – namely the Basic plan and the Priority plan.
Trading Type | Brokerage Charges for Basic Plan |
Equity Delivery | Lower of 2.5% or Rs 20 per order |
Equity Intraday | Lower of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.05% |
Futures (Equity, Currency & Commodity) | Lower of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.05% |
Options (Equity, Currency & Commodity) | Rs. 20 per executed order |
Upstox Account Opening & AMC Charges
- Demat & Trading account opening – Free
- Account maintenance charges – Zero
Click here to Open Upstox Account
If you can pay the account opening fee and AMC, I would suggest Zerodha over Upstox because of its better trading platforms and customer support. Stock delivery is also free in Zerodha.
#3. 5Paisa
BEST MOBILE TRADING APP
5paisa
- Lowest brokerage charges of Rs 10 per trade
- Zero brokerage on delivery (under Ultra Trader pack)
- Fastest account opening process
- Offers the best trading app that is easy to use
5Paisa is a top stock broker that charges the lowest brokerage of flat Rs. 10 per order under the Power Investor & Ultra Trader pack. But you need to pay up to Rs. 20 per order for stock delivery trades.
You get a common account for stock trading, mutual funds, insurance and investment.
5paisa mobile app is the best mobile trading app in India. The app is really easy to use and provides a great experience.
If you are looking for the cheapest brokerage charges and having a requirement for the mobile trading app then you should go with 5Paisa.
Why 5Paisa is at #3
- Charge the lowest brokerage of Rs 10/trade
- Fastest account opening process
- Best trading app with easy to use.
5Paisa Brokerage Charges
5Paisa offers two addon packs with lower brokerage charges
Transaction | Without Addon Pack | With Power Investor Pack | With Ultra Trader Pack |
Stock Delivery | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 10 per order | Rs. 10 per order |
Stock Intraday Trading | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 10 per order | Rs. 10 per order |
Stock F&O | Rs. 20 per order/lot | Rs. 10 per order/lot | Rs. 10 per order/lot |
Commodity F&O | Rs. 20 per order/lot | Rs. 10 per order/lot | Rs. 10 per order/lot |
Currency F&O Trades | Rs. 20 per order/lot | Rs. 10 per order/lot | Rs. 10 per order/lot |
Under the Ultra Trader pack, the first 100 trades are free every month after which you need to pay Rs. 10 per executed order.
5Paisa Account Opening & AMC Charges
The Demat and Trading account opening is free. The account maintenance charges are up to Rs. 25 per month.
Click here to Open FREE 5paisa account
#4. Wisdom Capital
Wisdom Capital is one of the best discount broker in India for derivatives (Equity and commodity F&O) trading.
The broker charges one of the lowest flat brokerages of Rs. 9 per trade for derivative trading under the Pro plan.
Wisdom Capital is based out of Noida and has 1000 franchises all over India.
Wisdom Capital Brokerage Charges
Wisdom Capital has three trading plans – Freedom Plan, Pro Plan and Ultimate Plan;
Trading Type | Freedom Plan | Pro Plan | Ultimate Plan |
Equity Delivery | Rs. 0 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
Equity Intraday | Rs. 0 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
Equity Futures | Rs. 0 | Rs. 9 per trade | 0.005% |
Equity Options | Rs. 0 | Rs. 9 per trade | Rs. 15 per lot |
Commodity F&O – MCX | Rs. 0 | Rs. 9 per trade | 0.005% |
Wisdom Capital Account Opening & AMC Charges
Charges for opening an account online with Wisdom Capital under various plans are as under.
