Kotak Neo vs SMC Global

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

Kotak Neo
Kotak Neo
Full-Service Broker · since 1994
VS
SMC Global
Full-Service Broker · since 1994
SMC Global

Kotak Neo vs SMC Global — quick verdict

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.

Choose SMC Global if

You want research and offline support

Your Financial Partner.

Company overview

Kotak Neo is a full-service broker incorporated in 1994; SMC Global is a full-service broker incorporated in 1994.

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Type of broker Full-Service Broker Full-Service Broker
Exchange membership NSE · BSE · MCX NSE · BSE · MCX · NCDEX · MSEI
Year of incorporation 1994 1994
Number of branches 1,500+ Branches & Customer Touchpoints 2,500+ wider
Active clients 15+ Lakh (Approx.) larger 4 Lakh+

Charges & AMC

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

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Trading a/c opening ₹0 (Online) ₹0 (Online)
Trading a/c AMC ₹0 ₹0
Demat a/c opening ₹0 ₹0
Demat a/c AMC As per applicable tariff plan ₹399 + GST per year
DP charges (per ISIN, sell) ₹13.5 + GST per debit lower ₹15.93 per debit transaction (including GST)

Brokerage charges

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

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Equity Delivery ₹0 (Free) 0.30%
Equity Intraday ₹20 or 0.03% (lower) 0.30%
Equity Futures ₹20 or 0.03% (lower) 0.30%
Equity Options ₹20/order ₹20 per executed order
Currency F&O ₹20 or 0.03% (lower) 0.03%
Commodity F&O ₹20 or 0.03% (lower) 0.03%
Call & Trade +₹50/order ₹20 per executed order

Transaction charges (exchange turnover)

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

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Equity Delivery NSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%) | BSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%) NSE: 0.00297% • BSE: 0.00375%
Equity Intraday NSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%) | BSE ₹297 per Crore (0.00297%) NSE: 0.00297% • BSE: 0.00375%
Equity Futures NSE ₹173 per Crore (0.00173%) | BSE ₹173 per Crore (0.00173%) NSE: 0.00173%
Equity Options NSE ₹3,503 per Crore of premium (0.03503%) | BSE ₹3,250 per Crore of premium (0.0325%) NSE: 0.03503% (on premium)
Currency Futures NSE ₹35 per Crore (0.00035%) | BSE ₹35 per Crore (0.00035%) NSE: 0.00035%
Currency Options NSE ₹3,100 per Crore of premium (0.0311%) | BSE ₹1,000 per Crore of premium (0.01%) NSE: 0.03110% (on premium)
Commodity Futures MCX ₹260 per Crore (0.00260%) MCX: 0.00210%
Commodity Options MCX ₹5,000 per Crore of premium (0.05%) MCX: 0.04180% (on premium)

Demat & DP charges

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

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Demat Opening ₹0 —
Transaction Charges ₹13.5 + GST —
AMC ₹300 + GST —
Pledge ₹30 + GST —
Remat ₹150 + GST —
Nil Nil —
Demat Account Opening — ₹0
Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) — ₹399 + GST per year
Debit Transaction Charges — ₹15.93 per debit transaction (including GST)
Pledge / Unpledge Charges — ₹25 + GST per request
Dematerialisation (Demat) — ₹150 per certificate + GST
Rematerialisation (Remat) — ₹150 per certificate + GST
Failed Transactions — Nil

Margin & leverage (MTF)

Intraday and delivery margin / leverage offered by Kotak Neo and SMC Global.

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Equity Delivery 100% of trade value (1x) 100% of trade value (1x)
Equity Intraday As per SEBI peak margin norms (Up to 5x (eligible stocks)) VAR + ELM Margin (Up to 5x*)
F&O (Eq/Curr/Comm) SPAN + Exposure Margin (1x) SPAN + Exposure Margin (As per available margin)
Equity Options (Buy) — Premium Value (Not Applicable)
Equity Options (Sell) — SPAN + Exposure Margin (As per available margin)
Currency Futures & Options — SPAN + Exposure Margin (As per available margin)
Commodity Futures & Options — SPAN + Exposure Margin (As per available margin)

Features & account

Account type and feature availability across Kotak Neo and SMC Global.

