Trade Ideas review (2026): pricing, Holly, limits

By: Editorial Team

Last updated: October 2026
Disclosure: No affiliate links on this page and no payment from Trade Ideas. This review is documentation‑based; the platform was not tested hands‑on.

TL;DR: Trade Ideas is an AI stock scanner for active U.S. equity traders. Full features require Windows. Premium ($254/month) adds Holly AI, backtesting, and auto‑trading; Standard is $127/month. No crypto, futures, or full free trial. Web version is pared‑down.

Key facts
– Plans: Standard $127/month ($1,068/year) and Premium $254/month ($2,136/year) per the pricing page.
– Premium adds Holly AI, OddsMaker backtesting, auto‑trading (Brokerage+), Smart Risk Levels, RBI/GBI, and unlimited watchlists on the pricing page.
– Markets: help states U.S. equities; another page references Canada with limited presentation; Forex not supported; crypto/futures not mentioned (help: markets we scan, help: Forex data).
– Windows desktop required for full features; web is pared‑down; no native macOS/iOS apps (version comparison, Mac help, iPad help).
– No free fully functional trial; “Test Drive” is a short paid event; all sales are final (free‑trial help, Test Drive FAQ, billing policies).
– No published aggregate Holly performance or latency/SLA; the AI performance help link returns “Page not found” (AI performance help).

RISK WARNING: Trading stocks and other securities involves significant risk. You can lose money rapidly, and past results do not predict future performance. Leveraged products can amplify losses. Trade Ideas’ EULA states “simulated performance results do not represent actual trading” (EULA). Consider your experience, objectives, and risk tolerance before subscribing.

Who Trade Ideas is for — and who should skip it

Trade Ideas suits Windows‑based U.S. equity day traders who want real‑time scanning, AI entry/exit signals, and short‑horizon backtesting with documented broker connectivity.

• Fits: intraday and short‑term stock traders who rely on streaming alerts and 500+ alerts/filters (Standard) with real‑time data, per the features page. If AI‑generated buy/sell signals (Holly) and backtesting (OddsMaker) are required, Premium is needed (see the Holly AI page). Paper trading is included. Auto‑trading for Interactive Brokers via Brokerage+ requires Premium (autotrading help, IB guide).
• Skip: crypto or futures traders (not mentioned on vendor pages) and Forex traders (explicitly not supported) (Forex data help). Long‑only investors seeking fundamentals, macOS‑only users needing full desktop features, and anyone requiring a free full trial or refunds should look elsewhere (version comparison, billing policies). Options traders get only limited options‑volume filters (options‑data help).

Phone support is listed as Mon–Fri, 6:30 AM–1:30 PM PDT (contact page).

Trade Ideas pricing and plans

Trade Ideas offers two paid plans; Premium is required for Holly AI, backtesting, and auto‑trading.

Source: pricing page.

Notes and policies:
– All subscriptions include real‑time market data; non‑professional exchange fees are covered by Trade Ideas (exchange agreements).
– Professional users pay additional exchange fees set by NYSE/AMEX/NASDAQ; dollar amounts are not listed by TI (exchange agreements).
– No free fully functional trial; the “Test Drive” is a short paid Premium‑access event that ends automatically; the fee is not listed (free‑trial help, Test Drive FAQ).
– Billing: all sales are final; auto‑renewal applies; cancellations take effect at the end of the current period (billing policies).

Trade Ideas features that matter

Trade Ideas delivers real‑time scanning, AI signals, and short‑window backtesting, but full capability requires the Windows desktop app and Premium for Holly/OddsMaker.

Real‑time scanning and alerts

Trade Ideas describes Streaming Alerts as a real‑time scanner that alerts “at the moment” an event triggers (features page). The Standard plan lists 500+ data points for alerts/filters and customizable scans/layouts. Premarket coverage has caveats: a vendor PDF lists which alerts use premarket data (e.g., premarket high/low, VWAP, strong volume, 1‑min volume spike) and which do not (e.g., gaps, % up/down, MACD, new high/low, opening range breakout) (premarket alerts PDF). A help article notes servers start data collection around 4 a.m. ET, so some filters may not work premarket (premarket data help).

Holly AI signals (Premium)

Holly is Trade Ideas’ AI engine that generates buy/sell signals with entries/exits in real time (Holly AI page). The vendor shows selected recent profitable examples on that page but does not publish aggregate performance statistics. The Holly strategies guide lists 60+ proprietary strategies whose parameters “cannot be customized” (Holly strategies guide). Holly is included only with Premium (see the pricing page).

