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HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct (Compare HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct)

So many brokers are offering stock trading & Demat services in India, which one is best, which one provides the services at the lowest price, provides best mobile trading application, the best research team, etc. All answers to your questions would be available here.

Here we provide side by side comparison between HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct, Below comparison of HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct highlights the variations of Brokerage charges & services offered, Compare their ratings, brokerage & AMC charges, Investment choices, Customer Service, Demat Account, features, Platforms, and running offers.

One on One comparison of HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct is given below:

HDFC SKY

ICICI Direct

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	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct

About The Brokers

HDFC SKY :

HDFC SKY is the discount broking platform launched by HDFC Securities Ltd in 2023 — making it India's only bank-backed discount broker. >>> more

ICICI Direct :

"ICICIdirect.com, an award winning, pioneering online broking platform, The platform not only offers convenient ways to invest in Equity, Derivatives, Currency Futur >>> more

Find More Information about the Broker :

HDFC SKY :

OVERVIEW

ICICI Direct :

OVERVIEW BROKERAGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TRADING PLATFORM & TOOLS RATING

Type of Broker

HDFC SKY :

Discount Broker

ICICI Direct :

Full Service Broker

Promo/offers

HDFC SKY :

N/A

ICICI Direct :

N/A

Advantage

HDFC SKY :

✔ What HDFC SKY Does Well

✓	India's only bank-backed discount broker — HDFC Bank Group institutional safety
✓	Free access to 23 years of HDFC Securities research — equity, F&O, ETF recommendations
✓	US stocks — fractional shares from $1, Apple/Google/Amazon etc.
✓	MTF at 12% p.a. — lowest in India (0% first 30 days); competitors charge 18–21%
✓	Both CDSL and NSDL DP — unique among discount brokers
✓	3-in-1 account with HDFC Bank — seamless fund transfers
✓	InstaOptions + NxtOption — dedicated F&O platforms with option chain analytics
✓	TradingView at tv.hdfcsky.com — advanced charting integrated
✓	Open API for algo traders
✓	ETF brokerage free for 30 days after account opening

ICICI Direct :

✔ What ICICI Direct Does Well

✓	3-in-1 account — bank + trading + demat seamlessly integrated with ICICI Bank
✓	Institutional trust — ICICI Bank subsidiary since 1995; 30+ year operating history
✓	SEBI RA research team — 50+ analysts, sector coverage, stock recommendations
✓	NRI 3-in-1 account (NRE + NRO, PIS + non-PIS) — fully integrated NRI banking
✓	eATM — sale proceeds in 5–30 minutes to trading account
✓	iValue plan: ₹20/order intraday + F&O at just ₹299 one-time
✓	50+ products: equity, F&O, MF, IPO, bonds, NCDs, FD, insurance, NPS, home loans
✓	Branch support across 87+ ICICI Bank locations
✓	Trade Racer professional terminal for advanced traders
✓	VTC orders valid for 45 days
✓	Both NSDL and CDSL DP options
✓	19.5 lakh active clients — proven at massive scale

Disadvantage

HDFC SKY :

✘ Where HDFC SKY Falls Short

✗	₹20 delivery brokerage — not free, unlike Zerodha, Groww, ProStocks, Shoonya
✗	AMC ₹240/yr from year 2 — Groww, Shoonya, ProStocks, Fyers, Alice Blue all ₹0 lifetime
✗	Auto square-off ₹50+GST per position
✗	NRI restrictions — US and Canada NRIs cannot open accounts
✗	Launched 2023 — newer platform with less operating history than Zerodha/Fyers
✗	Customer care hours Mon–Sat 9AM–5PM only (no evening/weekend support)
✗	Cannot maintain HDFC Securities + HDFC SKY accounts simultaneously (SEBI rule)
✗	US stock brokerage 5 cents/share (not flat fee) — costlier for high-price stocks
✗	Limited intraday access for NRIs

