Comparison of Interactive Brokers and Zerodha
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | ||
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2010 |
| Broker Type | DMA | DMA |
| Dealing | A-book | A-book |
| Execution | Market | Market |
| Regulation | SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | SEBI, NSE, BSE, MCX |
| Platforms | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader | Kite Web, Kite Mobile, Varsity |
| Spread | ⬊ Low | ⬊ Low |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:50 | 1:20 |
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $1 |
| Base Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, SGD, SEK, NOK, DKK, NZD, PLN, HUF, CZK, MXN, ZAR, TRY, ILS, KRW, CNH, AED, SAR, MYR, TWD | INR |
| Funding Methods | Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay | UPI, NetBanking, IMPS, NEFT/RTGS, Cheque |
| Inactivity Fee | ✖ | ₹300 demat AMC per year |
| Interest on Margin | ✔ | ✖ |
| Withdrawal Fee | First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10 | ✖ |
| Investor Protection | SIPC, FSCS, ICS | Investor Protection Fund |
| Protection Size | $500 000 / £85 000 | ₹500000 |
| Segregated Accounts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Negative Balance Protection | ✔ | ✖ |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | ✖ | ✖ |
| Copy Trading | ✖ | ✖ |
| VPS | ✖ | ✖ |
| MAM/PAMM | ✖ | ✖ |
| Scalping Allowed | ✔ | ✔ |
| EAs/Robots | ✔ | ✔ |
| Depth of Market (DOM) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tradable Assets (CFDs) | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Forex, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities, CFDs | Stocks, ETFs, Futures & Options, Commodities, Currency Derivatives, Mutual Funds, IPOs |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Zerodha Review |
About Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a global multi-asset broker founded in 1977. Regulated on four continents, IBKR offers direct market access to 150+ exchanges in 33 countries, tight pricing on FX, and some of the lowest commissions in the industry. Clients trade via the powerful Trader Workstation, streamlined Client Portal, or mobile apps, choose from 20+ base currencies, and benefit from SIPC/FSCS investor protection and ESMA-mandated negative balance protection for CFDs.
Pros
- Tier-1 regulation in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Asia
- Access to 150+ markets across 33 countries and 26 currencies
- Ultra-low spreads and volume-based commissions
- Advanced Trader Workstation plus simple mobile & web platforms
- No minimum deposit for cash accounts and no inactivity fee
- Negative balance protection for EU retail CFD traders
Cons
- Minimum FX order size ~ 20 000 units limits small accounts
- Trader Workstation has a steep learning curve
- No credit/debit-card funding options
- Customer support is not 24/7
About Zerodha
Zerodha is India’s largest discount stockbroker founded in 2010. The broker lets investors trade equities, F&O, commodities and currency derivatives on Indian exchanges with zero brokerage on equity delivery and a flat ₹20 cap on intraday and F&O trades. Regulated by SEBI and a member of NSE, BSE and MCX, Zerodha offers the sleek Kite platform, segregated client funds, and extensive educational resources through Varsity.
Pros
- ₹0 brokerage on equity delivery
- Flat ₹20 (max) per intraday & F&O order
- Robust Kite platform (web & mobile)
- SEBI‑regulated; segregated client funds
- Extensive free educational content
Cons
- Only for Indian residents
- No compensation above ₹5 lakh
- No 24/7 customer support
Interactive Brokers & Zerodha Regulation
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
Companies | Interactive Brokers LLC, Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Ltd, Interactive Brokers Ireland Ltd, Interactive Brokers Canada Inc., Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd, Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Ltd, Interactive Brokers India Pvt. Ltd, Interactive Brokers Securities Japan Inc, Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd | Zerodha Broking Ltd. |
Countries | United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia | India |
Regulators | SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | SEBI, NSE, BSE, MCX |
Investor Protection | SIPC, FSCS, ICS | Investor Protection Fund |
Investor Protection Size | $500 000 / £85 000 | ₹500000 |
Publicly Traded | ||
Segregated Accounts | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Negative Balance Protection |
Companies
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers LLC, Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Ltd, Interactive Brokers Ireland Ltd, Interactive Brokers Canada Inc., Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd, Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Ltd, Interactive Brokers India Pvt. Ltd, Interactive Brokers Securities Japan Inc, Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd
Zerodha
Zerodha Broking Ltd.
