Understanding Zerodha – India's Leading Broker

When it comes to Indian finance, a name stands out for its unconventional approach and meteoric rise – Zerodha! You must have heard this word a lot in the last few years. The first discount broker in India changed the landscape of trading and investing by letting not just the rich and powerful but everyone participate in the stock market.
With over 1+ crore customers and over 78 lakh active clients, Zerodha has not only disrupted the traditional brokerage model but has also made investing easy, affordable, and even fun!

In this comprehensive Zerodha review, we will delve deep into the broker's features, pricing structure, customer support, and overall user experience, giving you valuable insights into why it remains a top choice for traders and investors.

Whether you are a seasoned investor or just starting, this review will give you a better insight into Zerodha's features and help you make an informed decision. 

Table of Contents

• How Zerodha Came to Be
• Features of Zerodha
• Zerodha's Charges
• Trading Platforms by Zerodha
  • Kite by Zerodha
  • Zerodha Console
  • Zerodha Varsity
  • Coin by Zerodha
  • Markets by Zerodha
• Zerodha Demat account opening
• Zerodha vs Other Online Brokers
• Zerodha's Customer-First Approach

How Zerodha Came to Be

The origin of Zerodha is a fascinating story of how the two brothers, Nithin and Nikhil Kamath, turned their frustration with traditional brokerages into a revolution that democratised trading for millions.

The seeds were sown in Nithin's own experience as a trader. Tired of high brokerage fees and opaque practices, he envisioned a platform that was:

✅Affordable: Challenging the exorbitant fees, Zerodha introduced a flat ₹20 per trade, a fraction of what traditional brokers charge.
✅Tech-driven: Zerodha built its own user-friendly trading platform, focusing on accessibility and transparency.
✅Customer-centric: It prioritised education and support, fostering a community of informed investors.

Zerodha's journey is unique among startups, as it began without external funding. The founders used their personal savings and early profits to bootstrap the operation, which is a testament to their belief in their vision.

Over the course of a decade, Zerodha grew from a scrappy startup with just 1,163 active clients in 2011-12 to the largest retail stockbroker in India with over 78 lakh clients in FY25, managing over 15% of retail trading volumes. You can check their market share below!

Features of Zerodha

Zerodha boasts a range of features across its platforms, catering to both beginners and seasoned traders. Here's a breakdown of some key offerings:

1. Trading platforms

• Zerodha Kite: An ultra-fast trading platform that provides you with real-time market data streaming, advanced and customisable charts, an intuitive and polished user interface, and a host of other features that help you make informed trading decisions.
• Zerodha Console: The central dashboard for your Zerodha account with in-depth reporting and analytics on your trades and investments. It gives you an in-depth and complete history breakdown of your stocks by the trade from the day of acquisition.
• Zerodha Coin: It allows you to invest in mutual funds and government bonds with no commission charges.
• Zerodha Varsity: It is a free and comprehensive online educational platform covering various aspects of the stock market and finances broken down into bite-sized cards to help you learn on the go.

2. Product basket: It provides a wide range of investment and trading opportunities to cater to your diverse needs. With Zerodha, you can invest in and trade a variety of segments, including Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), stocks, futures and options, currency, commodities, mutual funds, bonds and fixed income.

3. Flat fee structure: Zerodha charges a flat ₹20 per trade for intraday, F&O, currency, and commodity trades, irrespective of trade value. Equity delivery and mutual funds are commission-free.

Zerodha Charges 

Zerodha Account Opening Charges

Type of Account	Charges
Online account	Free
Offline account	Free
NRI Account (offline)	₹500
Partnership, LLP, HUF, or Corporate accounts (offline only)	₹500

Zerodha Account Maintenance Charge (AMC)

Type of Account	Annual Charges
Individual, HUF, and partnership firms	₹300 + 18% GST
NRI	₹500 + 18% GST
Corporates	₹1,000 + 18% GST

Zerodha Brokerage Charges

Segment	Charges
Equity delivery	₹0
Equity intraday	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower
Futures	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower
Options	Flat ₹20 per executed order
Currency futures	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower
Currency options	₹20/executed order
Commodity futures	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower
Commodity options	₹20/executed order

Other Charges

Call and trade	₹50 per order
Pledging	₹30 + GST per pledge request
NRI brokerage	₹100 per order for futures and options
Payment gateway charges	₹9 + GST (not levied on transfers done via UPI)

Trading Platforms by Zerodha

1. Kite by Zerodha

Kite is Zerodha's primary trading platform and is recognised for its user-friendly interface, quick performance, and inventive features. It is designed to cater to the needs of both novice and seasoned traders and provides a comprehensive set of tools to handle investments and trades across several domains of the Indian stock market.

