Trading Journal Template Library: Excel, Google Sheets, Notion, and Online

A trading journal template is the backbone of every serious trader’s review process. Whether you prefer Excel spreadsheets, Google Sheets, Notion databases, or a dedicated online trading journal, the right template helps you record trades consistently and spot what’s working and what isn’t. In this guide we compare the main options—Excel, Google Sheets, Notion, and online journal tools—so you can choose the best trading journal template for your goals.

Why Your Trading Journal Template Matters

Without a clear structure, your trading log becomes a random collection of notes. A good trading journal template forces you to fill the same fields every time: instrument, entry and exit price, position size, stop loss and take profit, reason for the trade, and outcome. That consistency is what makes statistics and pattern analysis possible. Whether you use a free Excel trading journal template, a Google Sheets template, or an online app, the template design directly affects how useful your journal will be.

Excel Trading Journal Templates

Excel remains one of the most popular choices for a trading journal template. Many traders already use it for other tasks, and an Excel trading journal template can be fully customised with formulas, conditional formatting, and charts.

What to Include in an Excel Trading Journal Template

A solid Excel trading journal template usually has columns for: date and time, symbol or pair, direction (long/short), entry and exit price, lot or share size, stop loss and take profit levels, risk-to-reward ratio, reason for entry (setup or rule), outcome (win/loss and size), and notes. Some traders add columns for session, timeframe, or emotional state. The more consistent the fields, the better your later analysis.

Pros of Using an Excel Trading Journal Template

Excel trading journal templates work offline, require no subscription, and give you full control. You can build pivot tables, custom charts, and formulas for win rate, average risk-to-reward, or drawdown. If you are comfortable with spreadsheets, an Excel template can be very powerful. Plenty of free Excel trading journal templates exist online that you can download and adapt.

Cons of Excel Trading Journal Templates

Data entry is fully manual. There is no automatic import from MetaTrader, cTrader, or your broker—every trade must be typed or pasted. That often leads to missed trades or incomplete days. Charts and analytics are only as good as the formulas you write, and maintaining a large Excel trading journal can become slow and error-prone over time.

Google Sheets Trading Journal Templates

Google Sheets offers a free trading journal template environment in the cloud. You can duplicate a trading journal template, share it across devices, and never worry about losing the file. For many traders, a Google Sheets trading journal is the next step after Excel.

What a Good Google Sheets Trading Journal Template Looks Like

A typical Google Sheets trading journal template has similar columns to Excel: date, symbol, direction, entry/exit, size, stop loss, take profit, outcome, and notes. You can use data validation for dropdowns (e.g. symbol list, win/loss) and basic formulas for totals and percentages. Some templates include a dashboard sheet with simple charts. The best Google Sheets trading journal templates are easy to copy and start using in minutes.

Pros of Google Sheets Trading Journal Templates

Google Sheets is free, saves automatically, and works on phone and laptop. You can share a read-only link with a mentor or use the same trading journal template across multiple devices. No installation is required—just open the template and start logging. For a simple trading log, a well-built Google Sheets template is often enough.

Cons of Google Sheets Trading Journal Templates

Like Excel, a Google Sheets trading journal relies entirely on manual entry. There is no broker or platform integration, so you must type or paste every trade. Complex analytics and large datasets can make Sheets slow. If you need advanced reporting or automatic sync with MT5 or cTrader, a Google Sheets template alone will not be enough.

Notion Trading Journal Templates

Notion has become popular as an all-in-one workspace. A Notion trading journal template usually combines a database (for trades) with linked pages for plans, watchlists, and notes. It appeals to traders who want one place for everything.

How Notion Trading Journal Templates Work

In a Notion trading journal template, trades are typically stored in a database with properties such as date, symbol, entry, exit, size, outcome, and tags. You can create views: a table for raw data, a calendar for trade dates, or a board grouped by symbol or outcome. Many Notion trading journal templates also link to weekly reviews or strategy pages, so your journal becomes part of a larger system.

Pros of Notion Trading Journal Templates

Notion trading journal templates are flexible and visually clean. You can relate trades to strategies, link to external resources, and keep trade plans and post-trade notes in one place. The same Notion workspace can hold your trading journal, goal tracking, and learning notes. If you already use Notion for other work, adding a trading journal template feels natural.

Cons of Notion Trading Journal Templates

There is no built-in connection to brokers or trading platforms. Every trade must be entered by hand. Notion’s formula and reporting options are less powerful than Excel for heavy number-crunching. Learning relations, rollups, and filters has a learning curve. For traders who need automatic trade import or deep analytics, a Notion trading journal template is often a complement rather than the main tool.

Online Trading Journal Tools and Templates

Dedicated online trading journal tools are built specifically for traders. They connect to your broker or platform (e.g. MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker, cTrader) and import trades automatically. The “template” is the fixed structure of the app: trade list, statistics, sessions, drawdown, and sometimes mistake tagging. Tools like TradeTrack offer a free trading journal during beta with sync and analytics included.

What an Online Trading Journal Template Gives You

An online trading journal typically provides: automatic trade import, pre-built analytics (win rate, profit factor, average trade), session and account statistics, drawdown and risk metrics, and optional note fields per trade. You don’t design the template—you use the one built into the product. The focus is on reducing manual work and giving you ready-made insights so you can focus on improving your trading.

Pros of Online Trading Journal Tools

Automatic sync removes most data entry errors and gaps. You get consistent statistics and charts without building formulas. Many online journals support multiple accounts and are suited for prop firm challenges and funded accounts, with drawdown and rule tracking. If you want a trading journal template that “just works” with your platform, an online journal is the strongest option.

Cons of Online Trading Journal Tools

Your data lives on the provider’s servers, and most tools are subscription-based or freemium. You have less freedom to add custom columns or build your own formulas than in Excel or Notion. For traders who prioritise automation and analytics over full customisation, the trade-off is usually worth it.

Comparing Trading Journal Templates: Quick Reference

Use an Excel trading journal template if you want full control, custom formulas, and offline use and don’t mind manual entry. Use a Google Sheets trading journal template if you want a free, cloud-based log that’s easy to share and use on any device. Use a Notion trading journal template if you want one flexible workspace for trades, plans, and notes. Use an online trading journal if you want automatic import, built-in analytics, and less data entry—especially for forex, crypto, or prop firm trading.

Which Trading Journal Template Fits Your Style?

Beginners often start with a free Excel or Google Sheets trading journal template to learn what fields they need. As volume grows, manual entry becomes a burden. Moving to an online trading journal that syncs with your broker usually saves time and improves consistency. If you trade with prop firms or multiple accounts, a dedicated online journal with drawdown and rule tracking is hard to replace with spreadsheets or Notion alone. Evaluate how much time you spend on data entry and how deep you want your analytics—that will point you to the right type of template.

Summary

Excel and Google Sheets trading journal templates are free and flexible but require manual entry and custom setup for analytics. Notion trading journal templates are great for an all-in-one workspace but lack broker integration. Online trading journal tools offer automatic import and built-in analytics and are the best fit for serious traders who want to focus on performance rather than spreadsheet maintenance. Choose the trading journal template that matches your need for control, automation, and depth of analysis.