Best Trading Journal for Chinese Traders 2026

For Chinese A-share traders, the best trading journal for Chinese traders is JournalPlus — not because it was built specifically for the SSE or SZSE, but because it correctly handles CNY denomination, accepts Huatai and Futu CSV exports, and calculates lot-based P&L with custom cost fields for China’s stamp duty, all at a one-time $159. That said, China’s retail market has mechanics that break most Western journals silently: T+1 settlement, 100-share lot sizing, 6-digit stock codes, and ±10% daily price limits. With over 220 million retail brokerage accounts as of 2024 and retail investors driving roughly 75–80% of A-share daily turnover, the demand for journals that understand these mechanics is enormous — and the supply is thin.

How We Evaluated

We tested five trading journals against six criteria weighted toward China-specific mechanics, with CNY denomination and domestic broker CSV import carrying the highest weights. Each tool was evaluated by importing sample trade histories exported from Huatai Securities and Futu (moomoo) accounts, then verifying that 100-share lot sizing, stamp duty cost fields, and CNY balance math produced correct results. We also assessed T+1 settlement handling, language support, and two-year total cost of ownership. Testing ran through Q1–Q2 2026 using real A-share trade data from the SSE and SZSE mainboard, ChiNext, and STAR Market segments.

The Best Trading Journals for Chinese Traders

1. JournalPlus — Best for CNY P&L Analytics and One-Time Pricing

JournalPlus does not have a dedicated A-share mode, but its flexible architecture handles the financial mechanics that matter most. CNY is a supported account currency, meaning every P&L figure, risk calculation, and account balance displays in yuan — not dollars. The CSV importer accepts custom field mapping, which is essential because Huatai Securities exports trade history with Chinese-language column headers (成交日期, 证券代码, 成交价格, 成交数量) that require remapping before any Western journal can parse them. Once mapped, JournalPlus calculates per-lot P&L correctly when you set the lot multiplier to 100.

Key Features:

• Multi-currency account support with CNY and HKD for Stock Connect traders
• Custom CSV field mapping for Huatai, CITIC, and Futu export formats
• Custom commission fields that separate stamp duty (0.1% sell-side) from brokerage commission (typically 0.03% each way)
• Lot-based position tracking when configured with 100-share lot sizing

Pricing: $159 one-time (lifetime access)

Pros:

• CNY denomination with full multi-currency support including HKD for H-share traders
• Flexible CSV import accepts Huatai Securities and Futu (moomoo) export formats
• Lot-based position sizing tracked correctly with per-lot P&L math
• One-time pricing eliminates recurring cost — pays for itself in under a year vs competitors

Cons:

• No native T+1 block flag — traders must manually note settlement restrictions
• No Simplified Chinese UI; interface is English only

Verdict: JournalPlus handles the financial mechanics of A-share trading better than any journal at its price point. The missing T+1 flag and English-only UI are real gaps, but neither breaks core journaling functionality for traders comfortable working in English.

2. Trademetria — Best for Multi-Currency Flexibility

Trademetria’s custom CSV importer is genuinely flexible — you can define column mappings for any broker export, making it compatible with Huatai, CITIC, and Futu formats after a one-time setup. It supports CNY as an account currency and HKD for H-share positions, which covers the most common dual-denomination scenario for mainland traders using Southbound Connect. Trade tagging is useful for labeling T+1 swing entries versus intraday positions, even though the journal does not enforce the distinction programmatically.

Key Features:

• Custom CSV field mapping with saved broker profiles
• CNY and HKD account currency support
• Trade tagging system for T+1 swing vs intraday classification

Pricing: $29.95/month or $179.40/year

Pros:

• Multi-currency support including CNY and HKD
• Accepts custom CSV imports with field mapping for domestic broker formats
• Strong trade tagging for labeling T+1 swing entries vs intraday trades

Cons:

• Monthly cost adds up — $359.40 over 24 months vs JournalPlus $159 one-time
• No dedicated A-share settlement logic or lot-based reporting
• English only; no Simplified Chinese interface

Verdict: Trademetria’s flexible importer and currency support make it workable for Chinese traders, but you are paying ongoing fees for functionality that JournalPlus provides for less over any multi-year horizon.

3. Edgewonk — Best for Analytical Depth (USD Traders Only)

Edgewonk offers the deepest trade analytics of any one-time-purchase journal: R-multiple tracking, performance by session, setup tagging with statistical confidence intervals, and a Trading Psychologist module. For Chinese traders who primarily operate through Futu or Tiger Brokers’ international accounts and think in USD, Edgewonk’s analytical toolkit is compelling. The one-time $169 price is comparable to JournalPlus. The problem is currency: Edgewonk has no CNY denomination option. All P&L is rendered in USD or EUR, which makes the numbers meaningless for a trader whose ¥300,000 account is entirely in yuan.

