Trade Ideas Review
AI Stock Scanner Since 2003
Real-Time AI Signals
Holly AI Research
Broker Integrations
Trade Ideas at a Glance — Platform Profile
What is Trade Ideas?
Trade Ideas is a US AI-driven stock scanning & charting platform (founded 2003) — not a broker. It surfaces real-time trade ideas, signals and automated strategies for active stock traders.
- Signature AI: Holly (agentic AI research)
- Focus: US equities, day & momentum trading
- Execution: via integrated brokers (you keep your own broker)
Note: Trade Ideas is a research/analytics publisher — it does not hold funds or give personalised investment advice.
What Users Say on Trustpilot
2.1 / 5 · only 30 reviews on Trustpilot (small sample).
- 👎 “Holly AI engine is very weak”
- 👎 “Software feels outdated”
- 👎 “I regret subscribing”
Honest take: The Trustpilot sample is tiny and skews negative — common complaints are cost, a steep learning curve and AI results. Reviews elsewhere are more mixed. Use the free account first.
Holly AI & Signals
- Holly — AI that scans and proposes trade ideas daily
- Real-time AI buy/sell signals
- Entry, exit & risk levels suggested automatically
Why it matters: The AI signal engine is Trade Ideas’ headline draw — powerful, but results vary and need your own judgement.
Scanning & Backtesting
- Real-time market scanning with custom filters
- Backtesting & the Formula Editor
- PiP charting / idea surfing
- Paper (simulated) trading
TI Wave & Money Machine
- TI Wave — visual buy/sell signals with adaptive EMA bands
- Money Machine — 2nd-gen AI that auto-positions top-momentum stocks
- Stock Races for live momentum
Broker Integrations & Data
- Execute via TradeStation, IBKR, E*TRADE, Cobra, CenterPoint, Alpaca
- Real-time NASDAQ/NYSE data (live-data add-on)
- Subscribers traded 55.2M shares in a recent month
Top Trade Ideas Alternatives
TrendSpider
TrendSpider — automated technical analysis, dynamic trendlines and backtesting. A strong, often cheaper Trade Ideas alternative.
TradingView
TradingView — the most popular charting platform, with screeners, alerts and a huge community. Great value for most traders.
Benzinga Pro
Benzinga Pro — real-time news, squawk and scanners. Best if news-driven trading is your edge.
Thinkorswim
Thinkorswim (Schwab) — powerful free charting/scanning for funded brokerage clients, with paper trading.
Trade Ideas Plans
Free
$0
- Limited scans & dashboards (15-min delayed)
- Try the interface risk-free
Standard
≈ $118 / month (approx)
- Full real-time scanning & charting
- Custom alerts & PiP charting
Note: No Holly AI / backtesting on Standard.
Premium
≈ $228 / month (approx)
- Everything in Standard +
- Holly AI, backtesting & AI signals
- Best value paid annually
Verify: Confirm current pricing & annual discounts on the Trade Ideas pricing page.
Standout Tools
Holly AI
An AI engine that runs strategies overnight and proposes a daily watchlist of trade ideas with entries, exits and risk levels.
TI Wave
Visual buy/sell signals overlaid on charts using adaptive EMA bands, designed to simplify timing for momentum trades.
Backtesting & Formula Editor
Build custom scans with the Formula Editor and backtest strategies on historical data before risking capital.
Money Machine
A 2nd-gen AI system that ranks and auto-positions the highest-momentum stocks, moving from simulation toward automated live trading.
Pricing & What’s Included
Standard ≈ $118/mo
- Real-time scanning & charting
- Custom alerts, PiP charting
- Paper trading
No Holly AI or backtesting on this tier.
Premium ≈ $228/mo
- Everything in Standard
- Holly AI, AI signals & backtesting
- TI Wave & advanced tools
Tip: Paying annually is the cheapest way to access Premium.
Free + Integrations
- Free account with delayed data to try it
- Connect a broker (TradeStation, IBKR, E*TRADE, Alpaca…) to execute
- Live-data subscription available
Markets & Data Coverage
What Trade Ideas Covers
- Markets: US equities (NASDAQ, NYSE, AMEX)
- Data: real-time scanning (live-data add-on; otherwise 15-min delayed)
- Execution: via integrated US brokers — Trade Ideas itself is not a broker
- Made in the USA
Why it matters: It is built for US stock day/momentum trading — not forex, futures or international equities.
