Open the app stores and you’ll find no shortage of brokers promising the same thing: lightning-fast execution, “built for traders, not investors,” zero this, flat-fee that. Most of it blurs together after a while. But ever so often, two apps end up worth putting side by side because they’re chasing the same trader with two different playbooks.
That’s the case with Sahi and Dhan.
Sahi bets on an in-house charting engine, single-screen trading, AI-powered tools, and flat pricing to streamline execution. But if you compare Dhan, they pair third-party charts with a mature trading platform, APIs, and an options chain that many active traders rely on.
This post discusses how the two apps stack up on brokerage charges, features, pros, and cons.
Key Takeaways
- Sahi charges a flat ₹10 per order after 30 brokerage-free days; Dhan charges ₹20 per order on intraday and F&O, with delivery trades free on both.
- Sahi is the newer of the two (launched December 2024), while Dhan has been around since 2021.
- Both have zero AMC and free account opening.
- Sahi leans harder into AI-driven scanners and a single-screen options workflow; Dhan leans on native TradingView charts and a deep options chain with Greeks.
- Sahi’s flat ₹10 pricing gives it the edge for high-frequency options traders once you look past the surface-level similarities.
Company Background
Sahi is run by Aaritya Broking Private Limited and was co-founded by Dale Vaz, who was previously Head of Engineering and then CTO at Swiggy, along with Manish Jain, who built options products at Kotak Securities and Fisdom.
It’s a young stock broker, but the founding team has actually sat on both sides of the screen – as traders and as product builders. As a SEBI-registered stock broker, Sahi covers stocks, F&O, IPOs, and ETFs on a single trading platform.
Dhan operates under Raise Securities Private Limited and was founded by Pravin Jadhav, previously MD and CEO of Paytm Money, along with co-founders Alok Pandey and Jay Gupta. Dhan has had a few more years in the market and has built out a wider ecosystem.
Brokerage Charges: Sahi vs Dhan
| Charge | Sahi | Dhan |
|---|---|---|
| Equity delivery | ₹10 or 0.05%, whichever is lower | ₹0 |
| Equity intraday | ₹10 flat | ₹20 or 0.03%, whichever is lower |
| F&O (per order) | ₹10 flat | ₹20 flat |
| Account opening | Free | Free |
| AMC | ₹0 | ₹0 |
| First 30 days | Zero brokerage | No equivalent offer |
Dhan wins on pure equity delivery, since it charges nothing at all, while Sahi charges a small ₹10 or 0.05% fee. But delivery investors typically aren’t the target user for either app – both are built around F&O.
On that front, Sahi’s flat ₹10 per order is exactly half of Dhan’s ₹20. If you’re placing, say, 20-30 option orders a day, that gap adds up fast over a month. Sahi also throws in a full 30 days of zero brokerage for new users, which Dhan doesn’t currently match.
Statutory charges like STT, GST, and exchange fees are identical for both brokers, since these are set by the government and exchanges, not the broker.
Platform and Trading Features
Sahi
- In-house charting engine, built rather than licensed, with trade-from-chart execution.
- Scalper 2.0 screen: index chart, call and put charts, option chain, and live P&L stacked on one view.
- One-tap orders and drag-and-drop stop-loss.
- Sahi AI flags trends and breakout stocks, refreshing roughly every 5 minutes (a scanner, not a live signal feed).
- Strategy builder for multi-leg option trades with payoff and risk graphs, bundled at no extra cost.
Dhan
- Native TradingView charts, free, via tv.dhan.co.
- Option to connect an existing TradingView account and place orders directly.
- Super Order: entry, target, and stop-loss combined into a single order.
- Forever Order and Flash Trade for one-tap options buying.
- Trader’s Diary to review past trades.
- MTF with up to 4x leverage on 1,700+ stocks.
- Free trading APIs for algo traders.
Both trading platforms cater to the same type of trader. Dhan’s toolkit is broader because it’s had more time to build it out. The Sahi trading app keeps things tighter and more focused, with everything – charts, AI scanner, and strategy builder – bundled inside that flat ₹10 fee, whereas some of Dhan’s more advanced tools (like the API or MTF) come with their own separate cost considerations.
Account Opening
Both brokers offer a fully digital account opening process using Aadhaar-based KYC, PAN auto-fetch, and e-signing – typically done within 24-48 hours. Neither charges anything to open an account, and neither charges AMC.
Safety and Regulation
Both are SEBI-registered stock brokers with CDSL depository participant status and Research Analyst registration. Sahi’s own site carries the standard SEBI disclosure that 9 out of 10 F&O traders lose money – a reminder that no app, however slick, changes the underlying risk of derivatives trading. Both follow the same grievance redressal routes: SCORES, the ODR portal, and a named compliance officer.
Sahi vs Dhan: Pros and Cons
Sahi
- Pros: Flat ₹10 per order (half of Dhan’s), 30 days brokerage-free for new users, AI scanner and strategy builder bundled at no extra cost, single-screen options workflow built for speed.
- Cons: Very new (launched December 2024), smaller user base, no independent, third-party speed benchmarks yet.
Dhan
- Pros: Longer track record since 2021, native TradingView integration (though Sahi doesn’t need that at all with its own charts), deeper options chain with Greeks, free trading APIs, MTF up to 4x leverage.
- Cons: ₹20 per order is double Sahi’s flat rate, no free-brokerage onboarding window, no currency derivatives support.
The Bottomline
If cost per order is your main filter, the Sahi trading app has an upper hand – recurring saving on brokerage charges for anyone trading options regularly, and the 30-day free window makes it easy to try without commitment.
Dhan still makes sense if you specifically want native TradingView charting or free algo APIs on day one. But for most F&O-focused traders comparing brokerage charges across stock brokers, Sahi’s pricing does the heavier lifting.
Ultimately, both are capable, SEBI-registered platforms built for active traders – the right pick boils down to which trade-offs, in pricing and features, matter more for how you trade.
FAQs
Is Sahi cheaper than Dhan?
Yes, for intraday and F&O trades. Sahi charges a flat ₹10 per order versus Dhan’s ₹20. For equity delivery, Dhan is cheaper since it charges zero versus Sahi’s ₹10 or 0.05%.
Does Sahi or Dhan charge AMC?
Neither does. Both offer ₹0 AMC and free account opening.
Which app is better for options traders?
Both are built for active options traders. The Sahi trading app bundles its AI scanner, single-screen Scalper 2.0 view, and multi-leg strategy builder into one flat ₹10 fee, while Dhan offers a Greeks-enabled option chain and tools like Flash Trade and Super Order.
Is Dhan older than Sahi?
Yes. Dhan has operated since 2021, while Sahi launched in December 2024.
Does either broker support NRI trading or currency derivatives?
No, neither currently supports NRI accounts or currency derivatives trading.
Can I switch between Sahi and Dhan easily?
Yes, opening an account with either is fully digital and takes about 24-48 hours for verification. You can hold accounts with both if you want to compare them directly before settling on one.