Introduction
Zerodha is one of the largest and most favored brokerage service providers in India. With the advent of technology in the IT boom of 2000. India saw some of the largest IT service providers take birth. Although recently, Zerodha started in the year 2010. The company left no stone unturned to grasp the market share and became India’s largest brokerage service provider in just a decade.
With the industry being managed by many small and medium-sized brokerage houses. Zerodha came in and became the house name and with its customer-centric service model. The company today has become a ‘Unicorn’ with over 50 lakh active customers and growing. This contributes to over 15% of all Indian retail trading volumes.
Zerodha stands for “Zero” + “Rodha”. A literal Sanskrit translation means, “Zero barriers” (Rodha in Sanskrit means barrier). With a vision to break all the barriers, The company started its journey to break the issues which were earlier faced by Indian Investors and traders.
Today, Zerodha provides online brokerage services to Investors/Traders in various segments such as Equity, Currency, Commodity, IPO, Direct Mutual Funds service, SIP, ETF Investing, and others.
Zerodha owns “Rainmatter” a fintech fund and incubator, which has invested in several fintech startups intending to grow in the Indian capital markets.
About Zerodha founders:
Started in the year 2010 on August 15th on the auspicious day of India’s independence. The company with an intention to give the Indian investors and traders community a break of freedom from high transaction charges and unnecessary hidden costs.
- Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Mr.Nithin Kamath
- Co-founder & Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Mr.Nikhil Kamath
- Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO): Mr.Kailash Nadh
Customer ratings and review:
Sl.No | Particulars | Customer ratings (Out of 10) |
---|---|---|
1 | Brokerage Charges & Fees | 9.5 / 10 |
2 | Platform UI | 9.7 / 10 |
3 | Products & Services | 9.3 / 10 |
4 | Trading Experience | 9.0 / 10 |
5 | Customer Service | 8.5 / 10 |
6 | Overall Experience | 9.2 / 10 |
Zerodha Brokerage Information:
Zerodha Broking Limited
- Member of The National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) and The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Registration no: INZ000031633
- Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL): Depository services through Zerodha Securities Private Limited. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Registration no: IN-DP-100-2015
- Multi Commodity Exchange Limited (MCX): Commodity Trading through Zerodha Commodities Private Limited. Multi Commodity Exchange Limited (MCX) SEBI Registration no: INZ000038238
Types of Zerodha Demat account and their account opening charges:
- Regular Demat account (Online account Opening): Opening a Demat account via online mode in Zerodha costs you Rs. 200 (Rs. 300 in case of Demat account for Equity and Commodity).
- Regular Demat account (Offline account Opening): Opening a Demat account via online mode in Zerodha costs you Rs. 400 (Rs. 600 in case of Demat account for Equity and Commodity).
- Non-Resident Indian (NRI) account: Demat account comes at account opening only via offline mode and charges are at Rs. 500 per account (Equity & Commodity segment is not available). Approach Zerodha Partner banks to obtain the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) permission letter & submit the same alongside your account opening form.
- Firm, LLP, HUF, and others: In the case of Partnership Firm, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), and other corporates, Demat account comes at account opening only via offline mode and charges are at Rs. 500 per account (Rs. 800 in case of Demat account for Equity and Commodity).
Zerodha Softwares to assist Investors & Traders:
- Zerodha Kite 3.0 (Web-based Trading Platform) – Kite is a sleek investment and trading platform designed with current sensibilities in mind. With ground-breaking technologies and superior usability, trading in the stock market has never been easier.
- Zerodha Kite Android / Kite iOS (Mobile app based Trading Platform) – Mobile application, a platform for investros and traders to use. With a clean and well-designed user interface, purchasing, selling, analysing, and managing your portfolio are all a click away. Utilize intuitively designed keyboard shortcuts to easily navigate the programme.