Video Guides & Reviews
See Trade Ideas in Action
Pros and Cons of Trade Ideas
Pros
- Established since 2003; award-winning
- Holly AI daily trade ideas & signals
- Powerful real-time scanning & backtesting
- TI Wave visual signals & Money Machine
- Broker integrations (TradeStation, IBKR, E*TRADE…)
- Paper trading & a free account to try
Cons
- Expensive (~$118–$228/mo)
- Steep learning curve
- US stocks only — no forex/futures/global
- Low small-sample Trustpilot (2.1/30)
- Not a broker — research/analytics only
Trade Ideas Pricing & Plans
Trade Ideas offers a free tier plus two paid plans. Holly AI and backtesting require Premium. Prices below are approximate — confirm on the Trade Ideas pricing page.
| Plan | Price (approx) | Holly AI | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | No | Trying it |
| Standard | ≈ $118/mo | No | Scanning |
| Premium | ≈ $228/mo | Yes | Serious traders |
Trade Ideas vs TrendSpider vs TradingView vs Benzinga Pro
| Feature | Trade Ideas | TrendSpider | TradingView | Benzinga Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI signals | Holly AI | Auto-TA | No | News |
| Backtesting | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| From price/mo | ~$118 | ~$33 | ~$15 | ~$37 |
| Best for | AI day trading | Auto-TA | Charting | News |
Prices/features change — verify on each provider’s site.
Trade Ideas Review 2026: Is It Worth It?
Trade Ideas review 2026 — short answer: for serious US stock day and momentum traders, it’s one of the most powerful AI scanners available — Holly AI trade ideas, real-time scanning, backtesting, TI Wave signals and broker integrations. The trade-offs are a high price and a steep learning curve.
Who it’s best for
- Active US day & momentum traders
- Traders who want AI-generated ideas & backtesting
- People who’ll use it daily to justify the cost
Who should skip it
- Forex/futures or international traders (US stocks only) — for the futures and order-flow side, see our reviews of Bookmap and Quantower
- Beginners or casual investors (cost + complexity)
- Anyone wanting a cheap charting tool (try TradingView)
Final word: Powerful but pricey and complex. Start with the free account, then decide if Holly AI on Premium earns its keep for your style.
Compare further: before you commit, it is worth reading our reviews of Tickeron and Kavout, which take a similar AI-signal approach, and GuruFocus if your research leans fundamental rather than intraday.
To journal and review your day trades, see our TraderSync review.
Why Choose Trade Ideas for AI Stock Scanning?
AI stock scanner since 2003
Holly AI · real-time scanning · free trial
AI stock scanning & charting · since 2003
Holly AI · backtesting · TI Wave
Broker integrations · paper trading
FREE ACCOUNT · HOLLY AI ON PREMIUM
Try Trade Ideas →AI stock scanning & charting · founded 2003 · made in the USA
Holly AI trade ideas · real-time scanning · backtesting · broker integrations
See Trade Ideas Plans →Trade Ideas is a US AI-driven stock-scanning and charting platform that has been running since 2003. Its headline feature is Holly, an AI engine that runs strategies and proposes a daily watchlist of trade ideas, alongside real-time scanning, backtesting, TI Wave visual signals and the new Money Machine automation — with execution through integrated brokers.
What stands out
- AI signals. Holly’s daily ideas plus real-time alerts.
- Depth. Custom scans, Formula Editor and backtesting.
- Automation. TI Wave and the Money Machine system.
- Integrations. TradeStation, IBKR, E*TRADE, Cobra, Alpaca and more.
What to keep in mind
Trade Ideas is a research tool, not a broker, it’s focused on US stocks only, and it’s expensive (~$118–$228/mo) with a steep learning curve. Its Trustpilot rating is a low 2.1 from a small 30-review sample. Use the free account to gauge fit before subscribing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trade Ideas is a US AI-driven stock-scanning and charting platform founded in 2003. It provides real-time scans, AI trade ideas via its Holly engine, backtesting, TI Wave signals and broker integrations for active stock traders. It is not a broker.
No. Trade Ideas is a research and analytics platform (a publisher). It does not hold funds or execute trades itself — you connect your own integrated broker, such as TradeStation, Interactive Brokers, E*TRADE or Alpaca.
There is a free tier, a Standard plan around $118/month and a Premium plan around $228/month that adds Holly AI and backtesting. Paying annually is cheaper. Confirm current pricing on the Trade Ideas pricing page.
Holly is Trade Ideas’ AI engine that runs trading strategies overnight and proposes a daily watchlist of trade ideas with suggested entries, exits and risk levels. It is available on the Premium plan.
For active US day and momentum traders who will use it daily, the AI scanning, backtesting and signals can justify the cost. Casual investors, or forex/futures traders, will likely find it too expensive and US-stock-focused.
Yes. Trade Ideas offers a free account with limited, delayed-data features so you can try the interface and scans before subscribing to a paid plan.
Trade Ideas covers US equities on NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. It does not cover forex, futures or international stocks.
Through broker integrations and tools like the Money Machine, Trade Ideas can route orders to your connected broker (including automated strategies), but the execution and your funds remain with that broker.
Its Trustpilot score is around 2.1 from a small sample of about 30 reviews, citing cost, a learning curve and AI results. Because the sample is small, it’s worth reading wider reviews and trying the free account yourself.
Alternatives include TrendSpider (automated technical analysis), TradingView (charting and screeners), Benzinga Pro (news) and Thinkorswim (free for funded brokerage clients).