Where a spreadsheet is the better tool
A sheet can hold a column this product does not ask for: a discretionary note, a tax worksheet, a list of ideas you have not traded. Keep that. The journal is not trying to be your only file.
Comparison
A trading journal compared with a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a fair place to start. It is free, the columns are yours, and you already know it. It gets expensive in time once the formulas, the fees, and the review notes no longer agree.
50 free trades a month. No wallet connection. Read-only exchange keys.
Where the sheet starts lying
Fees get forgotten, a row is sorted wrong, and the equity curve is a formula that refers to a cell you overwrote. Psychology becomes a column you skip on the losing days, which is when you needed it. None of that is a moral failure. It is what a grid does under a live book.
What the journal takes over
Closed trades, recorded fees, and holding time come from manual records, a compatible CSV, or read-only exchange sync. The journal calculates trade results and review metrics; you still add the strategy and mistake tags. A CSV must follow the journal's template, so an existing sheet or exchange export may need its columns converted. Starter is the free way to try the trade review, while Pro adds automatic exchange sync and the full psychology workflow.
Questions
Should I throw the spreadsheet away?
No. Use the sheet for notes and workings that are not trades. Use the journal for the trade record and the review.
Will a sheet import itself into the journal?
You can upload a CSV that matches the Pro Trading Journal import template. Any arbitrary spreadsheet or broker export may need conversion first. You can also log trades manually or sync a supported exchange with a read-only key.
What does the free plan include?
Starter stays free. It includes 50 new trades each month and 1 exchange, synced by hand. No card.
What does Pro cost?
Pro is $24 a month or $199 a year, prepaid in USDC on Solana. Nothing renews on its own, so there is nothing to cancel. A 7-day refund goes to an address you confirm, not back to the sending address. Pro syncs all 10 supported exchanges automatically.