Real order types
Market, limit, stop-loss and stop-loss limit orders, plus after-market orders (AMO) that wait for the next session.
Free · Virtual money only · No demat or KYC
Paper trading in India. Practise before you risk a rupee.
Buy and sell NSE stocks with ₹1,00,000 of virtual cash. Use the same order types a broker gives you, see the charges, and learn from every trade without losing real money.
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Example practice order
Sample Stock Ltd
BUYSELL
- Order type
- Limit
- Quantity
- 10 shares
- Limit price
- ₹1,250.00
- Order value
- ₹12,500.00
- Est. charges
- ₹14.80
Place practice order
Illustration with made-up numbers. No real order is ever placed.
The basics
What is paper trading?
Paper trading is practising the stock market with virtual money. You place buy and sell orders exactly as you would with a broker, but no real shares change hands. The name comes from the old habit of writing trades down on paper to test an idea before using real cash.
It is the safest way to learn how orders work, how charges eat into profit and how much to put into one trade. On PaisaTrade it sits next to free stock market courses, so you can read a lesson and then try the idea straight away.
Good for you if you want to
- Place your first order without the fear of losing money
- Understand market, limit and stop-loss orders by using them
- Test a strategy from a book, video or course before trusting it
- Build the habit of sizing positions and keeping a trade journal
How it works
Start paper trading in four steps
- 1
Get ₹1,00,000 virtual cash
Create a free account and your practice wallet is ready. It is pretend money, so nothing can be lost.
- 2
Pick an NSE stock
Search popular NSE stocks, open the chart and read the price, day range and 52-week range.
- 3
Place a practice order
Choose buy or sell, quantity and order type. The order fills against delayed market prices.
- 4
Review your result
See profit and loss, the charges you would have paid, and a journal of every trade to learn from.
What you get
A simulator that behaves like a broker app
Charges included
Each fill shows estimated brokerage, STT, exchange fees, GST and stamp duty, so your practice profit is closer to real life.
Delivery and intraday
Hold shares for days as delivery, or practise intraday trades that are squared off at the end of the session.
Portfolio and P&L
Track holdings, average price, day change, realised and unrealised profit or loss in one place.
Trade journal
Every order is saved with its price, time and charges so you can look back at what worked and what did not.
Risk tools
Use the position-size calculator and Risk Manager to practise deciding how much to put in one trade.
Know the difference
Paper trading vs real trading
| Paper trading on PaisaTrade | Real trading with a broker | |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Virtual ₹1,00,000 on the free plan | Your own savings |
| Prices | Delayed NSE prices | Live exchange prices |
| Order fills | Simulated at the delayed price | Depends on buyers, sellers and liquidity |
| Charges | Estimated and shown on each trade | Actual brokerage, taxes and fees |
| Risk | None. Mistakes cost nothing | You can lose real money |
| Demat account and KYC | Not needed | Needed, with a SEBI-registered broker |
What paper trading cannot teach you
- It cannot recreate the fear and greed you feel when real money is at stake.
- Prices are delayed and fills are simulated, so real orders may fill at a different price (slippage).
- Doing well with virtual money does not mean you will do well with real money.
Learn alongside
Tools that make your practice smarter
Free courses
Stocks 101, mutual funds, IPOs, tax and F&O basics with quizzes.
OpenStrategy Lab
Backtest a simple rule on past prices before you try it.
OpenStock screener
Find stocks by valuation, quality and technical patterns.
OpenCalculators
Position size, brokerage, margin, SIP and tax calculators.
OpenQuestions
Paper trading FAQ
What is paper trading?
Paper trading means practising buying and selling shares with virtual money instead of real money. You place orders the same way you would with a broker, but nothing is actually bought, so you can learn how the market works without any financial risk.
Is paper trading on PaisaTrade free?
Yes. A free account gives you ₹1,00,000 of virtual cash to practise with on popular NSE stocks. Paid plans add a larger virtual balance and more tools, but you never need to pay to start.
Do I need a demat account or KYC?
No. PaisaTrade is a learning platform, not a broker. No real shares are bought or sold, so you do not need a demat account, a trading account or KYC. You only need an email address to sign up.
Are the prices live?
No. Paper trades use delayed NSE prices, which is fine for learning. Because prices are delayed and fills are simulated, a real order placed with a broker could fill at a different price.
Can I make or lose real money?
No. The cash, the shares and the profit or loss are all virtual. You cannot withdraw paper-trading profits, and you cannot lose real money.
Which order types can I practise?
Market orders, limit orders, stop-loss and stop-loss limit orders, and after-market orders (AMO). You can place them as delivery or intraday trades.
Does PaisaTrade tell me which stocks to buy?
No. PaisaTrade is for education only. It is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser or research analyst and it does not give tips or recommendations. You decide what to practise with.
Is paper trading enough before investing real money?
It is a good first step for learning order types, charges and position sizing, but it cannot teach the emotions of real trading. Start small if you move to real money, and consider speaking to a SEBI-registered adviser.
Make your first trade today, with zero risk
Free account, ₹1,00,000 virtual cash, no card and no demat account needed.
Start paper trading freePaisaTrade is an education platform. It is not a stock broker and not a SEBI-registered investment adviser or research analyst. Paper trading uses virtual money and delayed prices; results are not a guide to real trading outcomes.