CI Demo Form Header

Open a demo trading account

Trade thousands of markets without risking your capital using our paper trading simulator. There is no risk to your capital with commitment-free paper trading.

Open a demo trading account
Buy and sell thousands of markets risk free with our paper trading simulator.

Try our free demo account

No risk to your capital. Trade with £10,000 in virtual funds for 12 weeks

Username and password will be sent to this e-mail
+
!

By clicking SUBMIT, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy

Please wait....

Ready to start trading for real?

How to set up your demo trading account
  1. Fill out the form above
  2. Log in with the details we send you
  3. Practise trading our full range of markets

Learn to trade with a demo account

Trade
Trade

Trade your way

Access markets through spread betting or CFDs
Magnifying glass icon
Magnifying glass icon

Technical analysis

Learn to analyse the markets to become a better trader
Fundamental analysis
Fundamental analysis

Fundamental Analysis

Learn how to determine an asset's underlying value
Markets
Markets

Access thousands of markets

Learn more about the markets you can trade with City Index
Dedicated customer service
Dedicated customer service

Demo trading support

We provide detailed information about every aspect of our service with ongoing account support for every client.
Teaching
Teaching

Get tips for trading

Discover the techniques used by successful traders, from planning entries to running profits.

News
News

News and analysis

Get the same access as live account holders to our in-depth market analysis, where our in-house experts provide real-time market commentary.
Platforms tick
Platforms tick

TradingView charts

Our web and mobile trading platforms come with integrated access to the industry-leading TradingView charting package.

What is paper trading?

Paper trading is another term for using a demo account or trading simulator. It comes from the days when traders would write down theoretical positions on pieces of paper, then see how they’d have performed on live markets.

Today, demo accounts automate this whole process, enabling you to practise trading on real-time prices without the hassle.

Demo account FAQ

What's the difference between a demo account and a live account?

The key difference between a demo account and a live account is that a demo comes with zero risk – it’s a trading simulator that enables you to buy and sell real markets with virtual funds. With a live account, on the other hand, you’re risking your own capital.

City Index’s demo account is a core element of our educational effort. A practice account is intended to familiarise you with the tools and features of City Index's trading platforms and to facilitate the testing of trading strategies in a risk-free environment using virtual funds.

Many traders use a demo to see how the markets work, or test drive our platform, before they upgrade to a live account that earns real profits and losses. Conditions in the practice account cannot always reasonably reflect all the market conditions that may affect pricing, execution, and margin requirements in a live trading environment. Margin and leverage settings by product and account may vary from time to time between your practice account and a live account due to live account settings changes imposed by City Index resulting from market volatility and other factors. Rollover/financing charges are not fully simulated in the demo environments. The pricing available in the demo environment is the same pricing available to City Index account holders. Pricing for managed accounts and accounts referred by an Introducing Broker may differ.

Results achieved on the City Index practice account are hypothetical and no representation is made that any account will or is likely to achieve actual profits or losses like those achieved in the practice account. Conditions in the practice account cannot always reasonably reflect all the market conditions that may affect pricing, execution, and margin requirements in a live trading environment. Margin and leverage settings by product and account may vary from time to time between your practice account and a live account due to live account settings changes imposed by City Index resulting from market volatility and other factors.

The pricing available in the demo environment is the same pricing available to City Index account holders. Pricing for managed accounts and accounts referred by an Introducing Broker may differ.

There are some other differences between demo and live accounts. For example, you won’t be able to access features such as Performance Analytics or SMART Signals with a demo.

Was this answer helpful?

Can I trade forex on my demo account?

Yes, your demo trading account comes with access to our full range of 80+ currency pairs, available as spot markets or via spread betting. You don’t need a separate forex demo account so you can buy and sell EUR/USD and GBP/USD alongside the UK 100, Barclays and gold.

Was this answer helpful?

Does my demo account include MetaTrader 4 (MT4) trading?

We offer separate demo accounts for MT4 trading, so you can try out our leading MT4 package too. Open your MT4 demo here.

Was this answer helpful?

Will I be able to access Performance Analytics with my demo account?

You won’t be able to access our exclusive Performance Analytics tool with your demo account. It is only available on our live accounts as it needs a bulk of live trades to analyse.

Was this answer helpful?

Can I keep my demo account after switching to a live account?

Yes, you can have a demo and a live account open at the same time. This is popular among traders, who use their demo account to trial new strategies and technical tools without putting any capital at risk.

Was this answer helpful?

How long should I use a demo account to trade?

We’d recommend using a demo account until you feel comfortable trading with real capital. Ideally, you’ll have a comprehensive plan and strategy in place too, so you know exactly what to do once you’ve added some funds.

City Index demo accounts expire in twelve weeks, but you can open another one if you wish to continue practising for longer.

Was this answer helpful?

Can I open multiple demos?

Yes, you can open as many City Index demo accounts as you like – although you’ll need a different email address for each one. You can also apply for another demo account once your current one has expired, if you want to trade risk free for a longer period.

Was this answer helpful?