Best paper trading apps for futures (2026)

We track 18 simulators for futures. They are ordered by how completely their details are verified from provider pages, not by quality or payment.

Of these, 15 are listed as free (TradingView Paper Trading, Interactive Brokers Paper Trading, NinjaTrader Simulator, TradeStation Simulator, Bybit Demo Trading, Schwab thinkorswim paperMoney and 9 more), 10 use real-time or live data at least partly (TradingView Paper Trading, Interactive Brokers Paper Trading, NinjaTrader Simulator, TradeStation Simulator, Schwab thinkorswim paperMoney, moomoo Paper Trading and 4 more), and 1 can be used without a brokerage account (moomoo Paper Trading).

The most completely documented options here are TradingView Paper Trading (price: Free (any TradingView plan); data: US stocks Cboe feed by default; CME futures 10-min delayed unless real-time bought; crypto real-time; starting balance: $100,000 default (per StockBrokers.com via SnappChart)); Interactive Brokers Paper Trading (price: Free; data: Free trial: delayed 10-15 min (OTC spot FX & metals non-delayed); paper account mirrors live data subscriptions; starting balance: US$1,000,000 (paper account)); NinjaTrader Simulator (price: Free platform and simulator (paid platform licences optional); data: Live streaming for 14-day trial, then delayed unless data subscription or funded account; starting balance: $50,000 (per NerdWallet)).

How to choose: decide first whether you need the same market you will trade for real (e.g. NSE F&O vs US stocks), whether delayed quotes are acceptable for your style (they are fine for long-term practice, poor for day trading), and whether the app forces you to open a brokerage account. Each linked listing shows its sources so you can confirm the details.