Install
Tools
Quant research & backtesting
8 tools compared: how each is priced, where it runs, and what to consider instead.
| Tool | Pricing model | Free tier | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmiBroker Desktop technical analysis and system-backtesting software sold as a one-time license rather than a subscription. | Subscription | No | No |
| Backtrader Open-source Python backtesting and live-trading framework for building and evaluating trading strategies. | Open source + paid | Yes | Yes |
| NautilusTrader Open-source, event-driven algorithmic trading platform in Python/Rust for high-performance backtesting and live deployment. | Open source + paid | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio123 Web platform for building, screening and backtesting rules-based equity strategies on fundamental and technical factors. | Subscription | No | No |
| QuantConnect Cloud algorithmic trading platform built on the open-source LEAN engine, with research notebooks and live deployment. | Free tier + paid | Yes | No |
| QuantLib Open-source C++ library for quantitative finance, providing pricing, curve-building and risk models used across many pricing tools. | Open source + paid | Yes | Yes |
| vectorbt Open-source Python library for vectorized backtesting, using NumPy/pandas array operations to test thousands of parameter combinations fast. | Open source + paid | Yes | Yes |
| Zipline Python backtesting library originally built by Quantopian; still usable but largely unmaintained since Quantopian shut down. | Open source + paid | Yes | Yes |