The Best Backtesting Software in 2026: 7 Tools Compared

Event-based vs bar-based backtesting

Most backtesters replay price bars on one chart. You pick a symbol, a strategy and a date range, and the software walks through the bars.

OddsMaker works from events instead. Every time your alert fired, or a stock met your filters, on any stock, it becomes a test trade. That shows you how a setup behaved across the market, not only on one ticker.

Neither approach is better for everyone. If you trade one index or one futures contract, bar-based testing fits. If you scan the whole market for setups, event-based testing fits.

How we compared

A backtester is only worth what it lets you check. We asked all 7 tools the same 8 questions, and every question has a column in the table.

• What it is: Backtester, charting tool, broker or code engine.
• Real-time data: Can a tested idea run live, and on which plan?
• Scans and alerts: Can you scan for the setup you just tested?
• Backtesting: Events or bars, code or no code, one symbol or many.
• AI: What the AI helps with, per the company.
• Beginner-friendly: How much code or setup stands between you and a result.
• Price: Subscription or one-time license, from the company's own site.
• Best for: The tester each tool suits.

All facts were checked on company pages on October 6, 2026. How we checked has the sources.

Backtesting software, side by side

If a cell says "Not listed", the company's own pages did not show it to us.

The 7 best backtesting tools in 2026

1. 1. Trade Ideas

   OddsMaker is the Trade Ideas backtester. It asks one question: when this happened before, what did the stock do next? You get the answer before your money is on the line.

   Plenty to test. Any of the 310 alerts documented in our help can be the event OddsMaker tests, combined with any of the 249 filters, each with a min and max you choose. Examples: a 5-minute opening range breakout (the opening range set covers breakouts and breakdowns at 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes), a 5-minute stochastic crossing above 20 or a 15-minute green bar reversal. 191 alerts also carry an alert-specific setting you can vary between runs, such as the lookback on a New High, from 0 to 366 days. Pairing one alert with two filters yields 9,571,560 starting points, so the setups open to testing are effectively unlimited.

   Test what you already scan. Pick any Streaming Alert, any set of Top List filters or your own filter from the Formula Editor. There are 310 alerts and 249 filters to choose from, and you write no code.

   Every stock, not one chart. OddsMaker replays real past events across all stocks on Trade Ideas history. Each time your setup fired becomes a test trade, run with your own entry and exit rules. You see how the idea behaved across the market.

   From result to live trade. When a test holds up, the same alert runs in Streaming Alerts on live market data. Holly AI Assistant, in TI Pro on every plan, can hand a window you built straight to OddsMaker.

   The same discipline in the AI. Holly runs this kind of testing every night and only sends Holly AI Signals for strategies that pass. Those signals sit on TI Premium, alongside OddsMaker.

   Price: OddsMaker comes with TI Premium, at $254 a month or $2,136 a year. TI Standard is $127 a month or $1,068 a year and does not include backtesting.

   Worth knowing: Trade Ideas covers U.S.-listed stocks. Its options data is limited to volume-based filters. TI Pro, where OddsMaker runs, needs Windows; Mac users can open the browser-based web Dashboard with no download, but it has no backtester.

   Best for: Stock traders who want to test a scan across the whole market without code.

2. 2. TrendSpider

   TrendSpider builds strategies from its charts and indicators, then backtests them.

   Real-time data

   Real-time U.S. stock data is included for non-professionals.

   Scans and alerts

   Strategy-based, multi-timeframe and scheduled scans are listed.

   Backtesting

   Every plan includes backtesting. Multi-symbol backtests are listed, with deeper testing on higher plans.

   AI

   25 Sidekick AI messages a month on every plan, plus AI strategy analysis.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. Each plan includes at least one training session a year.

   Price

   Standard is $59 to $89 a month, depending on billing term. Premium is $99 to $149, and Advanced reaches $349.

   Worth knowing: Scan frequency runs from every 2 hours to every minute by plan, and the 14-day trial is paid.

   Best for: Technical traders who test indicator-based strategies.

   Trade Ideas vs TrendSpider →

3. 3. TradingView

   TradingView tests strategies on its charts. You write them in Pine Script or pick built-in and community scripts.

   Real-time data

   Screener refresh on paid plans: 10 seconds or one minute.

   Scans and alerts

   Screeners, Pine Screener and alerts are listed.

   Backtesting

   Strategy backtesting includes report metrics and CSV trade export. Bar Replay lets you replay and practice on past bars.

   AI

   AI screener requests on paid plans.

   Beginner-friendly

   Yes. The Basic plan is free.

   Price

   Basic is $0. Billed annually, plans run $12.95 (Essential), $29.95 (Plus), $59.95 (Premium) and $199.95 (Ultimate) a month.

   Worth knowing: Certain exchange feeds cost more. Screener auto-refresh is not listed on Basic.

   Best for: Chart traders who want to test and replay on a single chart.

   Trade Ideas vs TradingView →

4. 4. Composer

   Composer is a no-code strategy builder and a broker-dealer. Backtest a strategy, then automate it if you like.

   Real-time data

   Not listed.

   Scans and alerts

   No scanner is listed.

   Backtesting

   Unlimited no-code backtests come with every plan, the $0 Starter included. Pro adds API access for running backtests.

   AI

   Trade with AI helps you find and evaluate strategy ideas.

   Beginner-friendly

   Yes. You build with blocks instead of code.

   Price

   Starter is $0. Advanced is $10 a month. Pro works out to $32 a month on yearly billing, $384 in total.