Features

• Easily search 90,000+ stocks and F&O contracts on multiple exchanges with their universal tool.
• User-friendly platform with a simple layout and drag-and-drop features for easy navigation
• Customisable keyboard shortcuts to simplify platform interaction
• Level 3 data that gives you deeper insights into market liquidity
• Hundreds of indicators, studies, and tools on a powerful and customisable charting interface
• Good Till Triggered orders (GTT) to enter or exit stock holdings until your price condition is met
• Create, manage, and execute multi-stock baskets and much more
• Find listed companies on Kite using brand or product names for quick and easy stock delivery.
• Trade with leverage on Kite using Zerodha's MTF—borrow up to 80% of a stock's value with 0.04% daily interest.
• Privacy mode that hides your P&L, reducing distractions and keeping your trades private.
• The new option chain gives you a complete view of strike prices, premiums, volumes, Greeks, and OI data—all in one place.
• Quickly place orders, monitor open positions, view key indicators like PCR and Max Pain, and use Basket Orders for complex strategies.
• Set reminders for key market events and IPOs, with notifications sent to your Kite app and email.
• Track and manage all your investments—stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—directly on Kite Web, with easy options to add, exit, and view detailed breakdowns.
• Track corporate actions (dividends, stock splits, bonus issues and right issues directly on ChartIQ and Trading View.
• Order slicing, which automatically splits large orders exceeding exchange freeze limits across all order windows (regular, baskets, charts, positions).
• Use market protection for market orders to prevent unfavourable executions by defining a safe price range for market orders.
• The order window now shows available margin, required margin, and approximate charges.
• View real-time bid-ask spreads and full market depth directly in the order window. Click the dropper icon to expand to 20-depth for NSE stocks.
• Save the quantity you last used for a particular F&O instrument. Future orders for the same asset are auto-filled, improving speed and consistency.
• Automatically converts orders placed outside market hours into AMOs (After Market Orders). Applies across quick orders, baskets, and chart-based trades.
• The basket icon is accessible site-wide, allowing quick instrument addition. Add multiple option strikes directly from the Option Chain without searching.
• Track Margin Trading Facility positions via the new MTF filter. Also allows direct exit of MTF positions from holdings without navigating elsewhere.
• Exchange nudges are now separated from Zerodha's own alerts and hidden by default. This avoids clutter and helps you focus on relevant messages.
• Automate order placement based on price or technical alerts. Useful for reacting to market movements without manual effort.
• Place orders by just entering an amount or quantity—no need for manual lot calculations. Especially helpful for F&O trades and beginners.
• Add personal notes next to any stock or contract in your Marketwatch. Helps keep track of your strategies and observations.
• View company financials, ratios, and ownership details powered by Tijori. Get deeper insights without switching platforms.
• Withdraw up to ₹1 lakh instantly from your account, even on weekends. Great for emergency access to funds.
• Use a unified pool of funds across all segments (equity, commodity, F&O). No more internal fund transfers between segments.

Learn about How to use Zerodha Kite.

2. Zerodha Console

Console is Zerodha's reporting and account management platform. It allows you to view portfolio details, track historical performance, access tax reports, and manage holdings and statements related to your trading and investments.

Features 

• Gift mutual fund units to friends and family, similar to stocks and ETFs.
• View the time-based growth of your total investments across all asset classes. 
• View detailed reports of interest paid and MTF stocks held. 

Understand your real returns with Extended Internal Rate of Return (XIRR).

3. Zerodha Varsity 

Zerodha Varsity is a free, comprehensive online platform that provides stock market and financial education to individuals. It is easily accessible to everyone and is one of the largest financial education resources available on the web. The platform requires no sign-up, no payment, and has no advertisements.

Features

• Covers a wide range of topics like the basics of investing, different asset classes, and how the market works
• Understand charts, patterns, and indicators to analyse market trends and find potential trading opportunities
• In-depth courses are split into sections with quizzes and assignments
• Visual explanations, live sessions with experts and much more
• A comprehensive guide to the National Pension Scheme.
• New personal finance series to make financial education more inclusive and widespread.
• Live, interactive sessions where users learn technical and fundamental concepts. Recent events were held in Pune, Vizag, and Bengaluru.
• Sessions on taxation basics, especially around deadlines like advance tax dates. Aimed at helping users stay compliant.

4. Coin by Zerodha

Coin by Zerodha is a platform that lets you invest in thousands of direct mutual funds, saving you over 1% in fees compared to traditional mutual funds.

