Free Trading Journal Apps: What You Get at $0 in 2026
You can keep a serious trading journal for $0 today, and the free tier you choose matters more than any paid feature. Momentra's Free plan, Tradervue's capped tier, TradesViz and Stonk Journal all cost nothing, but they differ sharply in limits.
This guide shows what each free option covers, where the catches are, and when paying makes sense. Pricing and limits change, so confirm them on each vendor's site before you commit your trade history.
Why a free journal is enough for most traders
The value of a journal comes from the habit: log every trade, tag the reason, review weekly. None of that requires a paid plan. A trader with a free journal and a weekly review will learn more than a trader with an expensive dashboard they ignore.
If you are not sure where to start, read how to keep a trading journal first. It covers what to record regardless of tool.
What to check on any free tier
Free plans hide their limits in different places. Check these before you import anything:
- Trade caps. Some tiers limit how many trades you can log per month.
- Time limits. A trial is not a free plan. A 7-day trial ends in a week.
- Export. Can you get your data back out as CSV? If not, you are locked in.
- Markets. Does it cover stocks, options, crypto and forex, or only some?
- Analytics. Is the performance overview included, or paywalled?
- Notes. Can you write free-form notes and tag them?
Free trading journal options compared
Details below come from public listings at the time of writing. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
| Tool | Free option | Main limit to know about |
|---|---|---|
| Momentra | Free plan, $0 forever | 3 AI requests a month; broker auto sync is Pro |
| Tradervue | Free tier | 30 trades per month |
| TradesViz | Free tier | Check vendor for current limits |
| Stonk Journal | Reported as fully free | Check market support |
| TradeZella | 7-day trial only | Not a free plan |
| Edgewonk | No free trial reported | $197/year |
Momentra Free: the full journal at $0
Momentra's Free plan is $0 forever. It includes:
- The full trading journal for stocks, options, crypto and forex
- An investments tracker
- CSV import and export
- Trade analytics and a performance overview
- Manual trade entry
- 3 AI requests a month
On top of that, journal notes use a rich editor with tags, and a daily journaling streak helps you build the habit. There is also a community area.
The catch: Broker auto sync is a Pro feature, so on Free you add trades manually or by CSV. The AI allowance is small at 3 requests a month. For many traders neither is a dealbreaker.
Tradervue: free, but capped at 30 trades a month
Tradervue has a free tier limited to 30 trades per month. If you place a handful of trades a week, that may be enough. If you scalp or trade futures actively, you will hit the cap fast. Check the vendor for the current paid pricing if you outgrow it.
TradesViz: free with deep analytics
TradesViz has a free tier with deep quantitative analytics. If you enjoy slicing your results many different ways, it is a strong free option. Check the vendor for limits on trade volume and features, since those can change.
Stonk Journal: reported as fully free
Stonk Journal is reported as fully free. For a zero-budget start it is worth a test. Before moving your history, confirm which markets and import methods it supports.
Trials are not free plans
TradeZella offers a 7-day trial. It is polished and has trade replay, but after the trial you pay about $29/month, or about $24/month billed annually. That is a fine product to evaluate, but it is not a long-term free option. Edgewonk costs $197/year and has no free trial reported. Both are legitimate paid tools; they just do not belong on a free list.
The cheapest way to pay when you outgrow free
If manual entry starts to feel like a chore, the cheapest step up is worth comparing by yearly cost:
| Option | Approx. yearly cost |
|---|---|
| Momentra Pro ($14.99/month) | $179.88 |
| Edgewonk | $197.00 |
| TraderSync (about $19.46/month, annual) | about $233.52 |
| TradeZella (about $24/month, annual) | about $288.00 |
Momentra Pro adds broker auto sync through SnapTrade (Interactive Brokers, Schwab, Robinhood, Fidelity, Wealthsimple, Coinbase, Kraken, Alpaca, Tradier and more), 200 AI requests a month, AI insights in the journal, live news and key facts, and all backgrounds. You also earn one free month for every friend you refer.
These numbers are approximate and based on public listings. Prices change, so confirm on each vendor's site.
A free setup that works
Here is a simple routine that costs nothing:
- Pick one free journal and commit for 30 days.
- Log every trade the same day, with a setup tag and a one-line reason.
- Rate your emotional state from 1 to 5 at entry.
- Once a week, review your worst three trades. The process is laid out in how to review your trades.
- Once a month, check your win rate and average win versus average loss. The relationship between them matters more than either alone, as explained in win rate vs profit factor.
If you want a no-software starting point, grab the trading journal template. And if you are weighing a spreadsheet against an app, see Excel vs trading journal software.
When paying actually makes sense
Pay when a specific problem costs you more than the fee:
- You skip logging because manual entry is tedious. Auto sync fixes that.
- You want your journal to flag patterns you missed. AI insights can help, though you still make the decisions.
- You need features free tiers do not offer, like replay or native mobile apps. Some paid competitors do those better.
Do not pay because a tool looks impressive. A journal you open weekly beats a better one you avoid.
This article is education, not financial advice. A journal measures your behavior. It cannot promise profit.
FAQ
What is the best free trading journal?
It depends on your volume and markets. Momentra Free has no time limit and covers stocks, options, crypto and forex with CSV import and analytics. Tradervue's free tier caps at 30 trades per month, so it suits lighter traders.
Is there a trading journal with no trade limit that is free?
Momentra's Free plan is $0 forever and lists no monthly trade cap in its feature set. Always check the current plan page, since limits can change. Stonk Journal is also reported as fully free.
What is the cheapest paid trading journal?
Among the tools covered here, Momentra Pro at $14.99/month, or $179.88 a year, is the lowest. Edgewonk is $197/year. TraderSync and TradeZella cost more on annual billing at roughly $233.52 and $288 a year. Confirm current prices before buying.
Can I use a spreadsheet instead of a free app?
Yes, and many traders start there. A spreadsheet is flexible but you build every formula and chart yourself. See our comparison of Excel vs trading journal software for the trade-offs.
Will I lose my data if I switch journals later?
Not if the tool exports CSV. Momentra's Free plan includes CSV import and export, so you can move data in or out. Always check export support before you log months of trades.
Start free, upgrade only if it earns it
A free trading journal is enough to build the habit that actually improves your results. Pick a tier with no hard cap on your volume, log every trade, and review weekly. If auto sync or AI insights later save you real time, the step up is small. Compare the full field in our best trading journal software roundup, and see TradeZella alternatives if you are leaving a pricier tool.
