Over the past few years, trading has become a very attractive activity. However, with market prices changing every day, you need at least a basic understanding of the subject. To make a profit, it is essential to master the basics of trading. That is why a trading simulator is an ideal way to learn how to manage your investments and discover the world of trading.
If you want to learn how to trade online, a stock market simulator account is a great place to start. In this article, we help you find the best trading simulator for beginners.
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What Is a Trading Simulator?
- A trading simulator is a tool that lets beginner traders try out trading platforms and their features so they can practice and refine their strategy. Before moving to a live trading account with real money, it is essential for any trader, especially a beginner, to practice on a simulator first.
- It is a virtual tool that lets you buy and sell assets with virtual funds. It is one of the best ways to access the financial markets and discover the world of trading before putting your own money at risk.
- An online trading simulator is also useful for experienced traders who want to test their trading techniques or strategies. Also known as paper trading, simulated trading lets experienced traders try new trading styles, get to know a broker’s features in more depth or venture into new stock markets.
If this topic interests you, also read “Swap Trading Explained for Beginners” and “The Best Trading Tax Regime”.
The Different Types of Trading Simulators
To learn how to trade easily and for free, traders can choose from several types of simulators. These options vary depending on the instruments you want to trade and the platform you want to use.
An online trading simulator gives you access to the various financial markets. Simulators can be grouped by financial instrument:
- The stock market trading simulator: lets you try the stock market in the best possible conditions and master the basics of investing. It can take the form of a stock index simulator for the CAC 40, DAX 30 or FTSE 100.
- The forex simulator: lets you practice trading currency pairs online under the same conditions as a live account.
Simulators by device or platform:
- The PC trading simulator: lets you trade on a laptop or desktop computer. The interface is only compatible with PCs.
- The iPhone trading simulator: a mobile app compatible with Apple’s iOS operating system, it is one of the best online trading simulators. It is very popular with traders who are often on the move.
- The iPad trading simulator: like the iPhone trading simulator, this one is designed for tablet users.
- The Mac stock trading simulator: since PC trading simulators are not always compatible with devices such as Macs, Mac users have dedicated simulators.
- The Android trading simulator: today, many traders use mobile devices to trade. Simulators for Android have therefore been developed for Android users. They are among the best and most widely used online trading simulators.
There are also simulators based on the stock exchange, i.e. the geographic location of the market you want to trade, such as:
- The Paris stock exchange simulator.
- The London stock exchange simulator.
- The Luxembourg stock exchange simulator.
- The Berlin stock exchange simulator.
So whatever financial instrument you want to trade, and whichever markets or exchanges interest you, you can be sure to find an online trading simulator that suits your needs.
A stock market simulator lets you try your hand at the stock market so you can develop strategies and grow your investment. To save time, it is best to go straight to a broker that offers the market you are interested in. Discover the best stock market simulators to learn and master online trading.
The Best Trading Simulator
For years, the stock market has attracted many people, both professionals and beginners. To avoid wasting your time, here is a summary table of the best stock trading simulators.
Broker | Maximum leverage | Demo account duration | Minimum deposit for a live account | |
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 | 1:30 | 30 days | $1,000 |
As you can see, each broker has its own terms. Some offer an unlimited demo account, while others limit it to 30 days.
Stock market simulation: stock market simulation lets stock traders practice in order to improve their performance and maximize their gains. To save time, the best approach is to turn to the best simulators. We cover them in the rest of this article.
How to Open an Online Stock Market Simulator Account
Once you are ready to simulate stock trading, you need to open an account. With brokers such as Vantage, eToro and Axi, here are the steps to follow to open a demo account and try a trading simulator.
Open a Vantage Demo Account
- Go to Vantage and click “Demo Account”
2. Fill in the Vantage registration form and click “Open a Demo Account”
3. Enter your personal details on Vantage and click “Next”
4. Set up your Vantage trading account (MT4 or MT5, account type – Standard STP to get the bonus, account base currency) and click “Next”
5. Verify your identity and place of residence by uploading 2 supporting documents to Vantage and click “Next”
Open an eToro Demo Account
1. Go to eToro and click “Join Now”
2. Fill in eToro’s short sign-up form and click “Start Trading”
3. To use your eToro account securely and unlock all its features, verify your account by clicking “Continue”
4. Read eToro’s terms and conditions and privacy policy before confirming your details
5. Complete the eToro questionnaire and verify your identity
6. Click the “Sign Up” button
The Best Stock Market Simulators
For several years now, trading has been one of the activities that interest many people. Once you master it, it can be quite profitable. To practice on the stock market, you need to go through a broker. The table below gives you the key information on the best brokers you can choose from.
Broker | Maximum leverage | Demo account duration | Minimum deposit for a live account | |
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| 1:30 | 30 days | $1,000 |
As the table above shows, each broker has its own specific terms. Some brokers offer an unlimited free stock market simulator, while others limit it to 30 days. It is up to you to choose the stock market simulation software that suits you best.
Trading Simulators by Market
Simulated trading differs across several specific markets. Depending on the type of market and the broker you choose, you can:
Trade Stocks on eToro
With eToro‘s free stock market simulator, you can learn to trade while following real price movements on the stock market. Thanks to its commission-free trades, you can experience the emotions of trading and improve your trading strategies. A free stock market simulation with 0% commission also gives you the chance to use a virtual portfolio to train before switching to live trading.
Another feature that makes eToro the best stock market simulator is that nearly 700 stocks are available to trade. Whatever your trading level, you can invest in fractional shares. This lets you decide how much to invest regardless of the current share price of the stock you want. With eToro, you can run a free stock market simulation.
When trading stocks, traders enjoy certain benefits, including:
- Free access to professional traders’ stock analysis
- The option to buy fractional shares
- The chance to stay informed about market events and volatility through notifications.
Trade Forex on Vantage
If you want to trade forex, the simulator with the best features for the job is Vantage. With its demo trading account, you can benefit from its interbank RAW ECN spreads and its fast trade execution. It is a trading simulator site that gives traders access to the international forex markets through its high-quality FX liquidity providers.
By combining all these advantages, the Vantage trading simulator gives its clients the opportunity to enjoy a professional-grade trading experience. They can simulate trading on a wide range of assets with negative balance protection. They can also use the simulator in English; the choice of language is entirely up to the trader.
Even better, the broker makes an effort to stay close to its clients through its customer support service. As a result, it is easy to access and can be used on any device.
Trading Simulators by Trading Type
There are several types of trading, including manual trading and social trading. Stock market simulation therefore varies depending on the type of trading you choose.
Try Social Trading and Copy Trading with eToro
Copy trading and social trading are eToro’s signature features. Social trading means investing based on what other clients think. eToro has developed new strategies to make the financial markets more accessible and let you simulate trading safely and with confidence. To offer a smooth simulation experience, eToro broadens its horizons with tools such as its active social channels, in order to keep its clients loyal and engaged.
With its copy trading feature, you can observe other traders’ techniques and copy their investment methods. To find results, you can use the search bar. The eToro simulator offers several criteria to consider when choosing which trading strategy to replicate, such as returns, risk level or location.
All traders who can be copied have information on their profile. This helps you choose the right trading simulation to follow when building your own portfolio. eToro also operates transparently to support its clients properly in this demanding type of trading. The broker lets traders run eToro stock market simulations on countless financial markets, including commodities, currencies, ETFs, stock indices, stocks and cryptocurrencies.
For simulated trading, eToro also offers CopyPortfolios and CopyTrader tools, enhanced social trading offerings. This makes it an excellent choice for a worthwhile simulation. It is a very popular, well-known, regulated and well-established broker that is easy to use for social trading and copy trading. To get more familiar with and better understand the stock market, you can also try the Bourstad stock market simulation.
Try Manual Trading on Vantage
For the best manual trading simulation, the Vantage simulator is the most suitable. This type of trading is especially important for beginner traders. It requires maximum focus on the market and lets beginners choose for themselves the level of risk they want to take. They also get to choose the right time to open or close their positions.
That said, this type of trading suits a certain category of traders who already have established strategies and market instincts that help them make better investments. Manual trading can generate significant gains for traders who constantly follow stock market movements.
However, it requires a lot of patience, discipline and good judgment. Its main advantage is that it amplifies the experience of market movements, so traders can prepare to face the market as if they were trading live. With this type of trading, a trader’s emotions can sometimes lead to a costly mistake, such as opening or closing positions at the wrong time.
It also demands a great deal of attention and time. You will need to watch market movements all day long to identify the best times to invest; otherwise, you will miss the best opportunities. By training in this type of trading, you can master the key concepts and, why not, take part in an inter-university stock market simulation if you wish.
Online Trading Simulators by Time Horizon
You can also choose your simulator based on your time horizon. Once you identify your stock market simulation approach, you will be better able to pick the right broker. In terms of time horizons, there is long-term trading and short-term trading.
Trade Stocks for the Long Term with eToro
For long-term stock market simulation, the best broker is eToro. It offers plenty of long-term instruments such as US stocks and CopyPortfolios. eToro’s CopyPortfolios fall into three categories:
Market CopyPortfolios
This trading instrument groups together all the assets that match the chosen strategy. Long-term traders can easily find their way among the 700 stocks offered by the broker. Note that eToro is a very competitive simulator for certain products such as US stocks.
Partner CopyPortfolios
Partner CopyPortfolios include financial institutions from around the world. This helps long-term traders reduce their risk. Investors also get the chance to develop new growth strategies while making the most of copy trading.
Top Trader CopyPortfolios
This type of CopyPortfolio groups eToro’s experienced traders. Long-term stock traders can follow their methods while developing their own. And since stocks are uncertain and can rise or fall at any time, using this instrument is an important way to limit risk.
Vantage or Axi for Short-Term Trading
The go-to brokers for short-term stock market simulation are Vantage and Axi. Short-term trading generally covers a short period ranging from a few hours to a week. It suits beginners looking for fast execution. However, before getting into short-term trading, it is very important to be well informed so you are not caught off guard by market realities.
Before choosing short-term trading, you should know that there is more than one kind. Your choice of trading simulation will depend on the time frame you want. You can choose between H1 and M15, for example. With H1, your position stays open throughout the week until Friday evening. With M15, on the other hand, you can only keep your position open until the evening of the same day.
Within these two approaches, there are three trading styles you can use in your simulation. These styles are different, even though they all belong to short-term trading.
- Day trading
In this trading style, you need to make quick decisions to follow price movements as closely as possible. Positions are closed at the end of the day. Price swings on the stock market can generate profits, but they can also lead to heavy losses.
- Scalping
A trading style that lets traders profit from small price changes. Positions should only stay open for a few seconds or, at most, a few minutes. With this style, you aim to make many small profits in order to maximize overall returns. Its main drawback is that it is very time-consuming. You also need to monitor the value of your positions to manage your risk-reward ratio.
- Swing trading
This is the longest of the short-term trading styles. It can last from a few days to a week or even longer. Its goal is to let the trader pick an asset and trade both the upswings and downswings of the same move. Traders rely on technical analysis to find the best opportunities. You can also try the TMX stock market simulation, which will teach you how to choose your assets on the stock market while swing trading.
Online Trading Simulators by Mobile Device
Stock trading simulators work every day to satisfy their clients. That is why they let you run a free stock market simulation, or an HEC-style stock market simulation, on several types of devices through mobile apps.
On Windows, you will find trading simulator apps such as Vantage, Axi and eToro. These apps let you use stock market simulation software whenever and however you like. On Mac, you will also find simulators such as the eToro stock market simulator app. These simulators let traders practice on the stock market with their tools at any time. To keep things simple and save time, you can also use these simulators from your phone. The table below gives more details.
Broker | Device types | |
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| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows |
Stock Market and Trading Simulators by Platform
Not all traders use the same trading platforms to simulate trading; each uses the platform that suits them best. Several stand out among the best stock market simulator apps, including eToro, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Discover the features of each stock market simulator app to help you make the right choice.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are trading platforms with advanced analysis tools. For nearly 10 years, they have been among the leading benchmark platforms. They are extremely powerful and are used by many brokers to offer their clients high-quality stock market simulation services.
Although MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are both powerful platforms, there are a few differences between them. Here is a table to help you understand how they differ.
Platforms | Programming language | Number of pending order types | Number of execution types | Ease of use and navigation | Analysis tools | Number of indicators | |
 | MQL4 | 4 | 3 | Very easy | 33 | 30 | |
 | MQL5 | 6 | 4 | Slightly harder | 68 | 38 |
Beyond their features, these platforms offer many advantages. First, they are free and easy to get started with. A trader who wants to run a Grasset-style stock market simulation can do so without any difficulty. Whether for a Grasset stock market simulation or an HEC simulation, every trader will find what suits them.
Second, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 let you simulate trading on many financial markets. Whether it is forex, commodities, stocks or indices, traders can try every market to find the one that best meets their expectations.
Finally, what makes these platforms stand out is that they go wherever you go. They can be used on all types of devices. Whether you want to use a phone, Android, a tablet, Windows or iOS, you can download the stock market simulation software wherever you are.
xStation
The xStation platform is one of the best platforms for simulating stock trading. Used by the broker XTB, it offers many useful tools for stock market simulation. Trading on this simulator app is also easy thanks to its execution speed and quality.
Awarded in 2019 for its performance and fast execution, the xStation platform opens up the stock market to both beginner and professional traders. It offers more than 4,000 instruments, including forex, indices, global ETFs, cryptocurrencies and commodities. This gives every trader the opportunity to practice on new markets and improve the strategies that will later help them avoid losses on the stock market.
The platform, backed by more than 15 years of experience, also lets you follow market developments with its advanced charts. Traders can close their positions in a single click, so you can open or close a position at exactly the right moment.
Finally, the xStation platform lets traders use advanced charts to keep better track of limit orders, pending orders and market orders. You can place orders directly in the simulator app so that investing is faster and smoother.
The stock market simulator also includes a tool called the trading calculator. It shows your potential losses or gains for each position, which helps traders keep full control of their trading.
xStation is compatible with, and can be downloaded on, several types of devices. Whether on a tablet, a phone, a Mac or a Windows device, you can follow market prices while going about your day. In other words, you can simulate stock trading wherever and whenever you want.
eToro
eToro is a trading platform known for stock and cryptocurrency trading. It is used by the broker eToro, which offers many features to traders who want to use the eToro stock market simulator. Stock market simulation on eToro gives its clients services of undeniable quality.
The platform offers traders a demo account in line with the rules of financial regulators. This demo account lets you simulate trading just as you would on a live account. The difference between the two accounts is small, especially since they have the same limits.
When you choose to simulate stock trading on eToro, you cannot invest more than 20% of your capital in a single trade. You can also only copy around ten traders at a time. These rules help you develop methods, improve and react like traders with a live account. You can also simulate trading on other stock market assets.
Better still, the eToro stock market simulator is convenient for everyone. Besides its free demo account, the platform helps traders of all levels get familiar with the financial markets and the stock market. In addition to unlimited simulation time, eToro also tops up your demo account in less than 48 hours when the portfolio balance runs out.
The only drawback of this platform is that it does not make traders fully aware of the risks of the stock market, as they tend to underestimate the possible risks. When trading with virtual money, they face neither the stress of losses nor the pinch of losing real money.
eToro supports its clients with online training sessions. While practice is the best way to gain experience quickly, theory remains important for grasping the basics of any field.
ProRealTime
ProRealTime is the leading French reference platform for simulated trading. Having executed millions of real orders in recent years, it offers a wide range of charts as well as reliable market data and unique analysis tools.
The platform has many features that are attracting more and more French traders. ProRealTime gives traders a stock market simulator app with more than 100 built-in technical indicators.
It lets you create your own indicators using a programming language called ProBuilder, one of the best languages in its category. Even more impressive, the ProRealTime platform comes with advanced modules, the main ones being:
- ProRealTrend
This module automatically draws horizontal and diagonal trendlines to highlight support and resistance levels.
- ProBacktest
Also known as backtesting, it helps traders build trading models and understand how they would have behaved on historical data.
- ProOrder
The ProOrder module is used to run ProBacktest trading systems live, through server-side order execution.