ICICI Direct :

✘ Where ICICI Direct Falls Short

✗	Default plan 0.29% delivery brokerage is expensive — ₹580 on ₹1L trade vs ₹0 at discount brokers
✗	AMC ₹700/year — highest among all brokers reviewed on CSB
✗	DP charge ₹20+GST per ISIN — same as Groww, Angel One; higher than Zerodha (₹15.34)
✗	Call & Trade ₹50/order — expensive
✗	MTF interest 17.99% p.a. — among the highest; mStock at 6.99%–14.99% is significantly cheaper
✗	3-in-1 account requires ICICI Bank account for full benefit — non-ICICI bank users get only 2-in-1
✗	Account closure not possible online — physical form submission required
✗	Platform innovation slower than app-first brokers like Dhan or Groww
✗	eATM proceeds go to trading account only — not bank account

Why This

HDFC SKY :

ICICI Direct :

A Unique 3-in-1 On-line Trading Account, which includes ICICI Bank Account, ICICI Trading Account and ICICI Demat Account, is the key offering for retail stock market investors in India.
Security: Instead of transferring monies to a broker's pool or towards deposits, you can manage your own demat and bank accounts when you trade through ICICIdirect.com. It provides you the flexibility to pay only when you trade.
Largest Equity E-Broking House with >40 Lac customers.
Share trading in both NSE and BSE, innovative offerings like - Margin, MarginPlus, BTST, SPOT, Derivatives trading, overseas trading, mutual funds, IPOs and on-line life insurance.
Call-n-Trade: you can place orders securely over the telephone with the Call N Trade service.
Award Winning Research

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HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Account Opening & AMC Charges

- and ICICI Direct Trading Account Opening Fee is Rs 0 (Free) . - and ICICI Direct Demat Account AMC is Rs 700 .

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Trading Account Opening Fee	Trading Account Opening Fee : -	Trading Account Opening Fee : Rs 0 (Free)
Demat Account Opening Fee	Demat Account Opening Fee : -	Demat Account Opening Fee : Rs 0 (Free)
Demat Account AMC	Demat Account AMC : -	Demat Account AMC : Rs 700
Trading Account AMC	Trading Account AMC : -	Trading Account AMC : Rs 0 (Free)
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Brokerage Charges

HDFC SKY Brokerage Charges ICICI Direct Brokerage Charges Equity Delivery is 0.29% (buy + sell) and Equity Intraday is 0.029% per side and Equity Options is ₹49 per lot .

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Plan Name	-	Plan Name : ICICI Direct Money Saver Plan	Plan Name : ICICIDirect iValue Plan
Equity Delivery	-	Equity Delivery : 0.29% (buy + sell)	Equity Delivery : 0.29% (buy + sell)
Equity Intraday	-	Equity Intraday : 0.029% per side	Equity Intraday : ₹20/order flat
Equity Future	-	Equity Future : 0.029% per side	Equity Future : ₹20/order flat
Equity Options	-	Equity Options : ₹49 per lot	Equity Options : ₹20/order flat
Currency Futures	-	Currency Futures : ₹20 flat	Currency Futures : ₹20/order flat
Currency Options	-	Currency Options : ₹20 flat	Currency Options : ₹20/order flat
Monthly Fee	-	Monthly Fee : NA	Monthly Fee : ₹299 one-time, lifetime
Margin Trading	-	Margin Trading : 0.05% - 0.03%	Margin Trading : 0.05% - 0.03%
Commodity Futures	-	Commodity Futures : ₹20 flat	Commodity Futures : ₹20/order flat
Commodity Options	-	Commodity Options : ₹20 flat	Commodity Options : ₹20/order flat
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Exchange Transaction Charges

HDFC SKY Exchange Transaction Charges - and - . ICICI Direct Exchange Transaction Charges Equity Future is NSE Rs 190 per Cr (0.0019%) | BSE Rs 0 and Equity Options is NSE Rs 5000 per Cr (0.05%) | BSE Rs 3700 per Cr (0.037%) (on premium) .

