Best Trading (Investment) Apps in India (Top 5)

So, somehow, you have come across online trading apps on social platforms these days. Many people, who have no idea about online trading, get curious about it. Now, trading or investing in stocks is very straightforward because of these trading platforms.

These apps enable you to start your investment journey within 24 hours. You can create your trading account and get it active within 24 hours. These apps are also called brokers. A broker means that whenever you execute a trade (whether you buy or sell), they charge a small fee. So every time you buy or sell stocks, the broker earns a little amount.

For beginners, there are a few important things to understand in the beginning. The trading nuances you will automatically learn while using these apps. The two main things that matter in the beginning are:

• The app should be authentic (SEBI-registered)
• Trading fees (how much brokerage they charge per trade).

You can’t go directly to NSE/BSE and buy shares; your order always goes through a broker’s system. Don’t get fooled by “₹0 brokerage.”

All the apps listed below are SEBI-registered and already trusted by millions of users, so you don’t have to stress about whether they’re legit or not. That part is handled.

Now, the only thing you should focus on as a beginner is comparing their fees. And since charges matter the most in the beginning, that’s exactly how we’re going to compare these apps.

App Name	Download Link
Zerodha (Kite)	Download Zerodha
Groww	Download Groww
Angel One	Download Angel One
Upstox	Download Upstox
Paytm Money	Download Paytm Money

Zerodha Kite

Zerodha is one of the most popular trading apps in India. It is fast, easy to use, and beginner-friendly. You get real-time market data and TradingView charts inside the app. As a beginner, you will like its clean and responsive design.

It is used by both new and advanced users. Zerodha is also India’s largest retail stockbroker. The Kite app has over 1 crore+ downloads on Play Store with a 4.2-star rating.

Groww

Groww is another trading and investment app you can use. It is one of the most popular platforms in India and is known for being beginner-friendly. It has also received recognition as one of the top investment apps.

The interface is clean and simple. From creating an account to buying or selling a stock, the process is straightforward. You don’t need any tutorial or guidance to start using it because most options are clear and easy to understand.

Groww has a 4.7 star rating with 10 crore+ downloads, which makes it one of the most used and highly rated investment apps in India.

Upstox

Upstox is another platform that provides both mobile app and web trading access. It offers minimal brokerage charges on trade execution. There is also an Upstox Pro option available for users who want more advanced trading features.

Many users who have been using the app have shared positive feedback regarding stability, and there are fewer complaints about bugs or glitches compared to some other platforms.

Angel One

Angel One is another well-known brokerage platform in India. The company was established in 1996 and has more than 7 million active users as of 2025. It supports multiple payment options, offers flat brokerage charges, and also provides zero account opening fees, which makes it a commonly chosen option for new users.

The app is easy to start with, especially for beginners who want basic features along with research support, market insights, and advisory services. Angel One also runs occasional promotional offers like zero brokerage on delivery trades, but these offers may vary.

Overall, it is another platform that is widely used and trusted in the Indian market.

Paytm Money

Paytm Money is another option available for trading and investing. There are many alternatives, but this one is useful if you are already using Paytm for payments and don’t want to switch to a completely new platform. You can create your demat account and start basic trading and investing directly from the app.

In general, users who are already familiar with Paytm find the process simple and easy to adapt. Most basic trading and investment activities can be done smoothly without any major issues.

Brokerage Charges Comparison

Charge Category	Groww	Upstox	Angel One	Zerodha
Account Opening Fee	Free	Free	Free	Free
Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)	₹0	₹0 for the first year; thereafter ₹300 + GST (Non-BSDA)	Free for 1st year; thereafter ₹60 + GST per quarter (Non-BSDA)	₹300/year + 18% GST charged quarterly (Non-BSDA)
Equity Delivery Brokerage	₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (whichever is lower, min ₹5)	₹20 per executed order	₹0 brokerage (promotional offer for first 30 days); thereafter lower of ₹20 or 0.1% per executed order, minimum ₹5	Zero Brokerage (absolutely free)
Equity Intraday Brokerage	₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (whichever is lower, min ₹5)	₹20 per executed order or 0.1% (whichever is lower)	Lower of ₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (after 30-day promotional period)	Flat ₹20 or 0.03% (whichever is lower) per executed order
Demat Debit (DP) Charges (Per Sell Transaction)	₹20 per sell transaction (₹16.5 Groww + ₹3.5 Depository)	₹20.0 + GST per scrip per day only on sell	₹20 + GST per ISIN debit	₹15.34 per scrip (includes GST) charged on sell
Auto Square-off Charges	₹50 per position for open intraday positions	₹75 + GST	Same as brokerage charges (No additional penalty)	Additional charge of ₹50 per order (via Call & Trade)
Call & Trade Charges	Not explicitly stated (as a separate charge)	₹75 + GST	₹20 / Order	Additional charge of ₹50 per order
Pledge/Unpledge Charges (Per ISIN)	₹20 per ISIN	₹20 + GST per scrip	₹20 + GST (for Margin pledge/unpledge/invoke)	₹30 + GST per request per ISIN

Account Maintenance and Fixed Costs

ZerodhaWhile Zerodha offers free delivery brokerage, it is the only broker among the four that charges a substantial AMC (Annual Maintenance Charge) of ₹300 per year + GST for non-BSDA accounts immediately, charged quarterly.