- Zerodha Sentinel (Price alert tool) – Sentinel is a web-based tool that enables the creation of real-time market warnings. You may establish simple alerts based on price, quantity of trades, volume, and open interest. Additionally, you can design sophisticated triggers by combining properties (including arithmetic) and operators. Sentinel can be used regardless of who your broker is. If you are already trading with Zerodha, you may log in using Kite; otherwise, you can sign up using your Google or Facebook account.
- Zerodha Pi – Zerodha Pi is a trading terminal software developed by Zerodha, India’s largest inexpensive stock broker. It is a downloadable file that customers can install on their PCs or laptops for trading purposes. Although Zerodha offers its clients a variety of trading platforms, Zerodha Pi is one of the best amongst them.
- Zerodha Coin (Direct Mutual Fund Investment) – Zerodha Coin is India’s largest direct mutual fund marketplace, enabling you to purchase mutual funds directly from asset management providers without incurring any commissions. Your mutual funds, stocks, currencies, and bonds, among other investments, are all held in a Demat account.
- Zerodha Varsity – Varsity is a comprehensive and in-depth collection of stock market and financial lessons prepared by Zerodha’s Mr.Karthik Rangappa. It is freely accessible to the public and is one of the major online tools for financial education.
Zerodha Partnered products to assist Investors & Traders:
- Smallcase – Smallcase is an investing platform for modern financial products that enables you to simply establish a low-cost, long-term, and diversified portfolio. Each smallcase, created by specialists, is a pre-assembled basket of stocks/ETFs that reflects a theme, strategy, or purpose.
- Sensibull – Sensibull is India’s first options trading platform, offering everything from simple options trading for beginners to advanced trading tools for professionals. Sensibull’s mission is to make option trading accessible, safe, and, most importantly, profitable for everyone.
- Golden Pi – GoldenPi is the leading online market place, with the broadest range of bonds and non-convertible debt instruments for secure investment.
- Streak – Streak keeps track of all the stocks/contracts in a trading strategy’s price fluctuations. It sends one-click actionable alerts in real time when all of the strategy’s conditions are met. This eliminates the need to track trades manually.
- TradingView – TradingView is a cloud-based charting and social networking application designed for active investment traders at all levels. A free account provides access to basic graphing, research, and analytical information.
Zerodha review – Pros:
- Largest and the most popular Discount broker in India.
- Offers the best tools for users. – Kite, Console Coin
- Limited charges
- Customer service/ Support
- Gift stocks to your loved ones at Rs. 25
- Investor Education platforms such as “Zerodha Varsity”
- GTT orders
Best features of Zerodha Kite:
- Multiple Market Watch window
- Load and Exit multiple order in a single click
- Live streaming stock quotes
- Multiple chart view. Additional support via “TradingView”
- Notifications upon transaction
- Multiple Order type
- Ease to use User Interface (UI) – Best in the Industry!
- Multilingual Support
- Floating order window
- Market in-depth analysis and updates
- Place direct order from the chart
Zerodha review – Cons:
- Immediate payout is not available.
- Trade via Brokerage call is chargeable at Rs. 25 per trade.
- Covers only Indian market.
- Server crash!
