Broker comparison

Groww vs ICICI Direct (2026): Brokerage, API, AMC & Execution Compared

Q: Groww vs ICICI Direct: which has lower delivery brokerage?

At our last review, Groww published delivery brokerage as "₹20 or 0.1% per order (whichever is lower), minimum ₹5" and ICICI Direct as "0.29% per order on the default MoneySaver plan (lower on prepaid Prime plans)". Plan-based or percentage pricing cannot always be reduced to a single winner — use the official pricing pages linked below.

Q: Does Groww or ICICI Direct have a trading API?

Both have documented APIs at review time: Groww (Groww Trade API), ICICI Direct (Breeze API). Compare pricing and rate limits on each broker's developer page.

Q: Which is faster — Groww or ICICI Direct?

Groww publishes < 50 ms (self-reported). ICICI Direct has no verifiable execution-speed figure we could cite.

Q: Is Groww cheaper than ICICI Direct?

On our four example trades (intraday, delivery, options and futures), Groww is cheaper on 3, ICICI Direct on 0, and 0 are tied, with the rest not modelled from published pricing. Statutory charges are identical, so any difference comes from brokerage.

Q: Are these comparisons independent?

Yes. Indian Broker Test is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any broker. Rankings and comparisons use only published official data; gaps are shown as Not Disclosed.

Side-by-side comparison of Groww and ICICI Direct from published official pricing and features — no affiliation with either broker.

By the Indian Broker Test editorial desk · Published 8 July 2026 · Data last reviewed 14 November 2026 · Independent

3 – 0Cheaper on example trades (Groww – ICICI Direct)
4 – 4Published features (of 9)

Groww vs ICICI Direct — published pricing and features (official sources at last review)
Metric	Groww	ICICI Direct
Delivery brokerage	₹20 or 0.1% per order (whichever is lower), minimum ₹5	0.29% per order on the default MoneySaver plan (lower on prepaid Prime plans)
Intraday brokerage	₹20 or 0.1% per order (whichever is lower), minimum ₹5	0.029% per order on MoneySaver; ₹20 per order with an iValue subscription
F&O brokerage	₹20 per order (flat)	MoneySaver: futures 0.029%, options ₹49 per lot; ₹20 per order with iValue
AMC	₹0	₹700 per year (₹300 for iVALUE subscribers)
Account opening	Free (online)	₹0 (free); 3-in-1 account with ICICI Bank
Trading API	Groww Trade API — ₹499 + taxes per month (per official page)	Breeze API — Free (per official Breeze page)
Reported execution speed	< 50 ms (self-reported)self-reported	Not Disclosed
Algo support	Limited - API access is newer than peers	Yes - via Breeze API
Platforms	Groww app, Groww web	ICICI Direct web, ICICI Direct Markets app, Trade Racer
Best for (published)	Beginners and long-term investors who want one simple app for stocks and mutual funds.	ICICI Bank customers who want research, advisory and one integrated account.

Statutory charges (STT, exchange fees, GST, etc.) are not included. Figures are from official pricing pages at our last review — verify before opening an account.

Cost face-off: what real trades cost

Total charges per round trip, brokerage + all statutory charges (NSE)
Trade	Groww	ICICI Direct	Cheaper
Intraday: ₹1 lakh buy & sell	₹82.97	₹104.55	Groww (saves ₹21.58)
Delivery: ₹50,000 buy & sell	₹178.98	₹491.09	Groww (saves ₹312.11)
Options: premium ₹100 × 75	₹66.43	Not modelled	-
Futures: ₹24,000 × 75	₹1,067.15	₹2,253.16	Groww (saves ₹1,186.01)

Illustrative quantities. Try your own trade in the compare-all brokerage calculator.

Feature check

Feature	Groww	ICICI Direct
Free delivery	–	–
Zero AMC	✓	–
Free API	–	✓
TradingView	–	–
MCX commodity	–	✓
Mutual funds	✓	✓
IPO	✓	–
Research desk	–	✓
Published speed	✓	–

What the published data shows

Groww publishes an execution-speed figure; ICICI Direct does not on verifiable sources.

Tools & profiles

Related comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Groww vs ICICI Direct: which has lower delivery brokerage?

At our last review, Groww published delivery brokerage as "₹20 or 0.1% per order (whichever is lower), minimum ₹5" and ICICI Direct as "0.29% per order on the default MoneySaver plan (lower on prepaid Prime plans)". Plan-based or percentage pricing cannot always be reduced to a single winner — use the official pricing pages linked below.

Does Groww or ICICI Direct have a trading API?

Both have documented APIs at review time: Groww (Groww Trade API), ICICI Direct (Breeze API). Compare pricing and rate limits on each broker's developer page.

Which is faster — Groww or ICICI Direct?

Groww publishes < 50 ms (self-reported). ICICI Direct has no verifiable execution-speed figure we could cite.

Is Groww cheaper than ICICI Direct?

On our four example trades (intraday, delivery, options and futures), Groww is cheaper on 3, ICICI Direct on 0, and 0 are tied, with the rest not modelled from published pricing. Statutory charges are identical, so any difference comes from brokerage.

Are these comparisons independent?

Yes. Indian Broker Test is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any broker. Rankings and comparisons use only published official data; gaps are shown as Not Disclosed.

Sources

Groww - official website - https://groww.in
Groww - official pricing - https://groww.in/pricing
ICICI Direct - official website - https://www.icicidirect.com
ICICI Direct - official pricing - https://www.icicidirect.com/brokerage