- ProScreener
This module lets you run complete financial market scans in live trading.
Beyond its high-quality features, the platform offers many advantages for simulated trading.
ProRealTime lets traders organize their orders and positions visually. It allows them to open positions with a single click on the charts, a practical way to stay focused and keep track. Open positions and pending orders are also shown on the charts.
ProRealTime also lets you use a variety of order types, including simple orders placed on a diagonal line or at a fixed price level.
Finally, the platform lets traders using the stock market simulator place protective orders. Importantly, ProRealTime also lets you practice on many financial markets, such as stocks, currencies, ETFs and futures. The ProRealTime platform is secure and lets you simulate trading on assets with complete peace of mind.
The Best Stock Market Simulator Sites
Simulating Online: How Much Should You Deposit?
To learn and practice on the stock market, you necessarily have to invest a certain amount. In some cases, traders invest the virtual money available in their simulator account. In others, traders invest real money in order to develop their methods while feeling the real emotions of a live account. Both are valid ways to learn.
To Learn
When you open a demo account, the broker gives you a virtual portfolio. The amount depends on the stock market simulator you use. This capital lets you simulate trading just as on a live account, except that the money invested is virtual.
This approach helps traders, especially beginners, adapt to this new reality, understand it and interact with it. You should use this money in an organized and smart way so you are ready for the stock market under real conditions. You also need to choose your time horizons and investments carefully.
Trading on a stock market simulator helps you build knowledge. To that end, it is essential to keep certain principles in mind to protect yourself from unnecessary risks, including once the simulation period is over. While some stock trading simulators offer unlimited time, others are limited to one month.
You therefore need to make smart decisions so you do not run into difficulties when the allotted time runs out. You can try the TMX stock market simulation to gain more experience in this field.
To Develop Stock Market Strategies
Simulated trading does not require a fixed amount. However, depending on your goals, you may decide to trade with small amounts of real capital. This approach helps you develop trading strategies while practicing on a stock trading simulator.
The main appeal of investing real money in simulation is that you become much more alert to stock market movements. The faster you learn how to manage your capital, the faster you will reduce your risks. When you invest real money, your emotions are stronger and you learn faster and better.
Stock market investing should also match your means. Keep in mind that a larger amount of capital is not the ideal choice for simulated trading. The best approach is to start with small amounts. If you want to master another asset, just invest a small amount to analyze how its price moves. To better understand prices, you can use a Grasset stock market simulation.
Let’s take an example. When using a stock market simulator, if you invest $100 of capital with 1:50 leverage, you could make a $250 gain if the market rises by 5%. Otherwise, you would suffer losses equal to your stake. This technique helps you fine-tune your trading strategy. If you want to make big gains, it is better to switch to a live account. That is the best solution.
Benefits
A stock market simulator works like a broker’s demo account, letting you place simulated orders without taking any risk on the market. It offers many benefits, letting you:
- Practice stock trading with zero risk
Stock market simulation lets traders take positions on the markets by investing virtual money. This eliminates any risk of loss, as no real money is at stake. Whatever the market trend, there will be no nasty surprises if a simulation goes badly.
- Get to know different trading tools and platforms
Trading the stock market requires a reasonably in-depth knowledge of the various tools offered by stock market simulation platforms. Simulation gives you access to all the available tools and helps you get familiar with them, so you gain experience of the stock markets. These tools include, for example, technical indicators that support your analysis.
- Test the stock markets
Stock market simulation lets traders take positions on several markets, including indices, forex, stocks and cryptocurrencies. Traders have a wide range of markets available and can choose the one that best suits their own requirements.
- Explore the available stock exchanges
Stock market simulation helps traders invest across many markets and gives access to many stock exchanges, including Luxembourg, London, Montreal and Paris. Traders can simulate trading on these different exchanges and train more effectively, so they are ready to face the live market without surprises.
- Test your skills and assess your level before going live
Because the stock market is volatile, there is no sure way to know your skill level. Your own strategies are developed and then applied to simulated markets using your stock market simulator to check how effective they are. This way, you will know whether you are ready to start live trading, or whether you still need time to better understand the stock market.
- Train so you can move to live trading
Another major advantage of stock market simulators is that you can use them for long-term trading with unlimited virtual capital. Practicing before going live teaches you to handle the emotions that come with market moves. A stock market simulator also offers all the features of a live trading account for free: charts, order placement, a history of all your investments and buy orders. It also has many other useful features. Take a look at the inter-university stock market simulation to learn more.
- Simulate trading on any device
To stay closer to their clients, simulators let you practice whenever you want. Trading simulators are available on many types of devices. Whether on a Mac, a phone, iOS, Android or Windows, you can run a stock market simulation. All you need to do is download the required app. It is also available in web or mobile versions.
Drawbacks
Of course, although stock market simulation has many advantages, it also has some limitations you should be aware of and take into account when trading. These are:
- Slight differences between stock market simulation and the real stock market
Despite the near-identical appearance of stock market simulation and live trading, there are a few tiny differences that most people consider insignificant. However, simulation can affect the results of the positions you take on the markets by giving you a misleading picture. A free stock market simulator can only serve as a demo; once you are live, reality is quite different.
- The language of the stock market simulator
As for language, note that the site where the trader is expected to run the simulation is often in English, which means the trader has to use an English-language stock market simulator.
- Psychological stakes
It is easy to understand that in a stock market simulation, the stakes are fictitious and differ from those of a real stock market. In live stock trading, every price change can trigger emotions such as joy, stress, anger and many others, which drive the decisions made on the markets. A trader in simulation cannot experience this, because they are not only trading for free but also with money provided by the broker.
- Poor management of investment capital
In stock market simulation, few traders take the time to calculate the risks they are taking. They often do not bother to set up money management rules because, whatever happens, they have nothing to lose. Since the money is fictitious, they invest without considering certain factors. This is not the case when investing in live trading.
- Overlooking stock trading fees
Several other factors come into play, such as unlimited capital that leads the trader to take any risk, trader psychology and many others. In addition, most traders using stock market simulators focus only on their performance while overlooking fees that can have a negative impact on their trading results. These fees include transaction and account maintenance fees set by the broker and the spread between the buy and sell price depending on the underlying asset.
The Best Trading Simulators by Market
Each stock market simulator stands out in a specific market. Depending on the market, traders can:
A stock market simulator is a tool that lets you try out a trading platform before opening a live account. To avoid wasting time, it is best to test the simulator that matches your needs so you can get to know the financial markets it offers. Here is a complete overview of the best stock market simulators to learn the basics of trading.
How to Open a Stock Market Simulator Account
Open a Vantage Demo Account
- Go to Vantage and click “Demo Account”
2. Fill in the Vantage registration form and click “Open a Demo Account”
3. Enter your personal details on Vantage and click “Next”
4. Set up your Vantage trading account (MT4 or MT5, account type – Standard STP to get the bonus, account base currency) and click “Next”
5. Verify your identity and place of residence by uploading 2 supporting documents to Vantage and click “Next”
Open an eToro Demo Account
1. Go to eToro and click “Join Now”
2. Fill in the short eToro sign-up form and click “Start Trading”
3. To use your eToro account securely and unlock all its features, verify your account by clicking “Continue”
4. Read eToro’s terms and conditions and privacy policy before confirming your details
5. Complete the eToro questionnaire and verify your identity
6. Click the “Sign Up” button
The Best Trading Simulators
Trading offers strong profit potential. However, to save time, you should first practice with stock market simulators on a demo account. This table lists the best stock trading simulators.
Broker | Maximum leverage | Demo account duration | Minimum deposit for a live account | |
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The Best Stock Market Simulators by Market
In addition to the many trading software tools already available, brokers offer investors demo accounts for simulated trading. They let investors use a free stock market simulator, providing demo accounts so they can get familiar with the trading platform by trading the best-known financial assets.
The eToro Platform
eToro is a platform that owes its fame to its commission-free stock trading. Like the Boursorama stock market simulator, it specializes in the securities market. With eToro, investors no longer have to pay commission when buying and selling. These charges include markup, ticket and management fees. On top of these advantages, eToro offers many other attractive options.
The software lets all investors and traders trade more than 2,000 stocks from 17 different exchanges around the world. This list includes the largest multinationals as well as mid-cap and small-cap companies. The platform also offers shares of companies listed on the Frankfurt, London, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong and other exchanges.
eToro’s platform was designed to make trading simpler and more affordable for investors. They can access shares of the largest listed companies at the right time. It also lets you buy company shares either as CFDs or as real shares.
eToro has become a benchmark for stock trading because it allows direct ownership of the underlying assets, which it buys on behalf of each client. It also lets you receive dividends and offers fairly low spreads to help speculators invest without spending too much.
To provide better service to its clients, eToro delivers real-time data. The platform’s trading tools suit all investors, whether beginners or professionals. Whatever your profile, you can easily trade stocks with eToro.
Vantage
Vantage is the best broker for trading forex. It has helped many beginners become professional traders. Its program and services give investors favorable conditions for investing in forex.
The Vantage simulator gives traders access to more than 40 of the most liquid forex currency pairs. It draws on the exceptional liquidity of the major currency pairs to offer all investors a professional-grade trading experience. Beginners can also quickly become very active forex traders on international markets. It is also a good paper trading platform that will help you with your trading simulation.
Vantage is one of the brokers offering the lowest spreads on the market. Even though most currency pairs can be traded commission-free, spreads apply to all of a trader’s trades. Pricing generally varies from broker to broker. Vantage’s spreads help investors improve their performance and increase their returns on the markets.
With Vantage’s platform, investors can analyze and trade at any time, with no time limits or constraints. It provides access to all currency pairs 24 hours a day. All the biggest investors want to take advantage of the volatility of global markets. Vantage is therefore the go-to market simulator for trading anywhere and at any time.
Once traders master currency and financial product strategies on forex, the gains and income they can generate become almost unlimited. Vantage therefore offers forex trading courses. To help traders on its platform, Vantage has set up a section dedicated to training its clients in forex trading.
The aim of this section is to help beginner traders understand the world of forex trading and discover its advantages.
Another strength of Vantage is its 500:1 leverage, a tool that lets you multiply your gains. In principle, the higher the leverage, the more money a trader can make. Some platforms severely limit leverage, but Vantage gives traders huge profit potential. Using 500:1 leverage multiplies your trading capacity by 500, a real advantage for forex traders who want to earn large returns.
The Best Simulators by Trading Type
Although these simulators are the most recommended for trying out trading, they are not all suited to the same type of trading. While eToro is known for its social trading performance, Vantage is much more popular for manual trading. It is therefore important to understand these different criteria to guide your choice.
Social Trading and Copy Trading: eToro
eToro is the global leader in social trading and copy trading. On the eToro platform, you can see what other users think in order to optimize your market entry strategies. eToro is the benchmark for social trading because its founders built a social network bringing together traders from all over the world.
Speculators who sign up to the platform can talk to each other and share their views. Best of all, you can access it for free by joining the eToro user community.
eToro also has the CopyTrader feature, which lets traders copy the positions of professional traders. This helps beginners limit their losses by drawing on people who have already gained the necessary experience.
With eToro copy trading, you can also select the trader you want to copy based on predefined criteria, such as their returns, risk level or location. In addition, every investor on the platform has a profile description to guide your choice when copy trading.
In short, eToro introduced social trading and copy trading to help its users succeed on the stock market more easily.
Manual Trading: Vantage
To go from beginner to professional, it is essential to start your trading career with manual trading. This approach lets you carry out all the analysis needed to open a position yourself. If a trade fails, you can learn from your mistakes and improve.
Vantage specializes in manual trading thanks to its partnership with the MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4 manual trading platforms.
Manual trading is also suitable for professional speculators. However, with this approach, traders need to develop the skills required to succeed, especially on the psychological side. Since they decide when to open and close a position, they need self-control to avoid making bad decisions.
Manual trading is ideal for getting a good grasp of the financial markets. With this method, you have to monitor price fluctuations regularly to spot good opportunities. This helps traders get to know the market’s patterns over time. Fortunately, Vantage gives its users all the tools they need to analyze price movements in financial assets in depth.
Trading Simulators by Time Horizon
The criteria for choosing a stock trading simulator are not limited to the type of trading. They also take trade duration into account. For long-term stock positions, eToro remains the ideal choice. For the short term, however, it is better to use the Vantage and Axi platforms. Why the distinction?
eToro for Long-Term Stock Trading
On eToro, even beginners can take long-term positions despite the high level of risk. The platform is well suited to long-term trading thanks to its CopyPortfolio feature and its access to the most influential US stocks.
CopyPortfolios are an option eToro created to let you copy professionals trading for the long term. The platform generally offers three types of CopyPortfolios.
Top Trader CopyPortfolios
This category groups the platform’s best traders, selected for their impressive performance. With this feature, speculators can copy these experts’ strategies to take long-term positions. This option is recommended because stocks are very volatile and can move by more than 10% on a single position. By relying on these professionals’ experience, traders limit their risk of loss.
Top Trader CopyPortfolios are divided into 4 categories. First, quarterly gainers, which are the 50 best investors in each three-month period. Next, active traders, who generally hold more than 50% of their capital in stocks. Third, trending traders, the ten traders with the most copiers. The last category, CopyPlus84, is based on low-risk traders who had the most copiers in the past month.
Market CopyPortfolios
These are combinations of CFD stocks, ETFs or commodities selected for investors. These financial instruments are chosen according to specific criteria so that traders can make money by investing in these assets. Traders are free to choose the sectors that interest them for long-term positions. With Market CopyPortfolios, speculators can generally choose between:
- Major banks
- Large companies (such as Apple, Facebook, eBay…)
- Gaming companies
- Stock indices (the Dow Jones 30, Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, China 50, Euro Stoxx 50, DAX 30, AUS 200)
- US market ETFs
- Etc.
This option lets traders choose from the 800 most profitable stocks offered by the broker. This stock portfolio simulator lets you diversify your investments.
Partner CopyPortfolios
These include external financial institutions and trading professionals who are invited to share their investments. Traders looking to open long-term positions can rely on them to limit their risk of loss and find the right strategies to increase their gains through copy trading.
In short, CopyPortfolios are an excellent tool for long-term investing in the stock market. However, this strategy involves several trades generating money at the same time. To use this service, you need a minimum capital of $5,000. Instant withdrawals are not possible either, so traders need to be patient to benefit from their returns.
Vantage or Axi for the Short Term
Vantage and Axi are the most widely used stock trading simulators for short-term positions. This type of speculation lasts a week at most and requires fast execution. With Vantage and Axi, investors have access to the best fast-trading platforms, including MT4 and MT5. With these two interfaces, it is easy to open and close positions.
For short-term trading, you can choose between H1 and M5. In other words, the trader analyzes market fluctuations over one hour (H1) or five minutes (M5). In the first case, the position can stay open for a week, while in the second it can only last a day.
You should also know that there are three trading styles available for opening short-term positions.
Swing Trading
This is the longest of the three. Traders can hold a position for several days or even one to two weeks. It aims for large profits and therefore requires in-depth technical analysis of the market to identify good opportunities. Swing traders invest in the financial product of their choice depending on whether it is in an uptrend or a downtrend. It is best to follow the chart’s movement using the trendlines available on MT4 and MT5.
Day Trading
Shorter than swing trading, this style requires quick decision-making. This ability is essential to enter the market at the right moment and capture the next gains. Unlike swing trading, day trading positions must be closed by the end of the day. Although this investment method offers huge profit potential, it also carries significant risk of loss.
Scalping
Scalping lets traders make money from second-by-second market fluctuations. Positions are held for very short periods and each trade only brings small gains. A trader who invests well can build up considerable income in a single day. However, this style is time-consuming, since the speculator has to watch every market movement.
Simulators by Mobile Device
To provide a better experience for their clients, stock market simulator platforms have launched mobile apps. You can therefore find stock market simulators for Android and iOS. For example, Axi has launched versions for phones. There are also apps that can be downloaded on computers and Macs, such as eToro.
Here is a table showing the different stock market simulators for students and traders by device.
