Do traders in a simulated account see real market prices?
Quick answer
In a well-built simulator, yes: the account shows live bid and ask prices from a real market feed, and orders fill at those prices. What is simulated is the execution and the money, not the prices. Some setups add markups or delays, which makes the experience less realistic.
Detailed answer
Traders often assume "simulated" means invented prices. In most prop setups the opposite is true: the prices come from a live market feed, and only the act of filling the order happens inside the firm's software instead of at a broker.
What is real and what is simulated
- Real: the bid and ask prices, the spread, the market's movements and gaps.
- Simulated: the fill itself, the account balance, and the absence of market impact from the trader's order.
Where simulations differ from live trading
- Liquidity: a real large order can move price or fill partially; a simulator usually fills the full size at the quoted price.
- Slippage: real markets can fill market orders at a slightly different price; simulators may model this or not.
- Costs: commission and swap may or may not be modelled.
Why it matters to your firm
Traders judge fairness by comparing your prices with their own broker or charting platform. If they see the same prices and spreads, they trust the results. If spreads are wider or prices lag, every breach becomes suspicious.
On PropExecutor, prices come from a live cTrader feed at raw spreads, market orders fill at the current bid or ask, and the same prices drive stops, pending orders and the rule engine. Commission and swap are not modelled, which the firm should state in its rules.
PropExecutor team · Updated
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