Best Stock Brokers for Beginners
What first-time investors should look for in a broker — simple apps, low fixed costs and good learning material — and which brokers fit.
Fees checked on against each broker's official pricing page.
Our lists are editorially independent. Some links may be sponsored — how we make money.
Our shortlist
Groww
Discount broker · Simplest app
₹0 AMC and a very simple app for stocks and mutual funds.
- Delivery
- 0.1% or ₹20
- Intraday
- 0.1% or ₹20
- F&O
- ₹20/order
- AMC
- ₹0
Zerodha
Discount broker · Best learning material
₹0 delivery and free Varsity education modules.
- Delivery
- ₹0
- Intraday
- 0.03% or ₹20
- F&O
- ₹20/order
- AMC
- Free yr 1; ₹300/yr + GST
Angel One
Discount broker with research · Research included
Free first-year AMC and research reports from a SEBI-registered research arm.
- Delivery
- 0.1% or ₹20
- Intraday
- 0.1% or ₹20
- F&O
- ₹20/order
- AMC
- Free yr 1; ₹60/qtr + GST
Kotak Securities
Bank-group broker (Kotak Neo) · Under-30 plan
Trade Free Youth: ₹0 delivery for investors under 30 (₹99 one-time).
- Delivery
- 0.20% (₹0 Youth)
- Intraday
- 0.05% or ₹10
- F&O
- ₹10/order
- AMC
- ₹50/month + GST (non-BSDA)
What beginners should prioritise
- Low fixed costs. When your portfolio is small, a ₹300 annual AMC is a large percentage. Look for ₹0 AMC or a Basic Services Demat Account (BSDA).
- A simple, reliable app. You should be able to see holdings, place a delivery order and read your contract note easily.
- Learning resources. Free, non-promotional education helps you avoid expensive mistakes.
- Clear pricing. Prefer brokers that publish all charges on one page.
Start with delivery, not F&O
Beginners should start with delivery investing, buying shares and holding them in your demat account. Intraday and F&O trading involve leverage and fast losses.
Compare the beginner picks
| Broker | Account opening | AMC | Delivery | Intraday | Options | DP charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groww | ₹0 | ₹0 | 0.1% or ₹20 | 0.1% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/sell order |
| Zerodha | ₹0 | Free yr 1; ₹300/yr + GST | ₹0 | 0.03% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹15.34/scrip/day |
| Angel One | ₹0 | Free yr 1; ₹60/qtr + GST | 0.1% or ₹20 | 0.1% or ₹20 | ₹20/order | ₹23.60/sell txn |
| 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 |
New to investing? Read stock market basics for beginners and what is a demat account.
How we judged these brokers for beginners
Nothing on this page was paid for. We looked at how easy each broker is to start with — account opening, the first order, the learning material — and at the fees a small, occasional investor actually pays.
- Low, predictable fees — what a beginner trading small amounts is charged.
- A gentle learning curve — clear apps, good help pages and no pressure to trade often.
- Safety and regulation — SEBI registration, a clean record and segregated client funds.
- Honest pricing — charges explained without jargon or hidden extras.
Start with the broker that makes the first year simple, not the one with the loudest ad. Our beginner's guide walks through opening an account.
Worked example: small monthly purchases
Many beginners start by buying a small amount of shares each month. Brokerage on a ₹2,000 delivery purchase, and over 12 such purchases:
| Broker | Brokerage per ₹2,000 buy | 12 buys a year |
|---|---|---|
| Groww | ₹5.00 | ₹60.00 |
| Zerodha | ₹0.00 | ₹0.00 |
| Angel One | ₹5.00 | ₹60.00 |
| Kotak Securities | ₹4.00 | ₹48.00 |
| Upstox | ₹20.00 | ₹240.00 |
Watch for minimum brokerage: a "0.1% or ₹20" rule with a ₹5 minimum charges ₹5 on a ₹2,000 order (0.25%), not ₹2. Kotak's figure above is the default Trade Free plan; under-30s on Trade Free Youth pay ₹0 delivery brokerage. Also remember that when you eventually sell, a DP charge applies — but brokers count it differently: Zerodha and Upstox charge once per stock per day, while Groww and Angel One charge for every sell order (see our DP charges guide).