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Share trading games to master your craft

Learn the fundamentals of share trading with these 5 top notch games.

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Kylie Purcell
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Share trading games

  • ASX Sharemarket Game
  • StockWatch Trading
  • Investopedia Stock Simulator
  • Wall Street Survivor
  • ASX Options Trading Game

Share trading can be a great way earn some extra money and invest for the future, but it can also be risky if you're new to the stock market. With so much conflicting information on which stocks to buy, it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s where share trading games can be a great resource. Many of these games stimulate the stock market so that users can practice trading using virtual money.

This way, you can learn how to develop an investment strategy without putting any of your own money on the line. Practice makes perfect!

Once you're ready to start, take a look at our share trading comparison table to find an account that suits you.

Share Trading Account Offer

eToro (global stocks)

USD 0

Standard brokerage - US shares

Share Trading Account Offer

Get $0 brokerage on US, Hong Kong and European stocks with trades as little as $50 when you join the world's biggest social trading network.

  • $0 brokerage for US, Hong Kong and European stocks
  • Trades starting from $50
  • Fractional shares
  • Copy top traders
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Important: Share trading carries risk of capital loss.

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Disclaimer: Trading CFDs and forex on leverage is high-risk and losses could exceed your deposits.

How do share trading games work?

Most share trading games offer a real-time simulation of stock market investing. These games provide you with a set budget, for example $50,000, of pretend money. You can then use these virtual dollars to “buy” your very own portfolio of shares.

Share trading games can teach you how to research companies, place different trade orders, build an investment strategy and minimise losses.

However, it’s important to understand that these can never truly imitate the real deal. Your appetite for risk and willingness to accept losses will always be different when your hard-earned cash is on the line.

It’s also worth pointing out that successful sharemarket strategies often take several years to produce the desired results, which is a far beyond the timeframe of many share trading games.

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What online share trading games are available?

The following games are a selection of online share trading games based on different markets and available to Australians.

1. ASX Sharemarket Game

This is one of one of Australia's most well-known share trading games. The ASX Sharemarket Game is open to all members of the public including school students.

Players are given a virtual AUD$50,000 to invest in 200 companies listed on the ASX – with company prices mirroring real live market prices and a standard brokerage fee per trade.

The game runs for 15 weeks between August 1 and November 13 and you can set up a league to compete against family and friends. An online portfolio allows you to monitor your stocks and at the end of the competition, cash prizes are available to the three competitors with the most valuable portfolios.

2. StockWatch Trading

StockWatch Trading gives you a budget of AUD$50,000 which you can use to manage your own fantasy share portfolio. The game is free and aims to offer an experience as similar to real-life trading as possible.

The game allows you to buy and sell shares, keep a record of your trades and your share portfolio, test out trading strategies and see how your performance stacks up against other traders. Instead of determining the leading trader based on the value of their portfolio, StockWatch Trading uses a points system based on good share trading practices.

3. Investopedia Stock Simulator

Although not based on the ASX, the Investopedia Stock Simulator is another free share trading game designed to give you a taste of sharemarket investing. Players are given a virtual budget of US$100,000 to invest and can compete with more than 700,000 other traders from around the world.

You can join or create challenges to test your skills against other investors, such as who can achieve the best investment results each day.

4. Wall Street Survivor

Another game based on the US market rather than the ASX, Wall Street Survivor is nonetheless worth a look for Australian investors. It gives competitors a budget of US$100,000 to invest in whichever stocks they like.

Features include simple-to-understand stock ratings and advice, a huge resource library and tips on company research. It’s a very useful educational tool if you’re looking to find out more about investing in stocks.

5. ASX Options Trading Game

This free simulation game run in collaboration with the ASX is for anyone wanting to hone their skills in options trading. Although trading options is an added challenge to regular share trading, the ASX Options Trading Game is suitable for both beginners and advanced traders.

When you sign up, you're given $50,000 of virtual cash to play with and a four-week period to maximise your funds and get your name on the leaderboard. If you're curious about what trading options can get you, the game's last winner made $167,000 in four weeks, compared to $71,222 in the regular ASX sharemarket game (September 2019).