Backtesting with OddsMaker (Premium)

OddsMaker is the backtester for scoring scans/entry signals over recent history. The guide states a typical 64‑day lookback, 1‑minute OHLC data (not tick), and it excludes the current day and pre/post‑market sessions; it lists the first 100 trades per day (OddsMaker guide).

Charting (PIP charts) and layouts

Trade Ideas’ PIP charting offers multi‑trend visualization with customizable style, color, time frames, indicators, and drawing tools (features page). The Standard plan limits concurrent charts to 10. Premium adds unlimited personal watchlists and multi‑strategy/more visualization windows (e.g., stock races) per the pricing page.

Formula Editor and customization

The Formula Editor lets users build custom formulas used like built‑in filters for screening/sorting/display (Formula Editor help, instructions PDF). The instructions describe it as a formula language aimed at users with programming familiarity, not a general scripting or strategy‑coding language (instructions PDF). The help center notes custom EMA filters cannot be created in the Formula Editor (Formula Editor help).

Paper trading and brokerage execution (Brokerage+)

Real‑time simulated trading is included via Brokerage+ (features page). For live auto‑trading, a help article says automated trading currently works with Interactive Brokers and requires Premium (last updated 2021) (autotrading help). IB specifics: an IBKR Pro account is required (IBKR Lite API is blocked) and a paid IB market‑data plan is needed (IB guide). Other vendor pages show inconsistencies: the Brokers page lists API integrations with TradeStation, IB, ETRADE, and Alpaca, plus partners Moomoo, CenterPoint, and Cobra (Brokers page), while the Holly Connections page lists Simulator, IB (live/sim), and ETRADE (live/sim) (Holly Connections). Confirm current integrations with both Trade Ideas and your broker before subscribing.

Trade Ideas vs alternatives (capabilities snapshot)

Trade Ideas performance and reliability

Trade Ideas does not publish latency, uptime, or an SLA; system‑requirements guidance suggests a robust Windows PC for best results (Windows 10+, 64‑bit; preferred specs up to 32 GB RAM and 4.0 GHz+/5.0+ GHz boost CPUs) (system requirements). The help center’s “AI performance” article points to a page that currently returns “Page not found,” and no aggregate Holly win‑rate is published (AI performance help, Holly AI page).

Trade Ideas setup and broker connection

Trade Ideas requires Windows for full features; the web app provides a slimmer experience.

• Account and install: choose Standard or Premium, create an account, and install the Windows desktop client; a pared‑down web version is available on any OS (version comparison).
• Configure scans/alerts: build or customize scans using 500+ alerts/filters; optionally create custom formulas via the Formula Editor (Formula Editor help).
• Paper trading: Brokerage+ includes a real‑time simulator without connecting a live broker (features page).
• Auto‑trading with a broker: automated trading currently works with Interactive Brokers and requires Premium (autotrading help). IB specifics: an IBKR Pro account and an active paid market‑data plan are needed; setup is documented in the IB guide.
• Conflicting integration pages: the Brokers page lists API integrations with TradeStation, ETRADE, and Alpaca alongside IB (Brokers page); the Holly Connections page lists Simulator, IB, and ETRADE (Holly Connections). Verify live support with TI and your broker before purchase.

Trade Ideas evidence base for this review

This review is documentation‑based; sources were captured on 2026‑10‑04/05.

• Plans and pricing: pricing page and plan descriptions.
• Features and Holly page (features, Holly AI).
• Backtesting: OddsMaker guide.
• Formula Editor: help article and instructions PDF.
• Premarket alerts: vendor PDF.
• Markets and Forex data: help center, Forex help.
• System requirements and OS support: system requirements, Mac help.
• Billing, free‑trial, and Test Drive policies (billing policies, free‑trial help).
• Integrations and IB specifics (autotrading help, IB guide).

Trade Ideas risks and limitations

Trade Ideas focuses on U.S. equities, requires Windows for full power, and withholds aggregate AI performance stats; prospective buyers shoulder more risk with no refunds and no full free trial.

• Markets: help states U.S. equities only; another page references Canada with limited presentation (no charts); Forex not supported; crypto/futures not mentioned (markets help, Forex help).
• Platform: full features require the Windows desktop; the web app is pared‑down; no native macOS or iOS apps (version comparison, Mac help).
• Trials and refunds: no free fully functional trial; Test Drive is paid/short; all sales are final; cancellations end at period close (free‑trial help, billing policies).
• Performance transparency: no published aggregate Holly performance; AI performance link returns “Page not found”; no latency/uptime/SLA published (AI performance help).
• Integrations: documentation conflicts about broker automation beyond IB; verify with TI and your broker (autotrading help, Brokers page).
• Backtesting limits: OddsMaker typically covers ~64 days, uses 1‑minute OHLC, excludes the current day and pre/post, and lists the first 100 trades/day (OddsMaker guide).
• Scripting: Formula Editor is a formula language, not general scripting; EMAs cannot be created as custom filters (Formula Editor help, instructions PDF).

