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5 Platforms with Fake Money to Master Trading Without Risks
Do you want to trade on the stock market without risking your real capital? Virtual accounts and applications for investing fake money are your best allies. Today we explore how these tools work and why millions of traders use them to perfect their strategies.
Why Do You Need to Practice with Virtual Money Before Investing?
There are two paths: enter directly into the real market and learn through losses, or use an application to invest fake money and master techniques first. The second option is infinitely smarter.
When you have unlimited virtual balance, you can experiment without the emotional stress of losing your savings. But beware: this comfort also comes with a trap. With tens of thousands of virtual dollars at your disposal, it’s easy to make irrational decisions that you would never make with real money. That’s why it’s essential to use these platforms with genuine discipline, treating each virtual operation exactly as if it were with your own capital.
Simulators vs. Demo Accounts: Which One to Choose?
Although they sound similar, they are not the same. Simulators are educational tools developed by specialized financial training companies (such as Investopedia or Wall Street Survivor). Their focus is on teaching you the basic concepts.
Demo accounts, on the other hand, come directly from real brokers. They offer the exact experience you will have when trading with real money: same tools, same interface, same execution. Additionally, they include access to CFDs, leverage, and more complex products that traditional simulators do not offer.
Assets You Can Practice with Fake Money
On any decent platform, you will find:
Premium brokers expand the menu with fixed income and structured products, although these are more for advanced traders.
The Top 5 Platforms with Fake Money to Practice
MiTrade: The Favorite of Retail Traders
This Australian broker stands out for its focus on customer education. Its demo account is unlimited and comes with $50,000 virtual funds to trade.
The best part: you can practice with CFDs on any device (web, iOS, Android) and switch between virtual and real accounts in seconds. This allows you to test a strategy before risking money. The application for investing fake money is optimized for traders who want to keep their operations at an accessible level without sacrificing professionalism.
Access: visit the website, register as a guest or user, and start trading immediately.
MarketWatch Virtual Stock Exchange
MarketWatch is a reference in stock analysis. Its simulator allows you to build portfolios using real data, watchlists, and professional analysis.
The advantage: the investor community constantly shares strategies, so you learn by watching how others operate. You only need free registration to access.
IG: The Veteran Broker
IG is one of the oldest platforms in the sector and is publicly traded. Its demo includes access to MetaTrader, where you can practice CFDs on thousands of assets.
Its plus: extensive educational resources and execution that exactly reflects what to expect in real trades. It’s no surprise that large fund managers use IG simulators before trading in the open market.
HowTheMarketWorks.com: The Pure Educational Option
Probably the simulator most focused on market learning. It has been in the sector for decades and trains nearly half a million students annually.
It comes with $100,000 virtual funds and is specially designed for classrooms and self-education. Offers a premium subscription if you want access to advanced tools.
eToro: Social Trading in Practice Mode
eToro revolutionized trading by allowing you to see and copy other traders’ operations. Its free demo account gives you full access to the social trading ecosystem.
If you are a beginner and technical charts intimidate you, this is your place: trade by following experienced traders or creating your own strategy within the community.
The Real Risks of Using Fake Money
Fragile Euphoria
When you lose money that isn’t yours and came out of nowhere, your behavior changes radically. Some traders make colossal mistakes in demo that they would never make with real money.
The Effect of Available Capital
The demo gives you $50,000 or $100,000 virtual. In real life, you probably trade with $1,000 or $5,000. With less capital, you must be infinitely more selective and cautious. Get used to this from now on.
Lack of Emotional Friction
Without money at stake, the pressure that sharpens your intuition is missing. That’s why experienced traders recommend trading with the minimum amount of real money as soon as you feel confident in your system, rather than waiting to be “perfect” in demo.
How to Use a Demo Account Correctly
Step 1: Access the broker’s website and look for the “Open Demo Account” option (in MiTrade it appears on the main screen).
Step 2: Register as a user or browse as a guest (you can change later).
Step 3: Verify in the top right corner that your demo is active and confirm your available virtual balance.
Step 4: Start trading on the mobile app or desktop with the same criteria you would use with real money.
Practical Tips from Experienced Traders
Experiment fearlessly, but methodically. The advantage of fake money is trying out new ideas. Do it, but as systematic research, not as a casino.
Treat each virtual operation as if it were real. If you don’t do rigorous analysis in demo, your real results will be chaotic. Maintain the same level of diligence.
Combine demo with education. Study charts, read analyses, learn strategies. Then test them with fake money. The learning → practice cycle is unbeatable.
Demo accounts are not just for beginners. Professional investment funds use simulators before launching millions. If it’s good for experts, it’s good for everyone.
Conclusion
An application for investing fake money is your best initial investment. It costs nothing, eliminates the risk of total ruin, and allows you to discover your true profile as a trader before risking real capital.
Platforms like MiTrade with unlimited access, or MarketWatch with an integrated community, make the entry barrier virtually zero. Take advantage of this. Spend weeks or months perfecting your system in demo, switch between virtual and real when you feel ready, and watch your results improve when you finally trade with your own money.
The best trading is not the most aggressive, but the one that combines methodical preparation with disciplined execution. Demo accounts are exactly that: your free training ground.