ICICI Direct vs HDFC Securities Review 2025 | Which One is Better

ICICI DIRECT

One of the biggest retail stock brokers in India is ICICIdirect. It is a member of the Group ICICI. More than 50 lakh consumers can take advantage of its online trading and investing services. Equity, commodity, and currency trading at the BSE, NSE, and MCX are among the services provided. The company also provides wealth products, home loans, loans against securities, fixed deposits, bonds, NCDs, mutual funds, and initial public offerings (IPOs). The most well-liked offering from ICICI Direct is its 3-in-1 account. In addition to many other features and products, ICICIdirect offers One Click Equity, Margin Trading Funding (MTF), Smart Trading features, Systematic Equity Plan, and easy equity
investment.

HDFC SECURITIES

HDFC Securities, one of India’s top full-service stock brokers, was
founded in 2000. One of HDFC Bank’s subsidiaries is HDFC Securities. The firm facilitates
trading and investing in stocks, bonds, futures, options, buybacks, mutual funds, initial public
offerings (IPOs), commodities, currency derivatives, stock portfolios, and more for its
clientele. A registered broker with SEBI, HDFC Securities is also affiliated with the BSE,
NSE, MCX, CDSL, and NSDL.

HDFC Securities serves more than 1,800,000 + clients in a variety of industries and offers
more than 30 Also its provides service through Over 270 branches of the organisation which
are located throughout India. The lowest broking fees are charged by HDFC Securities,
which costs Rs 20 per transaction for trading in derivatives and 0.10% per deal for equity
delivery. A 3-in-1 account that combines a savings bank, trading, and a Demat account is
provided by HDFC Securities.

ICICI direct, founded in 1994, is a full-service broker. It offers trading on the BSE and NSE ,
It offers trading on the BSE and NSE. It operates 154 branches across India. HDFC
Securities, founded in 2000, is a full-service broker. It offers trading on the BSE and NSE. It
operates 270 branches across India.

	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Establishment Year	1994	2000
Founder	Vjay Chandok	Dhiraj Relli
Exchange of Membership	BSE, NSE	BSE, NSE
Broker Type	Full Service	Full Service
Company Type	Public	Private
Branches	154	270
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES CHARGES

Charges	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Trade and Call Charge	Rs 50 per trade	Rs 0
Minimum Brokerage Charges	Rs 35 per trade (I-Secure Plan)	Rs. 25 Per Order on Equity Segment
Other Charges	Margin Trading Interest: 0.025% Per day	NA
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES TRADING PLATFORM

ICICI Direct provides a wide selection of investment alternatives and an easy-to-use
interface, but its higher broking fees may be a disadvantage. HDFC Securities offers robust
research tools and seamless banking connectivity, although it may have a longer learning
curve for newcomers. Both are solid and established sites. Below the table shows some
information about both the trading platform.

Trading Platform	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Android App	ICICI Direct App	HDFC Android App
Algo Trading Platform
Foreign Stocks Trading Platform
Mutual Fund Investment Platform
Basket Trading Platform
Trading Terminal
Digital Gold Investment Trading Platform
Bond Investment Trading Platform
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES OFFERS

Offers	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Free AMC
Free Brokerage
Free Account Opening Charge
Flat Brokerage Charges
Flexible Brokerage Charges
Free Intraday and Delivery Charges
Margin Funding and Pledging
Free F&O Trading
Refferal Offers	Rs. 500 Per Client	Rs. 200 Per Client
Zero brokerage for Loss Making Trade
Brokerage Cashback
Free Trading Calls
Free Research Report
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES PRODUCT PROVIDED

Type	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securites
Equity Delivery
Equity Intraday
Equity Option
Equity Future
Currency Option
Currency Future
Commodity Options
Commodity Future
Mutual Funds
Foreign stocks
Banking
Insurance
Digital Gold
Govt./ Corporate Bonds
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES ADVISORY SERVICES PROVIDED

Type	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
IPO Service
Weekly and Monthly Review
Daily Stock Picks and Stock Tips
PMS or PCG
Trading Institution
Demat and Trading Service
Intraday Service
Share Pledging
NRI Service
3 In 1 Account
Company and Annual Report
Stock Recommendation and Research report
Robo Advisory
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

FEATURES OF ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES

Features	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Chart
Automated Trading
3 in 1 Account
Sms Alerts
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash)
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O)
Online Portfolio
Online Demo
Intraday Square-Off Time	3:50 PM	3:50 PM
Global Indices
Real Time Update
Stock Tips
Multi Profile Management
Interactive Charts
Customised Recommendation
Online MF Buy
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES DEMAT AND AMC CHARGES

The opening fee for an ICICIdirect trading account is Rs 0 (free), But an HDFC Securities account requires Rs 999. The AMC charges for ICICIdirect Demat Accounts are Rs 300 (beginning with the second year) and Rs 750 for HDFC Securities Demat Accounts. Below the table shows Demat account charges of both the platform.

Charges	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Demat Account Opening Charges	Rs.0 (Free)	Rs. 199
Demat Account AMC Charges	Rs. 300 (from 2nd year)	Rs. 750
Trading Account Opening Charges	Rs. 0 (Free)	Rs. 900
Trading Account AMC Charges	Rs. 0 (Free)	Rs. 0 (Free)
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES BROKERAGE CHARGES

ICICIdirect costs 0.55% for equity broking and Rs 20 for intraday orders, whereas HDFC Securities charges 0.32% for equity broking and 0.032% for intraday trading. Special Offer: Invest in Equity Delivery and Direct Mutual Funds without paying any broking fees. Intra-day and F&O trades are charged a flat rate of Rs 20.Belw the table shows brokerage charges of
both the platforms.

