First Demat vs Upstox

A full side-by-side comparison of brokerage charges, demat AMC, margin, platforms, features and user ratings — updated for 2026.

First Demat
First Demat
Discount Broker · since 2026
VS
Upstox
Discount Broker · since 2009
Upstox

First Demat vs Upstox — quick verdict

Choose First Demat if

You want low-cost, self-directed trading

First Demat review — multiple brokerage packs, brokerage starting at ₹20 per order, digital trading platforms and a wide range of investment options. make this short

Choose Upstox if

You want low-cost, self-directed trading

Modern discount broker offering fast trading platforms, flat brokerage and investment products for traders and investors.

Company overview

First Demat is a discount broker incorporated in 2026; Upstox is a discount broker incorporated in 2009.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Type of broker Discount Broker Discount Broker
Exchange membership NSE · BSE · MCX —
Year of incorporation 2026 2009 older
Number of branches 1 Online-first broker
Active clients 500 30+ lakh (approx.) larger

Charges & AMC

Account-opening and maintenance charges for First Demat and Upstox compared side by side.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Trading a/c opening ₹0 online; ₹500 offline ₹0 (Online)
Trading a/c AMC ₹0 ₹0 (First Year)*
Demat a/c opening ₹0 ₹0
Demat a/c AMC ₹0 for the first year lower ₹300 + GST/year (applicable after promotional period for eligible accounts)
DP charges (per ISIN, sell) ₹20 + GST per ISIN ₹20 per scrip per day (on sell transactions)

Brokerage charges

How First Demat and Upstox price each trading segment, per executed order.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Equity Delivery 0.1% or ₹20 per executed order, whichever is lower ₹20 per executed order
Equity Intraday 0.1% or ₹20 per executed order, whichever is lower ₹20 or 0.1% (whichever is lower)
Equity Futures ₹20 per executed order ₹20 or 0.05% (whichever is lower)
Equity Options ₹20 per executed order Flat ₹20 per executed order
Currency F&O — ₹20 or 0.05% (whichever is lower)
Commodity F&O — ₹20 or 0.05% (whichever is lower)
Call & Trade ₹50 per trade ₹75 + GST per order

Transaction charges (exchange turnover)

Exchange turnover and clearing charges passed through by First Demat and Upstox, per segment.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Equity Delivery NSE: 0.00307% · BSE: 0.00375% NSE: 0.00307% (BSE as applicable)
Equity Intraday NSE: 0.00307% · BSE: 0.00375% NSE: 0.00307%
Equity Futures NSE: 0.00183% · BSE: 0% NSE: 0.00183%
Equity Options NSE: 0.03553% on premium · BSE: 0.0325% on premium NSE: 0.03553% (Premium)
Currency Futures Not specified As per exchange
Currency Options Not specified —
Commodity Current segment-wise rates not verified As per exchange

Demat & DP charges

Depository (demat) charges for First Demat and Upstox — AMC, debit transactions, pledging and remat.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Demat Account Opening ₹0 online ₹0
Demat Account AMC ₹0 for the first year; thereafter ₹300 + GST/year*
DP Source NSDL, through the intermediary identified in the official regulatory disclosure —
DP ID IN303921, as listed on the official website —
DP Charges for Debit ₹20 + GST per ISIN —
Dematerialisation Charges ₹20 per DRF + ₹3 per certificate —
Rematerialisation Charges ₹20 per 100 securities or part thereof, subject to a maximum of ₹5,000, or ₹20 per certificate, whichever is higher —
Margin Pledge / Unpledged for Collateral ₹25 + GST per transaction —
Margin Pledged ₹3 + GST per transaction, —
Pledge Creation Confirmation Not specified —
Failed Instruction Charges ₹20 per intimation per instruction —
Advance Deposit ✕ No —
Other Charges Refer to the latest official demat tariff —
DP Charge (Sell) — ₹20 per scrip per day
Pledge Creation — ₹20 + GST per request
Rematerialisation — ₹100 per certificate + applicable charges
Off-market Transfer — ₹20 + GST per ISIN
Failed Transactions — Nil

Margin & leverage (MTF)

Intraday and delivery margin / leverage offered by First Demat and Upstox.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Equity Delivery Not verified (Not verified) 100% of trade value (1x)
Equity Intraday Not verified (Not verified) Up to 20% of trade value (Up to 5x)
Equity Futures As per applicable exchange and broker requirements (Not verified) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x)
Equity Options As per applicable exchange and broker requirements (Not verified) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x)
Currency Futures Not verified (Not verified) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x)
Currency Options Not verified (Not verified) —
Commodity Futures Not verified (Not verified) —
Commodity Options Not verified (Not verified) —

Features & account

Account type and feature availability across First Demat and Upstox.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
3-in-1 account ✕ No ✕ No
Automated / API trading ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Margin Trading (MTF) ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Trading in SME shares ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Trading platforms First Trade Web, First Mobile Upstox Pro Web, Upstox Mobile App, Upstox Developer API
Intraday square-off 3:20 PM 3:15 PM
Other Free equity delivery, digital onboarding, MTF facility available. GTT Orders, API Trading, Margin Trading Facility (MTF), IPO, Mutual Funds, Option Chain, Advanced Charts, Basket Orders, etc.

