The brokerage company, which has its headquarters in Bengaluru, provides online investment and trading in a range of financial products, such as bonds, government securities, commodities, currencies, IPOs, futures & options, and shares. For sectoral trading, Zerodha – which is registered as a Depository Participant with CDSL—charges Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% (whichever is less). Together with IDFC First Bank, they also provide a three-in-one account (Demat, Trading, and Bank Account). NRIs can also open a Zerodha account to trade in equity futures and delivery.
About Zerodha in More Detail:
Reputable as a top online trading platform, Zerodha Kite is available on web browsers and via mobile apps for iOS and Android. Offering Zerodha Coin, a commission-free direct mutual fund investment platform available both online and through an app, Zerodha was the pioneer broker. In addition, they work with a number of outside trading applications, including Stockreports+, Streak, Sensibull, and Smallcase. The back office interface of the company is the Zerodha Console, which provides extensive reports on money transfers, profit and loss, and trading. With web and mobile apps, Varsity by Zerodha offers a free instructional platform on share market expertise.
Further well-known for its value-added services are margin trading, bracket orders, cover orders, GTT orders, call & trade, and a refer & earn programme. Their well-regarded customer care is available via phone, email, and a support portal where customers may open tickets and anticipate hearing back in less than 24 hours. One reason for the company’s excellent client satisfaction rating is its effective complaint management. Zerodha provides easy account opening and other services from more than 120 locations and partner offices. See the Zerodha Review for additional information on account opening fees, brokerage fees, margins, trading platforms, and other advantages and disadvantages.
Pros and Cons of Zerodha Review:
Pros:
- At 18% of the market, Zerodha boasts an incredible three million customers.
- At a meagre Rs. 20, they created the flat discount brokerage industry.
- Offers a large variety of products, such as equities, futures & options, commodities, currencies, bonds, and government securities.
- There is no paperwork required; the account opening process is entirely online.
- Uses Zerodha Coin to make free direct mutual fund investments.
- Offers no brokerage when trading equities delivered.
- Comprises a bank, trading, and demat account opening service all in one.
- Processes complex order types, including bracket orders (BO), cover orders (CO), aftermarket orders (AMO), and GTT orders.
- A UPI-based free fund transfer service.
- Create an NRI account and enable NRI trade.
- It uses its own Zerodha Kite and Zerodha Coin web and mobile trading platforms.
Cons:
- Zerodha offers neither research nor advice services.
- Offers only a flat brokerage plan without any monthly trading bundles.
- Limited to IDFC First Bank is a 3-in-1 account service.
- The AMC (Annual Maintenance Charge) options for Demat accounts are not lifetime free.
Compare Zerodha vs. other Popular Discount Brokers:
| Broker Name | Zerodha | Upstox | 5Paisa |
| Open Account | Open Account | Open Account | |
| Trading Account Opening Charges | Rs 300 (Free for age under 25) | Free | Free |
| Demat Account Opening Charges | Free | Free | Free |
| Trading Account Maintinace Charges | Free | Free | Free |
| Demat Account Maintinace Charges | Rs 300 | Free | Rs 300 |
| Delivery Brokerage Charges | Zero Brokerage | Rs 20 per executed order or 2.5% whichever is low | Rs 20 per executed order |
| Intraday Brokerage Charges | Rs 20 per executed order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Rs 20 per executed order or 0.05% whichever is lower | Rs 20 per executed order |
| Options Brokerage Charges | Rs 20 per executed order | Rs 20 per executed order or 0.05% whichever is lower | Rs 20 per executed order |
| Futures Brokerage Charges | Rs 20 per executed order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Rs 20 per executed order | Rs 20 per executed order |
| Minimum Brokerage Chages | Rs 20 per executed order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Rs 20 per executed order or 0.05% whichever is lower | Rs 10 per executed order |
