Trade Ideas — AI-driven stock scanning and charting platform for momentum traders. Best for Active day traders and momentum traders seeking AI-driven signals, Traders who want semi-automated portfolio management with the Money Machine, Advanced traders needing real-time market scanning and visual signals. Free to start; paid plans from $89127/mo.
Active day traders and momentum traders seeking AI-driven signalsTraders who want semi-automated portfolio management with the Money MachineAdvanced traders needing real-time market scanning and visual signalsTraders using brokers like TradeStation or CenterPoint for direct integration
Not ideal for
Casual or long-term investors with small portfoliosTraders who prefer manual analysis without AI suggestionsBudget-conscious users seeking free or low-cost toolsTraders needing pure technical analysis with extensive custom indicators
Trade Ideas is a solid choice for active momentum traders who want AI-driven signals and automated portfolio management. However, the $5,000 per position requirement and lack of transparent pricing may deter smaller retail investors.
Trade Ideas earns its reputation as a powerful tool for momentum traders, especially those who can commit to the Money Machine's $5,000 per position strategy. The AI-driven ranking and automation are genuinely impressive, reducing the need for manual screening. TI Wave adds another layer of clarity, turning complex chart analysis into simple signals. However, the platform is not for everyone. Beginners or casual investors will find the cost and complexity prohibitive. There's no transparent pricing on the site—only references to 'free account' and a $5,000 price tag for the Money Machine access—which can be a red flag. Compared to TradingView, Trade Ideas offers deeper AI automation but lacks the broad charting community and scriptable indicators. For traders who thrive on high-frequency momentum plays and want a semi-automated assistant, Trade Ideas delivers. But if you prefer a DIY approach or need low-cost tools, look elsewhere.
Skip Trade Ideas if Skip Trade Ideas if you are a long-term buy-and-hold investor, a casual investor not interested in day trading, or need a cross-platform solution that works natively on Mac.
Latest from Trade Ideas
We're gathering recent updates for Trade Ideas from changelogs, press, Hacker News, and social. Check back in a day or two.
Viability Score
80/100
Safe Bet
How likely is Trade Ideas to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 6 signals including funding, development activity, and platform risk.
funding runway
80
website health
90
github activity
50
category mortality
70
wrapper dependency
100
hyperscaler overlap
80
About Trade Ideas
Trade Ideas is an AI-powered stock scanning and charting platform designed to help momentum traders identify high-probability entry and exit points in real time. The platform's flagship tool, the Money Machine, is a 2nd-generation AI system that automatically monitors and ranks the top three momentum stocks, managing positions with a preset $5,000 per position. It allows traders to select upside, downside, or both momentum directions. Trade Ideas also offers TI Wave, a clear visual signal system that provides instant buy and sell signals directly on charts, leveraging AI-optimized EMA bands. The enhanced news feed delivers cleaner, relevant market news to support faster decision-making. Advanced order entry panels enable speed and precision. The platform includes backtesting, paper trading, stock races, and a trading room community. Trade Ideas partners with brokers like TradeStation, CenterPoint Securities, and Cobra Trading for direct execution. Compared to alternatives like TrendSpider or TradingView, Trade Ideas focuses specifically on actionable momentum signals with an agentic AI approach.
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Key Features
AI-driven stock scanning and screening
Money Machine 2nd-gen AI for automated momentum trading
TI Wave visual buy/sell signals on charts
Real-time news feed with cleaner, relevant market news
Advanced order entry panel for speed and precision
Backtesting engine for strategy validation
Paper trading for practice without risk
Stock races gamified trading competitions
Multi-chart PiP charting
Formula editor for custom scans
Real-time alerts and top lists
Trading room community
Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Trade Ideas actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Momentum day trader
You start your day by opening Trade Ideas and viewing the Top List window for real-time momentum stocks. You set up a scan using the Formula Editor to filter for high relative volume and price breakout. When a stock triggers an alert, you use TI Wave on the chart to confirm the entry signal. You then execute a trade via Brokerage Plus with one-click order entry.
Outcome: You capture momentum moves with precision, reducing reaction time and relying on AI-driven signals rather than manual chart analysis.
Strategy backtester
You create a custom scan strategy and use the OddMaker backtesting tool to evaluate its performance over the past 30 days. You adjust parameters based on historical win rate and risk metrics. You then paper trade the refined strategy using the paper trading module before going live.