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
3-in-1 account ✓ Yes better ✕ No
Automated / API trading ✓ Yes better ✕ No
Margin Trading (MTF) ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Trading in SME shares ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Trading platforms Kotak Neo Web, Kotak Neo App, Kotak Stock Trader (Nest), Kotak Neo API SMC ACE Web, SMC ACE Mobile App, SMC Trade Pro
Intraday square-off 3:15 PM 3:15 PM
Other Advanced charting, basket orders, option chain, Trading API, research reports, Smart Orders, eMargin, MTF, IPO and mutual fund investments. Research Reports, Trading Calls, Option Chain, Advanced Charting, Basket Orders, Price Alerts, Portfolio Tracker, Margin Trading Facility (MTF), IPO Investment, Wealth Management

Trading platforms & apps

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

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Trading platforms offered Kotak Neo Web, Kotak Neo App, Kotak Stock Trader (Nest), Kotak Neo API SMC ACE Web, SMC ACE Mobile App, SMC Trade Pro
Number of platforms 4 more choice 3
Platforms (summary) Kotak Neo Web, Kotak Neo App, Kotak Stock Trader (Nest), Kotak Neo API SMC ACE Web, SMC ACE Mobile App, SMC Trade Pro
Mobile / desktop apps Web, Android & iOS, Desktop, API Web, Mobile, Desktop

User ratings

User ratings for Kotak Neo and SMC Global across the key parameters.

Rated onKotak NeoSMC Global
Fees 4.4 better 4.1
Brokerage 4.5 better 4.2
Trading platform 4.7 better 4.3
Customer service 4.3 4.5 better
Research 4.4 4.8 better
Overall 4.4 better 4.3

Investment options

Which investment products Kotak Neo and SMC Global let you access.

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
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 Kotak Neo and SMC Global.

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Bracket Order ✕ No ✓ Yes better
Cover Order ✕ No ✓ Yes better
BTST ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
After Market (AMO) ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
GTC / GTT ✓ Yes better ✕ No

Safety & credibility

SEBI registration, financial strength and complaint record for Kotak Neo and SMC Global.

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
SEBI registration INZ000200137 INZ000199438
NSE member code 08081 06611
Year of incorporation 1994 1994
Net worth ₹5,000+ Crore (Approx.) stronger ₹3,215+ Cr
Exchange memberships NSE · BSE · MCX NSE · BSE · MCX · NCDEX · MSEI
Latest complaint ratio 0.034% 0.004% fewer complaints

Complaints record

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

ParameterKotak NeoSMC Global
Latest financial year 2025-26 2025–26
Exchange NSE NSE
Active clients 15,40,000+ larger base 4,21,538
Complaints filed 520 17
Complaint ratio 0.034% 0.004% fewer complaints

Pros & cons

The main advantages and drawbacks of each broker.

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.
SMC Global

▲ Pros

  • ✓ Strong equity, commodity, and currency research.
  • ✓ Wide range of investment and wealth management products.
  • ✓ Large nationwide branch and franchise network.
  • ✓ Supports stocks, F&O, commodities, currencies, IPOs, mutual funds, bonds, PMS, and insurance.
  • ✓ Advanced web, mobile, and desktop trading platforms.
  • ✓ Dedicated relationship managers and advisory services.

▼ Cons

  • ✕ Brokerage charges are higher than discount brokers.
  • ✕ Annual Demat AMC is applicable.
  • ✕ Some advanced advisory services are available only to premium clients.
  • ✕ Trading platforms may have a steeper learning curve for beginners.
  • ✕ Call & Trade charges apply.
Open Kotak Neo Account Open SMC Global Account

Explore more comparisons

Compare Kotak Neo with

Kotak Neo vs Zerodha Kotak Neo vs Angel One Kotak Neo vs Upstox Kotak Neo vs Groww Kotak Neo vs ICICI Direct Kotak Neo vs HDFC Securities Kotak Neo vs SBI Securities Kotak Neo vs Motilal Oswal Kotak Neo vs Paytm Money Kotak Neo vs Mirae Asset Sharekhan Kotak Neo vs Axis Direct Kotak Neo vs 5paisa Kotak Neo vs Choice Broking Kotak Neo vs m.Stock Kotak Neo vs Sahi Kotak Neo vs FYERS Securities Kotak Neo vs Anand Rathi Kotak Neo vs Jainam Broking Limited

Compare SMC Global with

SMC Global vs Zerodha SMC Global vs Angel One SMC Global vs Upstox SMC Global vs Groww SMC Global vs ICICI Direct SMC Global vs HDFC Securities SMC Global vs SBI Securities SMC Global vs Motilal Oswal SMC Global vs Paytm Money SMC Global vs Mirae Asset Sharekhan SMC Global vs Axis Direct SMC Global vs 5paisa SMC Global vs Choice Broking SMC Global vs m.Stock SMC Global vs Sahi SMC Global vs FYERS Securities SMC Global vs Anand Rathi SMC Global vs Jainam Broking Limited
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.