Particulars | Freedom Plan | Pro Plan | Ultimate Plan |
Demat & Trading account opening charges | Rs. 0 | Rs. 0 | Rs. 0 |
Trading account annual maintenance charges | Rs. 0 | Rs. 0 | Rs. 0 |
Demat account annual maintenance charges | Lifetime AMC by paying – Rs. 999 | Lifetime AMC by paying – Rs. 999 | Lifetime AMC by paying – Rs. 999 |
#5. IIFL Securities
India Infoline is an ISO certified diversified financial arm of the IIFL group. IIFL Securities is a full-service stockbroker with other value-added services like
- Mutual Funds
- IPO
- Portfolio Management Service
- Loans (home, personal, gold, property and business)
- Wealth & portfolio management
- Asset management, Investment banking
IIFL Brokerage Charges
- Stock delivery – Free
- Intraday, futures & options – Flat Rs 20/trade
IIFL Account Opening & AMC Charges
Particulars | Charges |
Trading & Demat account opening charges | Free (limited time offer) |
Annual maintenance charges | First Year – Free From Second Year onwards – Rs. 250 |
#6. Angel Broking
Angel Broking is a 30+-year-old full-service broking company that offers discount brokerage rates of Rs. 20 per trade.
You can invest in IPO, OFS, bonds and even avail loans against shares. Angel Broking has a pan India presence covering 18,649 pin codes with over 2.15 million operational broking accounts.
Angel Broking Brokerage Charges
Angel Broking does not have different trading plans. You need to pay a maximum of Rs. 20 per trade across the trading segment irrespective of the trading volume.
Trading Segment | Brokerage Charges |
Equity Delivery | Rs. 0 |
Equity Intraday | Rs. 20 per trade or 0.25% (whichever is lower) |
Futures – Equity / Commodity / Currency | Rs. 20 per trade or 0.25% (whichever is lower) |
Options – Equity / Currency / Commodity | Rs. 20 per order or 0.25% (whichever is lower) |
Angel Broking Account Opening & AMC Charges
Particulars | Charges |
Trading account opening charges | Rs. 0 |
Demat Account | Rs. 0 |
Annual maintenance charges | First Year – Free. Second Year onwards – Rs. 20 per month |
Click here to Open Angel Broking account
Sharekhan is a full-service stockbroker having two decades of industry presence with 2+ million clients and pan India presence across 541 cities.
The value-added services include mutual fund investment and portfolio management services. New traders can benefit from various stock trading courses on Sharekhan Education.
Sharekhan offers research advisory customized for traders, investors and for mutual fund investment separately.
Sharekhan Brokerage Charges
Trading Type | Brokerage Charges |
Equity Delivery | 0.50% (minimum 10 paise per share) |
Equity Intraday (on both legs) | 0.10% (minimum 5 paise per share) |
Equity Futures (1st leg) Equity Futures (2nd leg) | 0.10% 0.02% |
Equity Options (both legs) | 2.5% (minimum Rs. 100 per lot) |
Currency Futures (1st leg) Currency Futures (2nd leg) | 0.10% (minimum 0.01 paise) Nil |
Currency Options (1st leg) Currency Options (2nd leg) | 2.5% or a minimum of Rs. 30 per lot Nil |
Commodity Futures (1st leg) Commodity Futures (2nd leg) | 0.10% Nil |
Commodity Options | 2.5%, maximum brokerage – Rs. 250 per lot |
Sharekhan Account Opening & AMC Charges
Particulars | Charges |
Trading account opening charges | Rs. 0 |
Demat account opening charges | Rs. 0 |
Trading account annual maintenance charges | Rs. 0 |
Demat account annual maintenance charges | Up to Rs. 500 depending on the scheme |
#8. Edelweiss
Edelweiss broking has over two decades of industry presence where you can invest & trade in shares, derivatives (F&O), mutual funds, insurance Gold ETF and IPO.
Presently, they have a team of 11,938 professionals across 200 locations in India handling more than a million clients.
Edelweiss offers guided investing through portfolio organizer and research reports.
Edelweiss Brokerage Charges
Edelweiss has two brokerage plans
Particulars | Edelweiss Lite | Edelweiss Elite |
Equity Delivery | Rs. 10 per executed order | 0.30% |
Equity Intraday | Rs. 10 per executed order | 0.03% |
Equity Futures | Rs. 10 per executed order | 0.03% |
Equity Options | Rs. 10 per executed order | Rs. 75 per lot |
Currency Futures | Rs. 10 per executed order | 0.02% |
Currency Options | Rs. 10 per executed order | Rs. 20 per lot |
You have the flexibility to switch accounts. Account switch is free when you switch from Lite to Elite. Whereas a fee of Rs. 2,500 is charged when you switch from the Elite to the Lite plan.
