To really understand the way spread betting works you should use a demo account like the one offered by Capital Spreads. Their Demo Account allows you to navigate around the CapitalSpread dealing platform, make "paper trades" (i.e. trading without depositing funds) and generally get the feel of the Capital Spreads trading system without actually risking any money.

The Capital Spreads Demo Account provides just a selection of products available on the Live Site, but mirrors the live trading system in all other respects, other than the requirement for depositing funds! You will begin with a virtual cash balance of £10,000 to get you going.

Used in conjunction with their online user manual, you can really get to grips with the concept of spread betting and get to know their platform before you begin spread betting for real.

Please note that stop-losses are automatically allocated to every trade you make, but you can amend these stops to a level that suits your requirements. Stop-losses are automatically filled on the Demo Site which is not the case on the live platform, where stop-losses are not guaranteed.

Try out the free demo Capital Spreads trading account here

IG Index also allows you to try out their Pure Deal platform. Full details here