Groww vs Kotak Neo

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
Kotak Neo
Full-Service Broker · since 1994
Kotak Neo

Groww vs Kotak Neo — quick verdict

Choose Groww if

You want low-cost, self-directed trading

Investing Made Simple

Choose Kotak Neo if

You want research and offline support

One of India's oldest stock broking companies, offering full-fledged investment services across asset classes through a single-login platform.

Company overview

Groww is a discount broker incorporated in 2016; Kotak Neo is a full-service broker incorporated in 1994.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
Type of broker Discount Broker Full-Service Broker
Exchange membership NSE · BSE · MCX NSE · BSE · MCX
Year of incorporation 2016 1994 older
Number of branches Not Disclosed 1,500+ Branches & Customer Touchpoints
Active clients ~1.29 Crore larger 15+ Lakh (Approx.)

Charges & AMC

Account-opening and maintenance charges for Groww and Kotak Neo compared side by side.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
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) As per applicable tariff plan
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 ₹13.5 + GST per debit

Brokerage charges

How Groww and Kotak Neo price each trading segment, per executed order.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
Equity Delivery ₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (whichever is lower, minimum ₹5) ₹0 (Free)
Equity Intraday ₹20 or 0.1% per executed order (whichever is lower, minimum ₹5) ₹20 or 0.03% (lower)
Equity Futures ₹20 per executed order ₹20 or 0.03% (lower)
Equity Options ₹20 per executed order ₹20/order
Currency F&O ₹20 per executed order ₹20 or 0.03% (lower)
Commodity F&O ₹20 per executed order ₹20 or 0.03% (lower)
Call & Trade Not Available +₹50/order

Transaction charges (exchange turnover)

Exchange turnover and clearing charges passed through by Groww and Kotak Neo, per segment.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
Equity Delivery NSE: 0.00297% | BSE: 0.00375% NSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%) | BSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%)
Equity Intraday NSE: 0.00297% | BSE: 0.00375% NSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%) | BSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%)
Equity Futures NSE: 0.00173% | BSE: 0.00% NSE ₹173 per Crore (0.00173%) | BSE ₹173 per Crore (0.00173%)
Equity Options NSE: 0.03503% (on premium) | BSE: 0.0325% (on premium) NSE ₹3,503 per Crore of premium (0.03503%) | BSE ₹3,250 per Crore of premium (0.0325%)
Currency Futures NSE: 0.00012% | BSE: 0.00005% NSE ₹35 per Crore (0.00035%) | BSE ₹35 per Crore (0.00035%)
Currency Options NSE: 0.0325% (on premium) | BSE: 0.001% (on premium) NSE ₹3,100 per Crore of premium (0.0311%) | BSE ₹1,000 per Crore of premium (0.01%)
Commodity Futures MCX: 0.00210% MCX ₹260 per Crore (0.00260%)
Commodity Options MCX: 0.04180% (on premium) MCX ₹5,000 per Crore of premium (0.05%)

Demat & DP charges

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

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
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)
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 ₹150 + GST
Failed Demat Transaction ₹50 per ISIN
Demat Opening ₹0
Transaction Charges ₹13.5 + GST
AMC ₹300 + GST
Pledge ₹30 + GST
Nil Nil

Margin & leverage (MTF)

Intraday and delivery margin / leverage offered by Groww and Kotak Neo.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
Equity Delivery 100% of trade value (1x) 100% of trade value (1x)
Equity Intraday As per SEBI peak margin rules (Up to 5x*) As per SEBI peak margin norms (Up to 5x (eligible stocks))
F&O (Equity/Currency/Commodity) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x)

Features & account

Account type and feature availability across Groww and Kotak Neo.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
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 Kotak Neo Web, Kotak Neo App, Kotak Stock Trader (Nest), Kotak Neo 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. Advanced charting, basket orders, option chain, Trading API, research reports, Smart Orders, eMargin, MTF, IPO and mutual fund investments.

Trading platforms & apps

Trading terminals, web platforms and mobile apps offered by Groww and Kotak Neo.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
Trading platforms offered Groww Web, Groww App Kotak Neo Web, Kotak Neo App, Kotak Stock Trader (Nest), Kotak Neo API
Number of platforms 2 4 more choice
Platforms (summary) Groww Web, Groww Mobile App, Groww API Kotak Neo Web, Kotak Neo App, Kotak Stock Trader (Nest), Kotak Neo API
Mobile / desktop apps Web, Mobile Web, Android & iOS, Desktop, API

User ratings

User ratings for Groww and Kotak Neo across the key parameters.

Rated onGrowwKotak Neo
Fees 4.7 better 4.4
Brokerage 4.6 better 4.5
Trading platform 4.8 better 4.7
Customer service 4.3 4.3
Research 4.1 4.4 better
Overall 4.6 better 4.4

Investment options

Which investment products Groww and Kotak Neo let you access.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
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 Kotak Neo.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
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 Kotak Neo.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
SEBI registration INZ000301838 INZ000200137
NSE member code 90187 08081
Year of incorporation 2016 1994 longer track record
Net worth Not Publicly Disclosed ₹5,000+ Crore (Approx.)
Exchange memberships NSE · BSE · MCX NSE · BSE · MCX
Latest complaint ratio 0.009% fewer complaints 0.034%

Complaints record

Exchange complaint data for Groww and Kotak Neo — the ratio matters more than the raw count.

ParameterGrowwKotak Neo
Latest financial year 2023–24 2025-26
Exchange NSE NSE
Active clients 95,38,609 larger base 15,40,000+
Complaints filed 834 520
Complaint ratio 0.009% fewer complaints 0.034%

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.
Kotak Neo

▲ Pros

  • ✓ Trusted full-service broker backed by Kotak Mahindra Bank.
  • ✓ Low brokerage plans for active traders.
  • ✓ Advanced Kotak Neo web and mobile trading platforms.
  • ✓ Investment in Stocks, IPOs, Mutual Funds, ETFs and Bonds from one account.
  • ✓ Research reports, market insights and investment recommendations.
  • ✓ API support for algo trading.
  • ✓ Easy online account opening with Aadhaar-based eKYC.
  • ✓ Multiple order types with advanced charting tools.

▼ Cons

  • ✕ Demat AMC may apply depending on the selected plan.
  • ✕ Call & Trade service is chargeable.
  • ✕ Margin Trading Facility (MTF) is available only for eligible stocks.
  • ✕ Some advanced features are available only under specific plans.
  • ✕ Research and advisory offerings may vary across customer plans.

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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.