Features

• Invest in thousands of direct mutual fund schemes across various categories without paying any commission.
• Access mutual funds from over 40 leading fund houses in India
• With the step-up SIP feature, the SIP amount increases automatically by a set percentage
• SIPs are flexible and can be started, paused, stopped, increased, or decreased as needed
• All your Coin investments are held in Demat form, providing transparency and ease of management
• Track the performance of your investments with detailed analytics and reports
• Set up mutual fund investments on a daily basis—even on weekends.
• Set SIP mandates of up to ₹1 crore. Useful for HNIs or bulk investment strategies.
• Transfer funds between mutual funds across different AMCs. Increases flexibility compared to AMC-specific STPs.
• Automate SIP payments through UPI and complete transactions inside the Coin app. No need to switch to external apps.
• Minors and NRE account holders can now invest through Coin. Broadens investment access across age and geography.
• Share fund details directly from Coin via WhatsApp, Twitter, etc. Enables easier financial discussions with peers or advisors.

5. Markets by Zerodha

Markets is Zerodha's information portal that provides news, data, and insights on the stock market. It includes newsletters, economic explainers, and updates on company announcements to help users stay informed about market developments.

Features

Daily brief newsletter & podcast which summarises key market updates each day in an easy-to-digest format.
New market-focused series, designed to decode complex topics with a fresh approach.
Real-time alerts for exchange announcements and market-moving news. Helps traders react faster.

Zerodha provides its clients the ability to use its own trading software and tools, as well as external products developed using the Zerodha platform. These tools can be seamlessly integrated with Zerodha's Kite platform. The trading software and tools offered are-

1. Smallcase
2. Streak
3. SensiBull
4. GoldenPi
5. Ditto

Zerodha also offers expiry trades on Sensibull. So, you can select your target and risk level, and get 3-4 simple, limited-risk option strategies for expiry day trading, with clear profit/loss projections and one-click execution.

Zerodha Demat Account Opening

Opening a Zerodha account is a simple and quick process, especially if your mobile number is linked to your Aadhaar. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Visit select.finology.in, head to the 'Brokers' tab and click on 'All Stock Brokers'.
Step 2: You will see a list of stock brokers. Head to 'Zerodha' and click on the 'Full-details' button.
Step 3: Click on 'Open Demat Account', and you will be redirected to 'Zerodha'.
Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions and complete the e-signature process.

The account will be opened within 72 working hours, and an email with the user ID will be sent. If the mobile number is not linked with the Aadhaar, the offline process of opening an account has to be followed.

Zerodha vs Other Online Brokers

Category	Zerodha	Upstox	Groww	Shoonya
Account opening charge	₹0	₹0	₹0	₹0
Account Maintenance Charge	₹300/year + 18% GST	₹300/year + 18% GST* *₹0 for first year	₹0	₹0
Equity delivery	₹0	₹20	₹20 per executed order or 0.1%, whichever is lower	₹0
Equity intraday	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower	₹20 per executed order or 0.1%, whichever is lower	₹20 per executed order or 0.1%, whichever is lower	₹5 or 0.03%, whichever is lower
Futures	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower	₹20 per executed order or 0.05%	Flat ₹20 per executed order	₹5 or 0.03%, whichever is lower
Options	Flat ₹20 per executed order	Flat ₹20 per executed order	Flat ₹20 per executed order	₹5
Commodity futures	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower	₹20 per executed order or 0.05%, whichever is lower	NA	₹5 or 0.03%, whichever is lower
Commodity options	Flat ₹20 per executed order	Flat ₹20 per executed order	NA	₹5
Currency futures	0.03% or ₹20/executed order, whichever is lower	₹20 per executed order or 0.05%, whichever is lower	NA	₹5 or 0.03%, whichever is lower
Currency options	₹20/executed order	Flat ₹20 per executed order	NA	₹5

Zerodha's Customer-First Approach

Zerodha prioritises customer privacy, transparency and optimal trading experience so much so that it offers a no-clutter platform with:

• Apps that only request necessary permissions and do not track or profile customer behaviour.
  • Kite: Permissions for profile picture selection, biometric authentication, live chart streaming, etc.
  • Coin: Permissions for downloading reports and UPI registration.
• No third-party trackers for behavioural profiling. It uses self-hosted tools for anonymised statistics.
• No forced notifications, dark patterns, or engagement gimmicks. Push notifications are limited to four per month for important updates.
• No unnecessary cross-selling of personal loans or unrelated products, ensuring the focus remains on meaningful trading and investing experiences.
• Free access to resources like Varsity and RupeeTales without requiring sign-ups or account openings.

Zerodha stands by its commitment to providing a transparent, user-friendly, and privacy-focused experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Zerodha has revolutionised the Indian trading and investing sector with its customer-centric, tech-driven, and affordable approach. Its competitive pricing structure and user-friendly trading platforms make it an ideal choice for both beginners and seasoned traders. Moreover, its commitment to education and community building has enabled investors to make informed decisions and create wealth. If you are looking for a trustworthy and efficient brokerage firm to invest in, then Zerodha is definitely worth considering. So, go ahead and open your Zerodha account today to start your investing journey!