Demo versus real accounts: what a practice result cannot prove
Use a demo to learn mechanics while separating practice outcomes from execution and withdrawal evidence.
Give the demo a clear purpose
A practice account can help you learn order entry, contract specifications, margin calculations and the platform interface. Set tasks that you can verify: place and cancel an order, calculate exposure, locate the symbol specification and export a statement. These are learning milestones, not a prediction of future returns.
Use a realistic balance and consistent assumptions. An oversized virtual balance can hide the impact of fees or a position that would consume most of a smaller account. Write down which conditions were simulated and which remained unknown.
Diagram explained
A simulated result is not evidence of live performance.
- Use a demo to practise opening, changing and closing orders and to understand the platform.
- Practise position sizing, margin and stop controls while recognising that demo settings can differ from a live account.
- Assess live execution, slippage and withdrawals using separate evidence. Demo profit does not guarantee future returns.
Separate three kinds of evidence
A profitable demo statement is evidence about the recorded demo activity. It does not establish live execution quality, the ability to withdraw a deposit, or eligibility for a prop reward. Each question requires different evidence. Avoid turning a successful practice run into a claim that a provider is reliable in every respect.
Simulated prop accounts need a separate reading
FTMO states that its client accounts are demo accounts with fictitious capital. A contractual reward can still involve real money, but the displayed account size is not a cash balance owned by the trader. Read the reward agreement and evaluation rules separately. This distinction matters when comparing a broker deposit with a challenge fee.
Sources and scope
Sources are provider publications. Conditions may vary by entity, country, account and program. Recheck before signing up.