2025 Desktop Trading Software In-Depth Review | Benchmark Guide for 5 Mainstream Applications

As the investment market becomes increasingly complex, simply tracking market quotes on a mobile phone can no longer meet the needs of professional traders. Desktop applications remain highly regarded primarily due to three core advantages, which are worth exploring in depth.

Why Investors Still Rely on Desktop Charting Software

Differences in Display Quality

The limitations of mobile screens are especially evident in technical analysis. For example, observing the MACD line, a 6-inch mobile device can hardly clearly display the full indicator trend, whereas a widescreen computer can simultaneously show multiple technical indicators, candlestick charts, and volume data, enabling investors to make more accurate market judgments.

Advantages of Multi-tasking Capabilities

During market volatility, efficiency determines profit. Computer hardware can monitor real-time changes across multiple markets such as Taiwan stocks, Japan stocks, US stocks, and commodities simultaneously. Investors can open a dozen windows on the same workspace for real-time tracking. This parallel monitoring is almost impossible on mobile devices, and it is precisely this advantage that makes desktop charting software indispensable in 2025.

Stability and Continuity

Compared to mobile phones that are prone to loss or battery drain, desktop devices provide a stable working environment 24/7, eliminating concerns about trading interruptions or missing market movements.

Based on these needs, the following five mainstream charting software each have their own features, suitable for different trading styles.

Deep Local Market Presence in Taiwan: The Market Position of SanTzu Stock Market

SanTzu Information has been established since the 1990s and has become a leader in Taiwan’s charting software market, outsourcing development and maintenance of over 90% of local brokerage firm mobile apps, demonstrating its technical expertise.

In terms of desktop charting software, SanTzu offers a highly competitive feature set. Its technical analysis toolkit includes 24 commonly used indicators such as RSI and KD, covering multi-dimensional analysis needs like price-volume relationships, momentum assessment, and trend tracking. The software supports ten chart layout configurations, with customizable interface styles in the top right corner, allowing investors with different habits to find the most comfortable working environment.

For stock selection assistance, built-in strategy screening tools, AI intelligent filtering, and new stock winners features help reduce screening costs for investors. The richness of post-market stock data ranks among the top in similar products.

However, it is worth noting that SanTzu itself does not directly provide trading order services. Although in 2023 it launched multi-broker order functions integrating Yuanta, E.SUN, and Uni-President brokerage channels, it still requires extra steps compared to all-in-one trading platforms. Additionally, for investors tracking international stocks, US ADRs have quote delays, and the range of international assets is limited, which is a constraint.

Regarding data reliability, SanTzu’s extensive experience in Taiwan’s market ensures system operation with minimal faults, which is crucial for traders relying on real-time quotes.

Convenient Global Asset Allocation: Mitrade’s Comprehensive Offerings

Mitrade was founded in 2011, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, focusing on forex and CFD(trading. Its desktop charting software offers both web and desktop applications, allowing investors to choose based on preference.

The interface design’s simplicity is a clear advantage of Mitrade. Upon opening the app, market quotes, chart analysis, and trading history are clearly accessible, enabling quick onboarding even for beginners. This barrier-free experience design lowers the entry threshold.

In terms of asset coverage, Mitrade supports real-time quotes for US stocks, Australian stocks, and other international markets, covering over a hundred products including global indices, international ETFs, cryptocurrencies, forex, and precious metals. All trading can be completed with a single account, without switching platforms.

For Taiwanese users, Mitrade offers localized services, supporting NTD deposits and withdrawals, saving foreign exchange conversion costs. Trading execution is fast, supporting multiple order types and automated trading features. Technical analysis tools include trendlines, moving averages, RSI, and other common indicators. The platform employs advanced encryption and multi-layer security measures, ensuring fund safety.

It also offers leverage trading options, allowing traders to adjust leverage ratios flexibly to optimize capital efficiency. A 90-day demo account with $50,000 virtual funds is available upon registration, suitable for beginners to familiarize themselves with trading.

A downside is that margin trading is not suitable for investors pursuing long-term holding strategies.

Comprehensive Platform for Hong Kong and US Stock Trading: Futu NiuNiu’s Design Logic

Futu NiuNiu has rapidly risen in the Chinese-speaking investment community in recent years. It listed on NASDAQ in 2019 (stock code: FUTU) and holds securities licenses in Hong Kong, the US, and Singapore, becoming an important tool for Asian investors to access Hong Kong and US markets.

Its desktop interface layout is carefully designed. By default, the top left displays price charts and technical analysis tools; the top right shows company fundamentals and valuation data; the bottom left integrates options trading; and the bottom right presents order book depth, forming a comprehensive information structure.

Particularly noteworthy is the professional options trading feature. The software includes an options pricing model, allowing options investors to intuitively understand intrinsic and extrinsic values, saving research time.

