This is a bigger step than it looks
Switching from demo to live is not just changing a login — it is the moment your decisions start costing and earning real money, and where the emotions that demo could never simulate finally show up. Take it slowly and deliberately.
There is no rush. The market is not going anywhere. Moving to live before you are genuinely consistent on demo is one of the most common and most expensive beginner mistakes.
A readiness checklist first
Before you deposit, ask honestly: Are you consistently following a written plan on demo? Do you size every trade to risk a small, fixed amount? Have you traded through both winning and losing streaks without abandoning your rules? Can you place, size, and manage trades without fumbling?
If the answer to any of these is no, more demo time is the cheaper choice. Real money punishes gaps in your process that demo lets you get away with.
The numbered steps to go live
Step 1: Confirm your broker is properly regulated by a serious authority. Never deposit with a broker you cannot verify.
Step 2: Open a live account with the broker, which requires identity verification (KYC) — usually a photo ID and proof of address. This is normal and a sign the broker follows the rules.
Step 3: In MetaTrader, log in to the live server with your new live credentials (File → Login to Trade Account), keeping the demo available so you can still practise.
Step 4: Deposit a small amount you would be completely fine losing entirely — think of it as tuition. Set your leverage low.
Step 5: Trade tiny sizes at first, smaller even than felt necessary on demo, until you have proven to yourself that your process survives real emotions.
Expect it to feel different
Almost everyone behaves differently once real money is on the line, even a small amount. Trades you would have held on demo suddenly feel unbearable; targets you would have waited for suddenly feel too tempting to pass. This is normal and is exactly why you start small.
An honest risk note
Regulators consistently report that most retail traders lose money. Going live means accepting that you might lose everything you deposit. Only ever fund a live account with genuinely spare money, and know that deciding trading is not for you is a valid, sensible outcome.