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Equity Delivery	Equity Delivery : -	Equity Delivery : NSE Rs 325 per Cr (0.00325%) \| BSE Rs 375 per Cr (0.00375%) (each side)
Equity Intraday	Equity Intraday : -	Equity Intraday : NSE Rs 325 per Cr (0.00325%) \| BSE Rs 375 per Cr (0.00375%) (sell side)
Equity Future *	Equity Future : -	Equity Future : NSE Rs 190 per Cr (0.0019%) \| BSE Rs 0
Equity Options *	Equity Options : -	Equity Options : NSE Rs 5000 per Cr (0.05%) \| BSE Rs 3700 per Cr (0.037%) (on premium)
Currency Futures *	Currency Futures : -	Currency Futures : NSE Rs 90 per Cr (0.0009%) \| BSE Rs 90 per Cr (0.0009%)
Currency Options	Currency Options : -	Currency Options : NSE Rs 4000 per Cr (0.04%) \| BSE Rs 100 per Cr (0.001%) (on premium)
Commodity	Commodity : -	Commodity : Group A - Rs 260 per Cr (0.0026%)
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Other Charges

HDFC SKY and . ICICI Direct Minimum Brokerage is Rs 35 per trade (I-Secure Plan) and Call & Trade is Rs 50 per trade .

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Minimum Brokerage	Minimum Brokerage : -	Minimum Brokerage : Rs 35 per trade (I-Secure Plan)
Call & Trade	Call & Trade : -	Call & Trade : Rs 50 per trade
Stamp Duty *	Stamp Duty : -	Stamp Duty : -
DP Charges (on sell side)	DP Charges (on sell side) : -	DP Charges (on sell side) : -
Other Miscellaneous Charges	Other Miscellaneous Charges : -	Other Miscellaneous Charges : Margin Trading Interest: 0.025% Per day
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Features

HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct both offer a host of features, trading tools & platforms to their clients. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Trading Platform	Trading Platform : -	Trading Platform : ICICIdirect.com (website), Trade Racer, ICICIDirect Mobile App
Placing orders through charts	Placing orders through charts : -	Placing orders through charts : -
Trading Alerts	Trading Alerts : -	Trading Alerts : -
Research and Advice / Trading Tips	Research and Advice / Trading Tips : -	Research and Advice / Trading Tips : -
Detailed Education Initiatives	Detailed Education Initiatives : -	Detailed Education Initiatives : -
Unique features & Offers	Unique features & Offers : -	Unique features & Offers : Offer 3-in-1 Account. Support in local ICICI Bank branches. Trusted brand.
Referral Program	Referral Program : -	Referral Program : -
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash) *	Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash) : Yes	Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash) : Yes
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O) *	Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O) : Yes	Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O) : Yes
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Demat Account Charges

A comparative table of various demat account charges between HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct is below:

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Depository Service Provider	Depository Service Provider : -	Depository Service Provider : NSDL
Account Opening Fee	Account Opening Fee : -	Account Opening Fee : Stamp Duty at actuals
Advance Deposit	Advance Deposit : -	Advance Deposit : ₹0 for ICICI Bank customers. ₹7500 for Non ICICI BANK customers.
AMC	AMC : -	AMC : For Individual account: ₹700 p.a. For Corporate account: ₹1500 p.a.
Dematerialisation Charges	Dematerialisation Charges : -	Dematerialisation Charges : ₹50 Per Demat Request Form and ₹10 For Each Certificates
Rematerialisation Charges	Rematerialisation Charges : -	Rematerialisation Charges : ₹25 + CDSL charges at actual
Transaction Charges (Credit)	Transaction Charges (Credit) : -	Transaction Charges (Credit) : -
Transaction Charges (debit)	Transaction Charges (debit) : -	Transaction Charges (debit) : Trades done at www.icicidirect.com - Rs 0 (NIL) Instruction submitted through Internet (E-inst / IVR) - 0.04% of value of securities(Min. Rs 30 and Max Rs 25,000) Instruction submitted through Call Centre - 0.04% of value of securities(Min. Rs 35 and Max Rs 25,000) Instruction submitted at Branches - 0.04% of value of securities(Min. Rs 40 and Max Rs 25,000)
Pledge Creation Charges	Pledge Creation Charges : -	Pledge Creation Charges : 0.02% or minimum of ₹35
Pledge Creation Confirmation Charges	Pledge Creation Confirmation Charges : -	Pledge Creation Confirmation Charges : 0.02% or minimum of ₹35
Pledge Invocation Charges	Pledge Invocation Charges : -	Pledge Invocation Charges : 0.02% or minimum of ₹35
Failed Instruction Charges	Failed Instruction Charges : -	Failed Instruction Charges : -
Other Charges	Other Charges : -	Other Charges : ₹200 for restoring services if account is suspended for non payment of charges.
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Basic Details

HDFC SKY and and . ICICI Direct Year of Incorporation is 2000 and Total Number of Clients is 2045086 and Total Number of Branches is 154 .

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Year of Incorporation	Year of Incorporation : -	Year of Incorporation : 2000
Active Exchange Memberships	Active Exchange Memberships : -	Active Exchange Memberships : -
Demat Services	Demat Services : -	Demat Services : Yes
Website	Website : -	Website : -
Contact Details	Contact Details : -	Contact Details : -
Total Number of Clients	Total Number of Clients : -	Total Number of Clients : 2,045,086
Total Number of Branches	Total Number of Branches : -	Total Number of Branches : 154
Products *	Products : -	Products : -
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Orders

Orders

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Cover Orders (CO)	Cover Orders (CO) : -	Cover Orders (CO) : Yes
Bracket orders / One Cancels Other (BO / OCO)	Bracket orders / One Cancels Other (BO / OCO) : -	Bracket orders / One Cancels Other (BO / OCO) : No
After Market Orders (AMO)	After Market Orders (AMO) : -	After Market Orders (AMO) : No
Buy Today Sell Tomorrow (BTST) *	Buy Today Sell Tomorrow (BTST) : Yes	Buy Today Sell Tomorrow (BTST) : Yes
Sell Today Buy Tomorrow (STBT) *	Sell Today Buy Tomorrow (STBT) : Yes	Sell Today Buy Tomorrow (STBT) : No
Good Till Cancelled (GTC) *	Good Till Cancelled (GTC) : Yes	Good Till Cancelled (GTC) : Yes
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Research and Advice / Trading Tips

Research and Advice / Trading Tips

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Equity Trading Recommendation *	Equity Trading Recommendation : -	Equity Trading Recommendation : -
Equity Investment Recommendation *	Equity Investment Recommendation : -	Equity Investment Recommendation : -
Recommendation basis risk Profile *	Recommendation basis risk Profile : -	Recommendation basis risk Profile : -
Comparison *	Comparison : -	Comparison : -
Free Tips *	Free Tips : -	Free Tips : Yes
Daily Market report *	Daily Market report : -	Daily Market report : Yes
ETF research *	ETF research : -	ETF research : -
Quarterly Results *	Quarterly Results : -	Quarterly Results : Yes
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Franchisee / Authorized Person related information

Franchisee / Authorized Person related information

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Availability for franchisee / AP	Availability for franchisee / AP : -	Availability for franchisee / AP : -
Investment required for Franchisee / AP	Investment required for Franchisee / AP : -	Investment required for Franchisee / AP : -
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Product & Services

HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct both offer a host of Products & Services for a better trading experience for their clients. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Delivery Based Trading *	Delivery Based Trading : -	Delivery Based Trading : -
Margin Trading *	Margin Trading : -	Margin Trading : Yes
Call N Trade *	Call N Trade : -	Call N Trade : -
Trading in Both the exchanges *	Trading in Both the exchanges : -	Trading in Both the exchanges : -
Limit Order *	Limit Order : -	Limit Order : -
3-in-1 On-line Trading Account *	3-in-1 On-line Trading Account : -	3-in-1 On-line Trading Account : -
NRI Services *	NRI Services : -	NRI Services : Yes
SMS Alerts *	SMS Alerts : -	SMS Alerts : No
Offers Multiple Plan *	Offers Multiple Plan : -	Offers Multiple Plan : -
IPO Investment *	IPO Investment : -	IPO Investment : -
Portfolio Analysis *	Portfolio Analysis : -	Portfolio Analysis : -
Advanced Charting Features *	Advanced Charting Features : -	Advanced Charting Features : -
Brokerage Calculator *	Brokerage Calculator : -	Brokerage Calculator : -
Margin Calculator *	Margin Calculator : -	Margin Calculator : -
Stop Loss Order *	Stop Loss Order : -	Stop Loss Order : -
Bracket Orders & Trailing Stop Loss *	Bracket Orders & Trailing Stop Loss : -	Bracket Orders & Trailing Stop Loss : -
Equity Future & Option Trading *	Equity Future & Option Trading : -	Equity Future & Option Trading : -
Currency Future & Option Trading *	Currency Future & Option Trading : -	Currency Future & Option Trading : -
Market Trading *	Market Trading : -	Market Trading : -
Monthly & Yearly Plan *	Monthly & Yearly Plan : -	Monthly & Yearly Plan : -
Aumtomated Trading *	Aumtomated Trading : -	Aumtomated Trading : -
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Customer Services

HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct both offer a host of Customer service options to their clients to quickly solve their queries or grievances if any. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Toll Free Number *	Toll Free Number : -	Toll Free Number : -
Live Chat Facility *	Live Chat Facility : -	Live Chat Facility : -
Email Facility *	Email Facility : -	Email Facility : -
Branch Offices *	Branch Offices : -	Branch Offices : -
Customer Care *	Customer Care : -	Customer Care : -
Community Service *	Community Service : -	Community Service : -
Relationship Manager *	Relationship Manager : -	Relationship Manager : -
24/7 Support *	24/7 Support : -	24/7 Support : -
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Other Investement

HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct both offer a lot of investment avenues apart from Stock trading on their platforms to their clients to make a better trading experience. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Commodity Trading *	Commodity Trading : -	Commodity Trading : -
Investment in ETFs *	Investment in ETFs : -	Investment in ETFs : -
Investment in Mutual Funds *	Investment in Mutual Funds : -	Investment in Mutual Funds : -
Investment in Bonds *	Investment in Bonds : -	Investment in Bonds : -
Investment in Corporate Debt instruments *	Investment in Corporate Debt instruments : -	Investment in Corporate Debt instruments : -
Insurance Services *	Insurance Services : -	Insurance Services : -
Banking Services *	Banking Services : -	Banking Services : -
	Open Account	Open Account

HDFC SKY vs ICICI Direct Trading Platform

HDFC SKY and ICICI Direct both offer a host of Trading Platform for a better trading experience for their clients. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:

	HDFC SKY	ICICI Direct
Web Platform *	Web Platform : -	Web Platform : -
Android Mobile App *	Android Mobile App : -	Android Mobile App : -
Desktop Windows *	Desktop Windows : -	Desktop Windows : -
Desktop Mac *	Desktop Mac : -	Desktop Mac : -
I-Pad App *	I-Pad App : -	I-Pad App : -
Virtual Trading *	Virtual Trading : -	Virtual Trading : -
iPhone Mobile App *	iPhone Mobile App : -	iPhone Mobile App : -
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	Open Account	Open Account