Edelweiss Account Opening & AMC Charges
Particulars | Edelweiss Lite | Edelweiss Elite |
Account Opening | Rs. 0 | Rs. 0 |
AMC Charges | First Year – Free Second Year onwards – Rs. 300 | First Year – Free Second Year onwards – Rs. 500 |
#9. Kotak Securities
Backed by Kotak Mahindra Bank, Kotak Securities is a full-service stockbroker having presence in 393 cities with 1539 branches, franchisees.
Services offered include investment in stocks, derivatives, mutual funds, IPOs and ETFs. You can also look for portfolio management and in house research advisory services.
Kotak Securities Brokerage Charges
Kotak Securities offers four plans, namely Fixed Brokerage plan, Dynamic Brokerage plan, Advance Brokerage plan and Shubh Trade plan.
#1. Fixed Brokerage Plan
Segment | Brokerage |
Equity Delivery | 0.49%, Min 4 paise per share |
Intraday (both sides) | 0.049%or Rs. 21 per executed order, whichever is higher Min 3 paise per share |
Futures (both sides) | 0.049%Min 3 paise per share subject to ceiling of 2.5% of contract value |
Options | Rs. 300 per lot |
#2. Dynamic Brokerage plan
For Delivery Trades
Slabs | Brokerage (both sides) |
< Rs. 1 Lakh | 0.59% |
Rs. 1 Lakh to Rs. 5 Lakh | 0.55% |
Rs. 5 Lakh to Rs. 10 Lakh | 0.45% |
Rs. 10 Lakh to Rs. 20 Lakh | 0.36% |
Rs. 20 Lakh to Rs. 60 Lakh | 0.27% |
Rs. 60 Lakh to Rs. 2 Crores | 0.23% |
> Rs. 2 Crores | 0.18% |
For Intraday Trade
Slabs | Brokerage (both sides) |
< Rs. 25 Lakh | 0.06% |
>Rs. 25 Lakh | 0.05% |
Futures
Slabs | Brokerage (both sides) |
< Rs. 25 Lakhs | 0.06% |
Rs. 25 Lakhs to Rs. 2 Crores | 0.05% |
Rs. 2 Crores to Rs. 5 Crores | 0.04% |
> Rs. 5 Crores | 0.03% |
Options – Brokerage is applicable on both sides
Monthly Premium Volume | Intraday Brokerage | Settlement Brokerage | Minimum Brokerage per lot |
Up to Rs. 4 Lakhs | 2.5% | 2.5% | Rs. 300 |
Rs. 4 Lakhs to Rs. 11 Lakh | 2.25% | 2.5% | Rs. 240 |
> Rs. 11 Lakhs | 1.8% | 2.3% | Rs. 180 |
Currency Derivatives
Monthly Volume Slab | Currency Futures | Currency Options |
Rs. 0 to Rs. 3 Crores | 0.040% or Rs. 20 whichever is higher | Rs. 20 per lot |
Rs. 3 Crores to Rs. 8 Crores | 0.036% or Rs. 18 whichever is higher | Rs. 18 per lot |
Rs. 8 Crores to Rs. 15 Crores | 0.030% or Rs. 15 whichever is higher | Rs. 15 per lot |
Rs. 15 Crores to Rs. 30 Crores | 0.020% or Rs. 10 whichever is higher | Rs. 10 per lot |
> Rs. 30 Crores | 0.015% or Rs. 7.5 whichever is higher | Rs. 7.5 per lot |
#10. Motilal Oswal
Motilal Oswal is a full-service stockbroker with over three decades of industry presence and is known for solid research advisory.
The broker has an in-house research team that covers 260+ companies & stocks in over 21 sectors. In fact, they spend almost 10% of the revenue on research and on hiring & training for research.
