Been testing a few demo platforms but the spreads and execution seem way off from live conditions.
Most demos I’ve tried have perfect fills and tight spreads that don’t match reality. Looking for something that actually mimics what you’d face with real money.
FXCM demo widened spreads during NFP last month when I tested it. Other demos showed normal tight spreads while live accounts hit 8-10 pips on EUR/USD.
Surprised me since demos are usually way too optimistic. Execution’s still better than real trading, but the spread behavior was actually realistic.
Run the demo during Asian hours if that’s when you’ll trade. Spread differences between demo and live get massive during low liquidity.
Most major brokers offer solid demo accounts. IC Markets and Pepperstone both use MT4/MT5 platforms that mirror live conditions pretty well. I’d avoid proprietary platforms as they often show perfect execution that vanishes when you go live. Make sure you practice during different sessions too. The London/NY overlap is where you’ll see the real volatility and slippage you’ll deal with when trading for real.
TradingView paper trading hits different than most demos.
Oanda’s demo is solid. It actually shows realistic spreads during news and off-hours, which most don’t.
Execution isn’t perfect but you’ll get a better sense of how orders fill when things get messy.
Just keep in mind no demo will show you real slippage during big announcements.
Demo accounts don’t show the real picture anyway. Brokers usually make them look way better than what you’ll actually get.
I’d skip the demos and just start with micro lots using real money. No point practicing under fake conditions.