Trade Ideas Pricing Explained: All Plans, Costs & Fees (2026)

Trade Ideas Pricing Overview

Trade Ideas is an AI-powered stock scanner built for active traders who want automated trade signals, real-time alerts, and backtesting capabilities. Founded in 2003 and based in Encinitas, California, Trade Ideas offers three pricing tiers: a free plan starting at $0/month, a mid-tier Standard plan at $127/month, and a Premium tier at $254/month. The standout feature is Holly AI, which runs millions of backtests nightly to deliver high-probability trade setups before market open—a significant edge for day traders and momentum traders who rely on speed and data-driven signals.

For traders weighing whether to upgrade from the free tier, the question isn't just cost—it's whether the additional scanning power, automated signals, and risk management tools justify the subscription. Trade Ideas positions itself at the premium end of the stock screener market, with pricing roughly 2x higher than competitors like Finviz and TradingView. This deep-dive examines whether that premium is earned, what you get at each tier, and hidden costs that may surprise you.

All Trade Ideas Plans Compared

Feature	Free (The Tester)	Standard (Blue Bundle)	Premium (Powder Elite)
Monthly Price	$0	$127	$254
Annual Price (if applicable)	N/A	Approx. $1,524 (12 months)	Approx. $3,048 (12 months)
Holly AI Signals	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Real-Time Alerts	❌ Limited	✅ Full	✅ Full
Backtesting Engine	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Paper Trading	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Money Machine (Automated Trading)	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Stock Racing (Momentum Visual)	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Broker Integration	❌ No	Limited	Interactive Brokers, E*TRADE
Channel Bar Templates	Limited	30+ Pre-Built	30+ Pre-Built
Scanner Data Points	Standard	500+	500+
Best For	Learning / Demo	Active Day Traders	Serious Traders + Automation

The Free Plan (The Tester): $0/month

Trade Ideas' free tier is genuinely useful for learning the platform without risking money. You get access to the core screener interface with basic scanning functionality, but critical features are gated behind paid tiers. The free plan lets you:

• Access the desktop scanner with limited data points
• View stock charts and basic technical analysis
• Set up simple alerts (though not in real-time like paid tiers)
• Paper trade to test strategies without losing money

The major limitation: no Holly AI signals, which is Trade Ideas' signature product. Without Holly AI, you're essentially running manual scans, defeating the purpose of an AI-powered scanner. The free plan is best for traders who want to learn the interface before committing to a subscription, not for serious trading.

Standard Plan (Blue Bundle): $127/month

At $127/month (roughly $1,524/year), the Standard plan is where Holly AI becomes available. This tier includes:

• Holly AI signals – Millions of nightly backtests delivered pre-market
• Real-time alerts – Instant notification when setups match your criteria
• Backtesting engine – Test strategies against historical data
• Paper trading – Practice with virtual money
• Stock Racing – Visual momentum spotting tool
• 500+ data points – Comprehensive scanner with extensive filtering options
• 30+ Channel Bar templates – Pre-built workspace configurations

The Standard plan appeals to active day traders who want AI-driven setups and backtesting but don't need automated trading. The key limitation: no Money Machine (automated trading) and broker integration is limited. You'll still need to execute trades manually or through a separate platform.

Premium Plan (Powder Elite): $254/month

The Premium tier at $254/month ($3,048/year) adds the headline feature: Money Machine, a fully automated trading system that executes trades based on Holly AI signals with built-in risk management controls. Premium subscribers also gain:

• Money Machine – Automated trade execution with position sizing and stop-loss management
• All Standard plan features (Holly AI, real-time alerts, backtesting, paper trading, Stock Racing)
• Broker integration – Direct connections to Interactive Brokers (Pro only) and E*TRADE for live trading

The Premium tier is built for traders who want to remove emotion from trading by automating entry and exit signals. However, automation only works if Holly AI's shared signals are reliable—and con concerns about crowded-trade slippage (see below) are worth investigating before upgrading.

Free Plan / Free Trial

Trade Ideas offers a free tier, not a time-limited trial. You can use "The Tester" plan indefinitely without paying. This is a smart freemium strategy: it lowers the barrier to entry, lets you test the interface, and creates upgrade momentum once you want Holly AI signals.

Is the free plan worth starting with? Yes, for learning. You'll quickly discover whether Trade Ideas' desktop interface feels intuitive to you (many traders find it dated) and whether the screener layout matches your workflow. However, the free plan omits Holly AI—the core product—so you won't experience what you're actually paying for until you upgrade.

