Comparison
Doji vs Spinning Top
Both show indecision. A doji opens and closes at or very near the same price, so it has almost no body. A spinning top has a small but visible body with wicks on both sides. A doji is a more extreme stalemate; a spinning top is a milder one.
Doji
neutral bias
A doji is a candle whose open and close are almost the same, leaving a very thin body. It records a session where neither buyers nor sellers won.
Spinning Top
neutral bias
A spinning top has a small body in the middle of its range with wicks above and below. It shows a session with movement in both directions and little net progress.
Side by side
| Aspect | Doji | Spinning Top |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Almost none | Small but visible |
| Wicks | Any length, both sides | Usually both sides, often longer than the body |
| Bias | Neutral | Neutral |
| When it matters | After a strong move, as a warning momentum has stalled | Same, though it is a weaker warning |
How to tell them apart on a chart
- Compare the body to the whole range. Almost no body is a doji; a small body is a spinning top.
- Neither has meaning in a quiet range where many candles look like this.
- Both need the next candle to show which side won.
Doji: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: The direction of the next candle's close relative to the doji's range.
Invalidated: Because a doji is neutral, there is no single invalidation; the confirming candle sets the bias.
Spinning Top: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: The next candle's direction.
Invalidated: It is neutral, so there is no fixed invalidation on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Is a doji bullish or bearish?
Neither on its own. It shows a pause. After a strong move it can warn the move is tiring, but the following candle decides the direction.
How small does a doji body have to be?
There is no single rule. Many traders accept a body that is a tiny fraction of the candle's range, especially on markets where exact equality is rare.
Full guides
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Educational content only, not financial advice. Chart patterns describe probabilities, not certainties, and every pattern can fail. See our disclaimer.