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Best third-party strategy tester for MetaTrader 4

  • #21
  • Jun 28, 2016 2:49am Jun 28, 2016 2:49am
I don't know if it is the best, but for sure it is the fastest.

Go to the Generator tab and press Start.

http://forexsb.com/expert-advisor-studio.php



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  • #22
  • Jun 28, 2016 3:15am Jun 28, 2016 3:15am
Quoting PopovMP
I don't know if it is the best, but for sure it is the fastest. Go to the Generator tab and press Start. http://forexsb.com/expert-advisor-studio.php {image}

do you use it?


multicurrency strategies?
how does coding from MT4 goes into this tester? You need to translate something?

data history I see you import by yourself.
  • #23
  • Edited 4:06am Jun 28, 2016 3:54am | Edited 4:06am
> multicurrency strategies?
The app doesn't support multi-currency strategies.

> how does coding from MT4 goes into this tester?
No coding. The app exports a fully functional MQL code without external dependencies.

> data history I see you import by yourself.
EA Studio receives data from several MT brokers automatically. You don't need to import data.

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More brokers will be added soon.
  • #24
  • Jun 28, 2016 4:00am Jun 28, 2016 4:00am
Thanks for prompt reply
  • #25
  • Jun 28, 2016 4:32am Jun 28, 2016 4:32am
Quoting Xamarass
Hi Guys, I have deeply tested one of the tool above mentioned (StreategyQuant). I have to say that I was initially a bit skeptical about the idea; in a nutshell: An algortim that can put together trading concepts+trading rules and generate with "Random way" or "Genetic algo" strategies that can be analyzed, checked and traded with profit. Come on guy it can not work !
StrategyQuant in combination with other tools seems to be a very powerful way to build comprehensive robust portfolios of systems. After having attended a few seminars from the autotrading academy, the solutions proposed have blown my socks off and have made me seriously look at this as a possible great option.
  • #26
  • Jun 28, 2016 8:21am Jun 28, 2016 8:21am
The best backtester is have your own engine. You can check results immediately. If you add simulation of TPs and visual reports on chart you have something very useful. About ticks inside candles you can use MT4 way. Is basic but enough for have an idea how will work with ticks
Try don't lose pants never...
  • #27
  • Jun 28, 2016 8:37am Jun 28, 2016 8:37am
Quoting braintheboss
The best backtester is have your own engine. You can check results immediately. If you add simulation of TPs and visual reports on chart you have something very useful. About ticks inside candles you can use MT4 way. Is basic but enough for have an idea how will work with ticks
ticks are random ya

1minute OHLC is perfecto imo

true about your own engine..but one needs knowledge to build something like that.
  • #28
  • Jun 28, 2016 8:57am Jun 28, 2016 8:57am
Quoting 21vs7
{quote} ticks are random ya 1minute OHLC is perfecto imo true about your own engine..but one needs knowledge to build something like that.
I have my own engine. It's still simple but I can improve strategies easily...
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Try don't lose pants never...
  • #29
  • Jul 4, 2016 8:45am Jul 4, 2016 8:45am
Quoting Copernicus
{quote} StrategyQuant in combination with other tools seems to be a very powerful way to build comprehensive robust portfolios of systems. After having attended a few seminars from the autotrading academy, the solutions proposed have blown my socks off and have made me seriously look at this as a possible great option.

I wonder if you have tried SQ yet. what is your opinion?
  • #30
  • Jul 4, 2016 9:18am Jul 4, 2016 9:18am
Quoting Blaiserboy
{quote} I wonder if you have tried SQ yet. what is your opinion?
I have had a close look at the support videos as well as the instructional videos provided by the Autotrading Academy and while initially sceptical of the machine learning algorithmic generators like SQ and Adaptrade , have had to do a significant u-turn in my opinion particularly given the enhanced method of linking strategies developed by SQ into a single MT4 live trading simulator using MyMt4Book.

In essence, SQ itself generates MT4 EA's by the bucket loads very quickly based on the initial inputs you select for the strategy developer. It literally passes millions of strategies through the tester in a short period of time and using the robustness tests of SQ can quickly evaluate and prioritise the generated strategies into a ranked list for robustness. You then can quickly pass the shortlist of your best performers into a tick by tick test or 1 min test to further narrow the selection....and finally a walk forward test.

Once you have your candidates you then immediately launch them live in demo using a single MT4 platform which uses a different magic number for each EA. After running on demo for 6 months a further ranking evaluation is done and then you launch the best performers live.

