ICICIdirect Vs HDFC Securities NRI Account Comparison

1x margin means Full SPAN + Exposure margins defined by the exchange across Equity and Derivatives (Equity F&O, currency and commodity) segments. This means the broker does not offer any additional leverage.

1. India's leading stockbroker. Part of the prestigious ICICI group, a financial services conglomerate.
2. ICICI 3-in-1 NRI Account offers the easiest online trading experience.
3. It offers an online trading facility with automatic fund transfer and PIS reporting.
4. Invest online in Mutual Fund, NCD, FD, IPO, etc.
5. GTC (or GTD, VTD) and AMO order types are available for placing orders in non-trading hours.
6. It has a very stable trading platform.

1. Offers 3-in-1 NRI account for trading and investment.
2. A subsidiary of renowned HDFC Bank.
3. Offers online mutual fund facility through 'Digify'', a digital mutual fund platform.
4. Offers AMO and GTC order facility.
5. Research team offers trading and investment recommendations.
6. Assistance from Relationship Managers.
7. Offers loan facility against securities held in NRI demat account.

1. While ICICI trading platform gets the job done, it is very old trading software with poor user experience in comparison to the next generation online brokers like Zerodha, upstox, and 5paisa.
2. The equity delivery brokerage is higher in comparison to discount brokers like Zerodha. With ICICI, a buy order or Rs 1 lakhs will cost Rs 1250 (1.25%) in brokerage. The same order at Zerodha cost Rs 200 in brokerage.
3. NRIs from the UK (United Kingdom) cannot invest in IPO and Mutual Fund through ICICIDirect.com
4. ICICI Bank doesn't offer online account opening to NRIs apart from customers from the US. Online account opening is also not available to Minor NRIs from the US.

1. Brokerage charges are very high in comparison to discount brokers like Zerodha.
2. Doesn't offer online trading to USA and Canada based NRIs.

ICICI is a highly recommended trading account for NRIs who are looking for investing in the stock market and mutual funds in India. It offers a convenient way to invest with competitive brokerage charges. It offers a range of investment options along with a dedicated RM, NRI support desk, free research, and tips. GTC and AMO order helps NRI customers to place an order in their own convenient timings.

HDFC is a good choice for NRIs to trade and invest in stocks, mutual funds and other investment products in India. Barring NRIs from the USA and Canada, it offers a convenient way to invest online. HDFC is a full-service broker offering services like RM, NRI support desk, free research, and tips, etc., to help NRIs take informed trading decisions. It also offers loan against securities held in the demat accounts. The GTC and AMO order helps NRIs in placing orders as per their convenience.