Practise with a plan
Paper trading means buying and selling with virtual money, to learn before you risk real money. Here are 4 stock simulators we looked up, and a plan for using any of them.
App listings, checked 20 Oct 2026
What paper trading is
A paper trading app (also called a virtual or practice trading app) gives you a balance of pretend money. You place orders on NSE or BSE as if they were real, and the app tracks your profit and loss. No money leaves your bank account.
Prices in a simulator may be live or delayed. Before you start, find out which, because a delay changes what your practice can teach you.
4 stock simulators we looked up
Information only, not a ranking: A to Z. What each app says about itself, with the source and the date we checked. All four describe themselves as practice with virtual money.
Neostox
- Practice: Paper trading in stocks, futures and options with ₹5 lakh virtual money
- Cost: 3-day free trial, then a paid subscription
- Prices: Prices delayed by 30 days
- Run by: Neostox Fintech Global Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Source: the app’s website.
TradeKaizen
- Practice: Virtual F&O trading on NSE: index futures, index and stock options
- Cost: Paid plans from ₹29 for 30 days; ₹1 trial
- Prices: Live tick-by-tick NSE data (the app’s own claim; we have not tested it)
Source: the app’s website.
Virtual Trading App 2.0
- Practice: Paper trading on NSE, BSE and MCX with ₹10,00,000 virtual capital
- Cost: Free plan; Pro subscription ₹299 a month, ₹599 for 3 months, ₹1,999 a year
- Prices: Free plan: prices delayed 15 minutes; Pro: real-time (the app’s own claim; we have not tested it)
- Run by: Individual developer (App Store seller); brand KavKrish Apps
Source: App Store India, the app’s website.
ZeroStake
- Practice: Paper trading on NSE, BSE and MCX with virtual capital you set, up to ₹10 crore
- Cost: Free; some tools need the optional ZeroStake Pro plan
- Prices: Follows market prices during market hours (the app’s own claim; we have not tested it)
- Run by: Individual developer (App Store seller)
Source: App Store India, the app’s website.
What practice cannot teach you
- Fear and greed. Losing pretend money does not feel like losing your own.
- Real fills. A simulator may fill your order at the price on screen; a real market may not.
- Costs. Real trades carry charges and taxes. If the app ignores them, your practice profit is too high.
A four-week practice plan
- Week 1: orders. Learn market, limit and stop-loss orders. Place each kind a few times and watch what happens.
- Week 2: a reason for every trade. Pick five shares you understand. Before each trade, write one line: why you buy, and where you will get out.
- Week 3: limits. Use the same amount on every trade and set a loss limit for the day. When you hit it, stop for the day.
- Week 4: review. Read your notes. Count how often you won, your average gain against your average loss, and how often you broke your own rules.
If you broke your rules with pretend money, you will break them with real money. Keep practising until you don't.
What to ask before you pick an app
- Which exchange's prices does it use, and are they live or delayed?
- Does it count charges and taxes in your practice results?
- Who runs it? Look for a company name, not just a brand.
- Is it free, a trial, or a subscription that renews by itself?
- Does it push you to open a real-money account?
One app taken through these questions: Virtual Trading App 2.0, free plan and Pro.
Stock practice is not a forex demo
Some apps offer a "demo account" for forex or fixed-time trades. That is a different product from practising on NSE or BSE, and the app may ask for a real deposit later. Before you use one, check whether the RBI names the app: how to check an app.
How we checked
We read each app's listing in the App Store for India and its own website, from outside India, without signing up or paying. The facts above are what the apps say about themselves; we did not test prices, fills or charges inside the apps. We do not name private individuals who publish apps.
Questions
How long should I paper trade?
Our suggestion: at least the four weeks of the plan below, and until you have followed your own rules on 20 trades in a row. Time alone proves little; following the rules does.
Does a good paper result mean I will make money?
No. Practice money removes the fear of losing, and practice orders may fill more easily than real ones. Treat a good result as "my method is worth testing", not as proof.
Which of these apps is the best?
We do not rank them. They differ in what matters to you: live or delayed prices, free or paid, shares or only futures and options. Use the questions in "What to ask before you pick an app".
Is a forex "demo account" the same thing?
No. It practises a different product, often inside an app that may ask for a deposit later. Check the app first: Is it legal in India?
Next stopIs it legal in India? ›