You have probably heard about the Webull app on YouTube and want to know if it’s available in India, right?
Webull is a modern and easy-to-use investment app from the US, one of the platforms that popularised commission-free trading in stocks and ETFs, alongside rivals such as Robinhood and E*TRADE.
Want to know if Webull is available in India, the company’s expansion plans, and the alternatives available? We’ve got you covered.
Is Webull available in India?
Unfortunately, Webull is not available in India. It currently operates in the following markets:
- United States,
- Hong Kong,
- Canada,
- Singapore,
- Japan,
- The UK,
- The Netherlands, its only EU market,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- South Africa,
- Thailand,
- Indonesia,
- Malaysia,
- Mexico, through its acquisition of Flink.
Webull has made no public announcement about expanding into India. The market is attractive, but it is tightly regulated and already served by domestic platforms that give Indian residents access to US stocks, which we cover below.
Can you use Webull in India with a VPN?
No. You cannot use a VPN to open a Webull account from India. During registration, Webull asks for specific documents proving your identity and residency, and a VPN does not change either.
There is a second reason not to try. Money sent abroad by an Indian resident has to move through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, with your bank as the authorised dealer. An account opened by misrepresenting your residency sits outside that framework, which creates problems on the way in, on the way out, and at tax filing time.
Webull alternatives in India
If you are in India and want access to US markets, several platforms do the job, and some of them are better suited to Indian investors than Webull would be, since they handle the remittance and tax paperwork for you. Here are the main options:
Interactive Brokers | Best overall
Interactive Brokers is one of the best options for Indian investors looking to invest in US stocks, providing access to global markets, advanced trading tools, and intuitive mobile apps. It offers a competitive trading experience with low fees, making it an ideal choice for those seeking exposure to a wide range of US stocks.
Vested | Best for beginners
Vested is a user-friendly platform for Indian investors looking to invest in US stocks. It offers diverse investment options, competitive pricing, educational resources, and pre-built portfolios ideal for newcomers looking to access the US stock market.
INDmoney | Best for financial management features
INDmoney is an Indian mobile app known for its financial management features. It offers investment options, savings tools and personalised planning, alongside access to US stock investing.
Groww | Best for low fees
Groww is a popular investment app offering a range of financial products, including US stocks and ETFs, with no brokerage on US trades.
ICICI Direct | Best for professional investors
ICICI Direct is a leading Indian broker offering various investment options, including US stocks, ETFs, and local market products, with advanced tools and research.
| Broker | Minimum deposit | Deposit method | Fees on stocks | Number of US stocks |
| Interactive Brokers | $500 | Wire transfer | Between $0.0005 and $0.0035 per share (min. $0.35) | 17,500+ |
| Vested | $0 | Wire transfer | $0 (account fees apply based on plan) | 5,000+* |
| INDmoney | $0 | Wire transfer | $0 (deposit fees apply) | 8,000+* |
| Groww | $0 | Wire transfer | $0 brokerage, plus a $0.02 exchange fee on sell orders | 3,700+ |
| ICICI Direct | $0 | Wire transfer | Between $0 and $2.75 per trade, depending on your subscription plan | 3,700+ |
*Stocks and ETFs. Platform fees and plan prices change regularly, so confirm the current schedule on each provider’s site before opening an account.
Before you invest: the LRS and TCS rules
Whichever platform you choose, two Indian rules apply to all of them, and they matter more to your net cost than the difference between $0 and $0.02 per trade.
The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS). A resident individual can remit up to $250,000 per financial year abroad, covering all permitted current and capital account transactions together, investments included. Your bank acts as the authorised dealer and the remittance is reported under your PAN.
Tax Collected at Source (TCS). For remittances other than education or medical treatment, which includes buying US stocks, TCS of 20% applies to the amount above ₹10 lakh in a financial year. Three details catch people out:
- The ₹10 lakh threshold is cumulative across all your LRS remittances, not per transaction and not per purpose. A family holiday and a gift eat into the same allowance as your investments;
- It is counted across all your banks under one PAN, so using two banks does not give you two thresholds;
- TCS is not an extra tax. It is an advance payment credited to your PAN, which you set against your income tax liability when filing your ITR, and reclaim as a refund if it exceeds what you owe. It does, however, tie up your cash in the meantime.
Separately, remember that dividends from US stocks are subject to US withholding tax, reduced under the India-US double taxation treaty if you complete the W-8BEN form, which these platforms handle during onboarding. Gains are taxable in India under Indian rules.
Thresholds and rates have changed several times in recent years. Confirm the current position before making a large remittance, and speak to a tax professional if the amounts are significant.
Other Webull alternatives in India
Want to explore other options?
Check our BrokerMatch tool to get matched with the right broker based on your country and preferences, and explore our broker comparison, broker reviews, bonuses, and best brokers for earning interest.
There is no single best Webull alternative for every investor, since it depends on where you live, your experience, the products you want to trade, and more.
Explore the websites mentioned here, use our tools, and decide for yourself. If you need any help, feel free to reach out to us.
Webull alternatives reviewed
Interactive Brokers at a glance
Founded in 1978, Interactive Brokers is one of the largest international brokers, listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker IBKR, and it tops our list of ways to invest in US stocks from India. It provides access to over 90 global market centres, covering stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds and funds.
