A stock broker is a professional who facilitates the buying and selling of securities on behalf of their clients. They act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers in the financial market. A stock broker is licensed and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They work for brokerage firms, and their job is to help clients buy or sell stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.
In this article, we will include a list of brokers that are popular among investors.
Best Stock Brokers in India
The top stock brokers in India are those that offer competitive rates, good customer service, user-friendly platforms and strong research and analysis tools.
1. Zerodha
Zerodha is a popular Indian financial services company that specialises in online trading and investment solutions. It is one of the fastest-growing brokerage firms in the country and has over 6.4 million activeclients as of September 2023. With its cutting-edge technology, Zerodha offers a variety of services, including equity trading, mutual funds, forex and commodities.
Zerodha is considered a good stock broker because of the following reasons:
- Zerodha offers very low fees and charges no clearance fees to its customers.
- Zerodha's web and mobile trading platforms are superb and feature various research tools.
- Zerodha's pricing is very competitive, with free equity delivery and direct mutual funds and a maximum of ₹20 per trade for everything else at BSE, NSE, and MCX.
- Zerodha is the second-largest broker in terms of active clients as of September 2023.
- Zerodha provides its customers with various unique additional services, making it compatible with traders as it offers the best and cheapest services to its customers.
2. Groww
Groww is a leading online investment platform in India that offers a wide range of investment products, including mutual funds, stocks, ETFs, digital gold, and IPOs. It is a SEBI-registered broker and AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor. Groww is known for its user-friendly interface, low brokerage charges, and comprehensive educational resources. Its features are:
- Groww platform is quite user-friendly with a simple UI, making it easy for users to adapt, even beginners.
- Groww allows direct mutual fund investment and provides an easy and hassle-free investing process through its online trading platform. The company also has its own mutual fund called Groww Mutual Fund, which is managed by HDFC Asset Management Company Limited (HDFC AMC).
- Groww provides its users with a variety of services and facilities, including free equity trading, live chat support, a mobile app and e-mail alerts.
- Groww also offers the highest level of security with online banking password protection and SSL encryption.
- Groww is one of the most affordable stock brokers in India, offering a flat rate of ₹100 per transaction without any hidden charges or extra fees.
3. Angel One
Angel One (formerly known as Angel Broking) is a leading Indian stockbroking and wealth management companyknown for its innovative technology and customer-centric approach. It offers a variety of trading platforms, including a web-based platform, mobile app, and desktop trading software. Angel One also offers a variety of educational resources to help investors learn about the stock market and investing.
- It is one of the largest full-service retail brokers in India, offering various products, including stocks, commodities, currencies, futures, and options.
- Angel One requires no minimum deposit for account opening and provides a demo account, it also offers a variety of platforms, including a mobile app and investment advice.
- Angel One took stock of the vast number of Gen-Z and millennials who now populate their consumer base and chose to make the Angel brand resonate with them by using seamless brand architecture and adding a number of business extensions as and when they added them to their portfolio.
- It was in the year 2015 that Angel One launched its first mutual fund, and since then, it has grown exponentially. The company now offers over 30 funds across various asset classes, including equities, fixed income and real estate.
4.Upstox
Upstox is a discount broker based in India that offers online trading and investment services in stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, and futures and options. It is fourthlargest discount brokers in India, with over 2 million active clients as of September 2023. It offers a variety of trading tools and features, including:
- Upstox offers competitive brokerage plans and good customer service, making it the thirdmost popular discount broker in India.
- It also provides access to various financial products by collaborating with financial institutions such as Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Lombard.
- Upstox provides access to foreign exchange services and margin trading for investors in India who want to trade on leverage or speculate on currency fluctuations.
5.ICICI Direct
ICICI Direct is the pioneer in online trading in India and was the largest stock broker for over 20 years until 2019. ICICI Direct is part of the renowned ICICI Group and offers a personal relationship manager and local support, providing a smooth and fast online trading experience.
- ICICI Direct offers a 3-in-1 online trading account, which includes an ICICI Bank Account, ICICI Trading Account, and ICICI Demat Account, making it a unique offering for retail stock market investors in India.
- ICICI Direct provides a wide range of investments under one account, along with free research and advisory services.
- It has many advantages over other brokers, including free research and advisory services, a wide range of investments under one account, a joint account facility and more.
- ICICI Direct has a discounted brokerage plan called "ICICI Direct NEO" that offers reduced brokerage in Cash (Delivery) as low as 0.10%, along with the advantages of ICICI Direct NEO. By combining the two plans, customers can benefit from their investing and trading requirements.
Active Clients of Top 5 Stock Brokers
| Broker | Active Clients as of September 2023 |
| Groww | 66,28,645 |
| Zerodha | 64,79,235 |
| Angel One | 48,56,236 |
| Upstox | 21,93,506 |
| ICICI Direct | 19,12,937 |
Conclusion
The stockbroking industry in India is highly competitive and has multiple major players competing for market share. Each brokerage firm has its strengths and weaknesses and caters to a specific customer base. Ultimately, the decision to choose a stockbroker depends on an individual's investment goals, trading patterns, and market knowledge.
To learn more about these stockbrokers, you can visit Select, where you can compare and choose from over 20 stockbrokers in India.
