TradeSmart review
Independent review of TradeSmart — brokerage, app, account opening, customer support and the kind of investor it actually fits. TradeSmart (operated by TradeSmartFintech Securities Ltd, formerly VNS Finance, founded 1994) is a SEBI-registered discount broker offering a percentage-based Value Plan and a flat ₹15 Power Plan across all segments..
Verdict
Cost-conscious active traders and algo users who want flat per-order brokerage, BSE F&O access, and a free trading API, and who do not need NRI accounts or in-house research.
Brokerage at a glance
Headline brokerage on the default TradeSmart power plan plan. On top of brokerage you also pay STT, exchange transaction charges, SEBI fee, stamp duty, GST and DP charges — see full charges for the breakdown.
About TradeSmart
TradeSmart (operated by TradeSmartFintech Securities Ltd, formerly VNS Finance, founded 1994) is a SEBI-registered discount broker offering a percentage-based Value Plan and a flat ₹15 Power Plan across all segments.
The TradeSmart trading app
- Trade equities, derivatives (F&O) and commodities on NSE, BSE and MCX
- Advanced order types: Cover, Bracket, GTT, Iceberg and Basket orders
- Charts with TradingView integration and 100+ technical indicators (RSI, MACD, moving averages)
- IPO applications and demat account opening in-app
- Margin Trading Facility (MTF) and SmartAlgo algo trading
- Flat brokerage of Rs 15 per order
Opening a TradeSmart account
Account opening is fully online for Indian residents. Keep your PAN, Aadhaar (with mobile linked for OTP), a bank cancelled cheque or statement, a passport-size photo and a signature on white paper handy. Aadhaar e-KYC, in-person video verification and e-sign typically take 1–3 working days end-to-end. Start at tradesmartonline.in.
Customer support
TradeSmart support is available monday to friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For complete contact details, the four-level SEBI escalation path (broker desk → compliance officer → SCORES → SMART ODR), and what to have ready before escalating, see the TradeSmart customer care page.
Pros and cons
How we judge this: these pros and cons are drawn from TradeSmart’s published charges and platform features, its app-store ratings — cross-checked against its SEBI registration and NSE / BSE membership. They are our editorial assessment, not a sponsored placement, and not financial advice.
What users say about TradeSmart
Paraphrased themes from public app-store reviews and forums — these are users’ opinions, not our testing, and not financial advice. Sampled 2026-06-14.
- Flat per-order brokerage and two selectable brokerage plans
- Free REST trading API for algo / programmatic trading
- 365-day GTT orders
- BSE F&O access (uncommon among discount brokers)
- TOTP-based two-factor authentication supported across all terminals
- Customer support response times reported as slow by some users
- No in-house research reports or portfolio management services
- Additional charges apply for Call & Trade and RMS auto-square-off
Alternatives to TradeSmart
By active client count, TradeSmart is the #34 largest of 38 retail brokers on the NSE (as of 2026-04-30). If you're weighing it against the field, these are the brokers people most often compare it with:
See the full ranked list of every retail broker in India on the stock brokers in India page, or compare exact landed cost on a typical trade with the brokerage calculator — switch brokers in the dropdown without leaving the page.
Frequently asked
What people ask about TradeSmart.
TradeSmart is SEBI-registered and holds NSE / BSE membership, so it meets the regulatory bar every Indian broker must clear. Whether it is a good fit depends on what you trade. Cost-conscious active traders and algo users who want flat per-order brokerage, BSE F&O access, and a free trading API, and who do not need NRI accounts or in-house research.
Equity delivery is Flat ₹15. Equity intraday is Flat ₹15. Equity options is Flat ₹15. On top of brokerage you pay STT, exchange transaction charges, SEBI fee, stamp duty, GST and DP charges. The brokerage calculator on this site shows the all-in landed cost for a sample trade.
TradeSmart is registered with SEBI and a trading member of NSE / BSE. Demat accounts are held with CDSL or NSDL — the broker does not hold your shares, the depository does. Funds are held in a SEBI-regulated client bank account separate from the broker's own funds. The risk to investors from broker failure is limited; the larger risk to manage is account fraud via phishing and OTP sharing.
Trade equities, derivatives (F&O) and commodities on NSE, BSE and MCX. Advanced order types: Cover, Bracket, GTT, Iceberg and Basket orders. For a full feature list and download links see the TradeSmart app page.
Account opening is fully online for Indian residents. You need PAN, Aadhaar (with mobile linked for OTP), a bank cancelled cheque or statement, a passport-size photo and a signature on white paper. Aadhaar e-KYC, in-person video verification and e-sign typically take 1–3 working days. Apply via https://tradesmartonline.in.
Discount brokers comparable to TradeSmart include Zerodha, Groww, Upstox, Dhan and Angel One. Full-service alternatives include ICICI Direct, HDFC Securities, Kotak Securities and Sharekhan. Compare brokerage rates side-by-side on the brokerage calculator before switching.