Tickertape vs Vested for US stocks: GIFT City vs LRS, fees, TCS, and research compared

Tickertape and Vested are not direct equivalents. They use different regulatory routes, different clearing infrastructure, and different product philosophies. What they have in common: both let Indian residents buy US stocks without selling through a third-party intermediary.

Vested has two tiers: Basic (free) at 0.25% brokerage and Premium (₹4,500/year) at 0.15% brokerage — both capped at $35 per order. Tickertape charges 0.15% with no cap and no annual fee. On brokerage alone, Tickertape beats Vested Basic but matches Vested Premium's per-trade rate. The other structural difference is route: Tickertape uses GIFT City (domestic NEFT/IMPS transfer, no A2 documentation, potential Section 10(4D) capital gains benefit), Vested uses LRS (SWIFT transfer with standard documentation). TCS applies at the same rates on both routes.

The routing difference: GIFT City vs LRS

This is the most consequential structural difference between the two platforms.

Vested uses the LRS route. You remit Indian rupees to your Vested USD wallet through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Your bank files the Form A2, debits the rupees, converts to USD, and the funds arrive in your Vested account typically within 1–3 business days. Under LRS, TCS applies: 0% on aggregate annual investment remittances up to ₹10 lakh, 20% above ₹10 lakh per financial year. You can reclaim TCS at ITR filing, but the 20% gets locked up until then.

Tickertape uses the GIFT City IFSC route. Tickertape partners with ViewTrade International, which holds an IFSCA licence at GIFT City. You transfer funds domestically via NEFT/IMPS to the IFSC entity — no SWIFT transfer, no Form A2/15CA/15CB required. TCS applies at the same standard rates as LRS — 0% up to ₹10 lakh/year, 20% above — and the $250,000 LRS cap applies equally.

The practical operational difference: the GIFT City route avoids SWIFT delays (same-day domestic transfer) and removes the A2/15CA/15CB documentation overhead. A potential Section 10(4D) capital gains exemption may also apply if your holdings qualify — verify with a CA, as this is uncertain for retail investors.

Brokerage comparison

Per-trade brokerage at typical retail sizes:

Tickertape vs Vested Basic: Tickertape is 40% cheaper per trade up to ₹12L, where Vested's $35 cap kicks in. Above ₹20L per trade, the cap makes Vested Basic marginally cheaper.

Tickertape vs Vested Premium: The per-trade brokerage rate is identical at 0.15%. Tickertape has no cap (worse on very large single trades above ₹20L) and no annual fee (better if your turnover is below ≈₹15L/year where the ₹4,500 Premium fee isn't recovered through savings vs Basic).

The Premium plan's ₹4,500/year fee breaks even against Basic on approximately ₹15L in annual buy turnover — if you're investing that much, Premium's 0.15% matches Tickertape's rate exactly.

FX markup

Both platforms charge an FX markup on rupee-to-dollar conversion:

• Vested: ≈0.75–1% markup on the mid-market rate (approximately 75–100 paise per USD)
• Tickertape: routes through GlomoPay for FX. The effective markup is similar, in the 0.5–1% range

FX markup is not meaningfully different between the two platforms. Neither is as FX-efficient as IBKR, which offers near-interbank rates for investors moving large amounts.

What you can buy

Both give full access to the NYSE/NASDAQ universe. Neither supports options or OTC stocks. Tickertape's research infrastructure extends to US stocks — its screener lets you filter by fundamentals, which Vested does not offer.

Research and screener

This is Tickertape's clearest product edge.

Tickertape's US stock screener uses the same interface as its Indian stock screener. You can filter by:

• Revenue growth rate (1Y, 3Y, 5Y)
• Operating margin
• Price-to-earnings (trailing and forward)
• Debt-to-equity
• Market capitalisation (large/mid/small)
• Sector and industry

The workflow is continuous: screen → research → buy, without switching platforms or tabs. For investors who make decisions based on fundamental analysis, this is a meaningful time-saver.

Vested's research is limited to basic price history, key financials (revenue, EPS, P/E), and news. There is no screener equivalent to Tickertape's. If you want to systematically find US stocks meeting specific criteria, you need to use a third-party screener and then come to Vested to execute.

Tax documentation

Neither platform produces lot-level ITR-format tax reports with per-lot INR cost basis at the vest-date SBI TT rate. If you need that level of documentation (most relevant for RSU holders), Rovia is the strongest option — it provides automated Schedule FA, lot-level INR P&L with vest-date SBI TT rates, and Form 67/44 dividend prep. INDmoney offers ITR-format lot-level capital gains reports and is the next best option for non-RSU investors.