Broker | Device types | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows |
Stock Market Simulators by Platform
To let traders test their services or try their hand at trading, brokers use trading platforms. Many platforms let you trade on a demo account while enjoying live account conditions. However, they do not all have the same features and strengths. The ones most widely used for stock market simulation are MT4, MT5, eToro, xStation and ProRealTime.
MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4
These platforms are used by many brokers, such as Vantage, and are very popular for their powerful technical analysis tools. Both let traders access almost every financial product, with either manual or automated trading. Although the two programs are similar, they do not offer the same features.
Platforms | Programming language | Number of pending order types | Number of execution types | Ease of use and navigation | Analysis tools | Number of indicators | |
| MQL4 | 4 | 3 | Very easy | 33 | 30 | |
| MQL5 | 6 | 4 | Slightly harder | 68 | 38 |
Using the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms offers many advantages.
In addition to a completely free software download, you can also access them online without downloading anything. The MT4 and MT5 apps are compatible with Apple, Windows, Android, Linux, tablets and computers.
Their analysis and charting tools are also easy to use, an advantage for beginner traders.
Both platforms can also be combined with trading robots for automated trading. Not only do they offer more precise time frames, but they also keep a history of executed orders so you can analyze your strategies.
xStation
With access to all the financial markets, xStation is another platform that is very popular for simulated trading. The software also offers cutting-edge analysis tools for studying upcoming stock market moves in detail. It is therefore an effective way to practice trading for free before opening a live account.
xStation users can also view other traders’ positions on the platform to refine their own strategy. As well as an economic calendar for following announcements, the software includes a built-in calculator for your trades.
With its ten technical indicators, xStation lets you identify market opportunities quickly and easily. Traders using its services also get real-time data on market movements. These two features are among the reasons why the platform is one of the most widely used worldwide.
Like its peers, xStation is available on several devices, such as Mac, PC, tablets, Android and mobile phones. You can therefore open positions from anywhere at any time.
eToro
Specializing in the stock market, eToro is the international leader in its field. Mainly used by the broker eToro, the platform offers a wide range of features that help traders learn all the necessary basics. With the demo account, beginners can practice trading CFD stocks with the same opportunities as a live account. You can also practice with paper trading.
Although the simulation is close to reality, traders can only invest part of their capital, as the margin is set at 20%. These limits imposed by eToro are designed to help traders develop the right habits of a professional trader.
eToro is a stock market simulator accessible to everyone, from amateurs to experts. The interface is easy to use and was designed to help traders find their place in the world of the stock market. The platform allows unlimited use of the demo account, giving speculators time to get familiar with the stock markets.
Even on a demo account, traders are subject to the rules set by eToro’s regulators. They can therefore get used to the realities of stock trading with eToro before deciding to go live. Another feature of eToro is its online training to support trading newcomers. Although theory alone is not enough to make money on the stock market, it contributes greatly to finding your feet in this world.
The problem with stock trading simulators is that they do not let traders develop the psychological reflexes that trading requires. It is therefore a good idea to consider investing through a live account after a while, so you can quickly acquire these skills essential to your success.
ProRealTime
If you are looking for a trading platform for the best technical market analysis, ProRealTime is the benchmark. Popular with French speculators, it owes its reputation to its exclusive analysis tools. The software offers a wide range of charts and real-time data to make decision-making easier. It gives users around a hundred technical analysis indicators.
As well as real-time trend monitoring, ProRealTime lets you trade automatically. To stand out from its peers, the platform offers a variety of modules with specific features.
ProRealTrend: with this module, traders can automatically draw a wide range of trendlines, both horizontal and diagonal. This makes it possible to identify support and resistance levels on a chart.
ProBacktest: this feature helps speculators test various trading strategies, so they can evaluate their performance against past market fluctuations.
ProOrder: this module runs the strategies built in ProBacktest in real time. It enables fast order execution.
ProScreener: designed specifically for the forex and stock markets, it runs a complete scan of the market chosen by the trader. The main purpose of this tool is to help you gather information about the financial product. To make it easy to use, ProRealTime provides assisted creation so you do not have to write any code.
Simulated Trading: How Much Should You Deposit?
To Learn How to Trade
Brokers generally set a deposit limit for stock market simulator accounts. It varies depending on the broker chosen. In demo mode, traders only use virtual money, so they can set their own capital within the broker’s constraints. It is recommended that it match your real capital so you trade in live conditions.
Even though it is fictitious money, it is best to choose a realistic amount and use your capital wisely. Remember that the purpose of the simulator is to help you try out trading. You should act just as you would with a live account.
To Develop a Strategy
For a trader looking to develop a trading technique, the ideal is to trade with real money. In that case, you need to consider two parameters: the amount you are prepared to lose and the limit set by the broker.
You can make gains with a stock market simulator. For example, with $200 of capital and 1:50 leverage, you could make a $500 profit if the market rises by 5%. However, if the position turns into a loss, the amount lost would be equivalent to the potential gain.
Although traders can earn a little with a simulator, live accounts offer far greater profit potential. If you want to increase your weekly or monthly gains, it is better to switch to a live account.
Benefits
Using a stock market simulator has several benefits for both amateur and professional traders. The main ones are:
Trying out trading: this is the primary benefit and main role of a stock market simulator. It lets you trade on a trading platform to get familiar with the world of trading. This is a real advantage for newcomers, who can develop their analytical skills before opening a live account.
Testing many trading strategies: every professional trader has an approach for spotting opportunities in the financial markets. With a stock market simulator, you can test every possible trading technique to find the one that fits the market. Trading platforms offer all the features needed to study stock market movements and understand how the market works.
Getting used to technical analysis tools: stock market simulators give you access to all the market analysis tools. Traders can test them to understand what they do and then choose the ones that suit them best.
Understanding the importance of leverage: although the concept of leverage is easy to grasp, not all traders are aware of its impact. With a stock market simulator, investors can trade using leverage, so they understand the profit potential of 500:1 or 100:1 leverage.
Trading risk-free: the money invested in demo accounts is virtual, so you take no financial risk when opening positions. You can trade without any limits.
Drawbacks
A stock market simulator certainly has advantages, but using one also has downsides.
Traders’ emotions are not taken into account: since the money invested is fictitious, speculators do not experience the emotions that come with losing money. They will therefore not develop the right reflexes when their positions run against market trends.
No brokerage fees: during simulation, brokers’ charges are not taken into account when traders assess their profitability. On a live account, traders pay deposit, withdrawal, transaction and other fees.
Trade Stocks with DEGIRO
With the DEGIRO demo account, you can learn about the stock market while experiencing real market conditions. With its commission-free trades, you can experience the emotions of trading and develop new strategies. Open a completely free account with 0% commission and use your virtual portfolio to practice before switching to a live account.
DEGIRO offers more than 800 stocks you can trade on the platform or through the mobile app. Whether you are an experienced trader or a beginner, you can invest in fractional shares. This lets you decide how much to invest regardless of the current price of the stock you want. It is one of the criteria that make DEGIRO the best trading simulator.
Trade Forex on Vantage
If you want to trade forex, Vantage is the market simulator of choice. With its 30-day demo account, you can experience interbank RAW ECN spreads and fast trade execution. Thanks to its high-quality FX liquidity providers, traders can access all the forex markets.
By combining all these features, the Vantage market simulator lets its clients enjoy a professional-grade trading experience. To stay even closer to its clients, the broker is available on different platforms and devices.
The Best Simulators by Trading Type
There are several types of trading. Depending on each user’s needs, manual trading or copy trading may be the best option among stock market simulators.
Try Copy Trading and Social Trading with eToro
Social trading and copy trading are the hallmark of the eToro stock market simulator. Social trading means investing based on other users’ views. eToro has developed new strategies to make the financial markets more accessible and let you trade with confidence. Through its active social channels, the broker broadens its horizons while staying close to its clients.
With its copy trading feature, you can identify other traders and copy their investment strategies. To do so, you can filter the results using the search bar. The simulator offers many criteria for choosing whom to copy, including:
- Risk level
- Location
- Returns
All traders who can be copied show information on their profile. This helps you choose the right person to follow when building your own portfolio. eToro operates transparently to support its clients in the complex world of the stock market.
Try Manual Trading on Vantage
Vantage is a stock market simulator that focuses on manual trading. Although it requires more vigilance and concentration than automated trading, this type of trading is ideal for beginners. It lets newcomers choose the level of risk they want and decide for themselves when to open or close their positions.
That said, this type of trading suits traders who already have some strategies and market instincts that help them make the best investments. Manual trading can be a source of significant income for traders who constantly follow stock market movements.
However, it requires a lot of patience, discipline and judgment. Its main advantage is that it develops a feel for the market, so traders can prepare to face the stock market for real. This type of trading also has drawbacks, because emotions can sometimes lead traders astray. They may end up selling or closing a position at the wrong time.
It also takes a great deal of time and attention. You have to watch the market all day to make the best investments at the right time; otherwise, you will miss many opportunities.
Stock Market Simulators by Time Horizon
You can also choose a stock market simulator based on your time horizon. Once you define your trading method, you will know which broker suits you best.
Long-Term Trading
The best stock market simulator for long-term trading is eToro. The broker offers long-term simulation tools such as CopyPortfolios and US stocks. eToro’s CopyPortfolios fall into 3 categories:
Top Trader CopyPortfolios
This type of CopyPortfolio brings together eToro’s top-performing traders. Long-term stock traders can follow their strategies while developing their own. Since stocks are uncertain and can rise or fall at any time, this tool is ideal for limiting risk.
Market CopyPortfolios
This tool includes all the assets that match the chosen strategy. Long-term traders can easily find what they need among the 800 stocks offered by the broker.
Partner CopyPortfolios
These bring together financial organizations from around the world, helping long-term traders reduce their long-term risk. Investors can develop new growth strategies while making the most of copy trading.
However, long-term trading carries certain risks, because to make big gains you also have to increase your level of risk. Long-term investing, including in stocks, does not offer a quick return on investment either. You will need to be patient for profits to materialize.
Short-Term Trading
The go-to stock market simulators for short-term trading are Vantage and Axi. Short-term trading generally covers a relatively short period, from a few hours to a week. It is ideal for beginners looking for fast execution. But before trading on this time horizon, it is essential to be well informed or you may be caught by surprise.
Before opting for short-term trading, you need to know that there is not just one but several kinds. Your choice will depend on the time frame you want. You can choose between M5 and H1. With M5, you can only keep your position open until the evening. With H1, on the other hand, your position can stay open throughout the week until Friday evening.
These two approaches lead to three different trading styles, even though both are short-term trading:
- Day trading: this style requires quick decision-making to follow stock prices as closely as possible. Positions must be closed at the end of the day. Market swings can earn you profits, but you may also face heavy losses.
- Scalping lets traders profit from small price changes. Open positions should only last a few seconds or, at most, a few minutes. To make money with this style, you need to make small profits as often as possible to maximize overall returns. Its main drawback is that it is extremely time-consuming. You also need to check the costs of opening and closing positions to calculate your risk-reward ratio.
- Swing trading: this is the longest short-term trading style. It can last from a few days to a week or much longer. It involves picking a trend and trading both the dips and rises within the same move. To do so, traders need technical analysis to spot the best opportunities.
Simulators by Mobile Device
Stock trading simulators work hard every day to innovate and better meet their clients’ needs. Many brokers use mobile apps to stay ever closer to their clients.
On Windows, you will find stock market simulator apps such as Vantage, Axi and eToro. These apps let you use the broker whenever and wherever you want. On Mac, you will also find simulators such as eToro that let traders trade with their tools at any time. You can also use these simulators from your phone for greater mobility.
Broker | Device types | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows |
Stock Market Simulators by Trading Platform
Whether for simulated or live trading, not all traders use the same trading platforms. They use the stock trading simulator that suits them best. Some of these platforms rank among the best, including ProRealTime, eToro, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Discover their features below.
ProRealTime
ProRealTime is the French benchmark for stock market simulators. With millions of real orders placed in recent years, it offers many charts as well as reliable market data and exclusive analysis tools.
This platform has many high-quality features that are winning over more and more French traders. ProRealTime gives its users more than 100 built-in technical analysis indicators.
It also lets you create your own indicators using a programming language called ProBuilder, one of the best in its category. Better still, the market simulator comes with advanced modules, the main ones being:
- ProRealTrend: this module automatically draws diagonal and horizontal trendlines to highlight support and resistance levels.
- ProBacktest: also called backtesting, it helps traders build trading models and understand how they would have behaved on historical data.
- ProOrder: the ProOrder module runs ProBacktest trading systems in real time using server-side order execution.
- ProScreener: lets you run complete financial market scans in live trading.
Beyond its high-quality features, the platform offers many advantages that make it ideal for simulated stock trading.
First, ProRealTime lets traders manage their positions and orders visually. They can place orders with a single click on the charts, a practical way to stay focused and avoid distractions. Open positions and pending orders are also shown on the charts.
Second, the platform lets you use different order types, including simple orders placed on a diagonal line or at a fixed price level, and multiple orders that let you place triple orders.
ProRealTime also lets traders using the stock market simulator place protective orders. This category of order is ideal for a trailing stop or a fixed-price stop. Finally, the platform lets you practice on many financial instruments such as currencies, stocks and ETFs, as well as futures.
eToro
eToro is a trading platform specializing in stocks and cryptocurrencies. It is used by the broker eToro, which offers its many features to traders who want to learn about the stock market. This stock market simulator gives its clients services of undeniable quality.
The platform gives traders a demo account that complies with financial regulators’ rules. This demo account lets you practice on the stock market just as you would on a live account. There are no major differences between the two accounts, especially since they have the same limits.
When using the eToro platform to simulate stock trading, you cannot invest more than 20% of your capital in a single trade. You can also only follow around ten traders at a time. Trading therefore works exactly as on a live account. This lets you develop strategies, improve and build the same reflexes as traders with a live account.
The eToro stock trading simulator is suitable for everyone. In addition to a free demo account, the platform helps all types of traders get familiar with the stock market and financial markets. Beyond unlimited simulation time, the platform also tops up your demo account in less than 48 hours if your funds run out.
The drawback is that it prevents traders who want to progress on the stock market from becoming fully aware of the risks, as they tend to underestimate them. When speculating with fictitious money, they neither suffer the stress of losses nor feel the pinch of losing real money.
The platform supports its clients through online training sessions. Even though practice is the best way to build skills quickly, theory remains essential for mastering the basics of any field.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are trading platforms with advanced analysis tools. They have been on the market for more than 10 years. These extremely powerful platforms are used by many brokers to offer high-quality services to their clients.
Even though MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 both perform well, there are a few differences between them. Here is a short table to help you compare their features:
Platforms | Programming language | Number of pending order types | Number of execution types | Ease of use and navigation | Analysis tools | Number of indicators | |
| MQL4 | 4 | 3 | Very easy | 33 | 30 | |
| MQL5 | 6 | 4 | Slightly harder | 68 | 38 |
Beyond their features, these platforms offer many advantages. They are free and easy to get started with, so a trader who wants to dabble in the stock market can use them without much difficulty. Whether on a demo or a live account, every trader will find what they need.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 let you speculate on many financial markets. Forex, indices, commodities or stocks: traders can test every market to find the one that suits them best and discover its advantages.
What makes these platforms even more appealing is that they go wherever you go. They are available on all types of devices. Phone, tablet, Android, Windows or iOS: you can download the app and trade wherever you are.
xStation
xStation is one of the ideal platforms for simulating stock trading. Used by the broker XTB, it offers many useful tools for stock market simulation. Trading on this platform is made easier by its quality and speed of execution.
Awarded in 2019 for its fast execution, the platform opens up the world of the stock market to beginners and experienced traders alike. With more than 4,000 instruments, such as indices, forex, global ETFs, commodities and cryptocurrencies, it gives everyone the opportunity to train on new markets and develop strategies that will later help them avoid losses on the stock market.
Backed by more than 15 years of experience, the platform lets you follow market developments through its charts. Traders can also close all their positions in a single click, so you can open and close a position at exactly the right moment.
Finally, the xStation platform has very useful advanced charts that help you keep track of limit orders, market orders and pending orders. You can also place orders directly from the charts on the investment simulator, making investing faster and smoother.
