Stocks and Shares Virtual Trading Games

Practice your investing strategies without risking real money with our top virtual share trading games - we explain the pros and cons of each, and outline what securities you can trade

Updated 26 November 2020
Investing in shares can be a great way to make money. It can also be one of the fastest ways to lose money if you aren’t careful. Whether you’re new to investing or you’re experienced but want to try new strategies, learning without risking your money is important. Share trading games are a great way to ‘invest’ without risking any of your capital. This is perfect if you are thinking about signing up to investment platforms like Hatch, Stake and/or Sharesies.

Our view: Too often New Zealanders want to invest in shares but don't know what to buy. Even if they do buy, there's uncertainty about when to sell. Our review details seven useful online tools to help potential investors get comfortable with trading and long-term investing. We detail one NZX-focused tool, and six US and global markets tools.

Most share trading games work with virtual currency, but they use the real market data. In other words, you make trades in real-time, but with ‘fake’ money. You’ll see how your choices work out – whether you would have come out ahead or made a loss.

​Our guide covers:

How Do Share Trading Games Work?

  • Every share trading game is different, but overall, you get virtual money that you can trade. Most platforms have games you can join, or you can create your own. You may be able to talk with other investors or even compete against friends.
  • Most platforms also offer real-time market information, so you trade realistically. There are some lag times between the trade and when it’s executed, so consider that when trying it out.
  • Some platforms offer challenges and prizes, while others just help you get used to trading before you put your money at risk.

NZX Virtual Trading

  • The NZX virtualTrading tool is a free-to-use platform which lets you buy and sell shares and ETFs. 
  • Every new user starts with $50,000 in virtual cash, and there's no limit on the number of trades you can make. 
  • The NZX has a comprehensive Education Centre which explains ETFs and shares, among other things.
  • Unlike US market share trading games, the NZX virtualTrading runs on New Zealand business hours meaning you can buy and sell during the day. 
  • Learn more or sign up here

Our Top 6 Share Trading Games and Simulators (non NZX)

Investopedia Share Simulator

Investopedia gives you ‘$100,000’ in virtual cash to trade and see how you do. You trade with thousands of other traders, giving an element of competition to your trading. You can connect with traders worldwide, and learn how to invest before you risk your own money. You can join existing games or create one for you and your friends.
 
Cost: $0
 
Pros
  • You can create your own game, define rules and/or join already created games for a healthy dose of competition
  • You’ll have access to share research, analysis, and advanced trading options
  • A user-friendly platform that’s great for beginners
  • There is plenty of competition to help motivate you 
 
Cons
  • There is a 15-minute lag time between the ‘real’ prices and when you trade in the game
  • It can falsely inflate your confidence, making you less cautious when you invest in ‘real-life’

Sign up or lean more: Investopedia Simulator

Wall Street Survivor

Wall Street Survivor is a browser-based game that provides investors with ‘$100,000’ to invest in the market in real-time. Whether you start with their 30+ free courses or dive right into the game, you’ll develop skills you can carry over to the share market when you’re ready to invest. You can join an existing league or create your own, and start trading shares.
 
Cost: $0
 
Pros
  • If you’re brand new to game trading, you can join a practice league, so you don’t get overwhelmed by experts and their results
  • You can use your ‘earnings’ to enrol in more courses and further your trading skills and knowledge
  • You can compete for prizes in the sponsored leagues
  • Wall Street Survivor has a whole library of resources to help you at any time
 
Cons
  • If you reset your portfolio, you have to manually add back the investments you wanted to keep
  • ‘Real-time’ pricing can be delayed, but unless you're practicing day trading, this won't be an issue.

Sign up or lean more: Wall Street Survivor

Stock Trainer

Stock Trainer is an Android app available for your phone or tablet. You can trade on 20 different share exchanges in 13 countries. It’s best for beginners but is also great for experienced investors who want to try different strategies. Stock Trainer gives you ‘$20,000’ to trade, but has advanced features that other share trading games don’t offer.
 
