Founded in August 2010, Zerodha is headquartered in Bengaluru. Today, it is one of India’s largest retail brokers in terms of active user base and handles about 16% of the total NSE client volume.
Zerodha revolutionized Indian retail investing with its discount model and tech-first platform. Despite the recent regulatory changes and intensifying competition, Zerodha remains dominant in unsecured broking. Check the complete review of Zerodha broker for insights into its key features.
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you start and invest with Zerodha in 2026.
Why choose Zerodha for investing in 2026
Zerodha has been widely chosen for numerous reasons.
- There are no gimmicks, spam, or annoying push notifications, since Zerodha provides high-quality apps.
- Zerodha does not just provide an app, but a whole ecosystem. It provides tailored services specific to customer needs via investments in over 30 fintech startups.
- Zerodha charges ₹0 brokerage on all equity delivery trades and flat ₹20 per order for intraday F&O and currency trading.
- Zerodha is fully regulated by SEBI and a member of NSE, BSE, MCX, and CDSL.
- It also offers excellent learning tools, daily market insights, blogs, and technical analysis tools.
- Zerodha’s Kite platform is simple, fast, and has an intuitive interface. The Console platform allows investors to track portfolios and access P&L reports and tax-ready statements.
Step-by-step guide to opening a Zerodha account
How to start investing in Zerodha? In order to open a demat account with Zerodha, do keep the following documents ready. Learn how to open a demat account in zerodha online.
- PAN number
- Aadhar number linked to your mobile number
- Bank account details (personalised cancelled cheque with required details)
- Income proof (needed only for F&O trading)
Follow these steps to open a demat account:
- Install the Kite app from the App Store or the Play Store. You can also visit signup.zerodha.com.
- Enter your mobile number and get verified with OTP. Get verified your email ID as well and continue.
- Enter your PAN number and date of birth and click continue.
- Select the segments you wish to trade in and agree to the terms and conditions.
- Get your KYC verified with OTP and 6-digit Digilocker PIN with your Aadhar number.
- Enter your personal details and continue.
- Link your bank account. You can do it using UPI or manually enter your bank details.
- Ensure you are clearly visible for completing the in-person verification and continue.
- Click on the sign, and draw your signature on the screen or upload a copy of your signature. Then click save.
- Upload required documents like bank proof, income proof, and continue.
- Add a nominee to your account if you wish, and click continue.
- Click on “Sign now” and digitally sign your account opening forms using your Aadhaar number, OTP, and Digilocker PIN.
Once you digitally sign your account opening forms, the user ID will be displayed. You will receive your account credentials via email and also to your registered email address. Generally, the time it takes to open a Zerodha account in 2026 is 48 hours.
How to start trading and investing using Zerodha kite
How to invest in Zerodha? How to start trading with Zerodha? To begin trading with Zerodha Kite, you will first need to have a trading and demat account with Zerodha.
- Log in to Kite via http://kite.zerodha.com or download the Kite app from the Play Store or App Store. Complete 2-factor authentication.
- Go to Funds and click on “Add Funds”. You can use UPI, net banking, or IMPS/NEFT payment methods to get instant credit.
- Explore the Kite interface through its main tabs, such as:
- Dashboard – to overview your holdings and balance
- Watchlist – to track live prices of stocks and ETFs
- Orders – to view placed, completed, and failed orders
- Holdings – to check your current investments
- Positions – to view the active intra-day and F&O trades
- Funds – to add or withdraw money
- Search for the stocks you are interested in and add them to your watchlist so you can monitor live prices, charts, and market depth. Place buy or sell orders by clicking on the stock. You can choose CNC (Cash & Carry) as an order type for stock delivery or MIS (Margin Intraday Square-off) for intraday trading.
- Once your trades are executed, you can track your portfolio and profits by checking holdings.
- You can use Console for tax reports, P&L statements, and trade history.
- Zerodha also allows you to invest in direct mutual funds without commission via Coin.
Top investment options on Zerodha: stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds
The top investment options available on Zerodha that cater to different risk levels, time horizons, and financial goals are:
Stocks
Zerodha allows you to trade stocks for delivery or intraday on over 5000 stocks listed on NSE and BSE.
Direct mutual funds
You can invest in over 2000 mutual funds directly without a distributor and save up to 1.5% commission every year. MFs are available on Coin.
