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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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By

Kylie Purcell

Edited by

Moira Daniels

Updated

Fact checked

Trading games in Australia

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

Share trading can be a great way to 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 simulate the stock market so that users can practise 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

IG Share Trading

AUD 0

Standard brokerage - Australian shares

Share Trading Account Offer

Competitive broker fees on Australian shares, international shares, forex and CFD trading

  • Monthly fee: $0.00
  • Brokerage fee - standard trade: $8
  • International: Yes
  • Support - After hours: Yes
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More info

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 share market strategies often take several years to produce the desired results, which is far beyond the time frame 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 are available to Australians.

1. ASX Sharemarket Game

This is 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 $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 twice a year with those who want to register for the next game needing to do so by 9 February 2023. The share market game will run from 9 March until 22 June. 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 3 competitors with the most valuable portfolios.

2. StockWatch Trading

StockWatch Trading gives you a budget of $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.

When you sign up to the game you'll have a few rules that you must follow. They are designed to help you learn the basics of trading.

  1. Maximum position of $10,000 per share to learn about diversification
  2. You can only trade the top 500 companies on the ASX
  3. Brokerage will be a minimum $29.95
  4. Minimum trade amounts of $500 – like any real life CHESS sponsored shares
  5. Surplus funds are traded as cash
  6. Limit of 10 trades a day to stop day trading

While $29.95 is the brokerage fee you'll pay in the game, in real life you can trade for less. To see our cheapest CHESS sponsored brokerage accounts click here.

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 share market investing. While not based here it still gives you a few advantages. You'll learn a thing or two about investing and about overseas companies.

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 4-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 4 weeks, compared to $71,222 in the regular ASX share market game (September 2019).

The options game is run 4 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 share market 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

1 - 6 of 6
Updated regularly
Name Product Price per trade Inactivity fee Asset class International
eToro
Finder AwardExclusive
eToro
$0
US$10 per month if there’s been no log-in for 12 months
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Yes
CFD service. Capital at risk.
Finder exclusive: Get 12 months of investment tracking app Delta PRO for free when you fund your eToro account (T&Cs apply).
Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.
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More Info
CMC Invest
Finder Award
CMC Invest
$0
$0
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, mFunds, ETFs
Yes
$0 brokerage on global shares including US, UK and Japan markets.
Trade up to 35,000 products, including shares, crypto, ETFs and managed funds, with access to 15 major global and Australian stock exchanges. Plus, buy Aussie shares for $0 brokerage up to $1,000. (Limited to one buy order per stock per trading day).
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More Info
Moomoo Share Trading
Exclusive
Moomoo Share Trading
US$0.99
$0
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Yes
Finder exclusive: Get an additional 30 days on top of the regular brokerage-free period for new accounts (see link for details). T&Cs apply.
Trade shares on the ASX, the US markets and buy ETFs with Moomoo. Plus join a community over 18 million investors.
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More Info
Tiger Brokers
Exclusive
Tiger Brokers
US$2
$0
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Yes
Finder exclusive: Get 15 commission-free trades on US or ASX equities for the first 180 days and US$50 fractional shares when you deposit at least US$500. Plus, all new customers get 1 free trade per month for the first 12 months (T&Cs apply).
Get one brokerage-free trade per month for the first 12 months for US or ASX markets. T&Cs apply.
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More Info
Webull
Webull
US$0.25
$0
ASX shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Yes
Earn US$100 in cash vouchers when you fund your new account with US$2,000 until March 30, 2024. Plus, earn up to 5.3% p.a. interest on your US cash account (T&Cs apply).
Trade ASX and US stocks and US options, plus gain access to inbuilt news platforms and educational resources. You can also start trading for less with fractional shares.
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More Info
IG Share Trading
Finder Award
IG Share Trading
US$0
$0
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, UK shares, ETFs
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 and international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.
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More Info
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Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

Frequently 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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