| Call & Trade Charges | Rs 50 per executed order | Rs 20 per trade | Rs 100 per call (any number of trades in a call) |
| Equity Delivery Margin | 100% of trade value (1x leverage) | 100% of trade value (1x leverage) | 100% of trade value (1x leverage) |
| Equity Intraday Margin | Up to 20% of trade value (5x leverage) | Up to 20% of trade value (5x leverage) | Up to 20% of trade value (5x leverage) |
| F&O (Equity, Currency, Commodity) Margin | 100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage) | 100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage) | 100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage) |
| Trading Tools/Platform | Kite Web, Kite Mobile for Android/iOS and Coin | Upstox Pro Web, Dartstock, NEST Trader, Fox Trader, iOS and Android Algola | 5paisa Trade Station (Web, Mobile App and EXE) |
| Investment Options | Equity, Mutual Funds, ETFs, US Stocks, Foreign Stocks, Currency Trading, Commodities Trading, F&O, PMS, Tax-Saving Investments, Retirement Planning, NRI Accounts, HNI Accounts, Minor Accounts | Equity, Mutual Funds, ETFs, US Stocks, Corporate FDs, Foreign Stocks, Currency Trading, Commodities Trading, F&O, Tax-Saving Investments, Retirement Planning, NRI Accounts, HNI Accounts, Minor Accounts | Equity, Mutual Funds, ETFs, US Stocks, NCD |
| SEBI Registration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active Clients | 7223525 | 2501173 | 544270 |
| Foreign Stocks | Doesn’t support | Over 3,000 | Doesn’t support |
| Exchnage Membership | NSE, BSE, MCX and NCDEX | BSE, NSE, MCX | NSE, BSE |
| Year of Incorporation | 2010 | 2012 | 1996 |
| Open Account | Open Account | Open Account |
Fees & Charges for opening an account:
- Rs 200 for trading and demat; Rs 100 for commodities and trading and demat.
- AMC of Trading Account: Free.
- No fees apply to open a Demat account.
- An annual demat account maintenance charge of Rs 300.
- Offline: Trade and Demat fees of Rs 400; commodities trading, demat fees of Rs 600.
Zerodha Brokerage Charges and Plan:
Zerodha Rs. 20 Flat Brokerage Plan:
| Invest Options | Brokerage Charges |
| Equity Delivery | Free |
| Equity Intraday (MIS) | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower |
| Equity Futures | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower |
| Equity Options | Flat Rs. 20 per order |
| Commodity futures | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower |
| Commodity Options | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower |
| Currency futures | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower |
| Currency options | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower |
| IPO & Direct Mutual Funds | Free, Zero Brokerage |
Other Charges:
- Call & trade charges: ₹50 per order.
- Auto-square-off charges: ₹50 per order.
- Payment gateway charges: ₹9 for each fund transfer + GST.
- DP charges: ₹8 + ₹5.5 = ₹13.50 + GST.
Zerodha Trading Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- At a set brokerage, you can trade an unlimited amount of money.
- There are no minimum brokerage fees.
- Order from GTT.
Cons:
- No monthly trading plans.
- Unavailability of traditional percentage-based brokerage plan.
Zerodha Margin Details:
Customers can use Zerodha’s margin trading service to trade across segments. The following are the Zerodha margin details:
| Segment | Margin |
| Equity Delivery | 1x or no margin on CNC |
| Equity Intraday (MIS) | Up to 5x (depends upon the stock) |
| Equity Future | Intraday – 40%(2.5x), CNC – 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
| Equity Options | Intraday – 40%(2.5x), CNC – 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
| Currency Future | Intraday – 40%(2.5x), CNC – 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
| Currency Options | Intraday – 40%(2.5x), CNC – 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
| Commodity Future | Intraday – 40%(2.5x), CNC – 1x of Span |
With Zerodha, open a trading and demat account:
Wth Zerodha Demat Account:
Thanks to its CDSL membership, Zerodha provides a Demat account that allows safe electronic share and mutual fund storage and transfer. There is no account opening fee for this Demat account; nevertheless, there is an annual maintenance charge (AMC) of Rs. 300.