Zerodha Brokerage Charges:
Sl.No | Segment | Brokerage | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Equity Delivery | Free | Investing at almost free of cost basis. You just pay Security Transaction Tax (very minimum) |
2 | Equity Intraday (MIS) | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
3 | Equity Futures | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
4 | Equity Options | Flat Rs. 20 per order | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
5 | Commodity futures | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
6 | Commodity Options | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
7 | Currency futures | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
8 | Currency options | Flat Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% whichever is lower | Intraday trading at Industry low price. The same is offered at various segments at same price range. |
9 | IPO | Free | Investing in newly issued IPO's at free of cost basis. No hidden charges. |
10 | Direct Mutual Funds | Free, Zero Brokerage | Zerodha assist an individual to invest in various Mutual Funds are free of cost. |
11 | Call & Trade charges | Rs. 50 per order | Call and Put trades at reasonable trnasaction charges. Industry average charges. |
12 | Auto-Square-off charges | Rs. 50 per order | Those trade left open will be automatically cloes by Zerodha IT. Such forced closure will be charged. |
13 | Payment gateway charges | Rs. 9 per fund transfer + GST | Charges applicable at the time of bank to zerodh and vice-versa fund transfers. Industry average charges. |
14 | Depository Participant (DP) charges | Rs. 13.5 + GST | Levied by CDSL per stock sale transaction from your holdings. Industry average charges. |
Equity Charges:
Sl.No | Zerodha charges | Equity delivery | Equity intraday | Equity futures | Equity options |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brokerage | Zero Brokerage | 0.03% or Rs. 20/executed order whichever is lower | 0.03% or Rs. 20/executed order whichever is lower | Flat Rs. 20 per executed order |
2 | STT/CTT | 0.1% on buy & sell | 0.025% on the sell side | 0.01% on sell side | 0.05% on sell side (on premium) |
3 | Transaction charges | NSE: 0.00345% | NSE: 0.00345% | NSE: 0.002% | NSE: 0.053% (on premium) |
4 | GST | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) |
5 | SEBI charges | Rs. 5 / crore | Rs. 5 / crore | Rs. 5 / crore | Rs. 5 / crore |
6 | Stamp charges | 0.015% or Rs. 1500 / crore on buy side | 0.003% or Rs. 300 / crore on buy side | 0.002% or Rs. 200 / crore on buy side | 0.003% or Rs. 300 / crore on buy side |
Currency charges:
Sl.No | Zerodha charges | Currency futures | Currency options |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Brokerage | 0.03% or Rs. 20/executed order whichever is lower | 0.03% or Rs. 20/executed order whichever is lower |
2 | STT/CTT | No STT | No STT |
3 | Transaction charges | NSE: Exchange txn charge: 0.0009% | NSE: Exchange txn charge: 0.035% |
4 | Transaction charges | BSE: Exchange txn charge: 0.00022% | BSE: Exchange txn charge: 0.001% |
5 | GST | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) |
6 | SEBI charges | Rs. 5 / crore | Rs. 5 / crore |
7 | Stamp charges | 0.0001% or Rs. 10 / crore on buy side | 0.0001% or Rs. 10 / crore on buy side |
Commodity charges:
Sl.No | Zerodha charges | Commodity futures | Commodity options |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Brokerage | 0.03% or Rs. 20/executed order whichever is lower | 0.03% or Rs. 20/executed order whichever is lower |
2 | STT/CTT | 0.01% on sell side (Non-Agri) | 0.05% on sell side |
3 | Transaction charges | Group A: Exchange txn charge: 0.0026% | Exchange txn charge: 0 |
3 | Transaction charges | Group B: Exchange txn charge: CASTORSEED - 0.0005%; KAPAS - 0.0005%; PEPPER - 0.00005%; RBDPMOLEIN - 0.001% | - |
4 | GST | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) | 18% on (brokerage + transaction charges) |
5 | SEBI charges | Agri: Rs. 1 / crore | - |
5 | SEBI charges | Non-agri: Rs. 5 / crore | Rs. 5 / crore |
6 | Stamp charges | 0.002% or Rs. 200 / crore on buy side | 0.003% or Rs. 300 / crore on buy side |
Securities Transaction Tax charged by Zerodha:
Securities Transaction Tax is a direct tax charged on the purchase and sale of securities listed on the recognized stock exchanges in India. STT is always calculated on the Average Price.
The Security Transaction Tax (STT) is a charge only for the sell-side in intraday (charged at 0.025% of the average price traded) and F&O transactions. It will be charged on both sides (buy and sell) for Equity trades (charged at 0.1% of the average price transacted).
Note: Industry average charges are those that are mandatory charges applicable no matter what brokerage service you use. They are mandatory expenses and are minimum in cost. An Individual Investor/Trader need not bother about such expenses/charges.