Brokerage Charges	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Brokerage Plan	Neo Plan	Starter Pack – Lite 199
Equity Delivery	0.27% of Total Transaction	0.32% of Transaction Value
Equity Intraday	Rs. 20 per Trade	0.032% of Transaction Value
Equity Option	Rs. 20 per Trade	Rs. 20 per Trade
Equity Future	Free	Rs.20 per Trade
Currency Option	Rs. 20 per Trade	Rs.25 per Lot
Currency Future	Rs. 20 per Trade	0.025% of Transaction Value
Commodity Option	Rs. 20 per Trade	Rs.20 per Lot
Commodity Future	Rs. 20 per Trade	0.025% of Transaction Value
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES LEVERAGE (MARGIN)

ICICI direct’s margin for intraday trading is up to 20% of the transaction value (5x leverage) based on the stock, whereas HDFC Securities’ margin for intraday cash is likewise up to 20% of the trade value (5x leverage). Below the table shows leverage margin of both platform.

Leverage	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Equity Delivery	100% of trade value (1x leverage)	100% of trade value (1x leverage)
Equity Intraday	Up to 20% of trade value (5x leverage)	Up to 20% of trade value (5x leverage)
F&O (Currency, Equity, Commodity)	100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage)	100% of NRML margin (Span + Exposure) (1x leverage)
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES PROS AND CONS

Pros:

ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
1)Offers a low bandwidth website that performs effectively on sluggish internet connections. 2) Provides a 3-in-1 account that simplifies stock market investing for novice investors. 3) Several investment possibilities are offered through a single platform. 4) GTC (good till cancellation) and off-market hours order placement facility is very useful.	1)It offers the simplest method for making stock market and other financial instrument investments. 2) The greatest option available to Indian retail investors is the 3-in-1 account, which consists of an HDFC Bank Account, an HDFC Securities Trading Account, and an HDFC Securities Demat Account.

Cons:

ICICI Direct

HDFC Securities

1)Minimum broking’ is set at an extremely high Rs 35 per trade, or 2.5% of the deal amount, whichever is Also There have been reports of a website that performs poorly during business hours. 2) A Demat account is required. 3) IF the broking paid in a month is less than Rs 750, the Trading Terminal (Trade Racer) costs Rs 75 per month. 4) Compared to most Indian retail brokers, ICICI Security charges the highest broking. 5) It charges Call & trade cost extra Rs 50 per trade in Neo/Prime Plans

1)Together with opening a trading account with HDFC Securities Ltd, you will also need to open a DP (depository participant) account with HDFC Bank and a savings bank account with a minimum quarterly amount of Rs 5000. 2) It Charges minimum brokerage of Rs 25 also very high brokerage charges.

REVIEW COMPARISON OF ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES BY CUSTOMER

CICIdirect is rated 3.3 of 5 based on 490 customer reviews whereas HDFC Securities is
rated 2.8 of 5 based on 250 customer review:

Rating	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Customer Services	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Fees	⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Brokerage Charges	⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Trade and Call Charges	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Research Capabilities	⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Overall Rating	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

COMPLAINTS OF ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES

Complaints	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Total Complaints Lodged	400	130
Total Complaints Resolved	335	105
% Of Total Complaints Resolved	85.62%	80.50%
Non Actionable Complaints	18	8
% Of Non Actionable Complaints	4.00%	6.30%
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

ICICI DIRECT VS HDFC SECURITIES TRANSACTION CHARGES

ICICIdirect transaction charges for options are NSE Rs 5000 per crore (0.05%) | BSE Rs
3700 per crore (0.037%) (based on premium). HDFC Securities’ exchange transaction
charges for options are NSE Rs 5000 per crore (0.05%) and BSE Rs 3700 per crore
(0.037%) (on premium).

The table shows some of its transaction charges:

Transaction Charges	ICICI Direct	HDFC Securities
Equity Delivery	0.00325% (NSE) & As per Stock (BSE)	0.00350% (NSE) & 0.00375% (BSE)
Equity Intraday	0.00325% (NSE) & As per Stock (BSE)	0.00350% (NSE) & 0.00375% (BSE)
Equity Option	0.053% (on premium)	0.053% (on premium)
Equity Future	0.0019% (NSE & BSE)	0.0019% (NSE & BSE).
Currency Option	0.035% (NSE) & 0.001% (BSE)	0.035% (NSE) & 0.001% (BSE)
Currency Future	0.0009% (NSE) & 0.00022% (BSE)	0.0009% (NSE) & 0.00022% (BSE)
Commodity Option	0.05% (Non Agri)	0.05% (Non Agri)
Commodity Future	0.0021% (Non-Agri) / 0.006% (Agri) / 0.0005% (Special)	0.0021% (Non-Agri) / 0.006% (Agri) / 0.0005% (Special)
	Open ICICI Securities Account	Open HDFC Securities Account

Conclusion: Both ICICI Direct and HDFC Securities are India’s major broking houses,
providing comprehensive trading and investment services. ICICI Direct offers a user-friendly
platform, substantial research reports, and excellent customer service. However, it has
considerably higher broking fees. HDFC Securities provides affordable broking rates, a
dynamic trading platform, and robust research help. While ICICI Direct may appeal to
investors searching for a wider selection of financial products and higher customer care,
HDFC Securities is a better option for cost-conscious traders looking for efficient services.
Finally, the decision is based on personal objectives such as cost, service quality, and
platform usability.

Customer Care Number/Email

ICICI Direct : +91 1860123112

HDFC Securities : +91 2239019400

Client can contact this number for clearing your doubt.

Support Email ICICI Direct : helpdesk@icicidirect.com

Support Email HDFC Securities : infodp@hdfcbank.com

Client can contact this email for clearing your doubt.