Kotak Securities vs Zerodha

Kotak Securities is a full-service broker where you can invest in stocks, equity derivatives, currency F&O, Mutual funds, IPOs, bonds, ETFs, and IRF (Interest Rate Futures). You can also avail the benefit from other value added products including Loan products, research advisory, dealer-assisted trading, and portfolio management services.

Whereas Zerodha is a discount broker that allows you to trade or invest in stocks, equity derivatives, currency F&O, Mutual funds, IPOs, bonds, and ETFs. Zerodha offers flat discounted brokerage fees because zerodha does not provide you stock investment tips, research, or Robo advisory services.

Let’s compare Kotak Securities vs Zerodha on some common features like account opening, AMC, brokerage charges, trading platforms, and customer support.

Kotak Securities vs Zerodha Comparison Table

ParticularsZerodhaKotak Securities
Broker TypeDiscount BrokerFull Service Broker
Year of Incorporation20101994
Exchange MembershipNSE, BSE, MCX and NCDEXBSE, NSE, MCX, & NCDEX
Trade-inStocks/Equity, F&O, Commodities, Currency, Mutual Funds, IPOs, Bonds & Govt-SecuritiesStocks/Equity, Currency F&O, Commodity, Mutual Funds, IPOs, ETF, Bonds, Loans,  IRF (Interest Rate Futures)
Account opening charges (one-time)Rs 200+ Rs 100 for Commodity (optional)Rs. 299 – Trade Free Youth
Rs. 99 – Trade Free Plan
Rs. 499 – Dealer assisted plan
Demat AMC FeesRs. 300Rs. 600
Intraday MarginUpto 5X on intradayUpto 5X on intraday
Brokerage PlanSingle planTrade free plan
Dealer assisted plan
Brokerage ChargesZerodha PlanKotak Securities (Trade free plan)
Equity Delivery0 (Free)Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.25% of transaction value whichever is higher with a ceiling of 2.5%
Equity Intraday0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lowerRs 0 (free)
Equity Futures0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lowerDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Equity OptionsRs. 20 per executed orderDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Currency Futures0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lowerDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Currency OptionsRs. 20 per executed orderDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Commodity Futures0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lowerDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Commodity OptionsRs. 20 per executed orderDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Call & Trade ChargesRs. 50 per orderFirst 20 calls free
After that, Rs. 15-20 per order

Kotak Securities Vs Zerodha Account Charges & AMC Comparison

#1. Account Opening Charges

Both Kotak Securities and Zerodha offer a free Demat account facility. 

In terms of trading account, Zerodha charges Rs. 200 for trading account opening. You need to pay Rs. 100 more to open a commodity trading account with Zerodha. Commodity trading is optional in Zerodha.

On the other hand, Kotak securities charge different ranges for trading account opening from Rs. 99 to Rs. 499 according to your selected brokerage plan. 

ZerodhaKotak Securities
Demat Account Opening Charges Rs. 0 (Free)Rs. 0 (Free)
Trading Account Opening Charges (One Time)Rs 200 (equity only)
Rs 300 (with commodity account)
Rs. 299 – Trade Free Youth
Rs. 99 – Trade Free Plan
Rs. 499 – Dealer assisted plan

You may like to read the step-by-step guide on how to open a Zerodha demat account.

#2. Account Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)

Zerodha charges Rs 300 for demat account AMC charges, on the other hand, Kotak Securities charges Rs 600 per annum. 

AMC FeeZerodhaKotak Securities
Trading AMC FeeZeroZero
Demat AMC FeeRs. 300For BSDA ClientsHolding <50K = No AMCHolding >50K & <2 lakh = Rs. 100 AMC
For Non-BSDA ClientsHolding <10K = No AMCHolding >10K = Rs. 50 per month (Rs. 600 yearly)

Kotak Securities Vs Zerodha – Broker Comparison

Zerodha offers zero brokerage on equity delivery and for intraday is 0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower.

Whereas Kotak Securities offers three plans with different brokerage rates.

  • Trade Free Brokerage Plan
  • Trade Free Youth Plan
  • Dealer Assisted Brokerage Plan

Let’s discuss the brokerage comparison between Kotak Securities and Zerodha based on different brokerage plans. 

#1. Kotak Securities Trade Free Brokerage Plan Vs Zerodha (Flat Brokerage Plan)

Zerodha offers a single brokerage plan, charges Rs 0 for equity trades and Rs 20 per executed order or 0.03% (whichever is lower) for intraday trades. 

On the other hand, Kotak Securities offers a trade free brokerage plan for individuals above 30 years of age. Under this plan, Kotak securities charge 0.25% for delivery trades, while intraday trades incur zero brokerage charges. 

SegmentBrokerage Charges Under Trade Free PlanZerodha(Flat Brokerage Plan)
Equity DeliveryRs. 20 per executed order or 0.25% of transaction value whichever is higher with a ceiling of 2.5%0 (Free)
Equity IntradayRs 0 (free)0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Equity FuturesDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Equity, Currency, Commodity OptionsDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
Rs. 20 per executed order
Currency FuturesDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Commodity FuturesDelivery – Rs. 20 per executed order
Intraday – Free
0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower

#2. Trade Free Youth 

For Youngsters, Kotak Securities offers a trade free youth brokerage plan for those who are below 30 years of age. Under this plan, Kotak securities does not charge any brokerage fees for all trades.  

SegmentBrokerage Charges Under Trade Free Youth Plan
Equity, Currency, Commodity, Delivery, Intraday, F&ORs. 0 Brokerage for all trades

#3. Kotak Securities Dealer Assisted Brokerage Plan

Under the dealer-assisted plan, Kotak Securities charges brokerage of as high as 0.39% per trade for delivery trades. On the other hand, Zerodha charges lowest brokerage charges for all intraday trading of Rs. 20 per executed order. 