Cost: $0 (or US$5/month if you want to remove ads, have account backups, and have access to premium share charts and analysis)
 
Pros
  • You can use a real-time share news feed to make trading decisions
  • The interface is very close to what you’d experience in ‘real life,’ which gets you ready to trade your own money
  • The app provides a list of recommended shares if you aren’t sure where or what to trade
  • You can try your hand at markets other than the New York Share Exchange, which is the main focus of most games
 
Cons
  • There aren’t many options for support
  • The app isn’t very attractive to look at, despite its user-friendliness
  • The free version shows adverts which users may find disruptive

Sign up or lean more: Stock Trainer

TD Ameritrade thinkorswim

Know this first: New Zealanders do have access to giant US-based online broker TD Ameritrade, and it is a competitive alternative to Hatch, Stake and Sharesies. This useful guide explains how to register for an account from New Zealand. 

The TD Ameritrade ThinkorSwim platform allows you to virtually trade shares before you start. It's available on the desktop, web, and mobile devices and helps you test out advanced trading strategies without risk. You’ll have access to the latest news and research and can even watch daily market updates with TD Ameritrade’s chief market strategist.
 
Cost: $0 (but you need an existing TD Ameritrade account - see this guide for more)
 
Pros
  • Users have access to a large amount of educational information and research
  • The interface is user-friendly and there is plenty of support via instant message if you have problems
  • You can use it on any platform
  • You can try advanced trading techniques without risking your money
 
Cons
  • To have access, you need an existing TD Ameritrade account (see this guide for more)
  • You can only play for the short-term, so you won’t know your true long-term results
  • Like any online trading game, successes can make you over-confident when it comes to investing real money

Sign up or lean more: TD Ameritrade thinkorswim

MarketWatch

Create a virtual portfolio and trade shares in real-time. Join discussion groups and play with as few or as many people as you want (private or public games). You choose the symbols to include in your game and can even use advanced trading strategies.
 
Cost: $0 (you must register to play)
 
Pros
  • Your registration provides access to MarketWatch’s news and research tools to help you choose the right investments. 
  • MarketWatch offers a variety of guides if you’re a beginning investor
  • ​MarketWatch has 50,000+ games going at any one time
  
Cons
  • The platform can be overwhelming for beginners
  • You could be playing against ‘the pros’,  which may undermine your confidence if you’re just starting out in this game

Sign up or learn more: Marketwatch Virtual Stock Exchange

Plus500 Demo Account

Plus500 is an online trading platform which offers trading in more than 2,000 securities and asset classes. However, you can only trade CFDs (Contract For Difference) which is a high-risk asset. The platform offers a free demo account with no time limit. 

Cost: $0

Pros:
  • You can switch between demo mode and 'real money' mode with one click. There is no difference in the interface, so it provides a complete hands-on practice environment that mirrors the real money platform.
  • Thousands of securities are offered
  • Funds are replenished in the demo account if the balance falls below a certain level.

Cons:
  • Only CFDs are available to trade
  • Limited number of research tools available
  • Limited educational tools
  • CFDs traders historically face a high risk of losses, and for this reason we believe the platform is primarily suitable to experienced investors

​Sign up or learn more: Plus 500 Demo Account

Share Trading Games - Frequently Asked Questions

Using a share trading game has a lot of benefits, especially if you're new to investing. Our frequently asked questions below anticipates some of the queries you may have.

How long should I use a trading game for?

Arguably, the longer you can simulate trades, the better. The market changes daily, but it makes its largest changes over longer periods. A good starting point would be to spend two to four months playing with simulators, so you can see how your trades do. After that, if you're comfortable, you could move on to real trading.

Can you ‘win’ playing a share market game?

Depending on the app or program you use, you can work towards prizes or awards. Many platforms offer prizes or at least recognition. For the share trading games that don't have prizes, it's arguable that any loss you make is a 'win' because you don't lose any of your original investment.

Are there any risks of using a share trading game?

Anyone can benefit from share trading games, whether you’re brand new to investing or you have traded before. Playing a share trading game gives you the opportunity to try trades you otherwise wouldn’t have invested real money in without risk. Experienced investors enjoy trying new strategies with the comfort of knowing no money is at risk.

Are there rules about which shares you can buy?

Every game differs. Read the instructions before choosing your platform, especially if you already have specific shares in mind.
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