Intraday vs delivery: which costs more?
The same trade costs very differently as intraday or delivery. Here is the side-by-side breakdown, the breakeven move for each, and why frequency matters most.
Same trade, two segments
100 shares bought at ₹1,000 and sold at ₹1,010 (Zerodha):
| Charge | Intraday | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | ₹40.00 | ₹0.00 |
| STT | ₹25.25 | ₹201.00 |
| Exchange | ₹6.17 | ₹6.17 |
| Stamp duty | ₹3.00 | ₹15.00 |
| DP charge | — | ₹15.34 |
| GST and SEBI | ₹8.55 | ₹1.35 |
| Total | ₹82.97 | ₹238.86 |
| Net profit (gross ₹1,000) | ₹917.03 | ₹761.14 |
Why the costs differ
- STT: 0.1% on both sides for delivery versus 0.025% on the sell side for intraday, an eightfold difference on a round trip.
- Stamp duty: 0.015% for delivery versus 0.003% for intraday.
- DP charges: only delivery sales debit your demat.
- Brokerage: often zero for delivery at some brokers, ₹20 per order for intraday.
Breakeven moves
In the example, the price must rise ₹0.83 per share to break even on intraday and ₹2.39 on delivery. Intraday trades are cheap per rupee, but traders usually aim for small moves and trade often, so costs add up across many trades.
Charges by trade size
The table shows round-trip charges at Zerodha for a trade at ₹500 per share, exited at the same price, and the price move needed to cover them:
| Trade value | Intraday charges | Breakeven move | Delivery charges | Breakeven move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹10,000 | ₹10.63 | 0.11% | ₹37.59 | 0.38% |
| ₹50,000 | ₹53.14 | 0.11% | ₹126.58 | 0.25% |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹82.68 | 0.08% | ₹237.82 | 0.24% |
| ₹5,00,000 | ₹224.61 | 0.05% | ₹1,127.75 | 0.23% |
Intraday costs fall as a share of the trade once brokerage hits the ₹20 cap. Delivery costs stay close to 0.22% at any size because STT (0.2% round trip) dominates; only the fixed DP charge makes small delivery trades relatively dearer.
When each costs more
For a single round trip of the same size, delivery costs more because of STT. Over a month, an active intraday trader making 40 round trips of ₹1 lakh pays about ₹3,300 in charges, while an investor buying and selling the same amount once pays about ₹240. Frequency matters more than the per-trade rate.
Costs are not the only difference
Intraday positions use leverage and must be closed the same day, and many intraday traders lose money. Delivery positions can be held through volatility. Choose a segment for the right reasons, not just the charges. Compare any trade in the brokerage calculator, which shows all segments side by side.
Sources: NSE and BSE transaction charge circulars, the Finance Act 2026 (STT), SEBI fee schedule, the Indian Stamp Act as amended in 2020, and the published rate cards of Zerodha, Groww, Upstox and Angel One, checked in October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is intraday cheaper than delivery?
Per trade, yes: STT on intraday is 0.025% of the sell value against 0.1% on both sides for delivery. But intraday traders usually trade more often, so total monthly costs can be higher.
Why is STT higher on delivery?
The STT rates are set by the government. Delivery trades pay 0.1% on both buy and sell, while intraday trades pay 0.025% only on the sell side.
Are there DP charges on intraday?
No. Intraday trades are squared off the same day, so no shares are debited from your demat account.
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Written and maintained by Mantu Kumar
Mantu builds TradeProfy’s calculators and checks every statutory rate against exchange circulars, broker rate cards and the Finance Act. He is not a SEBI-registered adviser, so TradeProfy explains costs and maths but never tells you what to trade.
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