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Personal Finance · head to head

Fidelity vs Investopedia Stock Simulator

Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Personal Finance

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Investopedia Stock Simulator logo

Investopedia Stock Simulator

Personal Finance

Paper trading without risk

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Investopedia Stock Simulator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission; Investopedia Stock Simulator market data is delayed by 15-20 minutes, inadequate for real-time trading education
  • They diverge on capability: Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Investopedia Stock Simulator covers Virtual stock trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fidelity and Investopedia Stock Simulator actually diverge.

Attributes where Fidelity and Investopedia Stock Simulator differ
AttributeFidelityInvestopedia Stock Simulator
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb
Founded19462009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Fidelity

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Research tools
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Only in Investopedia Stock Simulator

  • Virtual stock trading
  • Real-time market data
  • Portfolio management
  • Educational resources
  • Market data

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot Investopedia Stock Simulator
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot Investopedia Stock Simulator
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot Investopedia Stock Simulator

Investopedia Stock Simulator

  • Budget Managementnot Fidelity
  • Expense Trackingnot Fidelity
  • Investment Trackingnot Fidelity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fidelity

  • Options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Non Fidelity mutual funds carry a 49.95 USD transaction fee per purchase
  • Secondary market bonds cost 1.00 USD per bond, while new issues are free
  • A foreign settlement fee of 50 USD applies per trade
  • Margin rates are tiered by debit balance, from 11.825 percent below 25,000 USD down to 7.50 percent at 1 million USD or more, against a base rate of 10.575 percent effective 12 December 2025
  • Margin liquidation by the broker costs 32.95 USD per liquidation

Investopedia Stock Simulator

  • Market data is delayed by 15-20 minutes, inadequate for real-time trading education
  • Limited order type support compared to modern trading platforms
  • Simplified fill simulation does not replicate real trading execution
  • Platform has not received significant updates in many years

Pricing, plan by plan

Fidelity

On request
  • Brokerage$undefined/month
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Advisory$undefined/month
    • Personal advisor
    • Wealth management

Investopedia Stock Simulator

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Investopedia Stock Simulator review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Fidelity if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Fidelity review

Choose Investopedia Stock Simulator if

  • You need virtual stock trading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time market data.
Investopedia Stock Simulator review

Questions people ask

Is Fidelity or Investopedia Stock Simulator better?
Neither clearly leads. Fidelity starts at On request and Investopedia Stock Simulator at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fidelity or Investopedia Stock Simulator?
Investopedia Stock Simulator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fidelity and Free for Investopedia Stock Simulator.
Does Fidelity or Investopedia Stock Simulator run on more platforms?
Fidelity runs on Web, IOS, Android. Investopedia Stock Simulator runs on Web.
Can I use Investopedia Stock Simulator for free?
Yes. Investopedia Stock Simulator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fidelity starts at On request.
What is Fidelity best used for?
Fidelity is most often used for commission free trading of us stocks and etfs, holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts, trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one account. Of those, commission free trading of us stocks and etfs and holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts are not what Investopedia Stock Simulator is typically brought in for.
What can Fidelity do that Investopedia Stock Simulator cannot?
Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools. Investopedia Stock Simulator covers Virtual stock trading, Real-time market data, Portfolio management, Educational resources. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Investopedia Stock Simulator: Is the Investopedia Stock Simulator free?

Yes, the Investopedia Stock Simulator is completely free to use after creating an account. No real funds are required for simulated trading.

Source
Investopedia Stock Simulator: What is included in the simulator?

Users receive a $100,000 virtual portfolio to trade stocks, with integrated educational content including articles, tutorials, and a financial dictionary for learning investing.

Source
Investopedia Stock Simulator: What are the limitations of the Investopedia Simulator?

The simulator uses delayed market data (typically 15-20 minutes), has limited order type support, simplified fill simulation, and has not received proper updates in many years.

Source
Investopedia Stock Simulator: Can you compete with other traders?

Yes, you can join existing games or create custom games with configurable rules including options, margin trading, and adjustable commission rates, competing with thousands of Investopedia traders.

Source
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