Upstox	Upstox waives the AMC for the first year. After that, the charge is ₹300 + GST for non-BSDA users.
Angel One	Angel One’s non-BSDA AMC is significantly lower than Zerodha and Upstox after the first year, charging only ₹60 + GST per quarter (₹240/year + GST).
Groww	Groww explicitly states ₹0 maintenance charges.

Equity Brokerage

Equity Delivery (Long-Term Investing): This is the cost incurred when buying shares and holding them overnight (not selling them on the same day).

• Zerodha offers Zero Brokerage for all equity delivery investments for retail individual clients.
• Angel One offers delivery brokerage that is the lower of ₹20 or 0.1%, with a minimum of ₹5 per executed order after their 30-day promotional period.
• Upstox charges a flat ₹20 per executed order for equity delivery.
• Groww’s stated Equity Brokerage is ₹20 or 0.1% (whichever is lower, minimum ₹5).

Equity Intraday (Day Trading): This is the cost incurred when buying and selling the same stock within the same trading session.

• All four brokers cap the charge at ₹20 per executed order.
• Zerodha has the lowest percentage rate at 0.03% (whichever is lower than ₹20), whereas Groww, Upstox, and Angel One cap the percentage rate at 0.1% (whichever is lower than ₹20).

Depository Participant (DP) Charges

DP charges are mandatory fees levied by the Depository (CDSL/NSDL) and the broker whenever you sell shares from your Demat account. This fee does not apply to intraday trades or F&O, as the shares do not enter or leave your Demat account.

• Zerodha charges ₹15.34 per scrip sold.
• Groww, Upstox, and Angel One all charge approximately ₹20 + GST per scrip sold.

Ancillary and Non-Trading Charges

These charges are crucial for beginners to understand, as they are often incurred accidentally or when specialized services are used:

Call & Trade/Auto Square-off: These charges apply if you place orders through a dealer or if the broker forcibly closes your open intraday position at the end of the day.

• Angel One has the lowest Call & Trade charge at ₹20 per order. Notably, Angel One states Auto Square-off charges are the same as brokerage with no additional penalty.
• Upstox has the highest Call & Trade charge at ₹75 + GST, and also the highest Auto Square-off charge at ₹75 + GST.
• Groww charges ₹50 per position for system auto square-off.

Pledge Charges: These fees are incurred when securities are utilized to obtain margin (for facilities like Margin Trading Facility/MTF or for F&O).

• Zerodha has the highest pledge charge at ₹30 + GST per request per ISIN.
• Groww, Upstox, and Angel One all charge approximately ₹20 + GST per ISIN for pledging/unpledging.

All brokers must charge these statutory fees, which are set by the government and exchanges and are generally uniform:

• GST: 18% is applied to the brokerage fee, SEBI charges, transaction charges, DP charges (for delivery), and IPFT charges.
• STT (Securities Transaction Tax): This is a government tax. For Equity Delivery, it is 0.1% on both buy and sell transactions. For Intraday, it is 0.025% on the sell side.
• SEBI Charges: A nominal regulatory fee of ₹10 per crore of transaction value.

A beginner should remember that even if brokerage is zero, statutory charges (STT, Transaction charges, Stamp Duty, and GST) will still apply to every executed trade.

FAQ

1. Are trading and Demat accounts different?

Yes. A Trading Account is used to place buy or sell orders in the stock market. Whenever you want to purchase or sell shares, the transaction happens through the trading account. A Demat Account is used to store the shares you own in digital form. Once you buy shares using your trading account, they get stored in your demat account.

2. Can I have multiple demat accounts?

Yes, you can have multiple demat accounts with different brokers. There is no limit. Many people use one app for long-term investing and another for trading.
Just make sure you don’t leave unused accounts idle, because some brokers charge yearly maintenance fees.

3. Can I transfer shares from one broker to another?

Yes, you can transfer shares from one demat account to another. This is done through CDSL or NSDL using the DIS (Delivery Instruction Slip) or through online transfer (E-DIS) if your broker supports it.
This process is called off-market transfer.

4. Do I have to pay yearly charges?

Most brokers charge AMC (Annual Maintenance Charge) for the demat account. The amount depends on the broker.
Some platforms offer free first year AMC, while others may charge from the beginning.

5. What is a BSDA account?

A BSDA (Basic Services Demat Account) is a demat account designed for small investors. If your total investment value stays below the limit set by regulations (example: up to ₹50,000 or ₹2 lakh depending on category), then the annual maintenance charge is either free or very low.

6. What is a Non-BSDA account?

A Non-BSDA account is when your demat holdings go above the BSDA limit. Once that happens, the broker starts charging the standard yearly maintenance fee, because the account no longer qualifies for the BSDA benefit.

7. What are CDSL and NSDL?

CDSL and NSDL are the two government-regulated organisations in India that store your shares in electronic form. They work like digital lockers for all demat accounts in the country.

• NSDL stands for National Securities Depository Limited
• CDSL stands for Central Depository Services Limited

Every share you buy gets stored with one of these two, not inside the broker app. Your broker (like Groww, Zerodha, Upstox, etc.) is only the interface. The actual storage is handled by CDSL or NSDL.