Groww vs ICICI Direct

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

Groww
Groww
Discount Broker · since 2016
VS
ICICI Direct
Full-Service Broker · since 1995
ICICI Direct

Groww vs ICICI Direct — quick verdict

Choose Groww if

You want low-cost, self-directed trading

Investing Made Simple

Choose ICICI Direct if

You want research and offline support

One Account. Infinite Opportunities.

Company overview

Groww is a discount broker incorporated in 2016; ICICI Direct is a full-service broker incorporated in 1995.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Type of broker Discount Broker Full-Service Broker
Exchange membership NSE · BSE · MCX NSE · BSE · MCX · NCDEX
Year of incorporation 2016 1995 older
Number of branches Not Disclosed 3,000+ ICICI Bank Branches & Customer To
Active clients ~1.29 Crore larger ~19.80 Lakh+

Charges & AMC

Account-opening and maintenance charges for Groww and ICICI Direct compared side by side.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Trading a/c opening ₹0 (Free) ₹0 (Online)
Trading a/c AMC ₹0 (Free) ₹0
Demat a/c opening ₹0 (Free) ₹0
Demat a/c AMC ₹0 (Free) lower ₹300 + GST per year
DP charges (per ISIN, sell) Depository ₹3.50 (Male) / ₹3.25 (Female) + Groww ₹16.50 per debit transaction (₹0 for debit value below ₹100) lower NSDL – ₹20 + GST (first debit), ₹4 + GST (subsequent same-day debit); CDSL – ₹20 + GST per scrip sold per day

Brokerage charges

How Groww and ICICI Direct price each trading segment, per executed order.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Equity Delivery ₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (whichever is lower, minimum ₹5) ₹20 per order (or plan-specific rate)
Equity Intraday ₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (whichever is lower, minimum ₹5) ₹20 per order
Equity Futures ₹20 per executed order ₹20 per order
Equity Options ₹20 per executed order ₹20 per order
Currency F&O ₹20 per executed order ₹20 per order
Commodity F&O ₹20 per executed order ₹20 per order
Call & Trade Not Available ₹50 per order

Transaction charges (exchange turnover)

Exchange turnover and clearing charges passed through by Groww and ICICI Direct, per segment.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Equity Delivery NSE: 0.00297% | BSE: 0.00375% NSE: 0.00297% + IPFT 0.00010% • BSE: 0.00375%
Equity Intraday NSE: 0.00297% | BSE: 0.00375% NSE: 0.00297% + IPFT 0.00010% • BSE: 0.00375%
Equity Futures NSE: 0.00173% | BSE: 0.00% NSE: 0.00173% + IPFT 0.00010% • BSE: 0.00000%
Equity Options NSE: 0.03503% (on premium) | BSE: 0.0325% (on premium) NSE: 0.03503% (on Premium) + IPFT 0.00050% • BSE: 0.03250% (on Premium)
Currency Futures NSE: 0.00012% | BSE: 0.00005% NSE: 0.00012% • BSE: 0.00005%
Currency Options NSE: 0.0325% (on premium) | BSE: 0.001% (on premium) NSE: 0.03250% (on Premium) • BSE: 0.00100% (on Premium)
Commodity Futures MCX: 0.00210% —
Commodity Options MCX: 0.04180% (on premium) —
Commodity Futures (MCX) — 0.00210%
Commodity Options (MCX) — 0.04180% (on Premium)

Demat & DP charges

Depository (demat) charges for Groww and ICICI Direct — AMC, debit transactions, pledging and remat.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Demat Account Opening ₹0 (Free) ₹0 (Online)
Transaction Charges (Sell) Depository ₹3.50 (Male) / ₹3.25 (Female) + Groww ₹16.50 per debit transaction (₹0 for debit value below ₹100) —
Transaction Charges Demat Account Opening ₹0 (Free) Transaction Charges (Sell) Depository ₹3.50 (Male) / ₹3.25 (Female) + Groww ₹16.50 per debit transaction (₹0 for debit value below ₹100) Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) ₹0 —
Pledge / Unpledge ₹20 per ISIN —
Remat ₹150 per certificate + courier charges —
Failed Demat Transaction ₹50 per ISIN —
Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) — ₹300 + GST per year
DP Charges (NSDL) — ₹20 + GST per scrip for the first debit instruction and ₹4 + GST for subsequent debit instructions in the same scrip on the same day
DP Charges (CDSL) — ₹20 + GST per scrip sold per day (includes depository charges)
Call & Trade (Equity & Derivatives) — ₹50 per order
Call & Trade (Commodity) — ₹50 per order
Pledge Charges (MTF) — ₹25 + GST per pledge instruction
Pledge Charges (Shares as Margin - SAM) — ₹29 + GST per pledge instruction
Pledge Charges (CUSPA) — ₹29 + GST per pledge instruction

Margin & leverage (MTF)