Account Maintenance Charges (AMC) by Zerodha:
The Annual Maintenance Charge is now renamed to Account Maintenance Charge. The Account Maintenance Charge (AMC) is the cost to maintain your Demat account and thus, it is applicable only for the Demat account maintained by Zerodha, i.e. your trading account and commodity account will not have any maintenance charge.
- Rs. 300 + 18% GST – For individuals, HUFs, NRIs, and partnership firms. Amounting Rs. 354 per year.
- Rs. 1000 + 18% GST – For corporates, i.e. LLPs and private & public companies. Amounting Rs. 1,180 per year.
- For IL&FS Demat (accounts opened before 15th Sep 2015), it is Rs. 400 + 18% GST. Amounting Rs. 472 per year.
Note: The AMC is directly charged from your trading account balance once in a quarter.
Based on the above charges. We can conclude that Zerodha is India’s top “Discount Brokerage service provider”. Zerodha charges a minimum amount (comparative to other similar service providers) and provides maximum benefits.
Zerodha Margin trading & Intraday Leverage details:
Sl.No | Segment | Margin |
---|---|---|
1 | Equity Delivery | 1x or no margin on CNC |
2 | Equity Intraday (MIS) | Up to 20x (depends upon the stock) |
3 | Equity Future | Intraday - 40% (2.5x), CNC - 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
4 | Equity Options | Intraday - 40% (2.5x), CNC - 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
5 | Currency Future | Intraday - 40% (2.5x), CNC - 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
6 | Currency Options | Intraday - 40% (2.5x), CNC - 1x of Total margin (Span+ Exposure) |
7 | Commodity Future | Intraday - 40% (2.5x), CNC - 1x of Span |
Alternatives to Zerodha:
Zerodha Contact:
Zerodha Postal Address (registered post, speed post or courier).
Zerodha H. O,
No.153/154 4th Cross Dollars Colony,
Opposite to Clarence Public School,
J.P Nagar 4th Phase, Bangalore – 560078
New Account Opening
Timing: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- 080 4719 2020
- 080 7117 5337
Customer Support
Timing: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- 080 4718 1888
- 080 4718 1999
- Phone: +91 80491 32020
Call and Trade (Call to trade)
Timing: 9:00 AM – 11:30 PM
- 080 4718 1888
Note: You will be charged Rs 50 + 18% GST for every order & modification or cancellation request placed. The call & trade timings are from 9:00 AM to 11:55 PM.
Zerodha Complaints:
Sl.No | Exchange | Financial Year | Number of Clients* | Complaints** | Percentage of total clients |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NSE | 2020-21 | 36,02,074 | 868 | 0.02% |
2 | BSE | 2020-21 | 4,52,471 | 19 | 0.00% |
3 | NSE | 2019-20 | 14,14,376 | 432 | 0.03% |
4 | BSE | 2019-20 | 4,51,299 | 25 | 0.01% |
5 | NSE | 2018-19 | 8,87,267 | 265 | 0.03% |
6 | BSE | 2018-19 | 2,34,716 | 24 | 0.01% |
7 | NSE | 2017-18 | 5,40,905 | 339 | 0.06% |
8 | BSE | 2017-18 | 2,59,642 | 28 | 0.01% |
9 | NSE | 2016-17 | 1,65,586 | 99 | 0.06% |
10 | BSE | 2016-17 | 30,690 | 10 | 0.03% |
Note:
- (*) The number of active customers reported by the broker.
- (**) The total number of complaints received against the broker at the given exchange.
FAQ’s – Zerodha review:
1. Is Zerodha good for beginners?
Zerodha is one of the best brokerage service providers for beginners. It is an internet stock broker developed for individuals who are comfortable trading without the assistance of a broker. This is a challenge for newcomers who require assistance during their initial days.
2. Which is better, Zerodha or Upstox?
Both Zerodha and Upstox are great service providers. Upstox provides a priority brokerage plan (at a cost of Rs 30 per trade) with up to 25x leverage on intraday, futures, and options trading. Zerodha offers a single, straightforward package for all clients. Zerodha places a far higher premium on technology and investment, which leads to a superior trading platform, trading tools, and client service.
