Been looking for a way to backtest my strategies properly but most demo accounts only give you live data.
Need something where I can load up old price action and see how my setups would have performed during different market conditions.
TradingView’s replay feature is solid for this. You can rewind to any date and step through bars one by one like you’re trading live.
I used it constantly testing breakout strategies during 2020’s volatility. Really shows how your entries would’ve played out without knowing what’s coming.
MT4’s strategy tester works but it’s clunky. Good for automated systems if you can code a bit.
ForexTester’s another option but costs money. Worth it if you’re serious about backtesting - the data quality beats free alternatives.
MT5 visual mode works decent for quick tests.
Ninja Trader’s market replay is a good choice. You can trade through any day in their database. Pause it, speed it up, whatever you need while placing real orders that fill at the actual historical prices. Test during different market conditions. Don’t just practice your setup on trending days. Hit the choppy sideways mess, news events, all of it. Your strategy might crush it in 2023 but completely blow up during 2020’s crazy volatility. Replay the bad days too. Load up those periods where your approach would get wrecked.
I’ve used Soft4FX Simulator for a couple years now. You can import decades of historical data and trade through it at any speed you want.
Best feature? Jump straight to specific market events. I spent weeks replaying the 2008 crash and Brexit to see how my risk management handled those crazy swings.
Runs about $200 but the data’s solid. Much better than scraping together free sources with gaps and wonky spreads.
Pro tip - don’t just test your winners. Load up periods where your strategy would’ve bombed. Really showed me some blind spots I didn’t know I had.
TradingView’s replay feature is solid for walking through historical data. You can practice your entries and exits as if it’s happening in real time.
Just pick a date and hit replay. Works on pretty much any timeframe.
Many replay platforms provide limited historical data, but there are options for longer datasets if you search a bit.
I prefer to download old data files and use them in basic charting tools. It requires some setup, but it gives you access to years of price action.
Make sure to test various market cycles instead of just focusing on the recent trends.