Deriv questionsUpdated 2 min readBy the FXNOD team
Deriv demo vs real account: what is actually different
A Deriv demo account and a real account use the same platforms and the same kinds of contract. The differences are that demo money is virtual, a real account needs deposits and verification, and results on demo cannot be withdrawn. The largest difference is behaviour: people trade a real balance with fear and impatience that a demo never produces.
Side by side
| Demo | Real | |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Virtual | Your deposit |
| Balance | A large default | Whatever you fund |
| Verification | Not needed to practise | Needed for full access |
| Deposits and withdrawals | None | Through the cashier |
| Profits | Not real | Withdrawable |
| Emotion | Low | High |
Why results differ
- Balance: a 10,000 demo absorbs losses a real 50 cannot. Stake sizing that felt safe is not.
- Sample: a short demo run may not have included a losing stretch.
- Behaviour: on real money people cut winners early, chase losses and interfere with bots.
- Selection: most people go live straight after their best demo session.
Is the demo easier on purpose?
This suspicion is common. It can be tested: run the same settings and stake for a few hundred trades on each account and compare win rates. If they are within normal variation of each other, the explanation is one of the four above. Those four account for nearly every case.
Moving from one to the other
Make the demo realistic
Real stake, and stop when it has lost your intended deposit.
Collect several hundred trades
Across different sessions.
Verify the real account early
Before you need to withdraw.
Go live at the minimum stake
With the same rules and a daily loss limit.
Compare the first hundred live trades with the demo record
Stop if they differ sharply.
In FXNOD
FXNOD lists your demo and real Deriv accounts together and asks you to confirm when you select a real one. A bot follows the same rules on both and stays on the account it was started on. Starting a bot with real money is a separate, clearly labelled action, and the first real run needs Deriv's approval for automated trading.
Questions people ask
- Are Deriv demo and real prices the same?
- The platforms and contracts are the same. If you doubt it, compare a few hundred identical trades on each account.
- Why do I win on demo and lose on real?
- Usually a smaller real balance, a demo test that was too short, and behaving differently with real money.
- Can I transfer demo money to a real account?
- No. Demo funds are virtual and have no cash value.
Use your Deriv account from FXNOD
FXNOD is an independent terminal for your own Deriv account. You sign in on Deriv's page, your balance stays at Deriv, and you can trade by hand or run a bot. Start on the demo account.
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