should i learn to trade forex with a demo or real account?

For me, I only used the demo account to learn how to place orders and how to read charts. Once i understood those two, i switched to a real account with real money. I opened a micro account (some brokers call it a cent account) which is meant for trading very small amounts of money; this ensured i only lost little sums when i got a trade wrong.

Why did i switch to a real account so early? Well, because when learning with real money the emotions are present & intense unike the demo account which uses fake cash so you can take your losses for granted.

Mistakes made on a real account lead to real losses which teach you a longer lasting lesson and you try not to repeat them again, because you know the consequence will be loss of real money.

In a nutshell, there is no emotion when trading with a demo account but when trading with a real account you experience the emotions of fear, greed, hope, etc. and it is your ability to control these emotions that will eventually determine your success as a trader.

I started by focusing on just one strategy and paper traded it for a few months. That helped me figure out what works for me without stressing over real money.

A good trader has to master two things: Technical Analysis and Discipline. Use the demo account to learn technical analysis for a few months then switch to a small live account to learn discipline. Without mastering discipline, even the best technical analysis will lead to losses in the long run. Your edge in trading is not how much technical analysis you know, but it is how disciplined you are in following a strategy and taking losses.

I started by just wanting to understand charts better, and eventually tried demo accounts to see how things work without risking money. What helped me a lot was reading simple guides and checking out resources like https://axiomtrade.xyz/what-is-axiom-exchange/ , which explained stuff in a way I could actually get. I still learn along the way, but taking small, consistent steps helped me ease into it.

If I were you, I would start with a demo account for a few months then upgrade to a live account. The live account will help you develop control over emotions like fear, greed, hope etc.