Countries
Interactive Brokers
United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia
Zerodha
India
Regulators
Interactive Brokers
SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS
Zerodha
SEBI, NSE, BSE, MCX
Investor Protection
Interactive Brokers
SIPC, FSCS, ICS
Zerodha
Investor Protection Fund
Investor Protection Size
Interactive Brokers
$500 000 / £85 000
Zerodha
₹500000
Publicly Traded
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Segregated Accounts
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Negative Balance Protection
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Account Types
| Account | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
DMA Account | ||
| Account Name | IBKR Pro | Equity & F&O |
| Min Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Lot Size | 0.01 | 1 |
| Spread Type | Floating | Floating |
| Execution | Market | Market |
| Min Spread | 0.1 | 0 |
| Fee | $4 per 1 lot | ₹20 per 1 lot |
| Max Leverage | 1:50 | 1:20 |
| Stop Out | 50% | — |
| Margin Call | 100% | — |
| Additional Features | ||
| Demo Account | ||
| VIP Account | ||
| Swap-Free Account | ||
| Copy Trading | ||
| VPS | ||
| PAMM/MAM Accounts | ||
DMA Account
Account Name
Interactive Brokers
IBKR Pro
Zerodha
Equity & F&O
Min Deposit
Interactive Brokers
$0
Zerodha
$1
Lot Size
Interactive Brokers
0.01
Zerodha
1
Spread Type
Interactive Brokers
Floating
Zerodha
Floating
Execution
Interactive Brokers
Market
Zerodha
Market
Min Spread
Interactive Brokers
0.1
Zerodha
0
Fee
Interactive Brokers
$4 per 1 lot
Zerodha
₹20 per 1 lot
Max Leverage
Interactive Brokers
1:50
Zerodha
1:20
Stop Out
Interactive Brokers
50%
Zerodha
—
Margin Call
Interactive Brokers
100%
Zerodha
—
Additional Features
Demo Account
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
VIP Account
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Swap-Free Account
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Copy Trading
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
VPS
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
PAMM/MAM Accounts
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Funding and Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
Base currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, SGD, SEK, NOK, DKK, NZD, PLN, HUF, CZK, MXN, ZAR, TRY, ILS, KRW, CNH, AED, SAR, MYR, TWD | INR |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay | UPI, NetBanking, IMPS, NEFT/RTGS, Cheque |
Inactivity fee | ₹300 demat AMC per year | |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10 |
Base currencies
Interactive Brokers
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, SGD, SEK, NOK, DKK, NZD, PLN, HUF, CZK, MXN, ZAR, TRY, ILS, KRW, CNH, AED, SAR, MYR, TWD
Zerodha
INR
Deposit and withdrawal methods
Interactive Brokers
Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay
Zerodha
UPI, NetBanking, IMPS, NEFT/RTGS, Cheque
Inactivity fee
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
₹300 demat AMC per year
Interest on margin
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Withdrawal fee
Interactive Brokers
First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10
Zerodha
Trading Platforms and Conditions
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader | Kite Web, Kite Mobile, Varsity |
Execution Speed | 4 ms | - |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | low | low |
Trading Platforms
Interactive Brokers
Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader
Zerodha
Kite Web, Kite Mobile, Varsity
Execution Speed
Interactive Brokers
4 ms
Zerodha
-
Scalping
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Expert Advisors (EAs)
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Depth of Market (DOM)
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Spread
Interactive Brokers
low
Zerodha
low
Trading Assets
| Asset | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
Currencies | 87 | 7 |
Indices | 23 | 6 |
Stocks | 8139 | 5000 |
Cryptocurrencies | 11 | 0 |
Bonds | 87 | 0 |
Metals | 4 | 2 |
Energies | 10 | 2 |
Soft Commodities | 15 | 4 |
ETFs | 532 | 100 |
Currencies
Interactive Brokers
87
Zerodha
7
Indices
Interactive Brokers
23
Zerodha
6
Stocks
Interactive Brokers
8139
Zerodha
5000
Cryptocurrencies
Interactive Brokers
11
Zerodha
0
Bonds
Interactive Brokers
87
Zerodha
0
Metals
Interactive Brokers
4
Zerodha
2
Energies
Interactive Brokers
10
Zerodha
2
Soft Commodities
Interactive Brokers
15
Zerodha
4
ETFs
Interactive Brokers
532
Zerodha
100
Education and Analytics
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Economic Calendar
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Indicators
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Robots
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Signals
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Autochartist
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Expert Analytics
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
News Feed
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Education Articles
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Webinars
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Seminars
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Customer Support
| Contact | Interactive Brokers | Zerodha |
|---|---|---|
Email | help@interactivebrokers.com | support@zerodha.com |
Phone | +18774422757 | +918047181888 |
Telegram | — | Telegram |
Whatsapp | — | |
Facebook | ||
LinkedIn | ||
YouTube | YouTube | YouTube |
Instagram | ||
Twitter |
Email
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Phone
Interactive Brokers
Zerodha
Telegram
Interactive Brokers
—
Zerodha
Whatsapp
Interactive Brokers
—
Zerodha
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing Interactive Brokers and Zerodha, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead as our overall pick. It ranks higher in our internal scoring and delivers a stronger balance of pricing (spreads/fees), platform experience, and product range. That said, the runner-up may still be a better fit if you prioritize specific needs—like a particular account type, funding method, or niche instruments. This is not financial advice; always choose a broker that matches your goals and local regulatory requirements.
More Comparisons
Interactive Brokers Comparisons
Zerodha Comparisons
Andriy Bondarenko
Broker Analyst
Andriy is a seasoned expert in broker reviews with over a decade of experience in finance and trading. Under his leadership, the team produces in-depth and unbiased analyses of leading trading platforms.