Top 10 Desktop Trading Platforms in India 2024: An In-Depth Analysis

Amidst the increasing popularity of stock trading these days, trading platforms have been playing a crucial role in making trading seamless, easier, and effective. Though there are different types of trading platforms are available to choose from, a desktop trading platform is considered the best among highly active traders.

If you are looking to trade in stocks and other market instruments, choosing from the best trading platforms in 2024 is necessary.

In this post, you will get to know the top 10 desktop trading platforms in India. This would help you choose the top trading software in India for you.

Why choosing the right desktop platform is necessary?

A stock market tends to be a complex system and not everyone is deft enough to take the right buying/selling decision every time. This is where a trading platform plays a crucial role by providing an insightful view of the stock market that help in easy decision making. It also helps in easy buying and selling of stocks and other market Choosing a desktop stock trading platform that matches your trading needs is extremely crucial. An ideal trading platform should be easy to use, affordable, full of features, and customer support.

Salient Features of Best Trading Platforms For Traders and Investors

Now, look at some of the most intrinsic features of the best trading platforms in 2024.

• Easy Use Interface: First and foremost, go with a trading platform that features a smart yet simple interface for the users.
• Real-Time Market Data: Make sure that the trading platform gives real-time market information, such as stock quotes, charts, and other details. It helps in quick and sound trading decisions.
• Advanced Charting Tools: A top-rated trading platform comes with advanced charting tools and technical analysis indicators that help in the detailed analysis of market trends and approaches.
• Order Execution: Choose a platform with quick order execution speed to ensure that your trades are executed quickly and accurately.
• Customization Choices: Verify whether you are allowed to change watchlists, alerts, and layouts on the platform to match your tastes.
• Risk Management Tools: To assist you minimize possible losses, pick a platform that provides risk management tools like trailing stops and stop-loss orders.
• Customer Support: Take into account the platform’s level of availability, responsiveness, and helpfulness in its customer assistance offerings.

Top 10 Desktop Trading Platforms in India in 2024

1. Zerodha Pi

Launched in 2015, Zerodha Pi is a popular desktop trading platform by Zerodha, India’s leading discount stock broker. The trading software can be installed on a laptop or desktop and enables traders and investors to trade in currency, equities, derivatives, commodities, etc. across BSE, NSE, and MCX. The platform boasts some of the advanced features like algos, insightful charts, technical indicators, chart-based trading etc.

Its major features are highlighted below.

• Next-level charting with 10 different types of charts, 20 drawing tools, and 80 technical indicators
• Easy access to historical data for back testing purpose
• Work even on basic system configuration
• Easy integration with 3^rd party apps like Meta Trader, Ninja Trader, and Ami Broker
• One-click chart-based trading
• Advanced features and tools such as Artificial Intelligence, and neural networks
• Automated trading advice
• One platform to trade in various categories and exchanges
• Integrated OMS and RMS for precise trading

2. 5Paisa Trader Station EXE

The Mumbai-based discount broker offers an advanced desktop trading platform – Trader Station EXE. Besides having a user-friendly interface, the desktop trading software has some really great features such as shortcut keys, advanced charting tools, multiple order placement, order slicing features, etc. You can easily download and install this trading software on your laptop or desktop to start stock trading. However, one thing with this software is that its demo version is currently not available for users.

Its major features are:

• Advanced watchlists for the creation of multiple watchlists, check real-time information, link scrips, and prepare a sound investment strategy etc.
• Simple and quick fund transfer
• Portfolio tracking and monitoring
• In-built shortcut keys
• Option to start and invest in SIP
• Order slicing for better price discovery
• Multiple order placement
• Leverage bracket order
• Quick and timely notifications about stock market updates, price alerts, and others.

3. Angel One SpeedPro

Angel One is considered among the top stockbrokers in India and offers multiple trading platforms to its clients. One of them is SpeedPro that is meant to be downloaded and installed on a computer. The desktop trading platform is loaded with a wide range of features that make it the most sought-after trading application in the current landscape. It is an ideal choice for both novice and experienced traders who can make the most of their stock trading endeavors. Let’s look at the trading software’s major features.

• Market watch section for quick and insightful analysis of the stock market
• Scrip addition for the addition of a scrip across different segments such as commodity, currency, F&O, etc.
• Easy access to various reports such as day reports, order reports, net position reports, portfolio reports, fund reports.
• Best five feature to check top five bids for buying and selling across BSE and NSE
• Open in Excel feature to check the market watch in an excel sheet
• Customization feature in regard to order quantity, portfolio, chart type, performance indicator, workspace, etc.
• Solitary window trading backdrop along with trade analysis features
• Live market streaming

4. Sharekhan TradeTiger

Sharekhan is one of the oldest and successful stockbrokers in India and allows traders and investors to trade and invest across different segments. Sharekhan TradeTiger enables a single window to trade across multiple platforms, including MCX, NSE, BSE, and NCDEX. Trade Tiger comes with both basic and advanced variants to meet the diverse trading requirements of different types of investors. Featuring an advanced charting and an auto order alert capability, it provides a real-time experience to both intraday and swing traders.

Its major features are:

• An ideal choice for highly active traders
• Advanced 90+ charts and 30+ indicators
• Option to place bulk orders with a single click
• Quick customization for a personalized trading experience
• API integration with other apps
• AmiBroker integration
• One point access to various exchanges and categories
• Real time research study and call on market trends
• Stock scanner with easy fiters to discover profitable trade opportunities
• Option quotes with over 30 trading strategies, portfolio greeks, pay-off charts and others
• Predefine order quantity settings
• Trade using Microsoft Excel
• Heatmap tool to check live market performance

5. Kotak Securities KEAT Pro X

Setup in 1994, Kotak Securities is a subsidiary of the prestigious Kotak Mahindra Bank. Being a full-service stockbroker, it offers a plethora of trading and investment services to its clients. Kotak KEAT Pro X is a no-cost, user-centric and lightning-fast online trading software. The desktop trading software can be downloaded on a desktop or a laptop which allows users to trade across BSE, NSE currency markets and MCX Commodities.

