Realist Paper Trading

Practice replicating a stock market index by buying the underlying stocks — with virtual money, zero risk.

ETFs are yesterday's news. See what's next — risk-free.

ETFs were the go-to product for low-risk, long-term investing for years. But the financial world is evolving. Direct Indexing is next — and with Realist, you can practice it with virtual money before committing a single real dollar.

What is Direct Indexing? Direct Indexing lets you simulate replicating a stock market index by buying the individual underlying stocks — similar to an ETF, but without bundling them into a fund. With Realist's simulator, you practice holding each stock individually, explore how to tailor a portfolio to your values, and see how tax optimization opportunities could work — all in a completely simulated, risk-free environment. No real money, no real brokerage account. The smartest way to learn before you invest.

ETFs always come with management fees. Direct Indexing eliminates that cost structure — and with Realist, you can simulate exactly that: practice building a direct index portfolio with virtual funds and see how the fee difference plays out over time. Understand the strategy before you ever put real money to work.

Why practice Direct Indexing with Realist?

Portfolio Personalization Practice customizing a simulated portfolio around the companies that match your values. Exclude industries you disagree with, overweight sectors you believe in — Realist gives you a risk-free sandbox to explore your own priorities before applying them with real capital.

Cost Efficiency — Simulated See in practice how eliminating fund-level fees could affect your returns over time. Realist lets you model the cost difference between ETF investing and direct indexing, using virtual funds, so you understand the numbers before making real decisions.

Learn How Shareholder Benefits Work Understand how dividends and voting rights function when you directly own individual stocks — concepts Realist explains and simulates, so you're informed before you ever open a real investment account.

The most important questions about Direct Indexing

What is the difference between direct indexing and an ETF? An ETF bundles stocks into a single product you buy and sell as a whole. Direct indexing means owning the individual stocks in an index directly, giving you the ability to customize, exclude companies, and potentially optimize for tax purposes. Realist lets you practice and explore this difference hands-on, with zero real money involved.

I already invest in ETFs. Can Realist help me? Absolutely. Use Realist's simulator to explore what a direct indexing strategy would look like for your situation — personalize a practice portfolio, compare strategies, and get comfortable with the concept before deciding whether to discuss it with a financial advisor.

Do I have to build a portfolio from scratch? No. Realist starts you with a simulated portfolio based on your chosen index, built with virtual funds. You can then customize it however you like — getting started takes just a few taps.

Isn't managing hundreds of stocks complicated? Not in Realist. Our simulator automatically adjusts your virtual portfolio to mirror the index or reflect your personal preferences — so you can explore the full benefits of direct indexing without any of the operational complexity. All simulated, all risk-free.