   Worth knowing: Neither a stock scanner nor real-time data is listed.

   Best for: Investors who want to test and automate portfolio rules.

5. 5. thinkorswim

   thinkorswim is Schwab's trading software. thinkScript lets you write custom studies and strategies.

   Real-time data

   Schwab does not list scan refresh rates.

   Scans and alerts

   Stock Hacker scans on criteria you choose, including thinkScript.

   Backtesting

   Schwab lists thinkScript strategy testing. paperMoney gives you a simulated live market for practice.

   AI

   Not listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. It costs nothing for Schwab clients, and strategies are written in code.

   Price

   No charge for Schwab clients.

   Worth knowing: It is offered to Schwab clients.

   Best for: Schwab clients who are comfortable writing thinkScript.

   Trade Ideas vs thinkorswim →

6. 6. AmiBroker

   AmiBroker is desktop software for charting, scanning and backtesting, and you buy it once.

   Real-time data

   End-of-day and real time are listed. Professional has no real-time symbol limit.

   Scans and alerts

   Scans and explorations use AFL, AmiBroker's formula language.

   Backtesting

   Portfolio backtesting and optimization are the core. Professional adds tick and second intervals and MAE/MFE statistics.

   AI

   The AFL Code Wizard + AI Assistant turns plain-English sentences into AFL code. It is $99, or part of the Ultimate Pack.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. A free trial is offered, and strategies are code.

   Price

   One-time licenses: Standard $299, Professional $379 and Ultimate Pack Pro $499, each with 24 months of upgrades.

   Worth knowing: Sales are final, and Standard limits the real-time quote window to 10 symbols.

   Best for: Traders who want a one-time license and full control in code.

7. 7. QuantConnect

   QuantConnect is a cloud service for algorithmic trading. You write strategies in code and run them on its LEAN engine.

   Real-time data

   The free plan has minute, hour and daily data. Paid plans add tick and second data and live trading through brokers such as Interactive Brokers, Schwab and Alpaca.

   Scans and alerts

   No scanner is listed.

   Backtesting

   Backtest equities, options, futures, forex and crypto. Paid plans add backtest nodes, and parameter optimization is an add-on.

   AI

   Mia, an AI support agent, helps with coding and debugging. AI assistants for research and backtesting are listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Low. You need to code. Bootcamp tutorials are included.

   Price

   There is a free plan. Paid plans are priced by the setup you build, so a single price is not listed.

   Worth knowing: Every strategy is written in code, which is the draw for its users.

   Best for: Programmers and quants who want full control.

No-code backtesting with OddsMaker

1. Pick the idea. Start from a Streaming Alert, a set of Top List filters or your own Formula Editor filter.
2. Set the rules. Choose when to enter and how to exit: a stop, a profit target, a timed hold or a set time of day.
3. Replay real events. OddsMaker runs the idea against real past market events across all stocks.
4. Read the results. You see the trades, the win rate and the profit factor. Tighten the rules where the idea did not hold up.

Past results, including backtests, don't guarantee future results.

When a strategy holds up, you can trade it in Trade Ideas Pro, practice it in paper trading or automate it with Money Machine on TI Premium. Read more about strategy development and backtesting.

When a code-first engine is the better fit

Some traders want to control every line of a strategy. QuantConnect, AmiBroker, thinkScript and Pine Script all serve them well.

Code-first tools take longer to learn. They pay off when your strategy needs custom math, many asset classes or portfolio-level rules.

Which backtesting software fits how you trade

Pick Trade Ideas if you want to test without code. Build a scan in a point-and-click menu from 310 alerts and 249 filters, or ask the AI Assistant to build it, then run it through OddsMaker on TI Premium. Custom filters written in the Formula Editor can be tested the same way, and the same plan adds Holly AI Signals with an entry, a stop and a target each trading day.

How can you tell if a backtest is reliable?

1. Enough trades. A handful of trades can look great by chance.
2. Realistic exits. Include a stop and a clear exit rule.
3. Recent markets. Test on recent data as well as older data.
4. Not over-tuned. If small rule changes wreck the result, the idea is fragile.
5. Practice next. Paper trade the strategy before you use real money.

Who Trade Ideas is not for

OddsMaker is built to test the stock setups a scan finds. Look elsewhere if your testing looks different.

• You test futures, forex or crypto. OddsMaker is built for U.S. stock setups.
• You rebalance long-term portfolios. A portfolio tool such as Composer fits that job.
• You want to write every line yourself. QuantConnect and AmiBroker are made for coders.

How we checked

• Eight points for each tool. They mirror the table, from what it is to best fit.
• Backtesting details from each company. We used each company's pricing, order or product pages.
• "Not listed" means we did not find it. It does not mean the tool cannot do it.
• Order. Trade Ideas is first because no-code testing of stock scans is what OddsMaker is for. Code-first engines come last because they take the most setup.

Past results, including backtests, don't guarantee future results.

Prices checked October 6, 2026. Sources: trade-ideas.com/pricing/; trendspider.com/pricing/; tradingview.com/pricing/; composer.trade/pricing; schwab.com/trading/thinkorswim and schwab.com/trading/thinkorswim/desktop; amibroker.com/order.html; quantconnect.com/pricing/. AmiBroker sells one-time licenses; the others are subscriptions. Confirm current prices before buying.

Changes made on October 6, 2026:

• First published.
• Prices checked on each company's own site.

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