A demo account connects exactly like a live one and costs nothing to get wrong. It catches three things that are expensive to discover live.
1. Symbol mismatches
Your provider writes GOLD, your broker calls it XAUUSD.raw. On a demo account that is a rejected signal — open the signal in Trading Hub → Execution Log and the error names the problem (EXACT_BROKER_SYMBOL_NOT_FOUND or Failed to select symbol). On a live account during a fast move, it is a missed trade you notice an hour later. How to fix it: Symbol names and broker suffixes.
2. Contract-spec surprises
Gold, indices and micro-lot symbol variants size differently from forex. Place a first demo trade on each kind of instrument you plan to trade and compare the volume under Open Positions on the account page (Trading Accounts → your account) with your Risk per trade (%). If a size is wrong, a 0.5% risk becomes a 5% risk — and the first time you see it should not be on real money.
3. Whether you actually like the provider
Copying somebody's signals is a relationship. A month of watching their entries land, without money at stake, tells you more than their screenshots ever will.
Connecting one
Trading Accounts → Add account, then use your broker's demo credentials. For MT5 the Demo Account box is ticked by default, and it is only a label: what makes the account a demo is the demo login and server you enter. For cTrader, the Demo / Testnet switch on the connect page does not change which accounts are listed: on Select Accounts to Import, tick the account that carries the Demo badge. For Binance and Bybit the Testnet box connects to the exchange's testnet and needs testnet API keys.
Two things to know before you rely on it:
- Demo accounts count against your plan's account limit like any other.
- The demo account itself comes from your broker and is free; PipSync has no trial period but a Free plan. See Is the demo account free?.
- A demo account does not skip PipSync's own checks. Orders on it need the same active subscription and accepted risk disclosure as orders on a live account. Live trading is not available in sanctioned jurisdictions; if PipSync says that live trading is unavailable in your jurisdiction, message us in the support chat.