Motilal Oswal offers daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports on stock markets, companies, various sectors, market analysis reports and thematic reports.
Brokerage, Admin and AMC Charges
Motilal offers three types of plans. The brokerage details under each plan are as under
#1. Value Pack
Value Amount | Delivery | Intraday (on each leg) | Futures Equity & Currency (on each leg) | Futures Commodity (on each leg) | Options Equity (per lot on each leg) | Options Currency (per lot on each leg) |
Rs. 2000 | 0.40% (min 2 paise) | 0.040% | 0.040% | 0.030% | Rs. 50 | Rs. 20 |
Rs. 3000 | 0.35% (min 2 paise) | 0.035% | 0.035% | 0.025% | Rs. 45 | Rs. 18 |
Rs. 5000 | 0.30% (min 2 paise) | 0.030% | 0.030% | 0.020% | Rs. 40 | Rs. 15 |
Rs. 10,000 | 0.25% (min 2 paise) | 0.025% | 0.025% | 0.015% | Rs. 30 | Rs. 12 |
Rs. 30,000 | 0.20% (min 2 paise) | 0.020% | 0.020% | 0.010% | Rs. 25 | Rs. 11 |
Rs. 50,000 | 0.15% (min 2 paise) | 0.015% | 0.015% | 0.008% | Rs. 25 | Rs. 10 |
Rs. 1,00,000 | 0.10% (min 2 paise) | 0.010% | 0.010% | 0.007% | Rs. 20 | Rs. 8 |
- Admin charges under the value pack for all the slabs is Rs. 199 from the first year itself.
- The AMC charges are NIL for the first year. From the second year onwards the charges are Rs. 299 per annum.
#2. Margin Scheme
Margin Up to | Delivery | Intraday (on each leg) | Futures Equity (on each leg) | Options Equity (per lot) | Currency F&O (per lot) | AMC Fee p.a | Admin Fee p.a |
Rs. 9,999 | 0.50% (min 5 paise) | 0.050% | 0.050% | Rs. 100 | Rs. 20 | Rs. 800 | Rs. 199 |
Rs. 10,000 to 24,999 | 0.50% (min 5 paise) | 0.050% | 0.050% | Rs. 100 | Rs. 20 | Rs. 299 | Rs. 199 |
Rs. 25,000 to 49,999 | 0.40% (min 3 paise) | 0.040% | 0.040% | Rs. 75 | Rs. 20 | Free | NIL |
Rs. 50,000 to 99,999 | 0.03% (min 3 paise) | 0.030% | 0.030% | Rs. 70 | Rs. 20 | Free | NIL |
Rs. 1 lakh to 2,99,999 | 0.25% (min 3 paise) | 0.025% | 0.025% | Rs. 50 | Rs. 20 | Free | NIL |
Rs. 3 lakh to 4,99,999 | 0.02% (min 2 paise) | 0.020% | 0.020% | Rs. 40 | Rs. 20 | Free | NIL |
Rs. 5 Lakh | 0.015% (min 1 paise) | 0.015% | 0.015% | Rs. 25 | Rs. 20 | Free | NIL |
Margin Up to | Commodity Futures(on each leg) |
Rs. 9,999 | 0.04% |
Rs. 10,000 to 24,999 | 0.04% |
Rs. 25,000 to 49,999 | 0.04% |
Rs. 50,000 to 99,999 | 0.03% |
Rs. 1 lakh to 2,99,999 | 0.02% |
Rs. 3 lakh to 4,99,999 | 0.02% |
Rs. 5 Lakh | 0.01% |
#3. AMC 999 Plan
Trading Type | Brokerage Charges |
Equity Delivery | 0.50% |
Equity Intraday | 0.05% on each leg |
Equity Futures | 0.05% on each leg |
Equity Options | Rs. 100 per lot |
Currency Futures and Options | Rs. 20 per lot |
Commodity F&O | 0.50% on each leg |
Admin Charges – Rs. 199 annually
AMC Charges – Rs. 800 annually
Motilal Oswal Account Opening Charges
Particulars | Charges |
Trading account opening charges | Rs. 0 |
Demat account opening charges | Rs. 999 (currently waived off) |
#11. ICICI Direct
ICICI Direct research covers stock, companies, market and mutual funds. The research reports are available on the website and on the trading page.