RISK WARNING: Day trading and leveraged strategies can result in significant losses. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and simulated results are not indicative of actual returns (EULA).

How Trade Ideas compares to alternatives

Trade Ideas is well‑suited to Windows‑based U.S. equity day traders who value real‑time scanning, AI signals (Premium), and short‑horizon backtesting; broader market coverage and cross‑platform charting are stronger elsewhere, depending on each vendor.

• TradingView: for a cross‑platform charting ecosystem, see the head‑to‑head comparison on price, AI scanning, backtesting, and market coverage (Disclosure: no affiliate relationship).
• TrendSpider: focused on technical‑analysis automation and scanning (context only; this page focuses on TI features and constraints).
• Finviz Elite: a widely used U.S. stock screener (context only).
• TakeProfit: cloud trading terminal with GPU charting, 24/7 cloud alerts, Python‑based Indie scripting, and live exchange execution in a single $20/month plan; 30‑day free trial then a Freeroll free tier; crypto‑first market data. Limitation vs Trade Ideas: no advertised U.S. stock broker auto‑trading or an AI signal engine like Holly (Disclosure: no affiliate relationship). Learn more at TakeProfit.

For more side‑by‑side pages, see all comparisons (Disclosure: no affiliate relationship).

Trade Ideas costs and extras

For non‑professional users, real‑time market data exchange fees are included in the subscription price (exchange agreements). Professional users pay additional exchange fees at rates set by NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ; specific dollar amounts are not listed by TI (exchange agreements). No vendor‑documented mandatory extras are listed beyond the subscription and, for IB auto‑trading, your broker’s data plan requirements (IB guide).

Trade Ideas FAQ

• Is Trade Ideas worth it?
  For Windows‑based U.S. equity day traders who value real‑time scanning, Holly AI signals, and short‑horizon backtesting, it can be (Holly AI page). Consider starting monthly because there is no full free trial and billing is all‑sales‑final (free‑trial help, billing policies).

• Can I use Trade Ideas for free?
  There’s no free fully functional trial. A free account provides 15‑minute delayed web dashboards. “Test Drive” is a short, paid Premium‑access event that ends automatically; the fee isn’t listed (free‑trial help, Test Drive FAQ).

• How much does Trade Ideas cost?
  Standard: $127/month or $1,068/year. Premium: $254/month or $2,136/year (see the pricing page). Auto‑renew applies; all sales are final. Non‑pro data is included; pros pay exchange‑set fees (billing policies, exchange agreements).

• What markets does Trade Ideas cover?
  Help articles state U.S. equities. Another page mentions Canada with limited presentation (no charts). Forex isn’t supported; crypto/futures aren’t mentioned (markets help, Forex help).

• Does Trade Ideas auto‑trade with brokers?
  Docs support Interactive Brokers (IBKR Pro required) via Brokerage+ (autotrading help, IB guide). Other pages differ on E*TRADE/TradeStation/Alpaca—verify before subscribing (Brokers page, Holly Connections).

• Is there a legitimate AI trading platform?
  Holly provides AI‑generated buy/sell signals (Premium), but TI does not publish aggregate performance statistics, and the help link for AI performance currently fails (Holly AI page, AI performance help).

Methodology & disclosure

This review is documentation‑based. Sources include the vendor’s pricing and plan pages; features and Holly pages; OddsMaker guide; Formula Editor help and instructions; premarket alerts PDF; markets/data help; system requirements; billing/free‑trial/Test Drive policies; and integration pages (all cited inline). No hands‑on testing, screenshots, or latency measurements were performed.

Earnings model: there are no affiliate links on this page and no compensation from Trade Ideas. If sponsorships or affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled at the link and in this section.

Corrections: vendor pages change. Please submit corrections with source links; material changes will be noted.

RISK WARNING: Trading involves risk of loss. Past results do not predict future outcomes. “Simulated performance results do not represent actual trading” (Trade Ideas EULA) (EULA).

Verdict: Well‑suited for U.S.‑equity day traders on Windows who want real‑time scanning, AI signals, and short‑horizon backtesting. Skip it if you need crypto/futures, macOS‑native desktop, or a full free trial (version comparison, free‑trial help).