Vested has slightly more developed Schedule FA tooling — it shows aggregate balances and peak values needed for Part D of Schedule FA. Tickertape's tax documentation is adequate for most investors but less developed than Vested's on the compliance side.

Account safety

Both platforms route through IFSCA-regulated or FINRA/SIPC-member US custodians:

• Tickertape: US stocks held at ViewTrade International's US custodian entity, which is a FINRA/SIPC-member broker-dealer. SIPC protection: up to $500,000 per account (including $250,000 cash).
• Vested: US stocks held at DriveWealth, a FINRA/SIPC-member US broker-dealer. Same SIPC protection level.

Both platforms have your US assets held at US custodians with the same federal protection. The Indian entity in each case is different (Tickertape/Smallcase is SEBI-registered; Vested is not SEBI-registered but is SEC/FINRA-regulated).

Side-by-side summary

How to choose

Choose Tickertape if:

• You invest regularly in amounts under ₹12 lakh per trade and want to save 40% on brokerage
• You want simpler domestic transfers (no SWIFT, no A2 documentation) and the potential Section 10(4D) capital gains benefit (verify with CA)
• Research and screening is central to how you pick stocks — the integrated screener-to-execution flow saves time
• You're already a Tickertape user for Indian stock research

Choose Vested Basic if:

• You want the longer-established platform with a 7-year operating history for US stocks
• You prefer a US-regulated entity (SEC/FINRA) as your direct counterparty rather than IFSCA
• Your average trade size is above ₹20 lakh, where the $35 cap makes Vested cheaper than Tickertape's uncapped 0.15%
• You invest under ₹10L/year and the 0.25% Basic rate is still acceptable given TCS isn't triggered

Choose Vested Premium if:

• You invest ₹15L+ per year in turnover — the brokerage saving over Basic covers the ₹4,500 fee
• You want 0.15% brokerage (matching Tickertape) plus the $35 cap on large trades
• You want tax-loss harvesting information and priority support
• You actively use strategy signal lists (7 vs 2 on Basic)

Consider INDmoney if:

• You want lot-level ITR-format tax reports with automatic INR conversion
• You want OTC (pink-sheet) stock access
• You want Indian mutual funds + US stocks in one app with the GIFT City route's simpler domestic transfers

Consider IBKR if:

• You're deploying ₹25 lakh or more per year and near-interbank FX rates are worth the complexity

The fundamental distinction: what Tickertape actually is

Tickertape was founded as a portfolio analytics and stock screener, and that remains its primary identity. It was acquired by Smallcase Technologies (the company behind Smallcase portfolios) and operates as part of the Smallcase ecosystem.

What Tickertape does as its core product:

• Indian stock screener: filter by 200+ financial parameters — PE, revenue growth, operating margin, debt, promoter holding, institutional ownership
• US stock screener: same interface applied to NYSE/NASDAQ-listed companies
• Portfolio tracker: import holdings from your demat account or enter manually; track unrealised P&L, sector allocation, and returns
• News and analysis: company-level news, earnings alerts, dividend calendars
• Watchlists and stock pages: detailed fundamental pages for Indian and US stocks

What Tickertape does NOT do as its core product:

• Execute trades in Indian stocks (it links to your Smallcase-connected broker, but does not execute directly)
• Run a demat account (it is not a SEBI-registered stockbroker in India)

The US stock execution feature — where you can actually buy US stocks through Tickertape — is a relatively newer addition (launched approximately 2025) that operates via the GIFT City IFSC route through ViewTrade International.

The most common usage pattern among Indian investors: use Tickertape for research and portfolio analysis across Indian and US stocks, then execute US stock trades through Vested, Rovia, or IndMoney. Tickertape is the screener; the broker is separate.

Tickertape's parent: Smallcase Technologies

Smallcase Technologies is the entity that operates both Smallcase (thematic Indian stock baskets) and Tickertape. Smallcase is SEBI-registered as an investment adviser. Tickertape's US stock product operates via Smallcase's GIFT City subsidiary and ViewTrade International as the US custodian.

Comparing US stock buying options for Indian investors

For Indian investors deciding where to execute US stock purchases — not just research — the relevant comparison is between execution platforms. Tickertape is one, but it sits alongside several others:

Tickertape's differentiation in the execution layer is its integrated screener workflow — you research and execute within the same platform. For investors who rely heavily on fundamental screening to pick stocks, this is a genuine convenience. For investors who run their own analysis externally or who invest primarily in index ETFs, the screener edge matters less.

Vested.blog is the editorial publication of Rovia.