With Zerodha Trading Account:
Trade in currencies, futures & options, and stocks is possible on the Zerodha Kite platform. Direct mutual fund investments are another way that holders of Zerodha trading accounts can use Zerodha Coin. Online account opening fees are Rs. 200; there is no trading account AMC.
Zerodha Commodity Account:
Zerodha needs to open a Commodity Trading Account before they can trade on the MCX. This account opens for Rs. 100. To trade commodities, though, one must also open an MCX, Demat, and stock trading account at a total fee of Rs. 300 online or Rs. 400 offline.
Zerodha NRI Account:
An NRE or NRO savings account from HDFC, Axis, IndusInd, or IDFC First Bank can be linked by NRIs to a Zerodha Demat and Trading account. Equity derivative trading is available on Zerodha for Rs. 100 per order and stock delivery trading for Rs. 200 or 0.1% each transaction, whichever is less.
The Zerodha Trading Platform and Resources:
Zerodha Kite (Web and Mobile App):
Accessible via web and mobile apps, Kite 3.0 is the main trading platform of Zerodha. Trading is possible with any browser or Android and iOS mobile apps. For individuals that want to create their own trading front-end, there is also the Kite Connect API.
Zerodha Coin (Mutual Funds Mobile App):
Using the website or the mobile app, this platform offers no brokerage or commission costs for direct mutual fund investments from more than 40 fund companies.
Back office Zerodha Console:
With access via the Kite platform, this tool offers comprehensive information on trades, gains and losses, capital transfers, withdrawals, contract notes, and more. Utilising the Zerodha interface it also makes IPO applications easier.
Zerodha Sentinel (Alert System) :
An over 80,000 stock, futures, commodity, and currency real-time price alert tool. Users are notified via the Kite platform when their predetermined pricing thresholds are met.
Third-Party Trading Resources Provided by Zerodha:
- Little Zero
- The Zerodha Sensibull
- Zeroth Pattern
- Over 3000 Indian stocks are covered by research papers available at Zerodha Stockreports+.
Zerodha Ratings:
| Overall Rating | ★★★★ (4.19/5) |
| Broking Experience | 4.12/5 |
| Product & Services | 4.05 /5 |
| Research & Advisory | 4.19/5 |
| Brokerage Charges & Fees | 4.31/5 |
| Trading Platform | 4.29/5 |
Zerodha Complaint:
The amount of Zerodha consumer complaints that the exchanges have received. The Zerodha customer complaint report aids in determining the service’s quality and dependability.
| Exchange | Financial Year | Number of Clients* | Complaints** | % |
| NSE | 2023-24 | 7,223,525 | 530 | 0.01% |
| BSE | 2023-24 | 4,719,730 | 155 | 0% |
| NSE | 2022-23 | 6,392,902 | 446 | 0.01% |
| BSE | 2022-23 | 4,362,520 | 127 | 0% |
| NSE | 2021-22 | 6,277,434 | 543 | 0.01% |
| BSE | 2021-22 | 3,316,769 | 46 | 0% |
| NSE | 2020-21 | 3,602,074 | 868 | 0.02% |
| BSE | 2020-21 | 452,471 | 19 | 0% |
| NSE | 2019-20 | 1,414,376 | 432 | 0.03% |
| BSE | 2019-20 | 451,299 | 25 | 0.01% |
Conclusion:
Though affordable brokerage costs are a big plus, Zerodha’s success isn’t all about cost. Leading discount broker in India, Zerodha has expanded from a small start of 5,000 clients to over 3 million plus, mostly because of its open and proactive management. This kind of candour in addressing and apologising for problems is uncommon in big businesses and has considerably helped to establish solid client trust.
Nothing less than remarkable is Zerodha’s rise from a little company to a significant force in the brokerage sector. Traders and investors alike choose them because of their advanced technology, affordable prices, and excellent customer service. Thanks to its vast teaching platform, Varsity, I am confident that Zerodha stands out as the best broker in India, especially for those new to investing, after much research and comparison with other stockbrokers.
FAQs on Zerodha:
How to generate Zerodha CDSL TPIN?
What is the order type in Zerodha?
How to Activate Segment In Zerodha?
