7 Best Stock Market Simulators
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For most people, investing in the stock market is exciting and nerve-wracking. Luckily, the best stock market simulators can help reduce investing-related stress.
Stock market simulators (also called trading simulators) allow you to test your investment strategies without risking losing any real money.
If you are intrigued, learn how trading simulators can help you develop the best investing strategy for your needs.
*Please note that these recommendations are listed in random order, not by recommendation. The simulator you use should be based on personal experience and other factors.
Top Stock Market Simulators
Each of these stock market simulators is set up to resemble the real stock market, giving you investing experiences that closely mimic actual results.
1. Ziggma
Ziggma was created to help investors manage their investment portfolios. Within Ziggma’s set of management tools is a stock market simulator.
The platform offers both a free account and a premium option. However, the free account doesn’t include the portfolio simulator.
A premium account costs as low as $6.99 per month if you pay annually. To use this simulator, you must open an account and link it to your investment portfolio. Think of Ziggma as sort of the Empower of investing.
The simulator helps you see the potential impacts of your investment choices. It also has a backtesting feature that lets you create “what if I had” scenarios.
Best for: Investors interested in portfolio management features
Pros
- Affordable for almost any income level
- Multiple features, including backtesting
- Portfolio management tools included
Cons
- No free simulator access
- Need to link your investment account
2. Warrior Trading
Warrior Trading is primarily geared toward day traders. If you’re new to investing, check out their Trading Terminology page.
The platform has two paid subscription plans, Warrior Starter and Warrior Pro. Warrior Starter is a 30-day membership meant to help you learn and transition into a Warrior Pro membership.
If you want to determine if day trading is for you, the Warrior Starter plan is the way to go. It is advertised as an “essential trading education program for beginners” and costs $997.
The Warrior Pro program includes unlimited access to Warrior Pro Masterclass courses, live trading room chat access, mentor sessions and more. It costs $5,997 annually.
Warrior Trading’s stock market simulator can be purchased as an add-on to either of these two programs. You’ll pay $99 per month for the simulator and start with $200,000 of virtual cash to trade with.
Best for: Investors interested in day trading who can pay the course fees
Pros
- Includes comprehensive training programs and courses
- Stock market simulator partnered directly with NYSE and NASDAQ
- Real-time Level 2 quotes and instant order execution
- Advanced performance reports
Cons
- Expensive
- Training is focused on day trading, a higher-risk form of investing
3. MarketWatch Virtual Stock Exchange (VSE)
The MarketWatch VSE is a free stock simulator that allows you to build your portfolio and watch the markets react in real-time. It’s a customizable game that allows you to set your budget and perform a variety of market moves.
You can allow or disallow short selling, margin trading, and more. Registering to use MarketWatch’s VSE, you can join a game or create your own. You can also invite others to compete against you to see whose strategy comes out on top.
One of the great things about the platform is that you can use MarketWatch’s extensive educational library to learn about the market as you make your investment choices.
MarketWatch VSE also has a community where you can discuss investments and see how others invest.
Pros
- Suitable for any type of investor
- Free to use
- Allows you to join an existing game or create your own
- Option to compete with family and friends
Cons
- No trading of options
- Registration required
Best for: Investors who love a little competition
4. Thinkorswim
Thinkorswim is a trading platform owned by Schwab. It offers many real-life trading options and a simulator. You can use the Thinkorswim simulator if you are a current Schwab customer or open an account to become one.
You’ll get $100,000 in virtual cash to use with your Thinkorswim simulator. It’s easy to use the “add simulated trades” button to test as many strategies as possible.
With Thinkorswim, you can practice trading stocks and commodities. Options and futures contracts are also available, and real-time quotes are available upon request.
Thinkorswim covers all the bases of a simulator, from educating clients to giving them access to life-like experiences with its simulator. As a result, it is great for all levels of investors.
Pros
- Allows virtual investing for everything from stocks to forex
- Free to use for TD Ameritrade customers
- 60-day trial for non-customers
- Caters to beginning and experienced investors
Cons
- Must have a TD Ameritrade account to use long-term
Best for: Any investor, but is especially beneficial for new investors
5. Investopedia Stock Simulator
The Investopedia stock simulator is free and gives you $100,000 in virtual cash to play with on the stock market.
