Mutual Funds for Beginners: A Plain-English Guide
What mutual funds are, how NAV works, the main categories, costs like the expense ratio and exit load, and how to start.
Independent · Fee-verified · Updated 30 September 2026
Brokerage, AMC, DP charges and platform details for India's most-used brokers — taken from each broker's official pricing page, with the source linked on every review.
Headline charges for ten brokers. Figures exclude GST, STT, exchange and SEBI fees, which apply whichever broker you use.
| Broker | Account opening | AMC | Delivery | Intraday | Options | DP charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zerodha | ₹0 | Free yr 1; ₹300/yr + GST | ₹0 | 0.03% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹15.34/scrip/day |
| Groww | ₹0 | ₹0 | 0.1% or ₹20 | 0.1% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/sell order |
| Angel One | ₹0 | Free yr 1; ₹60/qtr + GST | 0.1% or ₹20 | 0.1% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/sell txn |
| Upstox | ₹0* | Free yr 1; ₹300/yr + GST | ₹20/order | 0.1% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/scrip/day |
| ICICI Direct | Not verified | ₹700/yr (₹300 Prime) | 0.29% (Prime lower) | 0.029% | ₹49/lot | ₹20 + GST/scrip/day |
| HDFC SKY by HDFC Securities | ₹0 | Free yr 1; ₹20/month | ₹20 or 2.5% | ₹20 or 2.5% | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/ISIN debit |
| Kotak Securities | ₹0 (₹99 Youth) | ₹50/month + GST (non-BSDA) | 0.20% (₹0 Youth) | 0.05% or ₹10 | ₹10/order | 0.04% (min ₹20) + GST/day |
| Motilal Oswal | ₹0 | ₹0 yr 1; later not verified | 0.20% | 0.02% | ₹20/lot | Not verified |
| 5paisa | ₹0 | Free yr 1; ₹25/month + GST | ₹20/order | ₹20/order | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/ISIN debit |
| Sharekhan | ₹0 | ₹400/yr (yr 2+) | 0.30% | 0.02% | ₹39/lot | Nil via Sharekhan |
There is no single “best” broker. Pick the list that matches how you actually invest or trade.
Discount broker
₹0 delivery brokerage and ₹20-capped trading on its in-house Kite platform.
Discount broker
₹0 account opening and ₹0 AMC with a very simple app.
Discount broker with research
Flat ₹20 F&O with a SEBI-registered research arm.
Discount broker
₹20 caps across segments, TradingView charts and a free API.
Full-service broker (bank group)
3-in-1 account with ICICI Bank. Prime plans cut the high default brokerage.
Bank-group broker (HDFC SKY flat-fee platform)
HDFC SKY: ₹20 per order from a bank-group broker.
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There is no single best broker for everyone. Low-cost discount brokers suit most self-directed investors; full-service brokers suit people who want research and advice. Our best stock brokers list compares options by need.
Every fee on this site is taken from the broker's official pricing page or published documents, and each review links to the source and shows the date we last checked it.
No broker can pay to change our fee data or its position in a list. Some links may be affiliate links, which are labelled; see our advertising disclosure.
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