The key features of the KEAT Pro X trading platform include:

• One window platform for trading across various securities and multiple exchanges
• Place buy/sell orders quickly using shortcut keys
• Live quotes from BSE, NSE, NSE currency markets & MCX Markets.
• Quick access to crucial market details such as market lots, top gainers/ losers, indices (Sensex, Nifty), highly active scrips etc.
• Define personalized watchlists with scrips across exchanges with real-time tracking.
• Advanced charting tools with multiple technical indicators and historical information
• Receive live stock recommendations from the research section.
• View and monitor your portfolio, check open positions, P&L etc.

6. ICICIdirect Trade Racer

ICICIdirect is counted among the top full-service stockbrokers in India with over 8 lakh clients. It allows its clients to trade and invest in equity, currency, derivatives, ETFs, mutual funds, insurance, bonds, loans, etc. The full-service stockbroker offers a desktop trading platform – Trade Racer. This software needs to be downloaded and installed on a desktop or laptop. It is full of various useful features that make trading a seamless affair for traders and investors.

Its salient features are:

• One Platform for trading across multiple segments at NSE and BSE.
• Trend Scanner to check intraday price changes of the chosen stocks
• Live Scanner to determine scrips making big changes
• Snap View gives detailed view of any scrip with details such as market depth, resistance, charts, support levels etc.
• Heat Maps for rapid discovery of positive and negative stocks
• Global Indices to check on all major markets across America, Europe and Asia.
• Live Streaming quotes
• Access to stock recommendations and research calls
• Multiple Watch lists
• Integrated Fund Transfer feature
• Quick customization choices such as pre-defined desktops, grid patterns and screen colors for a personalized trading experience
• Fast and smart trading using shortcut keys

7. Motilal Oswal Orion Lite

Motilal Oswal Securities Limited is a full-service stockbroker having more than 3 decades of stockbroking experience. Apart from offering user-centric trading services, the stockbroker also provides investment banking, wealth and asset management offerings. It currently serves more than 5 million customers through its diverse services. Motilal Oswal offers Orion Lite which is a great desktop trading platforms currently available for traders and investors. The software helps in quick and insightful discovery of the most profitable stocks to invest in.

• Amazingly faster trade execution with 1-second refresh rate
• Next-gen charting tools
• Tick-by-tick action
• Recommendations are support by steadfast research extending from Hours-Days-Weeks-Months-Years
• In-built Trade guide signal – trend guiding tool to auto-generate buy/sell notions
• Easy access to more than 30,000 research reports
• High-speed feeds, trading & execution across multiple assets

8. Fyers One

Established in 2015, Fyers Securities is a leading online discount stockbroker in India. It allows traders and investors to invest in stocks, currency derivatives, F&O, mutual funds across multiple categories and exchanges. Its Fyers One desktop trading software is extremely popular among professional traders. It is full of various trading features such as advanced charting, F&O Analysis, stock analyzers, portfolio monitoring and EoD reporting. The desktop terminal promises a quick terminal-like experience to traders and includes several important features such as:

• Quick access to various segments and exchanges
• Define watch lists group by sectors, derivatives, and indices
• Next-gen charting facilities with historical EoD data of up-to 10+ years and intraday of up-to 30 days
• 60+ technical indicators
• Inbuilt technical stock screeners for monitoring intraday changes, circuit breakers, support and resistance levels, etc.
• Heat maps and Index meter to understand market sentiments
• Most updated and historic market turnover information
• Real-time information and notification on all major events of companies
• Portfolio tracker and portfolio reproduction
• Cutting-edge EoD reports
• 10 customization choices

9. NSE Now

NSE (National Stock Exchange of India) offers a desktop trading software with the name – NSE NOW. Developed by its subsidiary firm DotEx, it comes in three versions – EXE Version, WEB Version, and Mobile Version. All three versions allow traders and investors to trade in equity, derivatives, and currency across BSE and NSE. Its major features include:

• One window platform to trade across all asset categories
• Quick order execution
• Real-time streaming quotes and market information
• Enables Portfolio and Holdings Tracking
• Market watch Groups development
• 15+ charts with 80+ technical indicators
• Fund Transfer and Monitoring Margin

10. Omnesys NEST

Being a leading desktop trading platform in India, NEST is used by more than 200 conventional and discount stockbrokers in India. It is developed by Thomson Reuters which acquired Omnesys Technologies in 2013. Its major features are:

• Integrated OMS and RMS
• Availability of API to developers, brokers, and Algo traders.
• High levels of stability and efficiency
• Advanced order types such as cover order and bracket orders
• Managed services for NEST
• 360-degree analysis of stocks based on streaming data, advanced charts, and LIVE news
• Different plugins for advanced users
• Timely alerts and triggers
• Customization of shortcuts
• Enables trading at various exchanges across multiple categories
• Lesser downtime

Also read: Top 10 Stock Trading Apps in India

The Conclusion

The role of a desktop stock trading software is paramount when it comes to trade seamlessly. There are several factors that need to be kept in mind while exploring the best trading platforms for investors.

Hopefully, the given trading platforms analysis in India would be of immense value to you in learning more about the top investment platforms in 2024. If you want to know more about the best desktop trading platforms in India, you can consider the aforementioned options.