TradingView is a premier, free web-based platform for viewing stock price charts. It offers extensive data and a rich feature set, covering indices, stocks, futures, foreign exchange, cryptocurrencies, and economic indicators. The charts are visually appealing, and the platform supports a multilingual interface, including Chinese.
It stands out as one of the best charting tools available, delivering an exceptional user experience with powerful functionality. This is especially true for traders who analyze not just local markets but also international securities and various asset classes.
This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step tutorial on how to use TradingView's core features.
What is TradingView?
TradingView is a comprehensive market analysis software and advanced charting tool. Its most notable feature is the ability to generate detailed price charts for a vast array of investment vehicles, complemented by an extensive suite of technical analysis drawing tools.
Many renowned financial websites, including Yahoo Finance and Investing.com, utilize charting technology powered by TradingView.
The platform includes nearly every technical indicator you can think of, alongside a massive database of price and index data. Beyond stocks, it provides charting data for futures, cryptocurrencies, forex, key bonds, and economic indicators.
It also functions as a social network for finance, akin to a Facebook for traders and investors. Users can access company profiles, discussions on various assets, and financial news (though English content dominates). Members can also publish and share their own trading ideas.
For advanced users and professionals, TradingView offers the capability to write custom scripts for creating unique indicators or even automating trading strategies.
In short, TradingView is a highly recommended platform, widely regarded as a top-tier global charting tool, with the majority of its features accessible for free.
TradingView: Free vs. Paid Plans
The free version of TradingView offers robust core functionality. You can create watchlists, view trading data and technical charts, and use screening tools for various assets.
Upgrading to a paid subscription unlocks advanced features and benefits, including:
- Increased number of indicators per chart (Free: 3, Paid: 5 to 25)
- More saved chart layouts (Free: 1, Paid: 5 to unlimited)
- Ability to display multiple charts on one page (Free: 1, Paid: 2 to 16)
- Access to additional, exclusive data sets for certain financial instruments
Paid plans are divided into tiers. The essential paid plan starts at $12.95 per month, with discounts for annual billing (approximately $155 per year). This tier unlocks almost all charting and drawing tools.
Professional plans, starting at a significantly higher monthly cost, are tailored for active, professional traders requiring real-time data and the highest resource allocations.
How to Sign Up for TradingView
For first-time users, it's recommended to follow these steps to set the interface to your preferred language and register for a free account. This prevents frequent ad pop-ups and allows the platform to save your frequently used charts and indicator settings (one layout is saved on the free plan).
Step 1: Set Your Language Preference
Navigate to the TradingView website. If you are not entirely comfortable with the English interface, you can change it before registering.
Click on the profile icon, select 'Language,' and then choose 'Chinese (Traditional)' or your preferred language.
Step 2: Register Your Account
You can start by using the free version. Click 'Start for free' and then 'Sign up'.
TradingView offers convenient registration through various platforms (like Google, Facebook, or Apple). Selecting one of these allows you to sign up without manually entering your details. Alternatively, you can register directly using your email address.
Navigating the TradingView Interface
The Main Dashboard
After logging in, you will see the main dashboard. Key areas include:
- Search Bar: For quickly finding specific securities or indices.
- Main Menu: Provides access to various functions like Products, Community, Markets, and more.
- Watchlists & Market Overview: Displays pre-configured lists and real-time movements of popular assets.
- Side Panels: Show latest quotes and news for major indices and stocks.
The main menu sections contain different types of content:
- Products: Access to Supercharts (multi-asset analysis), Stock Screener, and the Economic Calendar.
- Community: A hub for user-generated content, including live streams, trading ideas, and custom scripts.
- Markets: Overview of current market movements across all asset classes.
- News: Aggregated latest information on markets, world events, and corporate activities.
- Brokers: Reviews and information on various brokerage firms.
The Charting Interface
Click on the search bar and enter the ticker symbol of the asset you want to analyze (e.g., SPX for the S&P 500 index). This will open a detailed chart showing price movement, volume, and the latest quote.
Key features on the chart include:
- A settings cog to switch the price scale to percentage view, showing returns over the selected timeframe.
- For individual stocks, an 'ADJ' button to toggle between adjusted (for dividends and splits) and unadjusted closing prices.
Using the Stock Screener
The 'Display panel' feature, accessible from the bottom-right of the chart interface, allows you to view additional information alongside your chart.
You can choose from screeners for Stocks, Forex, or Cryptocurrencies. For example, using the stock screener:
- Click the '^' icon and select 'Filter'.
- Set your desired screening criteria (e.g., market cap, P/E ratio, volume).
- View the list of stocks that meet your criteria.
- Customize the panel to display the specific data points you want to monitor.
Essential Drawing Tools
TradingView's left toolbar is packed with drawing tools. Here’s a look at some of the most commonly used ones.
Trend Line Tool
The trend line tool allows you to draw straight lines to identify trends, such as connecting swing highs or lows.
- Click the '>' next to the line icon and select 'Trend Line'.