Your stock market simulator also includes a tool called the trading calculator. It shows your gains or losses for each position, giving traders full control of their trading.
The platform can be downloaded on, and is compatible with, several types of devices. Whether on a phone, a tablet, a Mac or a Windows device, you can follow stock prices while going about your day. This extra feature lets you simulate stock trading wherever you want and whenever you can.
Simulated Trading: How Much Should You Deposit?
To learn and practice, you necessarily have to invest a certain amount. In some cases, traders invest the fictitious money in their demo account. But some traders invest real money on a simulator to develop their strategies while feeling the real emotions of a live account.
To Learn How to Trade
When you open your demo account, the broker gives you a virtual portfolio. The amount depends on the stock market simulator you use. This money lets you trade on the stock market just as on a live account, the only difference being that the money invested is virtual.
This helps beginner traders get used to this new world, understand it and interact with it. You should use this money wisely to prepare for the stock market under real conditions, choosing your investments, markets and time horizons carefully.
Trading on a stock market simulator helps you build knowledge. To make the most of it, it is important to follow certain principles to avoid unnecessary risks once the simulation is over. Even though some stock trading simulators have unlimited duration, others expire after a month.
You therefore need to act wisely so you do not run into ongoing difficulties once the allotted time has run out.
To Develop Strategies
Simulating stock trading does not require a specific amount. But depending on your goals and preferences, you may decide to trade with small amounts of real money. This method helps you develop trading strategies while practicing on a stock trading simulator.
The most compelling thing about investing real money in simulation is that you become much more attentive to stock market movements. The faster you learn to manage your investment capital, the faster you will limit the damage. Because you are investing real money, your emotions will be stronger and you will learn better.
Stock market investing should match your means. Keep in mind that a large sum is not really ideal on a stock trading simulator, so you can start with small amounts. If you want to master another asset, just invest a very small amount to see how it goes and how its price moves.
So when using a stock market simulator, you can start with small sums. For example, if you invest $100 with 1:50 leverage, you could make $250 in gains if the market rises by 5%. Otherwise, you would suffer equivalent losses. This step helps you fine-tune your strategy. If you want to invest larger amounts, it is recommended to switch to a live account.
How to Open a Stock Market Simulator Account
The best way to understand the world of the stock market is to experience it. But you cannot dive headfirst into such an uncertain field. To build your knowledge and develop strategies, it is a good idea to use a trading simulator. Here is how to open a stock market simulator account and start practicing:
Open a Vantage Demo Account
- Go to Vantage and click “Demo Account”
2. Fill in the Vantage registration form and click “Open a Demo Account”
3. Enter your personal details on Vantage and click “Next”
4. Set up your Vantage trading account (MT4 or MT5, account type – Standard STP to get the bonus, account base currency) and click “Next”
5. Verify your identity and place of residence by uploading 2 supporting documents to Vantage and click “Next”
Open an eToro Demo Account
1. Go to eToro and click “Join Now”
2. Fill in eToro’s short sign-up form and click “Start Trading”
3. To use your eToro account securely and unlock all its features, verify your account by clicking “Continue”
4. Read eToro’s terms and conditions and privacy policy before confirming your details
5. Complete the eToro questionnaire and verify your identity
6. Click the “Sign Up” button
Once you have signed up, you are ready to take on the stock market. Even though it is only a simulation, the experience can only benefit you, because practice is how you gain experience.
Benefits
A stock market simulator has many benefits for traders who want to learn about the stock market and improve before trading it for real. Among its many advantages, a stock trading simulator lets you:
- Test the financial markets: a stock market simulator lets traders speculate on several markets. It gives access to many financial markets such as forex, indices, stocks and cryptocurrencies. Traders have a wide range of options to try out and identify their preferred market.
- Try trading without taking risks: with a stock market simulator, traders can invest as much as they want without any risk of loss, because the simulator lets you trade with virtual money. Whatever the market does, traders come out unscathed since they have not invested any real capital.
- Test stock market tools: the stock market offers many tools for developing strategies and becoming a trading ace. Using a stock trading simulator gives you access to all these tools so you can get familiar with each of them. By mastering how and why to use them, you can avoid certain pitfalls and know the right time to open or close a position.
- Build a trading strategy: with a stock market simulator, you can learn and master stock price movements. Based on this knowledge, you can define the trading strategy that will help you increase your gains on the stock market. A strategy is all the more useful because it gives the trader an identity.
- Test your skills and assess your level before trading live: the stock market is volatile. There are no sure-fire methods, so to know your exact skill level, it is advisable to use a stock market simulator. You will then know whether you are ready to start live trading, or whether you still need time to understand and absorb certain concepts before taking the plunge.
- Identify the best-rated, most profitable and easiest assets to trade: a stock trading simulator lets you discover and explore the financial markets. You will have access to many assets, each with its own characteristics. As you practice, you will learn which asset suits you best based on its profitability and how easy it is to trade.
- Help all types of traders: a stock market simulator suits every type of trader. For beginners, it lets them learn by doing. More experienced traders will need it if they want to invest in new markets without taking any risk. They can practice on a simulator until they master the asset and are ready to trade it live.
- Access many stock exchanges: a stock trading simulator lets you invest in several financial markets, and more. It also opens the doors to many stock exchanges such as London, Paris and Luxembourg.
- Train to prepare for live trading: to understand a world as complex as the stock market, practice beats theory. A simulator lets you move beyond theory and learn by doing, so you absorb what you have been taught naturally.
- Trade on any device: to support traders at all times, stock market simulators are available on many devices. Whether in a mobile or web version, the simulator is always close at hand. You can find your simulator as a downloadable app for Mac, Android, iOS and Windows, and use it from a mobile phone, a tablet or a computer.
Drawbacks
A stock trading simulator has many advantages that make it a powerful tool. However, there are some drawbacks every trader should consider before starting. These include:
- It does not build a feel for market emotions: trading on a stock market simulator is done with fictitious money to learn and understand the stock market. While this is a big advantage because there are no losses, it does not develop the emotions of the market. In live trading, every market move triggers new emotions such as stress, joy, anger and many others, which are downplayed during simulation.
- Overlooking trading fees: most traders using stock market simulators only think about calculating their performance while overlooking fees that can sometimes upset their trading results. These fees include transaction and account maintenance fees set by the broker and the spread between the buy and sell price depending on the underlying asset.
- Poor money management: in virtual trading, few traders take the time to calculate the risks involved. Traders do not always set money management rules because, whatever happens, they will not have lost anything. Since the money is virtual, they place orders without considering certain factors. This is what sets simulator investing apart from live trading.
How Does a Trading Simulator Work?
Essentially, a trading simulator works like a trading account, except that the trader does not trade on the real market. Traders learn the basics of trading and try out the stock market without taking any risk. They can choose either a demo account or a simulator account.
This lets traders discover the conditions the broker offers for trading on the market. You will find all the usual aspects of trading: trade orders, opening and closing positions, and modifying orders.
The simulator lets beginner traders simulate trading directly on the financial market, with access to all the latest features and updates. Brokers usually offer trading simulators for free, giving traders the chance to trade risk-free with a virtual portfolio. Traders can also test every trading strategy the broker allows, with all the trading features and options available.
To use a demo account or simulator, traders first need to choose a broker. It is important to check whether your broker offers a trial or demo account, as eToro does.
Traders can then open a demo account directly. Sometimes the broker requires the trader to open a live account first, to prove they are genuinely interested in the platform’s services. They can then choose the demo option to use a simulator on the site before moving to a live account.
Most trading simulators give traders a virtual balance of €10,000 or €100,000. This gives them access to all the financial markets, namely forex, stocks, bonds, commodities and indices. Many simulators also offer the trading instruments available on the market, giving traders a realistic view of the trading environment.
The Benefits of a Trading Simulator
As we have seen, using a trading simulator has many advantages, especially for beginners. The best virtual stock market simulator:
- Makes a beginner trader’s first trading experience easier;
- Is a practical and engaging training tool for learning to trade online;
- Shows you how a strategy would perform once applied to the real market;
- Teaches you the mechanisms that drive stock prices;
- Helps you get familiar with the platform’s features and tools;
- Lets you trade without any risk;
- Is available on all devices, whether as a mobile app, a web platform or for iOS devices;
- Helps you identify the best and most profitable assets to trade on the market;
- Is a fun and effective way to learn and master trading.
The Drawbacks of Online Trading Simulators
Even though a trading simulator seems like a practical and useful tool, it has some important drawbacks worth highlighting. Although real market conditions apply to the demo account, the virtual world will never be the same as the real one:
- Trading on a live account will always be much harsher than trading on a demo account;
- The broker does not actually execute the trade for the trader or take a position on their behalf;
- Brokers offering a demo account often have a 15-minute delay, so they cannot offer scalping strategies to traders;
- Most sites offering a free online simulator account are only available in English.
- Since a simulator does not let you experience the real emotions of online trading, it does not help traders master or control those emotions once they move to a live account. This can be dangerous for traders when they are on a live account and face losses and gains with their own money.
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The Risks of Online Trading
Like any online investment, trading carries risks, since stock prices change every day. The main risk of trading is, of course, losing money because of a poorly calculated order or a hasty decision. Especially when you are starting out, it is not always easy to manage your budget and make a profit.
The most important thing is never to put yourself at financial risk and never to stake money you still need. It is best to invest an amount you have already set aside for trading. This is one of the most important rules for succeeding in trading, for beginners and experts alike.
You should also know that the more you invest, the more you risk. It is best to start with small amounts to check how profitable an asset is before committing a large sum. Even experienced traders should think carefully before investing a large amount of money. According to recent studies, the more a trader trades, the more they increase their risk of losing money, especially when using excessive leverage.
For beginners, it is always recommended to start with a demo account. Above all, do not be tempted by quick profits. With the best online trading simulator, you can limit these trading risks as much as possible, and you can also practice and improve your strategies and techniques risk-free.
Why Use a Trading Simulator?
The main purpose of using a simulator is to let traders discover their abilities as traders. They can see whether or not their trading strategies are likely to pay off.
It is also the best way to find out whether they are ready to trade under real market conditions. It is about working on your trading skills and knowledge so you can later grow your capital.
The best trading simulator is also a great way to take an online trading course. Many brokers offer training modules to help beginner traders work on their trading strategies. Traders can then test their techniques directly on the market without fearing the results.
The simulator’s role is not limited to helping beginners. It is also a tool for testing a broker. With the best trading simulator, it is easier to compare and choose between the different brokers on the market.
Traders can take the time to get familiar with the different features on offer so they master them fully when they move to a live account and trade with their own money.
Why Should Beginners Use a Trading Simulator?
Trading is a very attractive investment when done with the right strategy and the right precautions. Practice is essential to be sure of your moves. That is why it is important for beginner traders to try a trading simulator before investing real money. Since real money is at stake, you need to master your strategy to be sure of making a profit.
A trading simulator also serves as a testing ground where beginners can put their different trading strategies into practice on the available markets before applying them to the real market. With a free stock market simulator, traders can access all the currencies (forex) available on the market that they want to trade.
And since the trading conditions apply on the online trading simulator, traders can see how fees are charged to the trading account. This is an excellent way for them to master their investment, learn investors’ concepts and technical terms, and gain confidence in how their trading strategies perform.
How to Get Started with a Trading Simulator
Today, many brokers offer a trading simulator so that all traders can try out their trading services. It is an essential tool for beginners to understand a given platform’s trading conditions as well as possible and get an idea of the potential return on investment.
To get started with a trading simulator, traders can choose the simulator or demo account offered by their broker. They simply log in to their client area and select demo mode to start virtual trading. This account lets traders discover the platform and practice to improve their trading skills.
To learn the basics of trading, traders can take the time to read articles or watch the tutorials the broker offers as part of its training resources. They can then start using the simulator with some trading knowledge already under their belt. And even though a simulator cannot teach you all the ins and outs of online investing or guarantee success, it does let you get started calmly and without fear.
Which Market Should You Use for a Trading Simulation Game?
The US and French markets are the most interesting when it comes to trading. However, if you want access to a wider range of assets, it is better to choose the US market. It gives you access to better online trading simulators, more powerful tools that offer more trading opportunities.
The US market also leaves French traders’ mornings free, making their schedule very easy to manage. The exchange’s opening hours are ideal for French traders: it opens at 9:30 a.m., i.e. 3:30 p.m. French time, and closes at 4:30 p.m., i.e. 10 p.m. in France.
The French market, on the other hand, is not quite ideal for practicing with a trading simulator, because the simulation does not truly reflect results on the real market. It therefore does not let traders practice effectively to limit their losses when they switch to live mode.
How to Learn to Trade Online
To succeed with online trading, beginners can test things out before entering the real market. They have several options for getting started properly. A trading simulator is one of the best ways for an individual to learn to trade online. This first option helps them understand the broker’s trading conditions, the fees it charges and the types of trading available.
Traders can also opt for a demo account. This is a trading account on which they can try trading on the platform. Its features are similar to a simulator’s: it shows you the conditions set by the broker and its various trading offers. Some brokers even offer their clients stock market training so they can learn to trade on the platform.
A stock market simulation game is another option for learning to trade online. It lets traders discover the stock market and test platforms.
Financial Instruments to Know for Online Trading
Financial instruments are, first and foremost, assets that can be traded on the market. They can take the form of cash, tradable products, contractual rights or proof of ownership in an economic entity. With a stock market simulator game, traders can try out all the financial instruments that can be traded online. With a top broker, you can access instruments such as:
- Forex currency pairs: these include major, minor and exotic currencies. Pairs offered include EURUSD, GBPUSD, AUDUSD, USDCAD and USDMXN.
- Stock indices: the broker offers 20 major indices such as the DAX 30, CAC 40, FTSE 100 and JP225.
- Commodities: oil, gold, silver and corn. Some brokers also offer other commodities such as sugar, cocoa and coffee.
- Stocks and ETFs: the broker gives traders access to a very large number of stocks, including those of major international companies such as Apple, IBM and Google. Buying shares is therefore easy.
- Bonds
The Best Brokers Offering a Demo Account
Many brokers now offer their clients a demo account. Demo accounts have become one of the most essential and popular offerings among traders. The best brokers on the market therefore make a point of highlighting this option to attract new traders to their platform.
Here is a list of brokers that offer their traders a demo account:
1. eToro – Best Trading Simulator for Beginners
The broker offers new and beginner traders a demo account. With this trial account, traders can try trading on the platform and improve their strategies under real market conditions without risking their money. The eToro demo account also helps traders understand the platform’s various features, making it easier to use once they move to a live account. Since traders already know the broker’s trading conditions, they can easily find their way around the interface.
2. Vantage – Best Forex Trading Simulator
Vantage is one of the brokers offering a demo account, so traders can take the time to get used to the platform. The Vantage demo account is free and, above all, comes with no commitment. The broker lets you test the MetaTrader platform, the mobile app, the online version (WebTrader) or the web version of MetaTrader. The Vantage demo account is available for 30 days and no longer. Its real purpose is to help traders limit typical beginner mistakes before starting on a live account.
3. AvaTrade
To help its clients understand how it works and get a better grasp of its offering, AvaTrade also provides a demo account. Very popular with beginner traders, this demo account is ideal for testing the broker and the various platforms it offers. And since it is exactly like a live account, it gives you a real trading experience.
When you open an AvaTrade demo account, you get €100,000 in virtual money to try out the broker’s conditions. The online simulator account is available on all the broker’s platforms as well as the AvaTrade apps. It is available for 21 days, after which traders can switch to a live account to trade directly on the real market.
4. FXCM
This broker also lets its clients open a free demo account for a limited time. Clients and prospective clients can try trading with virtual money. It is an opportunity for both expert and beginner traders to observe the market, carry out technical analysis and take promising positions.
The FXCM demo account also lets traders backtest to review their history and further refine their trading strategy. This trading simulator is also very popular because it offers automatically updated quotes, so conditions are exactly the same as on the real market. Traders get €50,000 in virtual funds to practice on the simulator account. However, this trial account is only available for 30 days. After that, the trader can no longer access it.