The research products include
- Pre-market views on momentum pick and derivatives
- Intraday recommendations on derivatives strategies and trends
- Monthly outlook on technicals, derivatives and mutual funds
- Long-term recommendations on companies, investments & model portfolio
The period of different reports is from daily to yearly.
ICICI Direct Brokerage Charges
ICICI has an i-Secure plan, Prepaid brokerage plan, ICICI Direct Prime plan and ICICI Direct Neo plan.
#1. Brokerage charges for the i-Secure plan
A variable percentage of brokerage is charged on the basis of quarterly turnover.
Trading Type | Brokerage Charges |
Equity Delivery | 0.55% (including buy and sell) |
Equity Intraday | 0.275% ( the second leg is not charged) |
Equity Futures | 0.050% plus a flat brokerage of Rs. 50 on the second leg |
Equity Options | Rs. 95 per lot plus a flat brokerage of Rs. 50 on the second leg |
Currency / Commodity Futures | Rs. 20 per order |
Currency Options | Rs. 20 per order |
The brokerage for Margin and Margin Plus under the i-Secure Plan is 0.050%.
#2. Brokerage charges under Prepaid Brokerage plan
Prepaid value | Delivery brokerage | Intraday/ Futures | Equity Options | Currency F&O | Commodity Futures |
Rs. 5,000 | 0.25% | 0.025% | Rs. 35 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 12,500 | 0.22% | 0.022% | Rs. 30 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 25,000 | 0.18% | 0.018% | Rs. 25 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 50,000 | 0.15% | 0.015% | Rs. 20 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 1,00,000 | 0.12% | 0.012% | Rs. 15 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 1,50,000 | 0.09% | 0.009% | Rs. 10 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Both buy and sell legs of Intra-day Futures & Options will be charged as per applicable brokerage rates
#3. Brokerage charges under ICICI Direct Prime plan
Prime Plan | Scheme validity | Delivery brokerage | Intraday/ Futures | Equity Options | Currency F&O | Commodity Futures |
Rs. 299 | 365 days | 0.27% | 0.027% | Rs. 40 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 999 | 365 days | 0.22% | 0.022% | Rs. 35 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 1,999 | 365 days | 0.18% | 0.018% | Rs. 25 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
Rs. 2,999 | 365 days | 0.15% | 0.015% | Rs. 20 per lot | Rs. 20 per order | Rs. 20 per order |
#4. ICICI Direct Neo Plan
Segment | Brokerage |
Equity Intraday | Rs. 20 per order |
Equity Futures | Rs. 0 per order |
Equity Options | Rs. 20 per order |
Currency F&O | Rs. 20 per order |
Commodity F&O | Rs. 20 per order |
You need to pay Rs. 299 as one time subscription fee for Neo plan. The brokerage in F&O will be charged on both legs.
ICICI Direct Account Opening & AMC Charges
Particulars | Charges |
Trading and Demat account opening charges | Rs. 0 |
Trading account annual maintenance charges | Rs. 0 |
Demat account annual maintenance charges | Rs. 700 |
ICICI Direct Trading Platforms
#1. ICICI Trade Racer
ICICI Trade Racer online trading platform is available in the web version, desktop version and on mobile devices.
Trade Racer comes with a market and Trend Scanner, Live Scanner to help analyze and trade. Trade Racer also offers “Heat maps” for spotting price movements.
Best For
ICICI Direct is best if you already have an existing banking relationship with ICICI bank. You also benefit from their trading tips, research advisory and wealth management services.
Conclusion
I would recommend to open Zerodha account If you ask me which is the best stock broker in India.
If you are looking for a free Demat account opening with zero AMC fee then I suggest to open an account with Upstox.