// list · 6 tools

Charting platforms with a free plan

Charting platforms in our data with a free plan you can keep using, with what each free plan includes and the limits each vendor publishes. Listed A–Z; the order is not a ranking.

Tool	Starting price (monthly · yearly)	Key features (as listed by vendor)
MotiveWaveCharting · Order flow	Free · paid from $24/mo · ≈$288/yr	Charting with 280+ studies, replay mode and a Java SDK (all editions, including Community) Order-flow studies and tools with an advanced DOM (Order Flow, PRO and Ultimate) Strategy backtesting, study scanner and multiple broker connections (PRO and Ultimate) Elliott Wave tools (EW Lite and Ultimate) Desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux; iOS and Android app on paid editions
NinjaTraderCharting · Backtesting · Order flow	Free · paid from $99/mo · ≈$1,188/yr	Backtesting and paper trading at no cost; no account funding needed Market Replay for tick-by-tick playback of past sessions (funded account) Charting, custom indicators, strategy automation and third-party add-ons Order Flow+ (funded account) and Pulse indicator (no funding needed) Available on desktop, web and mobile (futures trading)
QuantowerCharting · Order flow	Free · paid $70/mo · $588/yr	Charts, drawing tools, DOM Trader, time & sales and chart trading in the free version Cluster (footprint) charts, volume profiles and VWAP tools (paid) TPO chart, DOM Surface heatmap and Power Trades (All-in-One or bought separately) 60+ broker, crypto exchange and data-feed connections Trading simulator and market replay (paid licences)
StockChartsScanner · Charting	Free · paid from $19.95/mo · ≈$239.40/yr	Scans: 1 (Basic), 200 (Extra), 500 (PRO); scheduled scans on Extra and PRO Price alerts and advanced alerts (Basic and up) SharpCharts with intraday charting (paid levels) ChartLists, multi-chart layouts, RRG charts and SCTR reports BATS real-time US data included; official exchange data extra
thinkorswim (Schwab)Scanner · Charting	Free	Stock Hacker scanner (fundamental, technical and option-related criteria, custom attributes) Pre-defined and custom screeners, watchlists thinkScript custom studies and condition wizard 400+ technical studies paperMoney simulated trading Desktop (Windows, Mac; a Linux installer is offered without official support), web and mobile
TradingViewScanner · Charting · Backtesting	Free · paid from $14.95/mo · ≈$155.40/yr	Stock, ETF, DEX and crypto screeners: 150+ exchanges, 500+ fundamental and technical fields Screener results refresh automatically on paid plans (every 10 seconds or 1 minute, by plan); Pine Screener Price, technical and watchlist alerts (limits vary by plan) Bar Replay and strategy backtesting Simulated (paper) trading; trade through selected brokers Web, desktop and mobile apps

≈ = calculated by us, not published by the vendor. Prices in USD before tax. How we read prices →

Notes on each tool

MotiveWave

Free plan condition: Starts after the 14-day trial ends without a purchase.
Free plan (Community) includes: More than 280 chart studies, VWAP and volume profile among them; Replay mode with a simulated account; Java SDK for your own studies and strategies. Limits: One broker or data feed per workspace; No order-flow studies, live trading or mobile app (paid editions); Help through the user forum only; market data not included. Source (opens in new tab)
Free plan (Community): One broker or data feed per workspace; basic DOM and replay.
Entry paid plan: Standard, $24/mo · ≈$288/yr.
Trial: 14-day free trial of Ultimate with no card needed; if nothing is bought, the account moves to the free Community edition when the trial ends.
Broker-neutral charting and trading platform with a free Community edition. Order-flow tools start with the Order Flow edition.
Prices checked 2026-10-17.

Full pricing and features → Visit site (opens in new tab)

NinjaTrader

Free plan condition: No monthly fee; live futures trading is through a NinjaTrader brokerage account.
Free plan (Free) includes: Desktop, web and mobile platform; Charts, strategy backtests and a trading simulator, without funding an account. Limits: Real-time data, Order Flow+ and Market Replay need a funded account; Live trades pay the Free plan's per-contract commissions ($0.39 Micro, $1.29 Standard, per side) plus exchange and NFA fees. Source (opens in new tab)
Free plan: No monthly plan fee; commissions $0.39 per Micro and $1.29 per Standard contract, per side.
Entry paid plan: Monthly, $99/mo · ≈$1,188/yr.
Futures trading platform and brokerage with free charting, backtesting and simulated trading.
Prices checked 2026-10-17.

Full pricing and features → Visit site (opens in new tab)

Quantower

Free plan condition: Download and use; no registration needed.
Free plan (Free version) includes: Tick and time charts with drawing tools, indicators and chart alerts; DOM Trader, time & sales, market heatmap and chart trading; Free API for custom indicators and strategies. Limits: One broker, exchange or data connection at a time; 2 indicators and 1 overlay per chart; No footprint charts, volume profiles, TPO, DOM Surface, simulator or market replay (paid); Third-party market data is paid separately. Source (opens in new tab)
Free plan (Free version): 1 connection; 2 indicators per chart; no order-flow tools.
Entry paid plan: All-in-One, $70/mo · $588/yr.
Trial: 7-day full-featured trial with a Quantower account.
Multi-asset trading platform with a free version you can keep using. The order-flow tools (footprint, volume profiles, TPO, DOM Surface) are paid.
Prices checked 2026-10-17.

Full pricing and features → Visit site (opens in new tab)

StockCharts

Free plan (Free) includes: SharpCharts with up to 3 indicators and 3 overlays per chart. Limits: No intraday charts, real-time data, saved charts, scans, screener or alerts; Charts up to 900px wide; ads shown. Source (opens in new tab)
Free plan: 3 indicators per chart; no intraday charts, scans or saved charts.
Entry paid plan: Basic, $19.95/mo · ≈$239.40/yr.
Trial: Free 1-month trial (starts at Extra).
Charting, scanning and alerts platform.
Prices checked 2026-10-17.

Full pricing and features → Visit site (opens in new tab)

thinkorswim (Schwab)

Free plan condition: Free with a Schwab brokerage account.
Free plan (thinkorswim platform) includes: Desktop, web and mobile platforms; Charting, scanning and paperMoney simulated trading. Limits: Trades are charged at Schwab's standard pricing ($0 online listed equities, $0.65 per options contract); Without a Schwab account there is only a 30-day Guest Pass (a trial). Source (opens in new tab)
Free plan (thinkorswim platform): Free with a Schwab account; trades at Schwab's standard pricing ($0 online listed equities, $0.65 per options contract).
Free with a Schwab account. Trades are charged at Schwab's standard pricing. Per Schwab's FAQ, day trading also needs margin approval and $25,000 minimum account equity.
Prices checked 2026-10-17.

Full pricing and features → Visit site (opens in new tab)

TradingView

Free plan (Basic) includes: Charts with 400+ built-in indicators and drawing tools; Bar Replay on daily and higher timeframes; Strategy backtesting with basic report metrics; Screeners, paper trading, web, desktop and mobile apps. Limits: 1 chart per tab, 2 indicators per chart, 1 saved layout; 3 price alerts, 1 watchlist of 30 symbols, 5K historical bars; No intraday Bar Replay or screener auto-refresh; ads shown. Source (opens in new tab)
Free plan (Basic): No credit card needed.
Entry paid plan: Essential, $14.95/mo · ≈$155.40/yr.
Prices checked 2026-10-17.

Full pricing and features → Visit site (opens in new tab)Affiliate link

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