---
title: "Create virtual accounts, set cost profiles and risk limits"
slug: "create-and-manage-virtual-accounts"
kind: "HELP_ARTICLE"
category: "virtual-accounts"
locale: "en"
canonical: "https://app.forecastcity.com/help/virtual-accounts/create-and-manage-virtual-accounts"
published: "2026-10-27T02:07:26.822Z"
updated: "2026-10-29T19:02:34.464Z"
description: "Create a virtual account in AI Trading Journal with real spread, commission and swap costs, explore the four views, and set daily loss and drawdown limits."
---

# Create virtual accounts, set cost profiles and risk limits

Each virtual account in **AI Trading Journal** is a separate trading environment with its own starting balance, leverage, broker cost profile and risk limits. You can create one account for daily manual trading, a second account for forward-testing scalp strategies with Raw-ECN spreads, and a third account for practicing prop-firm rules so their results never get mixed together.

Example: you create two $10,000 virtual accounts (one with the **Standard** cost profile and one with **Raw-ECN**) and run the same strategy on both so you can see in the **Strategies × accounts** table how much the spread and commission difference changes net profit.

## Create a new virtual account

1.  On the [Virtual Accounts](<https://app.forecastcity.com/journal/virtual-accounts>) page, click **\+ New virtual account** in the top right.
    
2.  Enter a clear name for the account (for example, `EURUSD Scalp - Raw ECN` or `Manual Swing Practice`).
    
3.  Set the starting balance, account currency and leverage.
    
4.  Choose a broker cost profile that matches your target real account: **Standard** (regular spread with no commission), **Raw-ECN** (tight spread plus per-lot commission), **Zero-Spread** or **Crypto-Maker**.
    
5.  If needed, enter a **Daily loss limit** and a **Max drawdown** limit, then create the account.
    

![Virtual Accounts page showing the + New virtual account button and account cards](https://m.forecastcity.com/t/tnt_forecastcity/media/2d/2d6f200921a7a6af1bd72daa15defa6aef5e196ce018ebab0fadf350ba0ee3c0.png)

Virtual Accounts page with the + New virtual account button and account cards

1.  The **Accounts** tab for viewing all active, paused or challenge virtual accounts.
    
2.  The **\+ New virtual account** button for creating a new virtual account.
    
3.  Virtual account card showing balance, profit or loss, drawdown and connected strategies.
    
4.  Quick entry to prop-firm challenges.
    

## Compare accounts and strategies in the Strategies × accounts table

When you run several strategies across multiple virtual accounts, the **Strategies × accounts** tab gives you a side-by-side comparison table. Rows are your strategies and columns are your virtual accounts.

![Strategies × accounts tab on the Virtual Accounts page comparing each strategy across virtual accounts](https://m.forecastcity.com/t/tnt_forecastcity/media/6f/6f3f8e4e3f81905ada9a15b01070aecabc0511afbdb793b651cdb711a4a9a19e.png)

Strategies × accounts comparison table on the Virtual Accounts page

1.  Selecting the **Strategies × accounts** tab at the top of the Virtual Accounts page.
    
2.  Table columns, each showing one of your virtual accounts with its balance and cost profile.
    
3.  Table cells showing net profit or loss, trade count and run status for each strategy-and-account pair.
    
4.  Quick button for connecting a strategy to another account right from the table.
    

## Protective risk limits, account reset and archive

On any virtual account page, click **Settings** to set or update the account's protective rules:

-   Risk limits: if the account's daily loss reaches **Daily loss limit** or total drawdown reaches **Max drawdown**, the account automatically blocks new trades so your trading discipline stays intact.
    
-   Pause on weekends: turning this on pauses strategy runs over the weekend so your account avoids Monday opening price gaps.
    
-   Reset account: if you want to start fresh from the initial balance, use the reset option under **Danger zone** in the **Settings** window; you can also archive or delete old accounts there.
    

![Virtual account Settings window showing cost profile settings, daily loss limit, Public page and Danger zone](https://m.forecastcity.com/t/tnt_forecastcity/media/60/60c311cc0ac7ba3be0443ed2b3b20b4e6f18d891f8bd886d7be86acadcaa7e81.png)

Virtual account Settings window with cost profile, risk limits, Public page and Danger zone

1.  General account settings, cost profile and daily and total risk limits.
    
2.  **Public page** settings and the **Check the log** button for verifying the SHA-256 cryptographic chain.
    
3.  Options for sharing your track record and connecting Telegram notifications for the account.
    
4.  The **Danger zone** section at the bottom for resetting, archiving or deleting the virtual account.
    

## See also

-   [Virtual Accounts: start here](<https://app.forecastcity.com/help/virtual-accounts/virtual-accounts-start-here>)
    
-   [Manual paper trading, chart management and shadow trades](<https://app.forecastcity.com/help/virtual-accounts/manual-paper-trading-and-shadow-trades>)
    
-   [Prop challenges, competitions and SHA-256 verified pages](<https://app.forecastcity.com/help/virtual-accounts/prop-challenges-competitions-and-verified-pages>)