3. Is Zerodha trustworthy?
Absolutely Yes, Zerodha is just as safe as any other Indian stockbroker. Zerodha is an authentic and reputable stockbroker. They are a low-risk broker due to various factors. Zerodha is a debt-free & one of the most trustworthy organizations.
4. What is a 60 days challenge in Zerodha charges?
The 60-Day Challenge is a Zerodha program designed to motivate traders to refocus on their trading and reintroduce some pleasure into their trading.
The objective is to trade profitably over a 60-day period. Once you begin, if you are successful over the next 60 trading days, you will be deemed a winner and accredited as a profitable trader. You may download the winner’s certificate by selecting the challenge on the console and then clicking the drop-down menu next to “download certificate.”
5. Can I withdraw money from Zerodha on Saturday?
Withdrawal requests are processed on all Saturdays. Requests placed on Sundays will be processed on Mondays. Requests placed on holidays will be processed on the next working day.
6. Why do Zerodha withdrawals fail?
Zerodha withdrawal won’t fail often. And, at times if it fails, please wait and give time. Also, to ensure that your request is handled correctly, you must enter a sum that is less than or equal to the amount visible in the withdrawable balance. If you sell stocks through Demat or earn intraday profits, you will not be able to withdraw them until the stock has settled.
7. Is Zerodha good for Trading?
Zerodha is a trustworthy and legitimate stockbroker in India. It is SEBI-regulated and is debt-free. It has not been convicted of a major regulatory breach in more than a decade. Zerodha is a trustworthy, safe, and reliable broker.
8. Is the Zerodha account free?
Zerodha provides totally commission-free equity delivery and mutual fund investing. However, it charges a flat brokerage fee of Rs 20 or 0.03 percent (whichever is lower) per completed order for intraday and F&O trading in the equity, currency, and commodity categories.
9. Can I transfer money from Zerodha to a bank account?
You can use the rapid payment channel to send funds immediately from the trading platform (Kite/Pi). This is available for Rs. 9 + taxes and has the convenience of quick credit. Zerodha has approximately 25 banks for this service.
10. Which bank account is best for Zerodha?
You can access Zerodha balance to and from over 25 bank accounts. Almost all Indian Banks are suitable for Zerodha. Indian top banks such as HDFC, Kotak Mahindra, ICICI, Axis, etc. are preferred options.
11. Does Zerodha charge for withdrawal?
No, Zerodha does not impose a fee when you request a withdrawal from your trading account. You may withdraw any quantity of money from your withdrawable balance without incurring any fees. At the end of the day, the funds are deposited into your bank account.
12. Does Zerodha charge AMC?
The Account Maintenance Charge (renamed from the annual maintenance charge) is the fee you pay to Zerodha to maintain your DEMAT account. There are no account maintenance charges (AMCs) associated with your trading or commodity account.
13. Is my money safe with Zerodha?
Your money is absolutely safe. Any deposits or withdrawal has to pass through your bank and Zerdoha server. There isn’t even a single notified case against such a transaction. You can with complete relief transact with Zerodha.
14. How many days will it take to open a Zerodha account?
Zerodha takes 2 to 3 days to open an account once they receive the online or offline account opening application. The applicant receives a confirmation email once the account is opened.
15. Can I have 2 Zerodha accounts?
No, you cannot have more than 1 Demat account per PAN from the same service provider. If you wish to have another Demat account, then check out Upstox Demat. Click here! to check Upstox review.
16. Can we have 2 Demat accounts?
Yes, you can have a brokerage account from all the Indian brokerage service providers. But, you cannot have 2 Demat accounts from the same service provider under the same PAN.
17. Which Demat account is best in India?
Here’s a list of India’s top 5 brokerage service providers. Click on the name and you’ll get their review.
How to Open Demat account with Zerodha:
Disclaimer: All the information on this website is published in good faith and for general information purpose only.