Zerodha algo trading with Kite Connect: cost, limits, setup
Kite Connect's API fee, the 10 orders-per-second limit, static IP whitelisting, what the key can do, and how a rule-based platform runs on Zerodha.
Zerodha's Kite Connect is the best-documented broker API in India and the one most developers know. For a retail investor who already has a Zerodha account it is a fine place to run rule-based strategies; the two things to know are the fee and the rate limit.
Cost and limits
The trading API is ₹500 a month (historical data is separate). Zerodha applies a rate limit of roughly ten orders per second across Kite and the API, which matters for scalpers and not at all for a portfolio strategy that places a few hundred orders a month. Under SEBI's 2025 framework Zerodha whitelists the static IP that places API orders.
Setting up
Linked to your Zerodha client ID; pay the API subscription.
Set the redirect URL the platform gives you. Note the API key and secret.
Kite Connect issues a session token each trading day after a login with TOTP. A hosted platform handles this on schedule; you approve the flow once at onboarding.
Through the platform's onboarding form. Firefly stores it encrypted and confirms the first read-only calls with you on the call.
What the key can and cannot do
- Can place, modify and cancel orders; read positions, holdings, margins, order book.
- Cannot withdraw funds or change account details; withdrawals go through Console to your registered bank, by you.
- Stops the moment you delete the app or let the subscription lapse.
Running Firefly on Zerodha
Firefly Terra runs on Kite Connect with pledged holdings for margin (Zerodha pledging is through Console and the cash-component rule applies — see pledged margin). Orders, stops and exits appear in Kite as normal orders. The API fee is yours; Firefly adds nothing to brokerage.
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Questions people ask
How much does Kite Connect cost?
₹500 per month for the trading API (historical data is an extra subscription). Zerodha has said it will not charge the fee for individual use under the 2025 framework in some cases; check the current Kite Connect pricing page.
What is the order limit?
Zerodha enforces about 10 orders per second across Kite and the API. Rule-based portfolio strategies place a few hundred orders a month, nowhere near it.
Does Zerodha allow third-party algo platforms?
Yes, through Kite Connect, subject to the SEBI framework: static IP, order thresholds, and empanelment of the provider through Zerodha.
Fintrens Technologies Pvt Ltd is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser or research analyst. This guide is general information, not advice; trading involves risk of loss.
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