The options game is run four times a year and it's a terrific resource for new and old investors or if you're just interested in taking your trading strategy to the next level.

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What are the benefits of using share trading games?

      • Learn how to trade. Share trading games allow you to gain an understanding of how the sharemarket works, and how you can buy and sell shares to generate wealth.
      • No money at risk. Share trading games let you gain trading experience without actually investing any of your own money. This means that you won’t end up out of pocket if you make a mistake.
      • Put theory into practice. Share trading games allow you to put some of your trading ideas and investment strategies into practice without exposing yourself to any risk.

What are the risks involved?

      • Never the same as the real world. Despite their benefits, playing a share trading game is never the same as investing in real life. Your appetite for risk and overall investment strategy is always going to be different when you’re not actually risking any of your own money.
      • Short-term. Many share trading games only run for a limited period, for example 10 weeks, which is not enough time to get a full understanding of how the stock market works.

Ready to try the real deal? Compare share trading accounts below

Data updated regularly
Name Product Standard brokerage fee Inactivity fee Markets International
eToro (global stocks)
eToro (global stocks)
US$0
US$10 per month if there’s been no login for 12 months
Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Yes
Zero brokerage share trading on US, Hong Kong and European stocks with trades as low as $50.
Note: This broker offers CFDs which are volatile investment products and most clients lose money trading CFDs with this provider.
Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.
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IG Share Trading
IG Share Trading
$8
$50 per quarter if you make fewer than three trades in that period
ASX shares, Global shares
Yes
$0 brokerage for US and global shares plus get an active trader discount of $5 commission on Australian shares.
Enjoy some of the lowest brokerage fees on the market when trading Australian shares, international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.
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Superhero share trading
Superhero share trading
$5
No
ASX shares, US shares, ETFs
Yes
Earn up to 15,000 Qantas frequent flyer points when you transfer an exisiting balance or trade. Offer valid for all new and existing Superhero members until 28 February.
Pay zero brokerage on US stocks and all ETFs and just $5 (flat fee) to trade Australian shares from your mobile or desktop.
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GO Markets Share Trading
GO Markets Share Trading
$7.70
No
ASX shares, Forex, CFDs, ETFs
No
Pay zero brokerage on your first 20 trades and $7.70 after that on over 2,500 ASX listed shares from either your desktop or mobile.
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ThinkMarkets Share Trading
ThinkMarkets Share Trading
$8
No
ASX shares
No
$8 flat fee brokerage for CHESS Sponsored ASX stocks (HIN ownership), plus free live stock price data on an easy to use mobile app.
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Saxo Capital Markets (Classic account)
Saxo Capital Markets (Classic account)
$5
No
ASX shares, Global shares, ETFs
Yes
Access 19,000+ stocks on 40+ exchanges worldwide
Low fees for Australian and global share trading, no inactivity fees, low currency conversion fee and optimised for mobile.
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HSBC Online Share Trading
HSBC Online Share Trading
$19.95
No
ASX shares, mFunds, ETFs, Bonds
No
Limited-time offer: Join HSBC’s online trading account before 28 February 2022 and HSBC will reimburse you up to $100 on your first 5 trades. Also traders who transfer $50k+ will get a $200 bonus(T&Cs apply).
Make trades online with brokerage fees starting from just $19.95 with an HSBC Online Share Trading account. Plus gain access to complimentary expert research, trading ideas and tools.
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SelfWealth (Basic account)
SelfWealth (Basic account)
$9.5
No
ASX shares, US shares
Yes
Trade ASX and US shares for a flat fee of $9.50, regardless of the trade size.
New customers receive free access to Community Insights with SelfWealth Premium for the first 90 days. Follow other investors and benchmark your portfolio performance.
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Compare up to 4 providers

Important: Share trading can be financially risky and the value of your investment can go down as well as up. Standard brokerage is the cost to purchase $1,000 or less of equities without any qualifications or special eligibility. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

Some commonly asked questions about share trading games

If you’re new to investing, share trading games are a useful tool to help you learn the basics of buying and selling shares. Start researching share trading games today to find a game that will help you build your investment knowledge.

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