5. XTB
To give prospective clients the opportunity to learn more about its services, XTB offers a demo account. The demo account involves no commitment and is completely free, so clients can test the broker through the stock market simulator without paying any fees. This simulator account offers unlimited access to all beginner traders who want to try trading with XTB. To get it, simply open an XTB live account and choose the demo option for unlimited access to the broker’s services.
Apps, Online Simulator Sites and Trading Software for Beginners
Apps and Websites
Simulators can take the form of apps or simulation websites that let beginner traders experience trading financial assets before trading with real money. These virtual tools let beginners trade stocks and access the stock market. Some apps are compatible with all devices, whether Android, iPhone, iPad or Mac. However, some apps only work on one of these operating systems.
Today, as mobile device use keeps growing, mobile apps are very popular with traders who are often on the move. Traders can keep practicing on the app’s online trading simulator wherever they are.
Trading Software for Beginners
Each broker offers different trading software depending on its traders’ needs. The best-known and most widely used trading software, especially among beginners, includes MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. They are the most widespread and popular programs in the trading world, and brokers almost always include them in their free stock market simulator offering.
MetaTrader 4: Stock Market and Share Trading Simulator
Brokers usually offer simulated trading with MetaTrader 4 software. It is undoubtedly the most widely used platform in the financial markets. Most of the top brokers offer a MetaTrader 4 account with a demo option so traders can practice online trading for free. With this trading simulator, prospective clients can try trading for free with a virtual portfolio provided by the broker.
MetaTrader 4 is very popular with traders because it offers its clients a wide range of markets. Stocks, indices, commodities: you can be sure to access every financial instrument available on the market. It is a complete and practical piece of software that puts the whole market at traders’ fingertips through a single platform.
To get a MetaTrader 4 simulator account, first check whether the broker offers the platform to its clients. Then simply open an account with the broker, choose the demo option and select the MT4 platform. Before using the MetaTrader 4 demo account, you will need to set various parameters such as the currency to use and the leverage you want. You can then finish creating your stock market and share trading simulator account.
MetaTrader 5: The Ideal Trading Simulator for Beginners
An upgraded version of MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 is better suited to beginners for many reasons. With a simpler interface and more accessible buttons and features, a MetaTrader 5 account is easier to use, especially for those new to trading. With the MetaTrader 5 trading simulator app, traders can try trading without difficulty.
With the various tools and technical indicators available on the simulator, it is easier for traders to get to grips with trading forex, the stock market, shares and any other tradable financial instrument. The demo option on MetaTrader 5 also lets traders improve their strategies and trading knowledge.
To access free trading on MetaTrader 5, traders first need to open a MetaTrader 5 demo account. They then choose the currency to use on the trading simulator and set the virtual amount they want to start trading with. Before trading, certain settings must be defined, such as the trader’s preferred leverage. Once all these steps are done, the trader can use the online trading simulator through the MetaTrader 5 platform.
Try a Free Trading Platform
In addition to the trading software available on brokers’ demo accounts, traders can choose a free trading platform. Brokers usually provide their clients with a forex trading simulator account to try out the free platform. Some brokers offer a free platform so their clients can trade the best-known financial markets.
With a free, advanced trading platform, traders get a taste of the stock and forex markets. And since the platform lets traders choose their account type, you can pick one that suits your needs. For example, if you want to become an intraday forex trader, an advanced, sophisticated platform with all the tools, technical indicators and regular updates is essential. For learning long-term trading, on the other hand, a complete and more accessible platform is ideal.
Choose an Advanced Platform
For beginner traders, it is better to try trading on an advanced trading platform. When learning to trade on a demo account, an advanced and complete platform is the ideal choice. That way, if you decide to switch to another platform, you will have no trouble using its various features. An advanced platform is also the best way to build a solid foundation in trading.
Some simulators may be simple and make gains easy, but they do not help traders improve their trading strategy. You can start on a simple, practical simulator, but to build your trading skills and ability, a fully developed platform is ideal. Trading can also be very stressful at times, and it requires a lot of concentration and quick decision-making. By practicing on a better online trading simulator, traders can learn and master trading as effectively as possible.
How Much Money Do You Need to Start Trading on a Demo Account?
To get your trading experience off to a good start, it is often recommended to use a demo account. Brokers usually require a minimum initial deposit before a trader can open a trading account. This minimum deposit can range from €1 to €100,000 depending on the broker. If you are still a beginner, it is always better to start with a small amount. It is not advisable to trade with money you need, because you could lose it at any time.
With a demo account, you do not need a specific amount to start trading. Opening a demo account usually gives you a virtual balance so you can try out the platform. Most financial market simulators offer a virtual balance ranging from €10,000 to €100,000. You can take the time to develop your strategy and fine-tune it before trading on a live account.
For the online trading simulator to truly resemble a live account experience, it is best to choose a broker that lets you set your starting capital. It is important to start with an amount close to what you plan to start with on a live account. That way, you get an overall view of the potential profits, trading margins and the most attractive positions based on your starting stake.
What Gains and Losses Should Beginner Traders Expect?
When you start trading, you obviously need to expect anything. Losses and gains are always to be expected as a beginner. The more market knowledge and experience you have, the more you can limit losses when trading. You also need to choose carefully the market you want to trade and the amount you invest at the start.
For example, the forex market offers many profit opportunities, but it is also very risky compared with other markets. With a good knowledge of the markets and the most profitable financial instruments, it is easier to invest safely.
On an online trading simulator, gains and losses remain purely virtual. Even if you make forex gains in simulation, they are still virtual money. The same goes for losses: if you lose money on a simulator, the loss remains virtual. This is an opportunity for traders to learn to trade and limit their risk of loss once they start trading on the real market.
How to Find the Best Online Trading Simulator
To find the best trading simulator, the best approach is to try it yourself. With first-hand experience of a simulator, it is easier to choose and make a more informed decision. To test simulators, traders can use a demo account or try trading games and trading competitions. With a demo account, traders can practice and track how their investments perform over the long term. They can simply use the demo account offered by their broker.
With a trading competition, traders can not only test the simulator but also put their trading skills into practice. It is essentially a finance game that lets you play the stock market. You can discover all the simulator’s features and find out whether it really is the best simulator.
Try an Online Trading Game
Alongside brokers’ demo accounts, there are also trading games. You can also use a trading simulator in the form of a simulation game, using a gaming app to try out trading. Among the best-known games are Trading Game and Golden Boys. Games can sometimes also take the form of trading competitions.
Trading Game
With more than 1,500,000 traders using the app, this stock and forex trading game is very popular. The app gives access to real professional market rates for forex, stocks and commodities. To enhance your trading experience, the Trading Game simulator app offers its users many charts and tips from expert traders.
With quick and easy sign-up, this online trading game gives you access to a complete trading simulator and all the assets you might be interested in. Since market quotes are genuine and accurate, traders can practice as if they were on the real market and train to trade stocks and currencies under market conditions.
Golden Boys
Golden Boys is one of the most interesting simulation games for trying out trading. Completely free, it gives access to many features without spending a single cent. Since it is a stock market simulation, the money traders play with is fictitious, and so are the losses and gains.
Golden Boys also stands out from other simulation games because it lets players connect with a large community of traders. The game’s chat, blog and forum let beginner traders find information or ask other users for advice. The game gives you the chance to test trading, gain more experience and make mistakes without paying a heavy price.
Online Trading Competitions
Stock market simulation games can also take the form of online trading competitions. When experienced traders take part, beginners can learn the best trading techniques for securing profits. These competitions simulate real market behavior to give a glimpse of what happens in trading and show exactly how losses and gains are made.
Traders get a virtual portfolio to trade the stock market for free. Simulation games also let players win a small amount of money or prizes. It is an easy and fun way for newcomers to learn trading. Reviews of forex trading simulators are often very positive, as beginners really appreciate the fun side they offer.
The Best Trading Simulator for Beginners
If you are new to trading, it is always easier to start with a trading simulator. The best trading simulator for beginners is undoubtedly the one offered by the broker you choose. So it is not just about finding a demo account that meets your expectations, but also about finding the best broker. With so many brokers on the market today, you have plenty of choice. However, you should not pick the first broker whose offer tempts you. It is important to choose a reliable, secure broker with attractive trading conditions.
Among the best-rated brokers on the market offering their clients a demo account are AvaTrade, Vantage, eToro and XTB. These are the brokers we can recommend if you want a satisfying first trading experience.
Many traders use demo accounts on the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms, which is why they can be considered the best trading simulators on the market. They offer a complete, accessible and practical interface, and their demo accounts let you try trading on every financial instrument available on the market.
Key Steps to Follow to Trade Online
It is not advisable to start trading online blindly. Trading is an online investment activity, so it takes some knowledge to generate profits. Here is a summary of the key steps to follow to succeed in trading.
1# Start with a Demo Account
The first step in learning online trading is to use a demo account. The main goal is to get used to the platform and apply your trading strategy to real markets, since the trader has all the tools and features available on a live account. This first step with a simulator also helps traders choose the best technical strategy.
2# Take a Trading Course
The second step is to learn the ins and outs of trading. This is your chance to learn about the different types of trading, such as day trading simulation, swing trading and scalping. To learn more about the basics of trading, many brokers offer a learning section on their websites, with articles, tutorials, videos and webinars that give beginners an overview of what trading is.
3# Define Your Goals and Strategy
Next, it is important to define your main goals as a trader. A technical analysis of each stock is also essential to make your trading strategy succeed. Traders must also fully master the tools and resources available on the platform.
4# Follow Financial Market News
Traders must also monitor and understand market volatility and liquidity. They should also learn about concepts such as leverage and margin. Once they have these parameters in hand, traders can learn to minimize the risks that can arise in trading.
5# Stay Focused and Practice Relentlessly
To improve as a trader, practice is key, so never tire of learning and practicing. Trading can become a fun and profitable activity, especially once you have perfected your strategy on the best trading simulator. However, even if you feel you are becoming a true trading expert, never get carried away by euphoria or greed. Always think things through before making a decision and putting your money into a trade.
To make money on the stock market, it is important to master a few key trading concepts. A virtual stock exchange site is an ideal way to get to know the world of virtual stock market investing before entering the real world of trading.
How to Open a Virtual Stock Exchange Account
In principle, opening a virtual account on a stock trading site is fairly easy with most brokers. Usually, you simply choose the broker that suits you and create an account with it; you are then given a virtual account with a set amount of capital.
There are usually 2 types of procedures for opening a virtual stock exchange account with a broker:
- an automatic procedure for creating the virtual account,
- a “manual” procedure for creating the virtual account, in which case you have to set all the parameters of the virtual stock exchange account yourself.
Here is how to create a trading simulator account on Vantage:
How to Create a Virtual Stock Exchange Account with Vantage
With the Vantage virtual trading site, traders can freely set most of the parameters. We use it as the basis for this second tutorial. Here are the steps to create a virtual account with Vantage:
- Go to the official Vantage website
Simply go to the official Vantage website. You can change the site’s language by clicking the flag at the very top of the page.
- Click the blue “Demo Account” (i.e. virtual account) button at the top of the page
- Fill in the virtual account sign-up form, then click “Next”.
- Set up your virtual account
During this step, you will choose:
- your trading platform
- your base currency
- your account type
- your leverage level
- your balance
These details will be used for your virtual trading account. Then click “Next”.
After this step, you will be redirected to your account on the Vantage virtual trading site. To use your account, you will need to:
- Download the trading platform you selected
You can do this using the link in the email the virtual trading site sent you. You can also download it from the “Downloads” section of your virtual account, choosing the platform that suits your device and operating system.
- Log in to the selected platform
After downloading, launch the platform. Once it is open, enter your login details for that platform:
- login
- password
- server
These details are completely different from the ones you use to log in to the Vantage website. Note that once your virtual trading account is set up, the broker will email you the login details to use.
The Ideal Virtual Trading Site for Beginners
If you are new to trading, we recommend starting with one of the best virtual trading sites. In virtual trading, you need to choose a virtual trading account that suits you and meets your expectations, but also select the best virtual trading site.
Among the most recommended virtual trading sites that offer a virtual account for beginner traders, we especially recommend AvaTrade. It is the virtual trading site we recommend most if you are still a beginner but want a satisfying first trading experience.
This virtual trading site offers traders a complete, well-designed and very practical interface. In addition, its virtual accounts give clients the opportunity to try trading on all the financial instruments available on the market.
What Is a Virtual Stock Exchange?
First, a stock exchange, or more precisely a stock market, is a market in which investors and sellers or order givers speculate on financial assets.
A virtual stock exchange is a stock market simulator that gives traders the opportunity to train in trading without taking any risk. With the best virtual stock exchange app, you trade under real market conditions but with fictitious capital, so there is no risk of losing money.
Benefits of Using a Virtual Stock Exchange Site
Our analysis shows that using a virtual stock exchange site offers various benefits, especially for beginner traders. The best virtual stock exchange site:
- Makes a beginner trader’s very first trading experience easier;
- Is a practical and very useful training tool for learning to trade online for free;
- Shows you the results of a trading strategy once applied to the real market;
- Teaches you how stock market assets work;
- Helps you get to know the platform’s features and tools;
- Gives you the opportunity to trade without any risk;
- Helps you identify the best and most profitable tradable assets on the market;
- Is a fun and very effective way to learn and master trading
Drawbacks of Using a Virtual Stock Exchange Site
Although using a virtual stock exchange site is clearly a plus for trading, it also has some drawbacks to consider. Even though real market conditions apply to the virtual account, virtual trading will never be identical to the real world:
- Trading on a live account is different from the virtual experience on a virtual account;
- Traders cannot use scalping strategies because of the price delay;
- Most virtual stock exchange sites are not available in French;
- Traders find it hard to control their emotions once they move to a live account, because the feelings are not the same.
A stock market simulator is a trading tool that lets traders practice speculating on the stock markets. It is highly recommended for both beginner and professional traders to avoid losing money when investing.
How to Open an Online Stock Market Simulator Account
To open an account on a stock market simulator, you first need to sign up on a broker’s website. Brokers give traders demo accounts with access to a trading platform where they can try almost every financial market.
The procedure for getting a trading simulator account varies depending on how each broker’s website is set up. These examples with some of the best stock market simulators will help you understand how it works.
Open a Vantage Demo Account
Opening a simulator account with Vantage takes two steps. First, you must sign up on the broker’s website. Then, to start simulating, you need to log in to MT4 or MT5, Vantage’s trading platforms. This broker does not have its own simulation interface and has therefore partnered with the world’s best trading software. Signing up for a trading simulator is very simple:
- Go to Vantage and click “Demo Account”
2. Fill in the Vantage registration form and click “Open a Demo Account”
3. Enter your personal details on Vantage and click “Next”
4. Set up your Vantage trading account (MT4 or MT5, account type – Standard STP to get the bonus, account base currency) and click “Next”
5. Verify your identity and place of residence by uploading 2 supporting documents to Vantage and click “Next”
Do you have money in your savings account that you want to invest? Investing in the stock market is certainly a very good idea. However, it is easy to get lost in all the information available online. As a beginner, you should start by using a trading simulator. Read on to find out how to play the stock market virtually with a trading simulator.
A stock market simulator lets you try your hand at the stock market so you can develop strategies and grow your investment. To save time, it is best to go straight to a broker that offers the market you are interested in. Discover the best stock market simulators to learn and master online trading.
The Best Trading Simulator
For years, the stock market has attracted many people, both professionals and beginners. To avoid wasting your time, here is a summary table of the best stock trading simulators.
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| 1:30 | 30 days | $1,000 |
As you can see, each broker has its own terms. Some offer an unlimited demo account, while others limit it to 30 days.
The Best Trading Simulators by Market
Each stock market simulator stands out in a specific market. Depending on the market, traders can:
Trade Stocks with DEGIRO
With the DEGIRO demo account, you can learn about the stock market while experiencing real market conditions. With its commission-free trades, you can experience the emotions of trading and develop new strategies. Open a completely free account with 0% commission and use your virtual portfolio to practice before switching to a live account.
