Zerodha
India's largest stockbroker by client base
4.6/ 5
Best for: Cost-conscious DIY investors who mainly buy-and-hold stocks or trade F&O occasionally.
Compare Zerodha with others →Dhan review
Trader-focused app with deep TradingView integration
4.4/ 5App: 4.4/5
- Since 2021
- Delivery ₹0
- AMC ₹0
Fees & pricing4.5
Trading platforms4.7
Customer support3.8
Research & education3.0
Ease of opening4.4
Reviewed by LetsInvest Research DeskUpdated 13 Sept 2026Pricing verified 13 Sept 2026How we test
Overview
Dhan is a newer discount broker built for active traders, with TradingView-powered charting, fast execution, baskets, and a well-regarded options-trading experience.
Best for: Active F&O and intraday traders who live in charts.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Excellent options-trading and charting UX
- Free account opening, zero AMC positioning
- Trader-first feature velocity
- Clean modern interface
Watch out for
- Young broker — shorter track record
- No US stocks or advisory
- Mutual-fund experience is secondary
Fees & charges
Account charges
- Account openingOne-time charge to open your demat + trading account. Many discount brokers have made this free.
- ₹0Confirming
- Annual maintenance (AMC)Yearly demat maintenance, charged by the broker (separate from CDSL/NSDL custodian fees). Often free for the first year.
- ₹0Confirming
Equity
- Equity deliveryBrokerage when you buy shares and hold them overnight or longer. This is the charge long-term investors should minimise.
- ₹0Confirming
- IntradayBrokerage on same-day buy-sell trades. Percentage caps (e.g. 0.03%) protect small orders from the flat fee.
- ₹20 or 0.03% per orderConfirming
Derivatives (F&O)
- OptionsPer-order charge for options buying/selling. Excludes STT, exchange and SEBI charges, which apply equally everywhere.
- ₹20 per orderConfirming
- FuturesPer-order charge for futures trades. Same statutory extras as options apply on top.
- ₹20 per orderConfirming
Sources: official broker pricing pages. Figures marked “Confirming” are being re-verified — always confirm before trading.
Platforms & features
platforms
- Mobile app✓ · Dhan + Options Trader apps
trading
- Charting✓ · Full TradingView integration
- Trading API✓ · Data + order APIs
investing
- IPO investing✓ · Supported
Our verdict
Dhan is the most trader-polished newcomer. Long-term buy-and-hold investors lose nothing by staying with Zerodha/Groww.
How to open a Dhan account
Start your application
Open the Dhan signup with your mobile number and email — it takes about 10 minutes.
Complete e-KYC
Verify with PAN, Aadhaar-based OTP, a live selfie and your bank proof (cancelled cheque or statement).
E-sign documents
Digitally sign the account-opening form and nomination details via Aadhaar e-sign.
Get your client ID
Activation usually takes 24–48 hours. Your login credentials arrive by email and SMS.
Compare Dhan
Alternatives to Dhan
Groww
Beginner-friendly investing super-app
4.5/ 5
Best for: Beginners and mutual-fund investors who want one simple app for everything.
Compare Groww with others →Upstox
Low-cost broker with fast trading tools
4.3/ 5
Best for: Mobile-first traders and developers who use trading APIs.
Compare Upstox with others →Dhan FAQs
Is Dhan safe despite being new?
Dhan is a SEBI-registered broker; client assets sit in your demat account like any broker. The "new" risk is product/support maturity, not custody — and its trader UX is widely praised.
Affiliate disclosure: LetsInvest earns a commission if you open an account via links on this page — at no extra cost to you. Rankings are editorial and never sold. Read how we make money and our methodology.
How we research. Every fee on this site carries a source and a verification date. Data is re-checked against official broker pages; read our editorial methodology. LetsInvest is a research publication, not a financial adviser — see our terms.