The broker offers powerful apps with over 100 order types and advanced tools, plus reporting, real-time trade confirmations and portfolio analysis. The IBKR GlobalTrader app suits beginners, giving simplified investing without losing the underlying capability. For more experienced traders, the IBKR Mobile app offers a fuller experience across stocks, ETFs and options.
Opening an account is straightforward, with no account fees or minimum activity requirements. You also get a free demat account and competitive interest on available cash balances. The minimum deposit for Indian residents is $500, or the equivalent in INR, funded by bank wire transfer. Commissions on US stocks and ETFs range from $0.0005 to $0.0035 per share.
One of the main advantages of Interactive Brokers is the global access it provides. The platform also offers fractional shares, so you can buy almost any US stock regardless of its price. For those looking to earn extra income, the Stock Yield Enhancement Program lets you lend out your fully paid shares to short sellers who pay interest to borrow them.
Check our Interactive Brokers review to find out more.
Vested at a glance
Vested Finance is an online investment platform built for Indian investors who want US stocks and ETFs. It gives access to over 5,000 US stocks and ETFs, with fractional shares, so you can buy a slice of Amazon or Alphabet for as little as $1.
The app is straightforward for beginners and experienced investors alike, with real-time prices, news, interactive charts and fundamental data. Vested also publishes research and insights on the US market.
Investors can choose ready-made portfolios called Vests, curated around themes and goals. Onboarding is fully digital and takes minutes. Vested partners with DriveWealth LLC, a US-regulated broker, to give Indian investors access to the US market.
Vested offers two subscription plans, Basic and Premium. Basic covers the essentials: zero brokerage, money transfers, access to Vests and basic research tools. Premium adds unlimited free withdrawals through Vested Direct, advanced research tools, priority support and exclusive content. Plan prices change from time to time, so check the current fees on the Vested site before subscribing.
INDmoney at a glance
INDmoney is an Indian investment platform that simplifies investing in US stocks listed on the Nasdaq and NYSE. Founded in 2019, it is known for zero commission on US stocks, and opening an account takes minutes. It partners with US brokers including DriveWealth LLC and Alpaca Securities LLC.
The app covers a wide range of features beyond US stocks: demat and trading accounts, automatic money tracking, mutual funds, calculators, insurance, an IPO centre, reports and credit score monitoring.
INDmoney supports fractional shares, so you can invest as little as $1 in names like Apple, Netflix or Tesla. You browse the catalogue of US stocks and ETFs directly in the app.
There are no account opening fees and no brokerage on US stock trades, but the platform charges a fee on deposits and a fee per withdrawal back to an Indian bank account. Check the current amounts on the INDmoney site, since these have been revised more than once.
Groww at a glance
Groww is a broad investment app covering over 3,700 US stocks and 700+ US ETFs, alongside mutual funds, SIPs, futures and options. It was founded in 2017.
The app supports fractional shares, so you can invest small amounts, and provides charts and analysis tools for researching companies.
Account opening is online, quick and paperless, with no opening or maintenance charges. Your brokerage account is held with Viewtrade Securities, which works with Apex Clearing Corporation for clearing and custody.
On pricing, Groww charges no brokerage on US stocks. The exchange applies a $0.02 fee on each sell transaction, and Groww charges a withdrawal fee per transaction to cover the costs of its US counterpart bank. Confirm the current withdrawal fee before you move money back.
ICICI Direct at a glance
ICICI Direct is an established broker founded in 1995. Its ICICI Direct Global account gives access to six markets: the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Opening the account is fully online with no physical paperwork. Fractional shares are available, so you can start small, and there is no minimum balance requirement.
The platform is powered by its broker partner Interactive Brokers LLC, which executes and clears your trades, with ICICI Securities acting as an introducing broker. ICICI Direct also gives access to over 80 curated portfolios managed by global fund managers.
The app gives a consolidated view of your portfolio across asset classes, with biometric login, personalised watchlists and trade execution tools.
On pricing, ICICI Direct offers a choice between paying a subscription or paying per trade, across three plans: Global Classic (no annual subscription, $2.75 per trade), Global Select (an annual fee with $1.99 per trade) and Global Advantage (a higher annual fee with $0 per trade). Check the current subscription prices, as they are revised periodically.
Worth knowing if you are comparing this with the first option on our list: since ICICI Securities is an introducing broker to Interactive Brokers, your trades ultimately execute at IBKR either way. The difference is the interface, the support and the pricing model.
Which platform should you choose?
The factors worth weighing are the fees, whether the platform is regulated by a top-tier authority, and the range of products it gives you access to.
For an Indian investor buying US stocks, two costs usually dominate, and neither is the brokerage: the fee charged on the remittance itself, whether that is a platform fee, a bank charge or the exchange rate applied, and the withdrawal fee when you bring the money home. A platform advertising zero brokerage can still be the more expensive one once those are counted.
The best broker in your specific case will depend on your profile, preferences and objectives. Explore the websites above and decide for yourself.
A reminder that the above should not be construed as investment or tax advice and should be considered information only. Investors should do their own research and due diligence about the services best suited to their circumstances.
We hope this has helped. Happy investing.