Trial recommendations: Start with the free tier for 1-2 weeks, then trial the Standard plan for a month. Many trading tools offer 7-14 day free trials; check the Trade Ideas website to confirm current promotional offers.

Hidden Costs and Fees

Trade Ideas' published pricing is straightforward, but several costs lurk below the surface:

Broker Commissions and Spreads

If you use Money Machine (Premium tier), you'll pay commissions and spreads on every automated trade. Interactive Brokers and E*TRADE have different fee structures:

• Interactive Brokers: Typically $0.005 per share for stocks (minimum $1 per trade)
• E*TRADE: $0 per trade for stocks, but wider spreads on small-cap/illiquid stocks

A day trader executing 20 round-trip trades daily could pay $200–500/month in commissions alone. This is separate from Trade Ideas' subscription and can easily dwarf the platform cost.

Data Feeds (Potential)

While Trade Ideas' pricing typically includes basic market data (stocks), premium data feeds (Level 2 quotes, futures, forex) may require additional fees through your broker. Confirm this during signup.

No Refund Policy

Trade Ideas subscriptions are typically non-refundable once purchased. If you upgrade to Premium and discover Money Machine doesn't fit your trading style, you've committed to a full month. Request a cancellation policy clarification before subscribing.

Trade Ideas Pricing vs Competitors

How does Trade Ideas stack up against rivals in the AI stock screener space?

Platform	Basic Tier	Pro/Premium	AI Signals	Automated Trading
Trade Ideas	$0	$127–$254/mo	✅ Holly AI	✅ Money Machine (Premium)
TradingView	$0	$15–$65/mo	✅ Custom scripts	Limited (webhooks)
Finviz	$0	$40–$80/mo	❌ No	❌ No
Benzinga Pro	$0	$99/mo	✅ AI alerts	❌ No

The verdict: Trade Ideas is 2–5x more expensive than competitors like TradingView ($15–$65/mo) and Finviz ($40–$80/mo). The premium price is justified only if you value Holly AI's nightly backtests and Money Machine automation. TradingView is cheaper and more flexible for custom strategy building; Finviz is a bargain for simple screening. Trade Ideas wins if you want ready-made AI signals + full automation; it loses on price alone.

Is Trade Ideas Worth the Price?

For day traders and momentum traders: Potentially yes. Holly AI's nightly backtests can surface high-probability setups before market open—a genuine edge. If it saves you one bad trade per month, it pays for itself. The real-time scanning engine (500+ data points, instant alerts) is best-in-class.

For swing traders: Probably not. Swing traders don't need pre-market signals or real-time alerts; they plan trades hours or days in advance. A $40/month screener like Finviz is sufficient.

For automated traders: Yes, but with caveats. Money Machine removes emotion, but all Premium subscribers see the same Holly AI signals, creating crowded trades and slippage during peak hours. You're paying $254/month to join a crowd—not a unique advantage.

Upgrade triggers: Move from Free to Standard if you're actively day trading and want Holly AI signals. Move from Standard to Premium only if you trade at least 10 times/day and can offset Money Machine's commissions with better execution timing. Many traders stay on Standard and execute trades manually.

How to Save on Trade Ideas

• Annual billing discount: Trade Ideas may offer a discount for paying 12 months upfront instead of month-to-month. Ask during signup or contact support—savings are typically 10–20%.
• Broker credit: Some brokers (e.g., Interactive Brokers) offer referral credits that offset platform costs. Check your broker's promotion page.
• Educational discounts: Students and educators occasionally qualify for reduced rates. Verify eligibility with support.
• Free upgrade promotions: During low-trading seasons (summer, holidays), Trade Ideas may offer free upgrades to Standard or Premium. Monitor their website and email list.
• Start with free tier: There's no obligation to upgrade. Use the free plan to confirm the interface and data feel right before committing.
• Compare to alternatives: TradingView ($15–$65/mo) and Finviz ($40–$80/mo) are dramatically cheaper and may deliver 80% of the value for 20% of the cost. A/B test before deciding.

Bottom line: Trade Ideas is expensive by screener standards, but Holly AI and Money Machine are genuinely differentiated products for active traders. The question isn't "Is this cheap?"—it's "Do I day-trade frequently enough to justify $127–$254/month?" If yes, start with Standard. If you're unsure, stay on the free tier for a month and track how often you'd have used Holly AI signals. If the answer is zero, you don't need the upgrade.

For detailed feature comparisons and user reviews, visit the Trade Ideas review page or compare it to competing tools on our stock screener comparison guide.