Outcome: You gain confidence in your strategy's viability, reducing the risk of live trading with unproven methods.
AI automation enthusiast
You subscribe to the Money Machine add-on and set it to automatically manage a $15,000 portfolio, taking long positions in the top 3 momentum stocks. You monitor the performance via the Money Machine dashboard and adjust risk parameters as needed.
Outcome: You automate your momentum trading strategy, saving time and potentially capturing gains without manual intervention.
Use Cases
Day trading momentum stocks using AI signals from Holly and Money Machine.
Backtesting custom scan strategies to improve entry/exit timing.
Monitoring multiple stocks simultaneously with Stock Races.
Executing trades directly from charts via Brokerage Plus.
Using TI Wave for precise entry and exit signals on charts.
Setting price alerts for specific stock price levels.
Following live trading sessions in the trading room with Barrie Einarson.
Models Under the Hood
Holly AI (1st Gen AI signals)Money Machine (2nd Gen AI)
Limitations
Trade Ideas is Windows-only; Mac users need Parallels or AWS. The free trial is limited; paid plans start at $89/month. The Premium plan at $178/month is pricey. The Money Machine add-on costs $5,000, a steep upfront investment. There's a learning curve due to many features. Also, real-time data may require additional exchange fees.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Annual total
Free
Over 12 months
Effective monthly
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Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Trade Ideas tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free Trial
Free
Ideal for
New users who want to evaluate the platform's core features before committing to a paid plan.
What this tier adds
Free entry point with limited access; no ongoing commitment.
Standard Plan
$89/month ($127 monthly)
Ideal for
Active day traders who need real-time data, 10 charts, customizable layouts, and paper trading but do not require AI signals or backtesting.
What this tier adds
Starting paid tier at $89/month ($127 monthly); includes real-time data, 10 charts, customizable layouts, paper trading, and in-app trading.
Premium Plan
$178/month ($254 monthly)
Ideal for
Serious momentum traders who want AI-generated trade signals (Holly), backtesting, smart risk levels, and the full suite of market analysis tools.
Integrations
TradeStationCenterPoint SecuritiesCobra Trading
Hidden costs & gotchas
What the public pricing page doesn't put in bold. Captured from pricing-page footnotes, contract terms, and recurring complaints.
•Real-time data feeds may incur extra exchange fees.
•Professional Services membership pricing not publicly listed.
•Annual plans require upfront payment; no partial refunds.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Trade Ideas's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Trade Ideas pricing starts at $89/month (Standard) and $178/month (Premium), with annual discounts. This is higher than competitors like TrendSpider ($39/month) or TradingView ($50/month for Pro). However, Trade Ideas offers unique AI-driven momentum detection and automation. The $5,000 Money Machine add-on is a significant barrier. Best for serious day traders with adequate capital, not for casual or budget-conscious users.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Trade Ideas — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For a new user: expect 30-60 minutes to install the Windows software (or set up Parallels/AWS on Mac), create an account, and choose a subscription. Another 1-2 hours to configure key features like scanning layouts, watchlists, and broker integration. The learning curve is moderate; using the user guide and video tutorials can reduce setup time.
Switching to or from Trade Ideas
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
Migrating in
→From TrendSpider: Export your watchlists as CSV and import into Trade Ideas via the Formula Editor or watchlist manager.
→From TC2000: Recreate your scan conditions using Trade Ideas' Formula Editor; watchlists can be imported via CSV.
→From Thinkorswim: You may need to manually set up scans and layouts; Trade Ideas support can help with common configurations.
Migrating out
↗To TradingView: Export your watchlists as CSV from Trade Ideas and import into TradingView; recreate scans manually.
↗To TrendSpider: Similar CSV export for watchlists; recreate automated scans in TrendSpider's visual scanner.
↗To TC2000: Export watchlists as CSV; rebuild scan conditions using TC2000's scan language.
↗To Thinkorswim: Use CSV for watchlists; manually set up scans using thinkScript.
Recent material changes
Pricing, brand, ownership, or deprecation changes worth knowing before you commit. Most-recent first.
•Wave 2 of Money Machine announced with $5,000 pricing; first 100 spots reserved at that price.
•Enhanced news feed launched for cleaner, more relevant real-time news.
•Advanced order entry panel introduced for speed and precision.
•Pricing updates: Standard now $89/month (annual $1,068), Premium $178/month (annual $2,136).