- Click to start the line and click again to end it.
- Customize its appearance (color, thickness) or add alerts via the settings menu.
Horizontal Line Tool
This tool is perfect for marking key support and resistance levels across the chart.
- Select 'Horizontal Line' from the drawing tools menu.
- Click on the price level where you want to place the line.
- Drag the dot on the line to adjust its position and use the settings to customize it.
Volume Profile Tool
The Fixed Range Volume Profile shows the volume traded at specific price levels over a selected time range.
- Select 'Fixed Range Volume Profile' from the tools menu.
- Click and drag diagonally on the chart to define the range you want to analyze.
- The profile will display, showing volume concentration. You can customize its colors in the style settings.
👉 Explore advanced charting tools
Key Display and Analysis Tools
The toolbar above the chart hosts numerous functions for analysis.
Compare or Add Symbol
This feature lets you overlay the price movements of multiple symbols for comparison (e.g., comparing an index to an ETF).
- Click the 'Compare' button or press '/' on your keyboard.
- Enter the symbol of the asset you want to compare.
- To view comparisons in separate panes, use the 'More' menu next to the symbol and select 'Move to' -> 'New Pane Below'.
You can overlay not just prices, but also technical indicators and even fundamental data on the same chart for a multi-faceted analysis (free version allows up to 3 overlays).
Timeframes and Chart Types
The timeframe bar at the bottom allows you to adjust the chart's period (e.g., 1 minute, 1 hour, daily, monthly). You can also change the chart style from the toolbar (e.g., Candlestick, Bar, Line, Heikin-Ashi).
Different chart types offer different insights. While a line chart shows the general trend, candlestick charts provide crucial information about the open, high, low, and close within each period.
Using Technical Indicators
TradingView boasts one of the most extensive libraries of technical indicators available, including many user-created scripts.
To find an indicator, use the 'Indicators' search button. It's often best to search using the standard English name (e.g., "Stochastic Oscillator" for the KD indicator) to find the official version, though many community variations exist.
Here’s a quick reference for common indicators:
| Common Indicator | TradingView Name (EN) |
|---|---|
| SMA (Simple Moving Avg) | Moving Average Simple |
| EMA (Exp. Moving Avg) | Moving Average Exponential |
| Bollinger Bands | Bollinger Bands |
| RSI | Relative Strength Index |
| MACD | Moving Average Convergence Divergence |
| Stochastic Oscillator | Stochastic |
| ATR | Average True Range |
Indicators are found under 'Indicators' -> 'Technical' -> 'Indicators'. You can adjust their parameters (e.g., period length) in the settings.
Strategies vs. Indicators
While indicators visualize data on the chart, Strategies ('Indicators' -> 'Technical' -> 'Strategies') generate backtested buy/sell signals based on predefined rules. For example, a moving average crossover strategy will plot arrows indicating entry and exit points. TradingView includes a strategy tester to evaluate performance on historical data.
Fundamental Data
The 'Financials' section ('Indicators' -> 'Financials') allows you to overlay fundamental data from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements (e.g., P/E ratio, revenue growth) onto the price chart. This feature is only available for individual stocks, not indices or ETFs.
Community Scripts
A major strength of TradingView is its 'Community Scripts' ('Indicators' -> 'Community Scripts'), where users share thousands of custom-built indicators and strategies. You can browse, use, and learn from these shared scripts.
Pine Script Editor
For advanced users, the 'Pine Editor' (accessible from the 'Display panel' menu) is a powerful tool for writing your own custom indicators and strategies using TradingView's proprietary Pine Script language.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is TradingView and who is it for?
TradingView is a powerful, web-based charting platform and social community for traders and investors. It provides access to real-time and historical data for a global universe of assets, including stocks, indices, forex, and cryptocurrencies. It's ideal for anyone from beginners learning technical analysis to professional traders developing complex strategies.
Is TradingView free to use?
Yes, TradingView offers a robust free plan with access to most charts, basic indicators, and drawing tools. Paid premium plans are available for users who require more indicators per chart, additional server-side alerts, and access to premium data.
Can I use TradingView to analyze Taiwanese markets?
Absolutely. You can find the Taiwan Weighted Index using the ticker TAIEX (look for the TWSE exchange logo) and Taiwan Futures (TXF1!). Popular Taiwanese ETFs like the 0050 are also available for charting and analysis.
What are the main limitations of the free version?
The primary limitations are a cap on the number of indicators you can apply to a single chart (3), the number of chart layouts you can save (1), and a limit on the number of price alerts (3). The free plan also displays advertisements.
How does the paid subscription work?
TradingView offers several paid tiers (Pro, Pro+, Premium) billed monthly or annually. Annual billing offers a significant discount. Higher tiers remove ads, allow more indicators and charts, provide more alerts, and offer faster customer support.
Where can I find discounts on TradingView subscriptions?
TradingView often runs promotional sales, with the largest discounts typically available during Black Friday. 👉 Check for current available plans
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any specific investment. All trading involves risk. Please conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.