Trading platforms & apps

Trading terminals, web platforms and mobile apps offered by First Demat and Upstox.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Trading platforms offered First Demat Web Trading Platform, First Demat Mobile Trading, First Demat Android App, First Demat iOS App Upstox Pro Web, Upstox Mobile App, Upstox Developer API, Upstox Developer Console
Number of platforms 4 4
Platforms (summary) First Trade Web, First Mobile Upstox Pro Web, Upstox Mobile App, Upstox Developer API
Mobile / desktop apps Web, Mobile, Android, iPhone / iOS Web, Android & iOS, API

User ratings

User ratings for First Demat and Upstox across the key parameters.

Rated onFirst DematUpstox
Fees — 4.4
Brokerage — 4.5
Trading platform — 4.7
Customer service — 4
Research — 3.8
Overall 5 better 4.4

Investment options

Which investment products First Demat and Upstox let you access.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Stocks / Equity ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Commodity ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
IPO ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Mutual Funds ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Bonds / NCD ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Order types offered

Advanced order types supported by First Demat and Upstox.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Bracket Order ✕ No ✕ No
Cover Order ✕ No ✕ No
BTST ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
After Market (AMO) ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
GTC / GTT ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Safety & credibility

SEBI registration, financial strength and complaint record for First Demat and Upstox.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
SEBI registration INZ000328330 INZ000185137
NSE member code 90479 (NSE membership number) 13942
Year of incorporation 2026 2009 longer track record
Net worth 6952 Upstox Securities Pvt. Ltd.
Exchange memberships NSE · BSE · MCX —
Latest complaint ratio 0.016% fewer complaints 0.038%

Complaints record

Exchange complaint data for First Demat and Upstox — the ratio matters more than the raw count.

ParameterFirst DematUpstox
Latest financial year 2025-26 2025–26
Exchange NSE NSE
Active clients 5,00,000 32,45,678 larger base
Complaints filed 80 1,245
Complaint ratio 0.016% fewer complaints 0.038%

Pros & cons

The main advantages and drawbacks of each broker.

First Demat

▲ Pros

  • ✓ Zero online account opening charges.
  • ✓ Brokerage of ₹20 per executed order or 0.1%, whichever is lower, on applicable segments.
  • ✓ ₹20 per executed order for equity futures and options, according to the official pricing page.
  • ✓ Web and mobile trading platforms.
  • ✓ AI-assisted market insights and research tools.
  • ✓ Option strategy builder and multi-leg strategy tools.
  • ✓ Charting and technical indicators.
  • ✓ Trailing stop-loss and smart alerts.
  • ✓ IPO application facilities.
  • ✓ Mutual funds and ETFs, according to the supplied review and platform information.

▼ Cons

  • ✕ Brokerage and other fees should be checked against the applicable tariff and account conditions.
  • ✕ Call & Trade and auto square-off services attract additional charges.
  • ✕ Statutory taxes and exchange transaction charges apply separately.
  • ✕ Zero Demat AMC is stated for the first year; charges after the first year should be confirmed.
  • ✕ Current active-client figures and net worth have not been independently verified.
  • ✕ Individual category ratings and review counts are unavailable.
  • ✕ MTF is marked unavailable in the supplied review.
  • ✕ A 3-in-1 account is marked unavailable in the supplied review.
  • ✕ Some platform features and product availability require confirmation.
Upstox

▲ Pros

  • ✓ Flat brokerage model with a maximum brokerage per executed order on eligible segments.
  • ✓ Paperless online Demat and Trading account opening.
  • ✓ Feature-rich web and mobile trading platforms.
  • ✓ Supports investing in Stocks, ETFs, IPOs, Mutual Funds and more.
  • ✓ Margin Trading Facility (MTF) available for eligible stocks.
  • ✓ GTT (Good Till Triggered) order facility.
  • ✓ Developer APIs available for algorithmic trading and third-party integrations.
  • ✓ Supports multiple order types and advanced charting tools.

▼ Cons

  • ✕ Call & Trade service is chargeable.
  • ✕ Physical branch presence is limited compared to traditional full-service brokers.
  • ✕ Some advanced services and pricing depend on the selected account plan.
  • ✕ Certain trading facilities are available only for eligible exchanges or approved securities.

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Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks; read all related documents carefully before investing. This page is for information only and is not investment advice. Brokerage, AMC and other charges change frequently — always verify against the broker's official website before opening an account. Affiliate disclosure: "Open account" links are affiliate links and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; this does not influence our ratings.