Key Features:

• R-multiple and expectancy tracking across trade setups
• Session-based performance breakdown (morning open, afternoon session)
• Custom cost fields configurable for stamp duty and levy

Pricing: $169 one-time

Pros:

• One-time pricing comparable to JournalPlus
• Deep trade analytics — R-multiple tracking, performance by session, setup tagging
• Custom fields accommodate stamp duty and other China-specific cost items

Cons:

• No CNY denomination; defaults to USD or EUR with no CNY option
• CSV import is rigid — Huatai and CITIC domestic formats require heavy manual remapping
• No lot-based position size reporting; treats every share individually

Verdict: Edgewonk’s analytical depth is excellent, but the absence of CNY support and inflexible CSV importer make it a poor fit for domestic A-share workflows. Consider it only if you trade primarily through international platforms in USD.

4. Futu NiuNiu (moomoo) Built-in Journal — Best for Futu Users

Futu’s built-in trade journal is the only tool on this list with native T+1 settlement flagging. Positions purchased today display a settlement status indicator — you can see at a glance which holdings are locked until the next trading day. The interface is available in Simplified Chinese with a Traditional Chinese toggle, making it the only option here with full language support for both mainland and HK-based traders. Setup is zero-friction for Futu account holders: all trades populate automatically.

Key Features:

• Native T+1 settlement status on all A-share positions
• Simplified and Traditional Chinese UI
• Automatic trade population from Futu account — no CSV import needed

Pricing: Free (bundled with Futu account)

Pros:

• Native Futu integration — all trades populate automatically, no CSV needed
• Simplified Chinese UI with Traditional Chinese toggle for HK traders
• T+1 settlement status shown directly in the positions view

Cons:

• Only works with Futu accounts — useless if you trade via Huatai, CITIC, or other domestic brokers
• Minimal analytics beyond basic P&L; no setup tagging or behavioral review tools
• No export to external journal for deeper analysis

Verdict: The best zero-effort option if you trade exclusively through Futu. Its limitations appear the moment you want deeper performance analysis or trade across multiple brokers.

5. TraderSync — Best for Dual US/China Traders

TraderSync’s broad CSV import library and AI trade review features are well-suited to US retail and prop firm traders, and the mobile app is among the cleanest in the category. For Chinese traders who also trade US equities or SPY/QQQ options, it offers a single journal covering both markets. The critical limitation is currency: TraderSync renders all P&L in USD with no CNY option. A trader whose primary account is ¥300,000 will see meaningless USD figures for every A-share position.

Key Features:

• AI-powered trade review that flags underperforming setups
• Broad CSV library for international broker imports
• Clean iOS and Android mobile app

Pricing: $29.95/month (Basic) or $49.95/month (Pro)

Pros:

• Broad CSV import library covering many international brokers
• AI trade review feature flags underperforming setups automatically
• Clean mobile app for reviewing trades on the go

Cons:

• No CNY denomination support — all P&L rendered in USD
• No A-share specific features; T+1, lot sizing, and price limits require workarounds
• Pro plan costs $1,198.80 over 24 months — far above any one-time option

Verdict: Built for US retail and prop firm traders. Chinese A-share traders will find the USD-only P&L a persistent friction point, but dual US/China traders may find the combined coverage worth the cost.

Comparison Table

What to Look For in a Trading Journal for Chinese Traders

CNY denomination. This is non-negotiable. A trader with ¥300,000 in a Huatai account buying 2 lots of BYD (002594) at ¥280/share commits ¥56,000 — not $7,700. P&L tracked in USD introduces artificial currency noise into every performance metric. Verify that the journal sets CNY as the primary account currency, not just a display conversion.

Domestic broker CSV compatibility. Huatai Securities, CITIC Securities, and GF Securities export trade histories in Chinese-language CSV format with non-standard column headers. A journal that cannot map these headers — 成交日期 (trade date), 成交价格 (execution price), 成交数量 (quantity) — will fail to import the most common Chinese broker exports. Test with a real export before committing.

Lot-based position math. All A-shares trade in 100-share lots (1 手). A journal that does not distinguish between lots and individual shares will produce misleading position size reports. At ¥50/share, one lot costs ¥5,000 — that is your minimum entry unit, and your risk calculations should be expressed in lots, not shares.