The platform covers real-time quotes and trading functions for Hong Kong stocks, US stocks, and A-shares (Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect). It offers both Windows and Mac desktop versions, supporting seamless synchronization between mobile apps and desktop.

A limitation is that Futu Securities does not support credit card deposits; investors can only recharge via bank wire transfer or ACH, which increases entry barriers.

Deep Market Access Worldwide: Interactive Brokers’ Professional Solution

Interactive Brokers (IB), founded in 1977 and headquartered in Connecticut, USA, has evolved from an early options market maker to one of the world’s largest online brokers by trading volume. Its desktop platform, Trader Workstation (TWS), is designed for professional traders.

TWS’s strength lies in its highly customizable interface. Users can build a fully tailored workspace, configuring different windows and toolsets according to personal trading habits.

The platform supports various advanced order types and algorithmic trading strategies, making it especially suitable for high-frequency traders and institutional investors. Its technical analysis suite includes real-time charts, a rich set of indicators, market scanning, and strategy backtesting modules.

As the largest online broker globally, IB provides access to trading over 120 markets worldwide, which is extremely convenient for Taiwanese investors interested in overseas markets, especially bonds.

However, its extensive features also bring complexity. TWS has a layered interface and dispersed functions, requiring a longer learning curve for beginners. This software is more suitable for experienced traders seeking comprehensive features and for high-frequency or institutional clients.

The Highest Standard in Chart Analysis: Tradingview’s Professionalism

Tradingview was founded in 2011 in the US by technical experts and traders. Over more than a decade, it has become a globally recognized platform for financial charting and analysis. Many well-known brokers, including Yahoo Finance, embed Tradingview’s engine for their chart functions.

Its charting capabilities are top-tier. The platform supports freehand drawing, annotations, coloring, trendline addition, and more, offering over 100 technical indicators and drawing tools to meet the needs of both novice and professional investors.

The database is impressively comprehensive. Besides Taiwan stocks, investors can access real-time quotes and trend charts for US stocks, forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and even Indian stocks.

Community features add an interactive dimension. Users can browse individual stock analyses, investor discussions, and latest news, forming an active trader community.

Surprisingly, despite its extensive features, Tradingview maintains a clean interface that can be quickly mastered by new users. It offers both web and desktop versions.

A drawback is that Tradingview does not provide order execution services; investors need to open accounts with supported brokers separately. Full features require a paid subscription, but the free version is quite sufficient for daily charting.

Comparison of User Experience Across the Five Charting Software

) User Interface Ease of Use

Mitrade leads in simplicity, with a user-friendly design ideal for beginners. Tradingview’s interface is also relatively intuitive with reasonable learning costs. In contrast, IB’s TWS, due to its extensive functionality, has a steep learning curve for newcomers.

( Feature Completeness

Tradingview’s charting toolkit is unmatched, with over a hundred indicators and drawing tools. IB’s TWS offers the deepest order types and strategy backtesting, suitable for quantitative traders. Futu NiuNiu’s options pricing features are notably professional.

) Asset Coverage Breadth

IB leads by far, connecting to over 120 markets worldwide. Tradingview’s database covers major global asset classes. Mitrade supports over a hundred products. SanTzu Stock Market focuses mainly on Taiwan, with deep optimization for local investors.

( Desktop and Mobile App Compatibility

SanTzu’s mobile app, while the largest in the market, lags behind the desktop version in information display and chart fluidity. Mitrade’s mobile app maintains the clean desktop style but has relatively weaker technical analysis features. Futu NiuNiu and IB’s mobile apps have complex functions that require multiple taps to access. Tradingview’s mobile app cannot fully showcase its charting power on small screens.

Investor Decision-Making Framework

Recommendations based on trading style:

For convenience and beginner friendliness – Mitrade’s simple design and all-in-one trading process are most suitable, with localized services lowering entry barriers.

For long-term investors focused on Taiwan stocks – SanTzu Stock Market’s proven stability and strategy screening tools enhance stock selection efficiency.

For comprehensive Hong Kong and US stock experience – Futu NiuNiu offers a balanced combination of features and usability, especially with its professional options functions.

For global asset allocation investors – IB’s TWS provides the broadest market access, though with a steep learning curve, its feature depth is unmatched.

For chart analysis and research enthusiasts – Tradingview is the benchmark for technical analysis, with over a hundred tools and a global data library supporting professional analysis.

Advanced Options Supplement

For quantitative trading and automated strategies, MetaTrader 5 (MT5) offers another professional-grade choice. Its built-in technical analysis tools, automated trading (EA), and strategy backtesting are especially suitable for advanced users. Note that MT5 requires login via a broker account, and some Mac functionalities may need virtual machines or web versions as substitutes.

Considering interface ease of use, feature completeness, asset coverage, and cost-effectiveness, these five charting software each have their strengths. Investors should choose based on their trading style, market preferences, and technical level, or use multiple platforms to leverage their respective advantages.