ICICIdirect vs Zerodha | Broker Comparison

ICICIdirect vs Zerodha

Side-by-side view of features, pricing context, and platform fit.

ICICIdirect

ICICIdirect

Active Clients: 20,45,086

ICICIdirect is a prominent retail stock broker in India, operating as part of the ICICI Group, and provides online trading and investment services spanning equity, derivatives, IPO, mutual funds, fixed deposits, bonds...

Zerodha

Zerodha

Active Clients: 68,62,233

Zerodha holds the position of India's top stockbroker, ranking among the largest and most esteemed brokers providing online **flat fee discount brokerage** services for investments in Equity, Currency, Commodity, IPO,...

Side-by-Side Compare Table

Category	ICICIdirect	Zerodha
Basic Details	•Broker Type: Full-service broker (ICICI Group) •Founded: 1995 (ICICIdirect platform legacy)	•Broker Type: Discount broker •Founded: 2010
Charges & AMC	•Account Opening: Rs 0 (as listed) •Demat AMC: Rs 700 per annum (individual account)	•Trading and Demat Account Opening: Rs 0 •Trading AMC: Rs 0
Brokerage	•Brokerage is plan based (Prime plans and MoneySaver). •Prime plan examples range by subscription slab.	•Equity Delivery: Rs 0 •Equity Intraday: Flat Rs 20 or 0.03% (whichever is lower)
Other Charges	•Call and trade charges apply (listed as Rs 50 per order in extract). •Demat debit and operational charges apply per schedule.	•Statutory charges apply across segments: STT, exchange charges, GST, SEBI charges, stamp duty. •DP and depository-side transactional charges apply for applicable sell-side delivery flows.
Leverage (Margin)	•Intraday equity margin can go up to around 5x on eligible stocks. •Delivery and carry-forward generally follow full margin norms.	•Intraday leverage can go up to around 20x in selected contexts. •Margin remains subject to segment-wise risk and exchange rules.
Features	•Integrated 3-in-1 account (bank + trading + Demat). •Strong brand trust and branch-assisted model.	•Market-leading client base and volume share. •Transparent flat-fee pricing model.
Trading Platforms	•ICICIdirect.com website •ICICIdirect mobile app	•Zerodha Kite (web and mobile) •Coin (mutual funds)
Reviews & Ratings	•Viewed as feature-rich and trusted for integrated banking workflow. •In this source extract, no final single overall numeric rating table is shown.	•Widely regarded as one of the top discount brokers in India. •In this extract, no single combined numeric rating table is displayed.
Investment Options	•Equity and derivatives •IPO, mutual funds, bonds, NCDs	•Equity •F&O
Order Types Offered	•Standard market/limit execution flows •VTC/GTC-style functionality referenced in source context	•Standard market, limit, and intraday order flows •Derivatives execution and strategy-linked tools via ecosystem partners
Suitable For (Investor Type)	•Investors wanting 3-in-1 integration and branch support. •Users preferring broader product coverage over pure discount pricing.	•Investors seeking transparent low brokerage and direct MF investing. •Active traders preferring robust charting/tool ecosystem.
Pros and Cons	•Pros: •Robust integrated banking-broking setup.	•Pros: •Zero delivery brokerage and low flat intraday/F&O fees.

Detailed Comparison

Basic Details

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Broker Type: Full-service broker (ICICI Group) •Founded: 1995 (ICICIdirect platform legacy) •SEBI Registration: INZ000183631 •NSE Member Code: 07730 •Net Worth: Rs 4581.84 Cr	•Broker Type: Discount broker •Founded: 2010 •SEBI Registration: INZ000031633 •NSE Member Code: 13906 •Net Worth: Rs 14374.75 Cr

Charges & AMC

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Account Opening: Rs 0 (as listed) •Demat AMC: Rs 700 per annum (individual account) •Demat debit charge and call-and-trade charges apply	•Trading and Demat Account Opening: Rs 0 •Trading AMC: Rs 0 •Demat AMC: Rs 300 per year

Brokerage

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Brokerage is plan based (Prime plans and MoneySaver). •Prime plan examples range by subscription slab. •MoneySaver example: Delivery 0.29%, Intraday/Futures 0.029%, Options Rs 49 per lot.	•Equity Delivery: Rs 0 •Equity Intraday: Flat Rs 20 or 0.03% (whichever is lower) •Equity Futures: Flat Rs 20 or 0.03% (whichever is lower) •Equity Options: Flat Rs 20 per executed order •Mutual Funds (direct): Rs 0

Other Charges

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Call and trade charges apply (listed as Rs 50 per order in extract). •Demat debit and operational charges apply per schedule. •Standard statutory charges apply separately.	•Statutory charges apply across segments: STT, exchange charges, GST, SEBI charges, stamp duty. •DP and depository-side transactional charges apply for applicable sell-side delivery flows.

Leverage (Margin)

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Intraday equity margin can go up to around 5x on eligible stocks. •Delivery and carry-forward generally follow full margin norms.	•Intraday leverage can go up to around 20x in selected contexts. •Margin remains subject to segment-wise risk and exchange rules.

Features

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Integrated 3-in-1 account (bank + trading + Demat). •Strong brand trust and branch-assisted model. •Research and multi-product investing workflows.	•Market-leading client base and volume share. •Transparent flat-fee pricing model. •Strong ecosystem: Kite, Coin, Varsity, and partner tools.

Trading Platforms

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•ICICIdirect.com website •ICICIdirect mobile app	•Zerodha Kite (web and mobile) •Coin (mutual funds) •Ecosystem tools: Streak, Sensibull, Smallcase, and more

Reviews & Ratings

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Viewed as feature-rich and trusted for integrated banking workflow. •In this source extract, no final single overall numeric rating table is shown.	•Widely regarded as one of the top discount brokers in India. •In this extract, no single combined numeric rating table is displayed.

Investment Options

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Equity and derivatives •IPO, mutual funds, bonds, NCDs •Commodities •Insurance and other wealth products	•Equity •F&O •Currency and commodity •IPO, bonds, G-Secs •Direct mutual funds

Order Types Offered

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Standard market/limit execution flows •VTC/GTC-style functionality referenced in source context •Delivery, intraday, and derivatives order flows	•Standard market, limit, and intraday order flows •Derivatives execution and strategy-linked tools via ecosystem partners

Suitable For (Investor Type)

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Investors wanting 3-in-1 integration and branch support. •Users preferring broader product coverage over pure discount pricing. •ICICI ecosystem customers who value seamless account linkage.	•Investors seeking transparent low brokerage and direct MF investing. •Active traders preferring robust charting/tool ecosystem. •Beginners and advanced users due to education plus platform depth.

Pros and Cons

ICICIdirect	Zerodha
•Pros: •Robust integrated banking-broking setup. •Broad product basket and research availability. •Strong brand and support infrastructure. •Cons: •Brokerage can be high versus discount peers without optimized plan selection. •Charges and plan structure can feel complex for new users.	•Pros: •Zero delivery brokerage and low flat intraday/F&O fees. •Strong product ecosystem and technology maturity. •Trusted and transparent pricing structure. •Cons: •No branch-heavy assisted full-service model. •Some advanced workflows rely on external integrated tools.

Final Note

Use this side-by-side comparison as a starting point and verify the latest brokerage and compliance details on official broker pages before taking decisions.