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Trade Ideas Review (2026)
A real-time AI-driven stock scanning platform for active US equity day and swing traders, built around its Holly AI idea generator.
Software, not advice
This is a software product. It does not manage money, and nothing it produces is investment advice or a recommendation to trade. Signals, scans, screens and automation outputs are inputs to your own decision, not instructions.
Vendor-published performance figures are selected by the vendor and are not independently verified. Automating an unprofitable strategy loses money faster, not slower. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
| Purpose | Real-time scanning and algorithmic idea generation |
| Market | US equities only |
| Holly AI | Simulates strategy combinations overnight, produces a daily idea list |
| Scanning | Custom filters on price, volume, volatility, float, technicals |
| Backtesting | Available on higher tiers |
| Broker integration | Available for execution from the platform |
| Simulated trading | Included |
| Pricing model | Monthly or annual tiers; annual materially cheaper |
| Real-time data fees | May be additional depending on setup |
| Relevance to forex | None |
| Access | Desktop, web and mobile |
Compiled from the vendor’s published documentation and pricing pages, cross-checked against independent reviews, August 2026. Software pricing and features change frequently — verify current terms with the vendor.
Quick verdict
Trade Ideas is a capable real-time scanner, and Holly AI produces a curated daily list that some traders find genuinely useful as a starting point. It is expensive, US-equity-only, and the AI output should be treated as candidates for your own analysis rather than signals to follow.
- Consider it if
- You actively day trade or swing trade US equities and want real-time scanning across thousands of symbols with algorithmic idea generation.
- Avoid it if
- You trade forex or futures, or you invest long-term. Neither use case is served here.
Affiliate link. Capital at risk. See disclosure and risk disclosure.
How it works
Trade Ideas scans US equity markets in real time, letting you build filters on price action, volume, volatility, float and technical conditions to surface candidates as they develop.
Holly AI simulates large numbers of strategy combinations overnight and produces a curated set of trade ideas for the coming session. This is the headline differentiator and the main reason people pay the upper tier.
Additional features include backtesting, charting, simulated trading and broker integration for execution from within the platform.
| Base scanning | Holly AI tier | |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time scanning | Yes | Yes |
| Custom filters | Yes | Yes |
| Algorithmic daily ideas | No | Yes |
| Backtesting | Limited | Yes |
| Broker integration | Limited | Yes |
| Cost | Lower | Materially higher |
The thing people get wrong
Holly’s published performance figures come from the vendor and are not independently verified. Any algorithm producing a daily list will have good and bad periods, and selection of which periods to publish is the vendor’s. Treat outputs as candidates for your own analysis, and paper trade them before committing capital.
Pricing
Trade Ideas sells monthly and annual subscription tiers, with the higher tier adding Holly AI, backtesting and broker integration. Annual billing reduces the effective monthly rate substantially.
A real-time market data subscription may be required in addition, depending on your configuration and broker.
Assess whether you need Holly before paying for the upper tier — the base scanner alone serves many traders well.
Platforms
Trade Ideas runs on desktop, web and mobile, with broker integrations allowing execution from the platform. Coverage is US equities only.
- Real-time US equity scanning with custom filters
- Holly AI generated daily trade ideas
- Backtesting of scan criteria
- Integrated charting and simulated trading
- Broker integrations for direct execution
- Risk assessment and position sizing tools
- Alerts and watchlists
Who it suits
It suits active US equity day and swing traders needing to surface opportunities in real time across thousands of symbols.
It suits traders who want algorithmic idea generation as a starting point for their own analysis.
It is irrelevant to forex and futures traders and to long-term investors.
How Trade Ideas compares
Trade Ideas against the two other software tools reviewed here. All three solve entirely different problems.
| SignalStack | GuruFocus | Trade Ideas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Route alerts to broker orders | Fundamental equity research | Real-time equity scanning |
| Market | Any connected broker | Global equities | US equities |
| Generates signals? | No — routes yours | No — screens data | Yes — Holly AI |
| Pricing model | Pay per signal | Annual subscription tiers | Monthly / annual tiers |
| Holding period suited | Any | Years | Intraday to swing |
| Relevance to forex | Execution only | None | None |
| Free tier | Trial credits | Limited | No |
Compiled from each firm’s published rules and cross-checked against independent reviews, August 2026. Prop firm rules change frequently — verify current terms before purchasing.
Trade-offs
From published documentation and recurring themes in public user feedback. Editorial observations, not our own trading results.
Strengths
- Genuinely capable real-time scanning across the full US equity universe
- Holly AI provides a structured daily starting point
- Backtesting lets you validate scan criteria before trading them
- Broker integration allows execution from the platform
- Simulated trading for testing without capital risk
Risks and limitations
- Expensive relative to other retail scanning tools
- US equities only — no forex, futures or international coverage
- Steep learning curve to configure scans effectively
- AI output is idea generation, not a validated signal
- Real-time data costs may be additional
Alternatives
| Alternative | Consider it when |
|---|---|
| GuruFocus | You invest on fundamentals over long holding periods |
| SignalStack | You need to automate execution of signals you already have |
| Apex Trader Funding | You want to trade futures with firm capital |
Frequently asked questions
Does Holly AI actually work?
Holly produces a daily list of algorithmically selected ideas. It is idea generation, not a validated profitable system, and published performance figures come from the vendor. Treat outputs as candidates for your own analysis rather than signals to follow blindly.
Can I use it for forex?
No. Trade Ideas covers US equities. Forex and futures traders should look elsewhere.
Is it suitable for beginners?
The scanning power is real but so is the learning curve, and the cost is high for someone still deciding whether active trading suits them. Most beginners are better served by cheaper tools while developing a process.
Do I need a separate data subscription?
Depending on configuration and broker, real-time market data fees may apply in addition to the platform subscription. Confirm before budgeting.
How we researched this review
This is a research-based editorial review, compiled from Trade Ideas’s published rules and terms and recurring themes in publicly available user feedback, cross-checked against independent sources in August 2026.
We have not purchased an evaluation or traded a funded account with this firm and do not claim to. No testimonial here is presented as a real customer statement, and we publish no star ratings. Rules, fees and profit splits in this sector change frequently — confirm current terms before paying.
Compare Trade Ideas against the field
Every provider in Research & Screeners is assessed to the same structure with the same data points.