Futures & Options
You can trade metals, oil, and agricultural commodities on MCX, as well as stock and index futures and options on NSE.
IPO
Zerodha gives you access to apply online and invest in companies listed on the Indian exchanges with an IPO with your BHIM UPI app.
Gift stocks
You can introduce your friends and family to investing for the long term by gifting them stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and gold bonds.
Fixed income
Zerodha allows you to invest in bonds with yields better than bank FDs guaranteed by the Government of India. You can also invest in gold electronically to gain market returns +2.5% fixed on a yearly basis on the invested amount. This is also guaranteed by the Government of India.
Zerodha charges and brokerage fees overview
In this section, we will delve into the fees and commissions of the Zerodha broker.
| Fees | Details |
|---|---|
| Account opening | Online – free Offline – free NRI (offline only – ₹500 Partnership, LLP, HUF, or corporate (offline only) – ₹500 |
| Demat AMC (Annual Maintenance Charge) | Up to ₹4 lakh – free ₹4 lakh – ₹10 lakh – ₹100 per year (charged quarterly) Above ₹10 lakh – ₹300 per year (charged quarterly) |
| Brokerage | Equity – 0 Equity intraday – 0.03% or ₹20 per executed order F&O Futures – 0.03% or ₹20 per executed order F&O Options – Flat ₹20 per executed order |
| STT/CTT | Equity – 0.1% on buy & sell Equity intraday – 0.025% on the sell side F&O Futures – 0.02% on the sell side F&O Options – 0.1% on sell side |
| Transaction charges | Equity – 0.00297% for NSE, 0.000375% for BSE Equity intraday – 0.00297% for NSE, 0.000375% for BSE F&O Futures – 0.00173% for NSE, 0 for BSE F&O Options – 0.03503% for NSE, 0.0325% for BSE |
| SEBI charges | ₹10 per crore for all |
| Stamp charges | Equity – 0.015% or ₹1500/ crore on buy side Equity intraday – 0.003% or ₹300/crore on buy side F&O Futures – 0.002% or ₹200/ crore on buy side F&O Options – 0.003% or ₹300/ crore on buy side |
| Added services | Tickertape – Free | ₹249/month | ₹2399/year Smallcase – ₹100 per transaction | SIP ₹10 per transaction Kite Connect – Connect: ₹500 per month | Historical: ₹500 per month |
Conclusion
Zerodha is the best and most trusted broker in India in 2026, especially for retail traders and long-term investors. We highly recommend Zerodha for the following reasons:
- Highly regulated
- Low brokerage fees and transparent charges
- Modern trading platforms like Kite, Console, Coin
- Perfect for learning and DIY investing
- Award-winning broker
Learn Zerodha vs Paytm Money: Features, charges & verdict.
Pro Tip
Trading in financial markets carries tremendous risk, and hence choosing the right broker really matters. Our broker finder tool helps to save time, reduce guesswork, and make informed decisions. Our best brokers are well-regulated and good enough to meet your personal investing and trading needs. Spread your investments across different assets such as stocks, forex, crypto, banking, etc. to reduce risk.
- This review is for informational purposes only. TradingCritique does not currently offer broker referrals for India-domiciled brokers and has no affiliate relationship with the broker discussed.
FAQs
1. What is the minimum balance needed to start with Zerodha?
There is no minimum balance requirement to start with Zerodha.
2. What are the trading hours for Zerodha platform?
There are different trading hours for each financial segment of Zerodha.
| Market segment | Trading hours |
|---|---|
| Equity | Pre-market session – 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM Normal trading session – 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM Post-market session – 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM |
| Currency | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Commodities | Agricultural commodities – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Non-agricultural commodities – 9:00 AM to 11:30 PM |
3. Can you start investing in Zerodha with ₹500?
Yes, Zerodha allows you to start investing with as low as ₹500 in SIP funds.
4. Can I use Zerodha without a trading account?
No, you need to have a trading and demat account in order to use Zerodha for investing.
5. Is Zerodha safe and trusted for new investors?
Zerodha is one of the safest, most transparent, and reliable brokers for new investors because the platform is built with security and investor protection in mind.
6. Is it good to start investing in Zerodha in 2026?
Starting to invest with Zerodha in 2026 is a good choice, especially if you are a beginner looking for a safe, low-cost, and trusted platform.
