You have $10,000 and 10 years. Buy, sell, and hold through booms and crashes. Then see if you can beat the S&P 500.
Your starting capital to invest across 5 different stocks
Navigate booms, crashes, bubbles, and recoveries
Compare your returns to a passive index fund
Stock Market Simulator is a free online investment game that lets you experience 10 years of stock market conditions in just a few minutes. Starting with $10,000, you make buy, sell, and hold decisions across five different stocks representing technology, blue-chip, renewable energy, speculative, and financial sectors. At the end, your portfolio is compared to a passive S&P 500 index fund to see if your active trading could beat the market.
Each year, a news headline reveals current market conditions — from bull markets and tech bubbles to crashes and recoveries. Stock prices change based on sector-specific factors and broader economic trends. You decide how to allocate your capital: go all-in on high-growth tech, play it safe with blue chips, or try to time the market by buying low and selling high. After 10 simulated years, your final portfolio value is compared to what you would have earned with a simple index fund strategy.
Statistically, over 90% of professional fund managers fail to beat the S&P 500 index over a 15-year period. While short-term outperformance is possible through skill or luck, consistently beating the market is extremely difficult due to fees, emotional decisions, and market efficiency.
You start with $10,000 and navigate 10 simulated years of stock market conditions. Each year brings new headlines and market changes. You can buy, sell, or hold 5 different stocks across sectors. At the end, your portfolio is compared to a passive S&P 500 index fund to see if you beat the market.
The average annual return of the S&P 500 index has been approximately 10% before inflation (about 7% after inflation) since its inception. However, individual years can vary wildly, from gains of over 30% to losses of over 30%.
Last updated March 2026.