DEGIRO offers more than 800 stocks you can trade on the platform or through the mobile app. Whether you are an experienced trader or a beginner, you can invest in fractional shares. This lets you decide how much to invest regardless of the current price of the stock you want. It is one of the criteria that make DEGIRO the best trading simulator.
Trade Forex on Vantage
If you want to trade forex, Vantage is the market simulator of choice. With its 30-day demo account, you can experience interbank RAW ECN spreads and fast trade execution. Thanks to its high-quality FX liquidity providers, traders can access all the forex markets.
By combining all these features, the Vantage market simulator lets its clients enjoy a professional-grade trading experience. To stay even closer to its clients, the broker is available on different platforms and devices.
The Best Simulators by Trading Type
There are several types of trading. Depending on each user’s needs, manual trading or copy trading may be the best option among stock market simulators.
Try Copy Trading and Social Trading with eToro
Social trading and copy trading are the hallmark of the eToro stock market simulator. Social trading means investing based on other users’ views. eToro has developed new strategies to make the financial markets more accessible and let you trade with confidence. Through its active social channels, the broker broadens its horizons while staying close to its clients.
With its copy trading feature, you can identify other traders and copy their investment strategies. To do so, you can filter the results using the search bar. The simulator offers many criteria for choosing whom to copy, including:
- Risk level
- Location
- Returns
All traders who can be copied show information on their profile. This helps you choose the right person to follow when building your own portfolio. eToro operates transparently to support its clients in the complex world of the stock market.
Try Manual Trading on Vantage
Vantage is a stock market simulator that focuses on manual trading. Although it requires more vigilance and concentration than automated trading, this type of trading is ideal for beginners. It lets newcomers choose the level of risk they want and decide for themselves when to open or close their positions.
That said, this type of trading suits traders who already have some strategies and market instincts that help them make the best investments. Manual trading can be a source of significant income for traders who constantly follow stock market movements.
However, it requires a lot of patience, discipline and judgment. Its main advantage is that it develops a feel for the market, so traders can prepare to face the stock market for real. This type of trading also has drawbacks, because emotions can sometimes lead traders astray. They may end up selling or closing a position at the wrong time.
It also takes a great deal of time and attention. You have to watch the market all day to make the best investments at the right time; otherwise, you will miss many opportunities.
Stock Market Simulators by Time Horizon
You can also choose a stock market simulator based on your time horizon. Once you define your trading method, you will know which broker suits you best.
Long-Term Trading
The best stock market simulator for long-term trading is eToro. The broker offers long-term simulation tools such as CopyPortfolios and US stocks. eToro’s CopyPortfolios fall into 3 categories:
Top Trader CopyPortfolios
This type of CopyPortfolio brings together eToro’s top-performing traders. Long-term stock traders can follow their strategies while developing their own. Since stocks are uncertain and can rise or fall at any time, this tool is ideal for limiting risk.
Market CopyPortfolios
This tool includes all the assets that match the chosen strategy. Long-term traders can easily find what they need among the 800 stocks offered by the broker.
Partner CopyPortfolios
These bring together financial organizations from around the world, helping long-term traders reduce their long-term risk. Investors can develop new growth strategies while making the most of copy trading.
However, long-term trading carries certain risks, because to make big gains you also have to increase your level of risk. Long-term investing, including in stocks, does not offer a quick return on investment either. You will need to be patient for profits to materialize.
Short-Term Trading
The go-to stock market simulators for short-term trading are Vantage and Axi. Short-term trading generally covers a relatively short period, from a few hours to a week. It is ideal for beginners looking for fast execution. But before trading on this time horizon, it is essential to be well informed or you may be caught by surprise.
Before opting for short-term trading, you need to know that there is not just one but several kinds. Your choice will depend on the time frame you want. You can choose between M5 and H1. With M5, you can only keep your position open until the evening. With H1, on the other hand, your position can stay open throughout the week until Friday evening.
These two approaches lead to three different trading styles, even though both are short-term trading:
- Day trading: this style requires quick decision-making to follow stock prices as closely as possible. Positions must be closed at the end of the day. Market swings can earn you profits, but you may also face heavy losses.
- Scalping lets traders profit from small price changes. Open positions should only last a few seconds or, at most, a few minutes. To make money with this style, you need to make small profits as often as possible to maximize overall returns. Its main drawback is that it is extremely time-consuming. You also need to check the costs of opening and closing positions to calculate your risk-reward ratio.
- Swing trading: this is the longest short-term trading style. It can last from a few days to a week or much longer. It involves picking a trend and trading both the dips and rises within the same move. To do so, traders need technical analysis to spot the best opportunities.
Simulators by Mobile Device
Stock trading simulators work hard every day to innovate and better meet their clients’ needs. Many brokers use mobile apps to stay ever closer to their clients.
On Windows, you will find stock market simulator apps such as Vantage, Axi and eToro. These apps let you use the broker whenever and wherever you want. On Mac, you will also find simulators such as eToro that let traders trade with their tools at any time. You can also use these simulators from your phone for greater mobility.
Broker | Device types | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows |
Stock Market Simulators by Trading Platform
Whether for simulated or live trading, not all traders use the same trading platforms. They use the stock trading simulator that suits them best. Some of these platforms rank among the best, including ProRealTime, eToro, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Discover their features below.
ProRealTime
ProRealTime is the French benchmark for stock market simulators. With millions of real orders placed in recent years, it offers many charts as well as reliable market data and exclusive analysis tools.
This platform has many high-quality features that are winning over more and more French traders. ProRealTime gives its users more than 100 built-in technical analysis indicators.
It also lets you create your own indicators using a programming language called ProBuilder, one of the best in its category. Better still, the market simulator comes with advanced modules, the main ones being:
- ProRealTrend: this module automatically draws diagonal and horizontal trendlines to highlight support and resistance levels.
- ProBacktest: also called backtesting, it helps traders build trading models and understand how they would have behaved on historical data.
- ProOrder: the ProOrder module runs ProBacktest trading systems in real time using server-side order execution.
- ProScreener: lets you run complete financial market scans in live trading.
Beyond its high-quality features, the platform offers many advantages that make it ideal for simulated stock trading.
First, ProRealTime lets traders manage their positions and orders visually. They can place orders with a single click on the charts, a practical way to stay focused and avoid distractions. Open positions and pending orders are also shown on the charts.
Second, the platform lets you use different order types, including simple orders placed on a diagonal line or at a fixed price level, and multiple orders that let you place triple orders.
ProRealTime also lets traders using the stock market simulator place protective orders. This category of order is ideal for a trailing stop or a fixed-price stop. Finally, the platform lets you practice on many financial instruments such as currencies, stocks and ETFs, as well as futures.
eToro
eToro is a trading platform specializing in stocks and cryptocurrencies. It is used by the broker eToro, which offers its many features to traders who want to learn about the stock market. This stock market simulator gives its clients services of undeniable quality.
The platform gives traders a demo account that complies with financial regulators’ rules. This demo account lets you practice on the stock market just as you would on a live account. There are no major differences between the two accounts, especially since they have the same limits.
When using the eToro platform to simulate stock trading, you cannot invest more than 20% of your capital in a single trade. You can also only follow around ten traders at a time. Trading therefore works exactly as on a live account. This lets you develop strategies, improve and build the same reflexes as traders with a live account.
The eToro stock trading simulator is suitable for everyone. In addition to a free demo account, the platform helps all types of traders get familiar with the stock market and financial markets. Beyond unlimited simulation time, the platform also tops up your demo account in less than 48 hours if your funds run out.
The drawback is that it prevents traders who want to progress on the stock market from becoming fully aware of the risks, as they tend to underestimate them. When speculating with fictitious money, they neither suffer the stress of losses nor feel the pinch of losing real money.
The platform supports its clients through online training sessions. Even though practice is the best way to build skills quickly, theory remains essential for mastering the basics of any field.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are trading platforms with advanced analysis tools. They have been on the market for more than 10 years. These extremely powerful platforms are used by many brokers to offer high-quality services to their clients.
Even though MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 both perform well, there are a few differences between them. Here is a short table to help you compare their features:
Platforms | Programming language | Number of pending order types | Number of execution types | Ease of use and navigation | Analysis tools | Number of indicators | |
| MQL4 | 4 | 3 | Very easy | 33 | 30 | |
| MQL5 | 6 | 4 | Slightly harder | 68 | 38 |
Beyond their features, these platforms offer many advantages. They are free and easy to get started with, so a trader who wants to dabble in the stock market can use them without much difficulty. Whether on a demo or a live account, every trader will find what they need.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 let you speculate on many financial markets. Forex, indices, commodities or stocks: traders can test every market to find the one that suits them best and discover its advantages.
What makes these platforms even more appealing is that they go wherever you go. They are available on all types of devices. Phone, tablet, Android, Windows or iOS: you can download the app and trade wherever you are.
xStation
xStation is one of the ideal platforms for simulating stock trading. Used by the broker XTB, it offers many useful tools for stock market simulation. Trading on this platform is made easier by its quality and speed of execution.
Awarded in 2019 for its fast execution, the platform opens up the world of the stock market to beginners and experienced traders alike. With more than 4,000 instruments, such as indices, forex, global ETFs, commodities and cryptocurrencies, it gives everyone the opportunity to train on new markets and develop strategies that will later help them avoid losses on the stock market.
Backed by more than 15 years of experience, the platform lets you follow market developments through its charts. Traders can also close all their positions in a single click, so you can open and close a position at exactly the right moment.
Finally, the xStation platform has very useful advanced charts that help you keep track of limit orders, market orders and pending orders. You can also place orders directly from the charts on the investment simulator, making investing faster and smoother.
Your stock market simulator also includes a tool called the trading calculator. It shows your gains or losses for each position, giving traders full control of their trading.
The platform can be downloaded on, and is compatible with, several types of devices. Whether on a phone, a tablet, a Mac or a Windows device, you can follow stock prices while going about your day. This extra feature lets you simulate stock trading wherever you want and whenever you can.
Simulated Trading: How Much Should You Deposit?
To learn and practice, you necessarily have to invest a certain amount. In some cases, traders invest the fictitious money in their demo account. But some traders invest real money on a simulator to develop their strategies while feeling the real emotions of a live account.
To Learn How to Trade
When you open your demo account, the broker gives you a virtual portfolio. The amount depends on the stock market simulator you use. This money lets you trade on the stock market just as on a live account, the only difference being that the money invested is virtual.
This helps beginner traders get used to this new world, understand it and interact with it. You should use this money wisely to prepare for the stock market under real conditions, choosing your investments, markets and time horizons carefully.
Trading on a stock market simulator helps you build knowledge. To make the most of it, it is important to follow certain principles to avoid unnecessary risks once the simulation is over. Even though some stock trading simulators have unlimited duration, others expire after a month.
You therefore need to act wisely so you do not run into ongoing difficulties once the allotted time has run out.
To Develop Strategies
Simulating stock trading does not require a specific amount. But depending on your goals and preferences, you may decide to trade with small amounts of real money. This method helps you develop trading strategies while practicing on a stock trading simulator.
The most compelling thing about investing real money in simulation is that you become much more attentive to stock market movements. The faster you learn to manage your investment capital, the faster you will limit the damage. Because you are investing real money, your emotions will be stronger and you will learn better.
Stock market investing should match your means. Keep in mind that a large sum is not really ideal on a stock trading simulator, so you can start with small amounts. If you want to master another asset, just invest a very small amount to see how it goes and how its price moves.
So when using a stock market simulator, you can start with small sums. For example, if you invest $100 with 1:50 leverage, you could make $250 in gains if the market rises by 5%. Otherwise, you would suffer equivalent losses. This step helps you fine-tune your strategy. If you want to invest larger amounts, it is recommended to switch to a live account.
How to Open a Stock Market Simulator Account
The best way to understand the world of the stock market is to experience it. But you cannot dive headfirst into such an uncertain field. To build your knowledge and develop strategies, it is a good idea to use a trading simulator. Here is how to open a stock market simulator account and start practicing:
Open a Vantage Demo Account
- Go to Vantage and click “Demo Account”
2. Fill in the Vantage registration form and click “Open a Demo Account”
3. Enter your personal details on Vantage and click “Next”
4. Set up your Vantage trading account (MT4 or MT5, account type – Standard STP to get the bonus, account base currency) and click “Next”
5. Verify your identity and place of residence by uploading 2 supporting documents to Vantage and click “Next”
Open an eToro Demo Account
1. Go to eToro and click “Join Now”
2. Fill in eToro’s short sign-up form and click “Start Trading”
3. To use your eToro account securely and unlock all its features, verify your account by clicking “Continue”
4. Read eToro’s terms and conditions and privacy policy before confirming your details
5. Complete the eToro questionnaire and verify your identity
6. Click the “Sign Up” button
Once you have signed up, you are ready to take on the stock market. Even though it is only a simulation, the experience can only benefit you, because practice is how you gain experience.
Benefits
A stock market simulator has many benefits for traders who want to learn about the stock market and improve before trading it for real. Among its many advantages, a stock trading simulator lets you:
- Test the financial markets: a stock market simulator lets traders speculate on several markets. It gives access to many financial markets such as forex, indices, stocks and cryptocurrencies. Traders have a wide range of options to try out and identify their preferred market.
- Try trading without taking risks: with a stock market simulator, traders can invest as much as they want without any risk of loss, because the simulator lets you trade with virtual money. Whatever the market does, traders come out unscathed since they have not invested any real capital.
- Test stock market tools: the stock market offers many tools for developing strategies and becoming a trading ace. Using a stock trading simulator gives you access to all these tools so you can get familiar with each of them. By mastering how and why to use them, you can avoid certain pitfalls and know the right time to open or close a position.
- Build a trading strategy: with a stock market simulator, you can learn and master stock price movements. Based on this knowledge, you can define the trading strategy that will help you increase your gains on the stock market. A strategy is all the more useful because it gives the trader an identity.
- Test your skills and assess your level before trading live: the stock market is volatile. There are no sure-fire methods, so to know your exact skill level, it is advisable to use a stock market simulator. You will then know whether you are ready to start live trading, or whether you still need time to understand and absorb certain concepts before taking the plunge.
- Identify the best-rated, most profitable and easiest assets to trade: a stock trading simulator lets you discover and explore the financial markets. You will have access to many assets, each with its own characteristics. As you practice, you will learn which asset suits you best based on its profitability and how easy it is to trade.
- Help all types of traders: a stock market simulator suits every type of trader. For beginners, it lets them learn by doing. More experienced traders will need it if they want to invest in new markets without taking any risk. They can practice on a simulator until they master the asset and are ready to trade it live.
- Access many stock exchanges: a stock trading simulator lets you invest in several financial markets, and more. It also opens the doors to many stock exchanges such as London, Paris and Luxembourg.
- Train to prepare for live trading: to understand a world as complex as the stock market, practice beats theory. A simulator lets you move beyond theory and learn by doing, so you absorb what you have been taught naturally.
- Trade on any device: to support traders at all times, stock market simulators are available on many devices. Whether in a mobile or web version, the simulator is always close at hand. You can find your simulator as a downloadable app for Mac, Android, iOS and Windows, and use it from a mobile phone, a tablet or a computer.
Drawbacks
A stock trading simulator has many advantages that make it a powerful tool. However, there are some drawbacks every trader should consider before starting. These include:
- It does not build a feel for market emotions: trading on a stock market simulator is done with fictitious money to learn and understand the stock market. While this is a big advantage because there are no losses, it does not develop the emotions of the market. In live trading, every market move triggers new emotions such as stress, joy, anger and many others, which are downplayed during simulation.
- Overlooking trading fees: most traders using stock market simulators only think about calculating their performance while overlooking fees that can sometimes upset their trading results. These fees include transaction and account maintenance fees set by the broker and the spread between the buy and sell price depending on the underlying asset.
- Poor money management: in virtual trading, few traders take the time to calculate the risks involved. Traders do not always set money management rules because, whatever happens, they will not have lost anything. Since the money is virtual, they place orders without considering certain factors. This is what sets simulator investing apart from live trading.
Brokers for Playing the Stock Market Virtually
Playing the stock market virtually is now possible and accessible to everyone thanks to demo accounts and trading simulators. Almost every broker offers this type of account, and having one has become an essential criterion when choosing a broker.