Intraday and delivery margin / leverage offered by Groww and ICICI Direct.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Equity Delivery 100% of trade value (1x) Up to 100% of trade value (1x)
Equity Intraday As per SEBI peak margin rules (Up to 5x*) As per SEBI Peak Margin Rules (Up to 5x*)
F&O (Equity/Currency/Commodity) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x) SPAN + Exposure Margin (As per Exchange)
Equity Options — Premium + Applicable Margin (As per Exchange)
Currency Futures & Options — Exchange Prescribed Margin (As per Exchange)
Commodity Futures & Options — Exchange Prescribed Margin (As per Exchange)

Features & account

Account type and feature availability across Groww and ICICI Direct.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
3-in-1 account ✕ No ✓ Yes better
Automated / API trading ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Margin Trading (MTF) ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Trading in SME shares ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Trading platforms Groww Web, Groww Mobile App, Groww API ICICIdirect Web, ICICIdirect Mobile App, Trade Racer, Breeze API
Intraday square-off 3:20 PM 3:15 PM
Other Stock SIP, Option Chain, Price Alerts, Advanced Charts, Watchlists, Portfolio Tracking, Margin Trading Facility (MTF), IPO Investment, Direct Mutual Funds. 3-in-1 Account, Research Reports, Stock SIP, Basket Orders, MTF, Loan Against Securities

Trading platforms & apps

Trading terminals, web platforms and mobile apps offered by Groww and ICICI Direct.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Trading platforms offered Groww Web, Groww App ICICIdirect Web, ICICIdirect Mobile App, ICICI Direct Markets App, Trade Racer
Number of platforms 2 4 more choice
Platforms (summary) Groww Web, Groww Mobile App, Groww API ICICIdirect Web, ICICIdirect Mobile App, Trade Racer, Breeze API
Mobile / desktop apps Web, Mobile Web, Mobile, Desktop

User ratings

User ratings for Groww and ICICI Direct across the key parameters.

Rated onGrowwICICI Direct
Fees 4.7 better 4.1
Brokerage 4.6 better 4.2
Trading platform 4.8 4.8
Customer service 4.3 4.7 better
Research 4.1 4.9 better
Overall 4.6 4.6

Investment options

Which investment products Groww and ICICI Direct let you access.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
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 Groww and ICICI Direct.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
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 Groww and ICICI Direct.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
SEBI registration INZ000301838 INZ000183631
NSE member code 90187 07730
Year of incorporation 2016 1995 longer track record
Net worth Not Publicly Disclosed Not Separately Disclosed (Subsidiary of ICICI Bank Limited)
Exchange memberships NSE · BSE · MCX NSE · BSE · MCX · NCDEX
Latest complaint ratio 0.009% 0.0031% fewer complaints

Complaints record

Exchange complaint data for Groww and ICICI Direct — the ratio matters more than the raw count.

ParameterGrowwICICI Direct
Latest financial year 2023–24 Latest Available
Exchange NSE NSE
Active clients 95,38,609 larger base 19,60,293
Complaints filed 834 61 (Pending SCORES 2.0)
Complaint ratio 0.009% 0.0031% fewer complaints

Pros & cons

The main advantages and drawbacks of each broker.

Groww

▲ Pros

  • ✓ Simple and beginner-friendly trading platform.
  • ✓ Fully digital and paperless account opening process.
  • ✓ Supports investment in stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, IPOs and F&O.
  • ✓ Available on both web and mobile platforms.
  • ✓ Transparent brokerage structure.
  • ✓ Easy portfolio tracking and fund management.
  • ✓ Supports multiple exchanges including NSE, BSE and MCX.
  • ✓ Secure online investment platform with modern trading tools.

▼ Cons

  • ✕ Limited physical branch network.
  • ✕ Research and advisory services are comparatively limited.
  • ✕ Call & Trade facility is not available.
  • ✕ Advanced trading features may be fewer than some full-service brokers.
  • ✕ Customer support response time may vary during peak market hours.
  • ✕ Margin funding and premium research offerings are limited compared to some competitors.
ICICI Direct

▲ Pros

  • ✓ Integrated 3-in-1 Account with ICICI Bank.
  • ✓ Access to Equity, F&O, Currency and Commodity trading.
  • ✓ Strong in-house research and investment recommendations.
  • ✓ Multiple trading platforms for beginners and active traders.
  • ✓ Wide range of investment products under one account.
  • ✓ Backed by the trusted ICICI Group.
  • ✓ Digital account opening with online KYC.
  • ✓ Extensive customer support network across India.

▼ Cons

  • ✕ Brokerage charges may be higher than discount brokers.
  • ✕ Some advanced features are available only under specific brokerage plans.
  • ✕ Annual Demat AMC is applicable.
  • ✕ Certain services attract additional transaction charges.
  • ✕ Trading costs may vary depending on the selected brokerage plan.
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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.