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STA / Blog / Guides

How long to use a demo account before real money

Giordano SalvatoriGiordano Salvatori, founder of STA · 19/10/2026 · 3 min read
An hourglass with sand running down: on a demo account the number of trades matters more than time passing
In short. There is no right number of weeks for everyone. What counts is the number of trades done with your rules: at least fifty, better a hundred, in different markets. If you make few trades a week you will need months, and that is fine. The demo has done its job when your numbers are stable and your mistakes no longer teach you anything new.

Why trades count, not weeks

Ten trades can go well by luck. A hundred trades with the same rules, on the other hand, tell you how your method really works. Someone who trades a few times a week therefore needs to stay on demo longer than someone who trades every day, because it takes more time to gather enough examples.

What to measure in your journal

  1. How much you lose on average when you lose, and whether it matches the stop you set.
  2. How much you make on average when you win, measured in R.
  3. The longest losing streak you have had, and how you felt.

If R is new to you, we explain it in the guide on R and win rate. The length of bad streaks, on the other hand, is at the heart of drawdown

When the demo stops teaching

There comes a point when the journal numbers stop changing and the mistakes are always the same. At that point the demo has given what it could. Staying on much longer can even hurt, because it gets you used to not feeling the weight of losses. It is time to try real money, a little, as we explain in the guide on moving from demo to real account.

The STA DEMO does not expire

The STA DEMO account is free forever, so you can stay as long as you need, without the rush of a trial that expires. You receive cards with entry, stop and target, and STA's track record is public on GitHub, losses included, so you can compare your numbers with the real ones.

Frequently asked questions

How long should you stay on a demo account?Rather than time, what counts is the number of trades: at least fifty, better a hundred, made with your rules. For those who trade little it can take a few months.
Can you stay on demo too long?Yes. When the numbers stop changing, staying on demo gets you used to not feeling losses. It is time to try with a little real money.
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This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Trading crypto-assets involves a high risk, including the total loss of the capital used. Numerical examples are for illustration.

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