It has an excellent community component where you can connect with over 700,000 other investors to share ideas and glean information.
Investopedia’s simulator lets you trade U.S. listed stocks and ETFs. It also gives you the ability to buy options.
This simulator offers a delayed data feed and is off from the real market by about 20 minutes. However, it’s one of the easiest simulators to use and can be an excellent choice for new investors.
Pros
- A wide range of educational articles is available
- Free to use
- Easy to use for new investors
Cons
- Delayed data feed instead of real-time
- No charting
Best for: Those looking for a community of investors to learn from
6. HowTheMarketWorks
HowTheMarketWorks was one of the first stock market simulators invented. Users can open a free account and start with $100,000 in virtual cash.
This simulator has an education section with various articles geared toward both beginner and advanced investors.
Some stock and ETF quotes are real-time on the game, but others have a 15-20 minute delay. You can join an existing game or create your own and invite family and friends.
Furthermore, a Teacher Tools section allows you to create accounts for your class and work on investment education together if you are an educator.
Pros
- Comprehensive educational tools
- Free to use with registration
- Real-time trading simulation in most cases
- Teacher/classroom tools
Cons
- No options, futures, or commodities trading
Trustpilot score: N/A
Best for: New traders who are just getting involved in investing
7. TradeStation
TradeStation’s simulator is free to use when you open a TradeStation brokerage account or purchase a TradeStation Analytics Software subscription.
If you open a brokerage account, you can choose between the TS Go and TS Select accounts. Each account has different features and benefits.
TradeStation Analytics Software subscriptions start at $99 per month. Remember that the TradeStation simulator is more geared toward day traders than long-term investors.
Newer investors will enjoy the learning tools but need to be prepared to put in some study time.
Pros
- Several community forums
- Intuitive mobile app available
- Real-time numbers
Cons
- No free account options
- It might be too costly for many investors
- Geared toward day traders
Best for: Day traders and experienced investors
Key Features of Stock Trading Simulators
Here are some features to look for when searching for a stock simulator.
Real-Time Market Resemblance
The stock market simulator you use should resemble the actual stock market very closely. Testing investment strategies on simulators that don’t closely resemble the real market will result in skewed returns.
Educational Tools
The best stock market simulators have a host of educational tools available to users. This feature is especially vital if you’re new to investing.
Consequently, you should look for simulators that focus heavily on education, especially if you are a newer investor.
Multiple Investing Options
Unless you’re testing one or two specific strategies, your stock market simulator should offer a wide variety of investing options.
It’s beneficial to use simulators that will allow you to test investing in everything from stocks to forex to commodities and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you choose a stock market simulator, it’s important to get all your questions answered. Here are some commonly asked questions about this type of investing tool.
Stock market simulators range in price from free to quite expensive. Look at plans and prices to help determine the right simulator for your needs and your budget.
This depends on each individual user. Every simulator is unique, and each user has different likes, dislikes, and goals.
Fortunately, there are simulators that cater to investors of all experience levels and that offer all types of investments. One great option is Thinkorswim.
The stock market simulators we mention here are safe to use. They use fictitious funds.
While some will cost you real money in the form of fees, you won’t use real money to invest.
If you decide to invest money in the stock market using the strategies you tried with the simulator, do exercise caution. There is no guarantee you will have the same results.
How Do The Stock Market Simulators Compare?
| Company | Trustpilot |
| Warrior Trading | 4.9 |
| MarketWatch Virtual Stock Exchange | N/A |
| Thinkorswim | 3.4 |
| Investopedia Stock Simulator | 4.0 |
| HowTheMarketWorks | N/A |
| TradeStation | 1.6 |
| Ziggma | N/A |
Summary
A stock market simulator can be a great way to learn more about investing if you are a beginner. It can also be an excellent way to test your personal investment strategies or ones recommended by others.
It can be wise to try investment strategies using a stock market simulator before investing your real, hard-earned cash in the stock market.
Choose the best simulator for you by evaluating your needs and budget, then start practicing to increase your confidence in investing.
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