IBKR Paper Trading to Live: How to Switch Accounts

Most people land here after searching how to upgrade an IBKR paper trading account to live. Interactive Brokers has no upgrade button for a paper account.

The paper account sits beside a live account, so moving to live means opening and funding the live account, then switching your logins, permissions, data and API port to the live side. This page covers each step, plus how the paper account itself works.

How the IBKR paper account works

At Interactive Brokers the paper trading account is a companion to a live account. Once the live account is approved, IBKR sets up a paper account linked to the live one, with its own username and account number. The paper account copies the live account's trading permissions and shares its market data subscriptions.

Simulated balance: the paper account starts with simulated funds, set by IBKR and usually 1000000 US dollars. You can reset the balance in Client Portal.
Separate login: the paper username differs from the live username, and you choose Paper Trading on the login screen.
Same software: Trader Workstation (TWS), IB Gateway, Client Portal and the mobile app all run against paper or live depending on the login you pick.

IBKR also offers a free trial account. The free trial is a separate product with its own upgrade path to a full account. If you signed up for the free trial, follow the upgrade link inside the trial. Everything below applies to a paper account linked to a live one.

How to get an Interactive Brokers paper trading account

Open a live IBKR account and finish the application.
Once the live account is approved, log in to Client Portal and open Settings.
Find the Paper Trading Account option and request the account. IBKR creates the paper username and emails confirmation, usually within a day.
Log in to TWS or IB Gateway and choose Paper Trading on the login screen.

How to move from IBKR paper trading to live

Confirm the live account is funded. Log in to Client Portal with the live username. If the only login you have is the paper one, the live application has a step left.
Check trading permissions on the live account. IBKR grants permissions per account. Check each product you plan to trade, such as futures, options or foreign stocks, under the live account's trading permissions. The live application asks about experience and net worth, and approval for a product can take a day or two.
Check market data. Live data is a paid subscription per exchange. If your paper testing ran on delayed data, subscribe to the real-time feed for each exchange you trade before the first live session.
Log in with the live username. In TWS or IB Gateway, choose Live Trading on the login screen.
Change the API port if you trade through code. The next section lists the ports.
Start with the smallest size you can trade. Compare your first live fills against what paper showed for the same setups.

The API ports for paper and live

If you connect through the API, the port decides whether orders reach the paper account or the live one. The rest of your code stays the same, which is why a wrong port is the easiest way to send a test order to a funded account.

	Paper	Live
Trader Workstation (TWS)	7497	7496
IB Gateway	4002	4001

Two habits help before you connect to a live port. Keep the port in an environment variable or a config file, so switching to live is a deliberate edit outside your strategy code. Then have the script print the account number it connected to at startup, and stop if that number is the wrong one. Paper account numbers and live account numbers look different, so a two-line check catches the mistake before an order goes out.

The systematic trading system guide covers the connection setup and staging orders with transmit switched off, so nothing reaches the broker until you approve each order.

What changes in a live account

The paper account fills orders at prices a live account often will not get. Paper fills ignore your place in the queue and assume more size at the quoted price than the book may hold. Expect slower fills, more slippage, and more hesitation on your side.

Slippage: track the gap between your intended price and the fill on every live trade for the first few weeks.
Size: start at one contract or a small share count, and raise size in steps only after your execution matches your plan.
Commissions: paper accounts show commissions, but check the live rate for your tier and products.

The paper to live transition guide covers grading execution and a scaling ladder for size. Levels from a daily trade plan give the same prices to test on paper and then trade live, which keeps the comparison fair.

FAQ

How do I upgrade my IBKR paper trading account to live?

Interactive Brokers has no upgrade for a paper account. Open and fund the live account, log in with the live username, check permissions and data, and switch any API connection to the live port. The paper account stays available for testing.

Do I need a live IBKR account to get a paper account?

Yes, for the standard paper account. IBKR links the paper account to an approved live account. The free trial is the separate route for people without a live account.

Can I keep using the paper account after going live?

Yes. The paper account stays open beside the live one, so you can test changes on paper before trading them live.

Are my paper trading permissions the same as live?

The paper account copies the live account's permissions. If a product trades on paper and fails live, check the live account's permissions and market data for that product.

What port does IBKR use for live trading?

7496 for Trader Workstation and 4001 for IB Gateway. Paper uses 7497 and 4002.

How do I reset my IBKR paper account balance?

Log in to Client Portal with your live credentials, open Settings, find the Paper Trading Account option, and choose the reset.

Broker procedures, ports and account types are set by Interactive Brokers and can change. Confirm current details with IBKR. Educational content only. Not investment advice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Interactive Brokers.