It may be easier to have a broker in the beginning if you are just starting out. But there are a lot of stand alone programs that can help you on your way without the price of a broker.
Futures and options trading is a high risk-high gain investment as it is speculative in nature and based on market volatility. Hence a deep knowledge and experience about the stock market is required to gain good returns from F&O trading. In the initial stages of investment, it is always advisable to have a stock broker to guide you in your trading process so that you may not end up your investment in losses. Reputed broking firms like GEPL Capital have a team of proficient experts to guide you in F&O trading.