Here are the best brokers offering the best apps for playing the stock market for free.
Broker | Free Demo | Leverage | Demo Duration | Minimum Deposit for a Live Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try It | 1:500 | 30 days without a deposit, unlimited with a live account | €200 / $200 |
| *68% of retail CFD accounts lose money | 1:30 | no expiry if active within 3 months | $200 |
Choosing a Site to Play the Stock Market
As mentioned, several brokers offer new savers accounts that let them play the stock market virtually. Beyond parameters such as leverage, demo account duration and others, you should always test the demo account of the broker you plan to open an account with.
There is no point testing the simulator of a broker whose live account does not suit you. The whole point of playing virtually is to test the features of your chosen broker without putting your savings at risk.
The best simulation for playing the stock market generally depends on several parameters: the market, your investment horizon, the device you use and, above all, the type of trading. When choosing your broker, do not overlook these options.
The Best Stock Trading Simulators by Market
Your choice of trading simulator should depend on the market you plan to trade.
- Stocks: eToro has always been known as a broker for beginners, and it is also recommended for those who want to play the stock market virtually for free. And when you are finally ready to trade for real, you can switch from a demo account to a live account in just 3 clicks with this broker.
- Forex: Looking for a broker to simulate forex trading? Vantage is the best answer. This Australian broker is known worldwide as the best forex broker for beginners and experienced traders alike. It also lets you trade many markets, including the US market and the French market.
- Indices: Vantage offers up to 43 stock indices, so it is recommended if you want to trade stock indices virtually. AxiTrader is also recommended for simulating the index market. It is a trusted, award-winning broker offering competitive spreads on indices.
The Best Stock Market Simulators by Trading Type
When choosing your free site for playing the stock market online, you should also consider the type of trading. Each broker has its own trading approach. Here are the ones we recommend.
- Manual trading: If you are new to the stock market, manual trading is certainly the most recommended type of trading, and the best broker for testing it through a demo account is Vantage. Using this technique with the Australian broker, you learn about the market faster. You can also open and close your positions fairly easily.
- Social trading & copy trading: as a beginner investor, it is undoubtedly important to be able to exchange ideas with other traders. So why not try social trading with eToro? With the broker’s copy trading feature, you can also learn from the most talented traders.
The Best Stock Trading Simulators by Investment Horizon
Your investment horizon is another key factor in choosing a trading simulator. Here are the best brokers for your investment horizon.
- Short- or medium-term trading (from a few minutes to several days): The advantage of short- or medium-term trading is that you have plenty of opportunities. Losses are also limited and you see results faster. Want to take advantage of this? Then choose Vantage or AxiTrader.
- Long-term trading (from several months to several years): Less stress, lower transaction costs and more freedom: that is what awaits you if you decide to trade for the long term. The broker we recommend for this type of investment is eToro.
The Best Stock Trading Simulators by Device
The device you use to play the stock market virtually also matters when choosing a trading simulator. Here are the brokers to consider if you trade on Windows, Mac, phone or tablet.
- Trading on Windows: If you mainly want to trade on a device running Windows, we recommend the trading simulator offered by Vantage. The broker offers the best trading platforms (MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5), which are compatible with all versions of Windows. Axi Trader is also recommended for trading on Windows. Whether MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 4 NextGen, all these platforms are compatible with your device’s operating system.
- Trading on Mac: eToro offers a much smoother and more convenient experience if you trade on a Mac. Simply open the Mac App Store to download the eToro app.
- Trading on mobile (phone or tablet): To let investors trade anywhere and at any time, several brokers offer mobile apps for phones and tablets. Top of the list is Vantage, which offers MetaTrader 4 and 5 for your iPhone, iPad and Android phone or tablet. After Vantage, brokers such as eToro and Axi Trader also offer attractive apps that let you play the stock market virtually.
The Best Stock Trading Simulators by Platform
Since you cannot trade properly without a trading platform, you should also consider this tool when simulating stock trading. Here are the most widely used platforms and the brokers that offer them.
- MetaTrader 4: since many brokers offer MetaTrader 4 as their trading platform, it can be hard to choose an MT4 broker. To make it easier, here are the brokers we recommend for this platform: Vantage, Axi Trader.
- MetaTrader 5: Here are our picks for the best MT5 brokers for playing the stock market virtually: Vantage, XM.
- ProRealTime: If you want to use this platform, note that it is currently available through 3 brokers: IG, Interactive Brokers and Saxo Bank.
- eToro: The eToro platform remains the go-to for fans of social trading and copy trading. It is also a multi-asset platform offering more than 2,000 financial instruments, which lets you fine-tune your trading strategy while trying to diversify your portfolio through the trading simulator.
- xStation: this platform comes in two versions (xStation 5 and xStation Mobile) and is exclusive to the broker XTB. According to user reviews, it is not very well suited to beginners but rather to more experienced traders.
How to Open a Simulator Account: Step by Step
To play the stock market virtually, you first need to open a trading simulator account. Here are the steps to open a demo account with Vantage.
Go to the Broker’s Website
The first step is to go to the broker’s website. Once there, you will see the “Demo Account” button at the top left of the home page. Click it.
Complete the Sign-Up Form
Once you click the button, a sign-up form appears. Fill it in with your personal details and contact information.
Choose Your Trading Platform
As mentioned earlier, the Australian broker Vantage gives access to the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms. To play the stock market for free, choose the one that best meets your needs.
Choose Your Account Type
To help its investors get into the right trading mindset, Vantage lets you choose your account type as soon as you open a simulator account. Choose the one that suits you best in terms of capital and features.
Select Your Currency
Once you have chosen your account type, decide which currency you want to use. This is the last step before you start trading. Then click “Next”.
That’s it, your account is open. After this final step, you will receive an email with your login details. Be careful not to lose them. Now download the trading platform you chose, MT4 or MT5, if you have not already done so. Once you have it, you can log in with your credentials.
How to Switch from a Demo Account to a Live Account
After using it for a while, you will certainly realize that a demo account for playing the market virtually has its limits. We do not recommend staying on this type of account for long if you want your investment to be profitable.
Besides not developing the healthy fear needed to succeed in trading, you also risk building overconfidence, which is bound to harm your trading habits. To avoid this, the obvious solution is to open a live account. The steps are not complicated.
Playing the Stock Market Virtually: How Does It Work?
Stock market simulation is not only available through demo accounts. There are also online trading games. Whether games or competitions, there is no shortage of stock market simulations to help you.
- Golden Boys: this is undoubtedly the best-known stock market simulation game. It lets traders practice trading by giving free access to many markets on the New York and Paris stock exchanges. You can trade from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. As well as being free, this simulation game gives its investors a virtual balance (fictitious, of course) of €20,000. On top of these features, Golden Boys lets traders connect with a large community.
- Trading Game: this is a simulation app that helps you improve your trading. With it, you get access to the real rates applied on the market. Stocks, forex or commodities: you can choose which instruments to trade. As well as practicing, you also get charts and tips from professionals to help you improve.
- Boursematch: another stock market simulation tool. With it, users get access to the portfolios of the best traders, so they can see the trading approach and investment style of the best in the field. Completely free, this simulator gives traders virtual capital of up to €30,000. You can also play the stock market virtually, as with the Boursorama portfolio (which has a large community).
- Online trading competitions: trading competitions are also very common on these sites. They are very popular with traders because they help them learn many trading tips. Through these stock market simulations, beginners can observe the strategies more experienced traders use to secure profits. Competitions also give a more concrete picture, as they simulate real market behavior.
Simulated Trading: How Much Should You Deposit?
To make you feel like you are really trading, stock trading simulators will naturally ask you to set a deposit amount. Of course, this is simply a fictitious deposit. But how do you choose the amount?
How Much to Deposit to Learn to Trade?
Playing the stock market virtually can serve different purposes for each trader. If you are playing to learn how to trade, you can deposit the maximum amount of funds. That way, you will have more room to learn and absorb things freely.
How Much to Deposit to Test a Strategy?
If your goal is to test a strategy, i.e. to see how effective it is, you should stake the amount of money you actually have. Test for free whether your technique works and refine it based on the mistakes you make during the simulation.
What Is a Stock Trading Simulator?
A trading simulator is a tool that lets investors play the stock market virtually. More specifically, it helps beginner traders learn, find out how to use a trading platform for free and apply their trading skills with fictitious money. With this type of program, you can take part in stock market simulation games for free.
Simulators give traders fictitious money, generally between €10,000 and €100,000. With these funds, you get access to different markets and financial instruments such as stocks, currencies, bonds, forex, indices, commodities and more. Even though the balance in stock market simulation games is fictitious, brokers give new savers the chance to observe and trade (virtually) under real market conditions.
A trading simulator is not only useful for beginners; experienced traders can also use it for paper trading. Paper trading is virtual trading that lets beginners and experienced traders alike play the stock market without investing any money. This technique is very useful if you want to learn or do not yet have enough capital to trade on a live account.
Advantages of a Simulator
With a trading simulator like the one offered by Vantage, you can easily play the stock market virtually. This means you avoid taking risks and losing real money. This type of tool also lets you learn every aspect of good trading. It is one of the most useful tools if you plan to become a real trader. Learning, getting started and refining your technique while staying out of harm’s way (especially losing your capital): that is what a trading simulator can offer you.
Disadvantages of a Simulator
As we said, a trading simulator cannot do everything. Despite its many advantages, the tool also has its limits. First, although you learn a lot, you gain nothing in terms of capital. In the long run, this type of tool therefore becomes a waste of time.
You also do not develop the right psychology for trading. By never losing anything, you will become overconfident, and this excessive confidence can harm your investments. And although simulation games give access to the market in real time, traders are not really confronted with order execution, which can only be experienced live.
Alternatives to a Stock Trading Simulator
A stock trading simulator certainly has practical advantages, but any self-respecting trader should understand that it is not good to stay on one for long. Risk is an integral part of trading. Although fear is always present, it should never be an obstacle to your stock market activity.
To solve the stagnation a stock market simulator can cause, there is a simple and effective alternative: opening a live trading account. With this type of account, your gains and losses are real. Either way, you will learn to manage yourself better (your emotions, your techniques, your portfolio, etc.).
What’s more, with a broker such as Vantage, you trade with one of the world’s leaders, which gives you access to a wide range of financial instruments to build a complete portfolio (currencies, forex, indices, commodities, CFDs, etc.). Security and competitive spreads are also part of the package, along with access to the international market.
Open an eToro Demo Account
To get a simulator account on eToro, simply follow the standard account opening process. All you have to do is sign up on the platform to access the demo account and the simulation interface. Here are the steps:
1. Go to eToro and click “Join Now”
2. Fill in eToro’s short sign-up form and click “Start Trading”
3. To use your eToro account securely and unlock all its features, verify your account by clicking “Continue”
4. Read eToro’s terms and conditions and privacy policy before confirming your details
5. Complete the eToro questionnaire and verify your identity
6. Click the “Sign Up” button
If you want to start with a demo account on a stock market simulator, you need to identify the best ones currently on the market.
The Best Online Stock Market Simulators
To avoid losing money on the stock market, it is a good idea to spend time practicing on a stock market simulator, such as those used in schools. Although many software tools offer this feature, they are not all equally good in terms of performance. The most popular stock market simulators are Vantage and eToro. They differ in terms of:
- Demo account duration
- Minimum deposit required for a live account
- Leverage
The table below gives an overview of these top stock market simulators.
Broker | Maximum leverage | Demo account duration | Minimum deposit for a live account | |
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| 1:30 | 30 days | $1,000 |
Trading Simulators by Market
The most recommended markets for trading are forex, where you trade currency pairs, followed by stock indices and stocks. Each financial product is associated with a broker considered the benchmark because of its advantages.
eToro for Stocks
Trading stocks offers huge profit potential, and using the eToro stock market simulator increases your chances of generating income. Seen as the leader in the securities market, this broker is the most popular among professionals in its field. Its reputation comes from eliminating brokerage fees on stock buy and sell transactions on the platform.
When you trade with this broker, you no longer have to pay management, markup or ticket fees.
One of the hallmarks of eToro’s interface is how smooth and accessible it is. It remains the right tool for beginners in the stock market, as the platform is easy to use and helps you quickly master the basics of trading.
More than just a stock market simulator, eToro gives investors a complete experience. With this broker, you can buy real shares as well as trade CFDs. You can also test all company shares, including today’s best-known listed companies.
The opportunities offered by eToro’s platform do not stop there. This stock market simulator gives you access to more than 2,000 stocks across more than 17 sectors worldwide.
To help its users make the most of the securities market, the site gives access to companies of every size and economic standing: small-cap companies, mid-cap companies and multinationals. Stock market investors can also speculate on the shares of listed companies on the London, Frankfurt, Paris, Hong Kong, Brussels and other exchanges.
eToro was designed specifically to help its users make money. This is one of the reasons why the broker is a benchmark in the stock market. As well as suiting all traders, it lets them receive dividends and benefit from the lowest spreads to limit speculators’ costs. Clients also get direct ownership of the assets eToro buys on their behalf.
eToro also holds the title of best stock market simulator because it provides traders with real-time information. In addition, the trading tools available on the platform suit all types of traders because they are simple to use. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, trading stocks with eToro is easy and quite exciting.
Vantage for Forex
The biggest names in forex trading have used the Vantage platform. This interface not only helps you make money but also helps you develop your mastery of market fluctuations. It gives traders all the essential technical analysis tools to succeed in forex.
Vantage tops the list of brokers recommended for building a successful trading career because of its very low spreads. When trading with this broker, you are also no longer subject to brokerage commissions. Spreads are the only fees applied to your trades and transactions. Vantage makes sure to keep its pricing competitive to help beginner traders improve and become profitable within a reasonable time.
The Vantage market simulator also gives its users access to more than 40 forex currency pairs. As well as offering the most liquid currencies on the market, the platform draws on existing liquidity pools to guarantee you a very positive client experience. This helps beginners quickly become active traders and recognized professionals worldwide.
Available 24/7, the trading platform lets you trade without limits. At any time of day, you can place trades, open positions or analyze charts. This feature helps you make the most of the market’s various opportunities. Your chances of profit are higher when you can take advantage of market volatility without restrictions. The opportunity to earn income around the clock is what forex trading on the Vantage interface offers.
This broker is considered the benchmark for trading currency pairs because it offers the best leverage. It gives traders leverage of 1:500 to multiply their profit potential. Leverage of 1:500 lets you control 500 times more than your capital alone would allow. This tool is a real gold mine for anyone looking to trade forex with Vantage.
To help users master this feature, it is available on the stock market simulator’s demo account. You can then assess the benefits and risks of using leverage in trading. These experiences will help you develop the right skills to propel your career once you switch to live trading.
Still with a view to helping its users succeed, Vantage has set up a training program on forex basics. By signing up with the broker, traders get access to a section specially designed to teach them the essentials of trading.
This training will be a great help in quickly increasing your trading income. Although forex is one of the markets with the greatest profit potential, you will need certain skills before you can benefit from it. Vantage’s training aims to help you fill your gaps and develop the skills you need to succeed.
Simulators by Trading Type
The art of trading comes in many forms, and to succeed you need to find the style that suits you. While some professionals make a living from social trading and copy trading, others are fans of manual trading. Either way, to give yourself a chance of success, you need to choose the best stock market simulator.
Social Trading and Copy Trading: eToro
Today, eToro has established itself as the go-to platform for social trading and copy trading. The platform’s services connect you with some of the best traders in the world. Investors and speculators can get in touch with professionals to follow or copy their positions and profit as they do.
eToro clients can work as a team, discussing and sharing their views on investment opportunities. The platform’s trading community is one of the largest in the world and includes many trading professionals.
eToro also offers an outstanding copy trading service that lets clients choose professional traders and copy their positions. This benefits trading enthusiasts, who can now put their capital to work effortlessly.