Stamp duty and commission fields. China applies 0.1% stamp duty on sell-side transactions only, separate from brokerage commission (typically 0.03% each way for retail via major brokers). A journal with a single “commission” field will conflate these, overstating or understating net P&L. The BYD example above: selling 200 shares at ¥295 generates ¥59,000 gross, but stamp duty alone is ¥59 and round-trip commission via Huatai is approximately ¥33.60 — net P&L is ¥2,907.40, not ¥3,000.

T+1 settlement awareness. Under T+1, shares purchased Monday cannot be sold until Tuesday — even if the position moves +9% intraday. A journal that does not flag settlement status creates a false picture of available positions. The ideal tool either enforces T+1 programmatically or provides a tag/field to mark positions as locked, preventing you from planning a same-day exit that the market rules will not allow.

H-share and Stock Connect support. Mainland traders accessing HKEX via Southbound Connect encounter T+2 settlement, HKD denomination, and different lot sizes for many H-shares. If you trade both A-shares and H-shares in the same session, you need a journal that handles multi-currency positions without blending CNY and HKD balances into a single unintelligible figure.

Our Pick

JournalPlus is the best trading journal for Chinese traders who use Huatai or Futu as their primary broker and want CNY-denominated analytics without a recurring subscription. Its flexible CSV importer handles the Chinese-language column headers that defeat most Western journals, and its custom commission fields let you record stamp duty separately from brokerage fees — which is required for accurate A-share P&L. Over two years, JournalPlus costs $159 versus $359+ for Trademetria or $718+ for TraderSync Basic — a meaningful difference compounded across a trading career.

The one scenario where JournalPlus is not the right answer: traders who require a Simplified Chinese interface and use Futu as their sole broker. In that case, Futu’s built-in journal provides native T+1 flagging and zero-friction Chinese-language tracking that no third-party tool currently matches. For everyone else — particularly traders who split activity across multiple domestic brokers or want to build a long-term performance record in CNY — JournalPlus delivers the most value per yuan spent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Western trading journals handle A-share T+1 settlement rules? Most cannot natively. T+1 means shares bought on Monday cannot be sold until Tuesday — a journal that treats all positions as immediately liquid will show misleading available-capital figures. Only Futu’s built-in tool on this list flags T+1 status natively; others require manual trade tagging to track settlement restrictions.

What is the standard lot size for A-shares and why does it matter for journaling? All A-shares trade in minimum lots of 100 shares (1 手, yī shǒu). A journal that calculates position size in individual shares rather than lots will produce coarser risk reports. A ¥50 stock requires a ¥5,000 minimum entry, and sizing expressed in lots produces more actionable comparisons across trades than raw share counts.

Which journals support CNY as the account currency? JournalPlus, Trademetria, and Futu’s built-in journal all support CNY denomination. Edgewonk and TraderSync default to USD or EUR with no CNY option, which makes P&L math misleading for traders whose capital is denominated in yuan.

Can I import Huatai Securities or CITIC trade history CSV files? JournalPlus and Trademetria accept custom CSV field mapping, which handles Huatai and Futu exports after remapping the Chinese-language column headers. Edgewonk’s importer is more rigid and typically requires manually renaming columns before import. TraderSync’s broker library does not include domestic Chinese broker formats.

How does China’s stamp duty affect P&L calculations in a journal? China charges 0.1% stamp duty on the sell side only — no stamp duty on purchases. A journal must include this as a separate cost field to correctly calculate net P&L. For a ¥59,000 BYD sale, stamp duty alone is ¥59, which can flip a marginal trade from profitable to breakeven if not tracked separately from the ¥17.70 brokerage commission.

What about H-shares and Stock Connect for mainland traders? Southbound Stock Connect lets mainland investors buy HKEX-listed H-shares, but settlement switches to T+2 and lot sizes differ from A-shares. H-share positions are denominated in HKD, so a journal tracking both A-shares and H-shares needs multi-currency support to avoid currency conversion errors. See our guide on Hong Kong stock market journaling for a deeper treatment.

Is JournalPlus available in Simplified Chinese? No — JournalPlus is English-only as of 2026. For traders who require a Simplified Chinese interface, Futu’s built-in journal is the only option on this list with native Chinese language support, though it is limited to Futu account holders and lacks advanced analytics. Traders comfortable with English will find JournalPlus’s functionality outweighs the language limitation for analytical work.

For more regional comparisons, see our roundups for Korean traders, Japanese traders, and Southeast Asian traders. If you import from multiple brokers, our guide on CSV upload workflows covers field mapping for all major Chinese broker formats.