Educational guide
Demat & Trading Account — Setup, Charges & DP Comparison
A Demat account holds your shares, a Trading account places orders. You need both — bundled by every modern broker.
// depositories — cdsl vs nsdl
CDSL is owned by BSE; NSDL by NSE. From a user perspective they're identical — both hold dematerialised securities, both follow SEBI rules. The broker decides which depository your account links to.
// costs to watch
Account opening: ₹0–₹500. Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC): ₹0–₹400. Brokerage: ₹0–₹20 per order on discount brokers, 0.1–0.5% per side on full-service. DP charges: ₹10–₹25 per sale + GST.
// picking a broker
Discount brokers (Zerodha, Upstox, Groww, Dhan, Fyers) suit DIY investors. Full-service brokers (HDFC Sec, ICICI Direct, Kotak Sec) suit advised investors. Compare on platform reliability, charts, customer service, not just brokerage.
// frequently asked questions
Yes — you can have one Demat with each broker. SEBI doesn't cap the number of accounts per PAN.