Traders who use copy trading no longer need training to acquire advanced trading skills. They can choose to put the money they would have spent on training into copy trading to maximize returns. Investors are free to choose which trader to copy based on their own selection criteria.
eToro also takes care to display on its platform the results of all professional traders after copy trading periods, along with their clients’ reviews. You can compare the different results to choose the trader who suits you best. You can also sort traders by predefined parameters, such as gains, percentage gain, level of losses, minimum capital, years of experience and even country of origin.
eToro’s platform does everything it can to help its clients better understand market opportunities and make the most of them.
Manual Trading: Vantage
Most of the traders counted among the most successful in the world say they have done manual trading with Vantage. This way of trading involves carrying out in-depth, methodical analysis before every trade. When a trade turns into a loss, traders can question their approach and learn from their mistakes to improve their trading strategy.
Manual trading can also be practiced by professional traders who want to diversify or design a new trading strategy. Manual trading is also known for developing the right psychology to succeed in the financial markets. It also encourages the development of a winning trading strategy and the discipline needed to profit from the markets.
The Vantage platform lets traders trade the markets through its partnership with the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms.
Traders who trade manually are better able to understand the price structure of the stock markets. Regular practice gives traders the skills and tools to spot the best opportunities and profit from them with as little risk as possible.
Simulators by Time Horizon
To make money on the stock market, you can trade short term or long term. The short-term option is used much more by forex and index traders. To ensure their success, they use one of the best stock market simulators in the field: Vantage.
Taking long-term positions, on the other hand, is better suited to the stock markets. Experts in investing in securities particularly use eToro to benefit from its many advantages.
eToro for Long-Term Stock Trading
The reason stock market enthusiasts enjoy their experience with eToro and consider it the benchmark is its CopyPortfolios. This program lets traders take long-term positions with confidence in their investments. Beginners also benefit from this feature, as they can now trade stocks for the long term while still being novices.
CopyPortfolios give investors access to information on the strategies and positions taken by professional traders registered on eToro. Three types of information are available to them.
Top Trader CopyPortfolios
This data covers the best traders, who stand out for their extraordinary profit potential. With access to it, others can use their strategies to guide their own investments. You can simply copy the strategy and replicate it in your account to limit your risk of loss. Since the stock market is very volatile, the risks are higher and the slightest mistake can be costly. To reassure its users and ease the pressure, eToro created Top Trader CopyPortfolios.
This information is grouped into four categories according to its content.
The first category covers quarterly gainers: the 50 best stock traders identified every three months. Second come active traders, who hold more than 50% of their capital in stocks.
Trending traders come third and include the 10 traders with the most copiers on eToro. CopyPlus84 comes last: it is the group of traders with the lowest risk. It also represents the traders who had the most copiers in the past month.
Market CopyPortfolios
Unlike Top Trader CopyPortfolios, the information provided here relates to various financial products. eToro has put together a basket of CFD stocks, ETFs and commodities to make things easier for investors. These financial assets offer many advantages and have excellent profit potential. They were chosen to help traders increase their percentage gains.
Speculators interested in this option can usually choose between these instruments:
– Gaming companies
– US stock market ETFs
– Major banking institutions
– The world’s largest companies (Facebook, Apple, eBay…)
– Major stock indices, including the Dow Jones 30, S&P 500, China 50, Euro Stoxx 50, DAX 30, AUS 200 and Nasdaq 100
– Etc.
This basket of financial products includes the 800 most profitable stocks on the stock market. It is therefore a real asset for investors who like to spread their investments.
Partner CopyPortfolios
Here, eToro brings in traders who have succeeded in long-term investing, as well as financial institutions. They share their trading strategies and forecasts on upcoming stock market fluctuations with the platform’s users.
This information is a great help for beginners who want to invest without taking huge risks. Experts can also rely on this data to refine their strategies and confirm their future investments. In short, everyone can succeed in the securities market with eToro’s platform.
Vantage or Axi for Short-Term Trading
To seize market opportunities with this trading style, investors need fast order execution. That is why they use the Axi and Vantage stock market simulators. Thanks to their partnership with the leading MT4 and MT5 trading platforms, they offer the best features a speculator needs, including powerful analysis tools for making money through short-term trading.
Generally, positions opened with this investment strategy have up to a week to be closed. This form of trading uses the M5 or H1 time frame. In the first case, traders base their analysis on market movements every five minutes. On H1, charts show market fluctuations every 60 minutes. The trader’s goal is to identify and seize the opportunities that arise within that time frame. Short-term trading can be done in three different ways:
Swing Trading
Positions opened in swing trading can be held for more than a week, but the limit is two weeks. While it offers traders more profit potential, it also requires precise market analysis. That is why speculators use the cutting-edge analysis tools available on MT4 and MT5.
Day Trading
Your decision-making ability will be your greatest asset on the market. The opportunities day trading offers are huge. By practicing on a stock market simulator, you will easily develop this ability. MT4 and MT5 also offer decision-support tools. Learn to master them and you can make good money day trading.
Scalping
This trading style is tied to the M5 time frame, because analysis and opening or closing positions are a matter of seconds. However, scalping requires you to be very active and present on the market to take full advantage of volatility. With a little practice on the Vantage stock market simulator or with the broker Axi, you have a chance of becoming a scalping ace.
Online Simulators by Mobile Device
Digital technology has made mobile versions of stock market simulators possible. This has proved essential in letting traders trade from anywhere without being glued to their computer. Today, you can access your trading platforms from your tablet, Android, Mac, iOS or Windows device.
To help you find the stock market simulators that offer this advantage, here is a table of simulation software and the devices they support.
Broker | Device types | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows | |
| iOS, Android phone, tablet Mac, Windows |
Stock Market and Trading Simulators by Platform
To let traders practice with simulations, most brokers use trading platforms. Many types of interfaces serve as training grounds for stock market simulation. In terms of performance and efficiency, the most popular are MT4, MT5, eToro, xStation and ProRealTime. These programs offer speculators all the features they need to succeed in trading.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
These two platforms are the benchmarks in the trading world because they suit every type of trading. With MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, traders have access to an extensive range of technical analysis tools, charts and drawing tools to perfect their trading strategies.
Available to everyone through Vantage, they are completely free to download and use. Their interface is also very practical and easy for beginner traders to understand. MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 let speculators trade both automatically and manually.
However, there are some differences between the two programs. Here is a table to help you understand how MT4 and MT5 differ.
Platforms | Programming language | Number of pending order types | Number of execution types | Ease of use and navigation | Analysis tools | Number of indicators | |
| MQL4 | 4 | 3 | Very easy | 33 | 30 | |
| MQL5 | 6 | 4 | Slightly harder | 68 | 38 |
xStation
The advantage for speculators using this platform is its access to all the financial markets. xStation is also very popular for stock market simulation because of its easy-to-master analysis tools and its 34 technical indicators.
With this interface, speculators can also see other traders’ investments and copy their strategies. On the xStation platform, you get an economic calendar to stay on top of the news and a built-in calculator to make your calculations easier. This software is also among the most recommended because of its ability to provide real-time data.
eToro
The smoothness and flexibility of eToro’s interface are the main reasons it is a recommended trading platform. This lets beginners practice properly to perfect their trading techniques.
eToro is mainly used by traders signed up with the broker eToro for its stock market simulator services. They can take advantage of the online training the software offers to get familiar with the world of trading very quickly. Its customizable list of technical indicators makes it the tool of choice for developing your market analysis skills.
ProRealTime
The best stock market simulator platform in France, ProRealTime provides its users with real-time data only. It is recognized as the leader in market analysis thanks to its tools and its 100 first-rate technical indicators. It has also developed modules that give traders an excellent user experience. These programs are designed to help speculators with various tasks:
– Drawing trendlines (ProRealTrend)
– Refining their trading strategy (ProBacktest)
– Speeding up order execution (ProOrder)
– Scanning the market to gather all the available information (ProScreener)
Simulating Online: Do You Need a Deposit?
To Learn How to Trade
Most traders start trading using the virtual funds available in demo accounts. The amount of capital depends on the limit set by the broker. However, some brokers are the exception and let you choose the virtual amount you want credited to your account. In that case, traders can select the amount they would deposit if they were trading on a live account.
A stock market simulator is designed to help traders learn to invest their money more effectively in the financial markets before moving to live accounts. Ideally, use a realistic account balance and trade as if you were already on a live account.
To Develop Your Strategy
To find your investor profile and get familiar with the stock markets, it is a good idea to trade for a while with a demo account. This account should be opened with a regulated broker and meet certain essential criteria.
However, trading on a demo account has its limits and does not let traders work on their psychology. That is why it is recommended to open a live account with an amount you can afford to lose, so you can learn to control your emotions on the markets.
In general, the profit potential of a stock market simulator is attractive. For a trader with €200 of capital and 1:50 leverage, profits can reach €500 if the market moves 5% in the direction of their position. To achieve this, they need a winning strategy.
However, trading on a live account offers better prospects, because your strategy takes into account the amounts you have actually earned. Traders become more aware of the profit potential and of the right strategy for building income through trading.
Benefits
A stock market simulator is generally recommended to help traders either learn trading or test a broker. However, using one offers many more benefits.
Learning the basics of trading: with access to trading platforms through demo accounts, traders can get familiar with the world of the stock market. This is the primary function of a stock market simulator. It is particularly well suited to beginners, who get the chance to discover and understand market fluctuations.
Building and evaluating trading strategies: both newcomers and professionals benefit from this. To generate income, a trader needs an investment technique suited to their profile. Experts use stock market simulators to find new, more profitable strategies or replace an outdated one.
Mastering trading tools: in trading, positions are taken based on prior analysis of financial market movements. To analyze effectively, speculators can practice with the tools and programs available on the stock market simulator.
Using leverage wisely: both advantageous and risky, leverage can be a trap. While it lets traders multiply their gains, the reverse is also true when they lose. With a stock market simulator, however, investors can test different levels of leverage to understand its impact and use it in moderation.
Trading without taking risks: stock market simulators generally use demo accounts, so the money the trader invests remains entirely virtual. You can have fun testing every financial product and every strategy without fear of losing your money. As long as you stay in demo mode, you take no risk.
Drawbacks
Using a simulator is not all positive; it also has some shortcomings as a learning tool.
Traders’ emotions are not taken into account: as mentioned above, speculators take no risk with a stock market simulator. Since the money is virtual, they cannot feel the real emotions of losing money on the stock market. The psychological side is not developed during the practice period. This can lead traders to make bad decisions once they move to a live account, where they will need to learn self-control to generate income and limit their losses.
No brokerage fees: since it is just a simulation with fictitious money, brokers cannot charge trading commissions. This skews the trader’s real profitability results. On a live account, they will pay various brokerage fees and spreads, which will reveal their true performance.
Virtual Stock Exchange Platforms
When it comes to virtual stock trading, here are the platforms most widely used by traders and the trading sites that offer them:
- MetaTrader 4: since many brokers already offer this trading platform, traders can find it hard to choose an MT4 broker. To help you choose, we have listed the best-known virtual trading sites that offer this platform: Vantage.
- MetaTrader 5: here is our pick of the best MT5 brokers for playing the stock market virtually: Vantage.
- ProRealTime: three brokers give access to this platform: IG, Interactive Brokers and Saxo Bank.
How Much Do You Need to Start Trading on a Virtual Stock Exchange?
There is no fixed amount needed to start trading with a virtual account. Opening a virtual trading account gives you access to a virtual balance so you can test the selected platform.
Note that the amount you can invest in a virtual account varies depending on the conditions and minimum deposit of each virtual trading site. One convenient feature of a virtual account is that you can choose how much to invest virtually. Several brokers, such as Vantage, offer this option. Others, however, automatically credit your virtual account with a preset amount of capital.
Even if you can choose the amount to use in your account, and that amount can be high, you do not have to choose a very large sum. What matters is choosing an amount that is enough to practice properly in virtual mode. We especially recommend choosing an amount roughly equal to what you expect to invest in your own live account in the future. This will make your trading journey on a virtual trading site much more realistic.
How to Choose a Virtual Stock Exchange Site: Criteria
Choosing the best virtual trading account depends above all on choosing the right broker.
Virtual accounts usually offer the same trading conditions as a live account, so virtual simulation gives you a fairly realistic experience of free virtual trading on the platform.
To choose the best virtual trading site, free virtual traders should:
- consider the features the site offers;
- take into account the pricing and conditions offered;
- know all the markets available on the platform;
- know which financial instruments you want to trade (such as forex, stock indices, currency pairs and commodities).
The Best Virtual Stock Exchange Site by Market
- Forex:
The forex market is a financial market where convertible currencies, traded in currency pairs, are exchanged for one another at exchange rates that can change at any time. The forex market is open worldwide 24 hours a day, except on weekends.
It can be hard to choose the right intermediary to meet users’ requirements and expectations. To help future forex traders choose the ideal virtual trading site, we carried out some analysis to identify the best one.
For 2025, we found that Vantage stands out as the Best Forex Broker, thanks to its competitive trading conditions and its 50% bonus on the first deposit.
- CFDs
According to our analysis, Vantage and AvaTrade are the best virtual trading sites for this market. They let you take positions on hundreds of diverse markets through CFDs.
- Crypto:
For beginner traders, it is much better to trade cryptocurrencies on eToro. It is the best broker for accessing learning tools on Bitcoin trading. It also has a very user-friendly interface, which makes trading crypto CFDs easier for beginners.
For advanced traders or those with some cryptocurrency trading experience, we recommend Vantage. This virtual trading site offers various deals and lets you use MT4. Its features are also suitable for beginner traders who have since gained experience.
- Indices
Trader feedback and research show that the best virtual trading site for trading indices is AvaTrade.
- Commodities
There are many commodity trading sites, but not all of these brokers are reliable. According to our analysis, eToro comes out on top. In commodities, there is a wide choice, including oil, gold, silver, copper, gas, sugar and cotton.
The Best Virtual Stock Exchange Site by Country
The ideal virtual trading site varies depending on the country where a trader wants to practice:
- In France:
The AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) is France’s trusted capital markets regulator. That is why it is important to always choose an AMF-authorized broker if you want to trade safely.
Among the best-known virtual trading sites authorized by the AMF and most often chosen by French traders are Vantage and AvaTrade.
- In Belgium:
Lynx is the best virtual trading site in Belgium. Like any other site, Lynx also offers a virtual account.
To get a free virtual trading account, you first need to sign up on the platform.
Then follow these instructions:
- Go to Account Management
- Click “Simulated account”
- Set up your trial account
That’s it: you now have access to the virtual account with a free version of Lynx. This account also lets you simulate investing with real market prices.
- In Switzerland:
The Australian virtual trading site Vantage is the best in Switzerland. Since it was founded, this broker has become very popular worldwide, especially in Switzerland, thanks to its attractive offers and the accounts it provides.
- In Africa:
XM remains the leader among virtual trading sites in Africa. If you want to start trading forex in Africa, XM offers a virtual account that lets you:
- test a beginner’s trading potential,
- test various trading strategies,
- learn how to place orders,
- get familiar with market movements,
- master the tools available,
- simulate losses and gains.
You can open up to 5 active XM virtual accounts. Since no expiry date is imposed, you can use them for as long as you like. However, XM may close virtual accounts that have been inactive for 90 days or more. In the meantime, you can always open a new account.
Conclusion: What Is the Best Virtual Stock Exchange Site?
After carefully examining all the services offered by brokers around the world, we conclude that Vantage and AvaTrade remain the best virtual trading sites.
Final Word: What Makes a Trading Simulator Special
A demo account or trading simulator is one of the things that separates a trading newcomer from an expert. Even though a trading simulator seems essential for getting started in online investing, some brokers do not offer one to their clients. The first distinctive feature of a trading simulator is certainly that it is free. It is a tool offered free of charge, either indefinitely or for a set period, to test a platform. Conditions are usually identical in every respect to a live account, so a demo account gives you an informed opinion of trading on the platform. There are several kinds of trading simulators:
- Play the Stock Market Virtually
- Stock Market Simulator
- Stock Market Simulation
- Stock Exchange Simulation
- Trading Simulation
- Stock Exchange Simulator
- Stock Trading Simulator
- Virtual Stock Exchange Site
- Stock Market Demo Account
- Best Trading Demo
Would you like to share your experience with a trading simulator or demo account? Leave us a comment!