I’ve been looking for a good computer charting platform for trading lately. The screen on my phone is just too small to properly view charts—especially when I want to look at technical indicators or track multiple markets at the same time. The advantages of using a computer are obvious: stronger processing power, a larger screen, and the ability to operate multiple windows at once—things that you simply can’t do on a phone.

I’ve put together several computer charting platforms that I’ve used or that many people have recommended. For investors in Taiwan stocks, San Zhu Securities Market is considered a must-have. It offers free charting, a rich set of technical indicators (with 24 types), and a stock selection strategy feature. The downside is that placing orders is more cumbersome and requires connecting to a broker. If you want to trade international markets, Mitrade and Futu Holdings are both good options—one is a forex and CFD platform, and the other focuses mainly on Hong Kong and U.S. stocks. Their interface designs are relatively straightforward, so beginners can get started easily too.

Interactive Brokers (IB) offers the most comprehensive functionality. You can trade across 120+ markets worldwide, but the interface is complex and is better suited to experienced traders. TradingView’s charting tools are arguably the strongest in the industry, with 100+ technical indicators and drawing tools, and a very well-equipped database as well. The only downside is that it doesn’t provide order placement functionality.

To be honest, which computer charting software you choose still depends on your trading habits. If you only want to focus on Taiwan stocks, use San Zhu Securities Market. If you want something simple and easy to use, choose Mitrade. If you need access to global markets, use IB. If you only want to do chart analysis, then use TradingView. Each has its own strengths, and there’s no absolute “best” option—the key is finding the one that fits you best.