TradeStack vs a trading journal spreadsheet
Trading journal spreadsheet vs app: which should you use?
Short answer
An Excel, Google Sheets or Notion trading journal template is free and flexible, and it is where most traders start. It also breaks down: formulas get edited by accident, broker exports need manual cleanup, and nobody keeps it updated past a few weeks. TradeStack is a free trading journal that does the same maths automatically from a CSV.
Feature comparison
| Feature | TradeStack | a trading journal spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free |
| Setup time | Under a minute | Hours of formula work |
| Auto-calculated win rate and expectancy | Manual formulas | |
| Daily P&L calendar | ||
| Equity curve | Manual chart | |
| Broker CSV auto-detection | ||
| Formulas can silently break | ||
| Works on mobile | Painful | |
| Full control over the layout |
Verdict
Keep the spreadsheet if you want total control over the layout and enjoy maintaining it. Move to TradeStack if you would rather spend that time reviewing trades than fixing formulas.
Frequently asked
Is a trading journal spreadsheet good enough?
For your first few dozen trades, yes. Past that the manual entry and the risk of breaking a formula usually cost more time than the flexibility is worth.
Can I move my spreadsheet into TradeStack?
Yes. Save your sheet as a CSV and drop it into TradeStack. The importer maps the columns and you can edit any field afterwards.
What does TradeStack calculate that a spreadsheet does not?
Win rate, average win, average loss, profit factor, expectancy, drawdown, equity curve, stats per instrument and per holding time, all recalculated the moment a trade lands.
Before you switch
No card, no trial countdown. Import a CSV and get your real edge in under a minute.
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