Segment Kotak Securities Dealer Assisted Brokerage PlanZerodha(Flat Brokerage Plan)
Equity Delivery0.39% of transaction value 0 (Free)
Equity Intraday0.039% of transaction value0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Equity Futures0.39% of transaction value 0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Equity OptionsRs. 39 per LotRs. 20 per executed order
Currency FuturesRs. 9 per Lot0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Currency OptionsRs. 5 per LotRs. 20 per executed order
Commodity Futures0.39% of transaction value0.03% or Rs. 20 per executed order whichever is lower
Commodity OptionsRs. 39 per LotRs. 20 per executed order

Kotak Securities Vs Zerodha Leverage (Margin)

On July 20, 2020, SEBI issued a circular on peak margin and fixed the leverage margin for all stockbrokers in India. According to this circular, stockbrokers are not permitted to offer margins higher than the defined cap to their customers.

As a result, both the stock brokers Kotak Securities and Zerodha offer margin for intraday trading of up to 20% of the trade value (5x leverage) based on the stock. 

SegmentKotak SecuritiesZerodha
Equity Delivery100% of trade value (1x leverage)100% of trade value (1x leverage)
Equity IntradayUp to 20% of trade value (5x leverage)Up to 20% of trade value (5X leverage) 
F&O (Equity, Currency & Commodities)100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage)100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage)

Zerodha Vs Kotak Securities Trading Platforms

Zerodha offers various trading platforms to its customers. 

  • Kite – Web-based trading platform for investing in stocks
  • Kite Mobile – Trading mobile app for Android/iOS
  • Coin or Coin app – invest in mutual funds or bonds
  • Console – Back-office platform
  • Sentinel – Live market price alerts tool

Zerodha doesn’t provide IPO investment through mobile apps. 

Kotak Securities provides various trading platforms to its customers.

#1. Kotak Securities Website – HTML/Web-based trading platform to invest in stocks, IPOs, Mutual Funds and Bond. 

#2. KEAT ProX Trading Terminal – Desktop-based trading platform where you can trade in equities, derivatives, and currencies using a single platform.

KEAT Pro X comes in two versions 

  • Fastlane- web-based software for KEAT ProX-like trading when your office does not allow application installations.
  • Xtralite – Designed for traders who have slow internet connectivity. Xtralite provides super-fast trading even on low bandwidth connections.

#3. Kotak Stock Trader (Mobile App) – Mobile app-based trading platform for Android/iOS.

#4. Kotak Smallcase – 3rd party investment tool, Smallcase is a portfolio or a basket of stocks and ETFs. You can also check out how to find the Smallcase promo code. 

Kotak Securities Vs Zerodha Customer Support

Kotak Securities is a full-service broker offering high-quality customer service, whereas Zerodha is a discount broker providing a better customer support system as compared to all other discount brokers in India.

Kotak Securities Customer CareZerodha Customer Care
Account opening number1800 209 9191
Whatsapp No. –  77389 88888
080 4719 2020 080 7117 5337
Trading issuesEmail – [email protected] 080 4718 1888080 4718 1999
Ticket raiseZerodha ticket to raise

Zerodha Vs Kotak Securities: Which one is better?

Zerodha is the best option for retail investors with a single brokerage plan and user-friendly “kite” interface. Zerodha offers free equity delivery and charges a maximum Rs. 20 per executed order for intraday trading, Currency and commodity. 

For intraday trading, Kotak Securities is the great choice for you as Kotak Securities does not charge any brokerage on intraday trading for all segments under trade free plan. For equity delivery, you need to pay Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.25% of transaction value whichever is higher with a ceiling of 2.5%. 

When we compare the account charges with AMC fee, both the stock brokers charge Rs. 600 in total, because Zerodha charges Rs. 300 for account opening and Rs. 300 for AMC. Kotak Securities charges Rs. 99 for trade free account opening and Rs. 499 for AMC. 

FAQs

Which brokerage firm offers a zero brokerage option for equity delivery trades?

Zerodha offers a zero brokerage option for equity delivery trades.

Which brokerage firm offers a trade-free option for intraday trades?

Kotak Securities offers a trade-free option for intraday trades under the trade free plan.

Does Kotak Securities charge brokerage fees for all trades under their trade-free youth plan?

No, there are no brokerage fees charged for all trades.

What is the charge for a BSDA account?

As per the guidelines issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), there are no annual maintenance charges (AMC) for BSDA accounts if the value of securities held in the account does not exceed Rs. 50,000.

If the value of securities held in the account is between Rs. 50,001 to Rs. 2,00,000, the maximum annual maintenance charge that can be levied is Rs. 100 plus applicable taxes.

What is the maximum holding in a BSDA account?

The maximum holding in a BSDA account is Rs. 2 lakh (or its equivalent in securities) as per the regulations set by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

What is BSDA?

BSDA (Basic Services Demat Account) is a demat account offered by securities depositories in India. BSDA allows small retail investors to hold securities in electronic form with reduced maintenance charges.

How much does Zerodha charge for intraday trading?

Zerodha charges a maximum of Rs. 20 per executed order or 0.03% (whichever is lower) for intraday trading.

About Rajan Dhawan

Rajan has covered personal finance and investing for over 5 years. Previously, he was in the IT field for 8 years after completing his MCA but his deep interest in personal finance led him to become an investing expert. He is passionate about investing, stocks, startups, and cryptos.

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