As a strategy factory, it is an excellent solution particularly for those interested in running a portfolio of systems particularly for those who may not have programming skills but are keen on the logic of testing their systems for robustness.

It's a partial solution at least for those who may be interested in random strategy generation using intelligent machine learning principles. As part of a wider portfolio whereby these randomly generated strategies partially complement say a trend following portfolio of systems....it certainly seems to tick the boxes for me and in the next few months I will invest a bit of time and effort in it.
  • #31
  • Jul 30, 2016 11:21am Jul 30, 2016 11:21am
Thanks for that review.

Good luck developing your strategies.
  • #32
  • Aug 23, 2016 3:03pm Aug 23, 2016 3:03pm
Quoting noobshow
{quote} I make sure all of my Codes have these lines before the OrderSend() Line, so to delete all OrderSend Arrow and make backtesting faster. if(IsTesting()) ObjectsDeleteAll(); If not debugging or verifying some codes, i use this also in my codes: if(!IsTesting) Print("This Is Needed While Demoing or Trading Live,Not needed here" And, In All Of My Objects Drawing also, i do this: if(!IsTesting) ObjectCreate("Trading_Alone",OBJPROP_HLINE,0,Time[0],Ask+50*Point); In Comments also, i do same if(!IsTesting) if(!IsTesting) Comment("Needed...
Thank you, I found it helpful too. Actually I have realised that graphical objects are slowing down the visual test and wrote a piece code to address it. However my solution is overcomplicated compared to your one.
  • #33
  • Sep 18, 2016 5:31am Sep 18, 2016 5:31am
Hi guys,
it's almost funny (or not) how hard it is to find some serious backtesting discussion. For me, backtesting is one of the most important aspects of developing a quality EA.

Is there any software yet on the market, that:
- allows you to directly import your exsisting EA for mt4 (in mql4)
- runs a backtest on it with reliable tick by tick data (for example 10 yrs back)
- can work with multi currency and timeframes (portfolio)
- gives you some usable statistics
- works faster than mt4 strategy tester
- allows you to optimize parameters
- ...

As far as i know the biggest problem with existing products is mainly with importing mql4 code directly. You can do that with mt4 tester but then you face the problem with history data and other points. The closest thing i found for now is Forex Tester 3 ( http://www.forextester.com/ ), but still cant import mql4 code directly.
Im asking for your opinion because my friend and i will try to make such software if there is a market for it.

For now we use mt4 tester, we replaced the history data with dukascopy data and we test all our EAs for 10 yrs back before live account trading. That system works OK but is very time consuming and for a majority of the traders (without in-depth knowledge) too complicated. And it also lacks a lot of important info crucial for EA analysis.

Any opinion on that is very welcome. Thx
  • #34
  • Sep 18, 2016 5:53am Sep 18, 2016 5:53am
I use FSBPro to generate a large number of strategies and forward test.

Backtesting has not proven to be as reliable as forward testing when it comes down to the bitter bit of actual performance in live trading with real money.

FSBPro has some tools for establishing robustness, it is very fast and I have had excellent results. I use broker data only for creation of strategies and forward test on real accounts.

The backtester in MT4 is not quite good enough for what we need, from what I have seen there is not much in the way of walkforward test software except SQ and AmiBroker.

Therefore I forward test. simple and productive and satisfactory.
  • #35
  • Sep 18, 2016 8:17am Sep 18, 2016 8:17am
Quoting Blaiserboy
I use FSBPro to generate a large number of strategies and forward test. Backtesting has not proven to be as reliable as forward testing when it comes down to the bitter bit of actual performance in live trading with real money. FSBPro has some tools for establishing robustness, it is very fast and I have had excellent results. I use broker data only for creation of strategies and forward test on real accounts. The backtester in MT4 is not quite good enough for what we need, from what I have seen there is not much in the way of walkforward test software...

Hi, yes i'm familiar with FSBPro. It is a great tool for generating, testing and analyzing new strategies but you cant simply import an existing EA (mql4) code and backtest it. That's what i'm looking for, but it seems that there is none.
Just as I wrote in my previous post it can be too complicated for most traders to use FSB (or some similar products) and make their own strategy. I'm just looking thru the eyes of an average mt4 trader, who for example buys an EA which is mt4 ready and promises great results. Then the reality is too often totally different than promised. I imagine that a software which allows you to simply test the EA with reliable history data would be a big money saver.

I agree with you that forward testing is important, but IMHO a backtest (with high quality history data for at least 10 yrs) is equaly (or even more) important than forward test. Simply because with backtest you have a lot more data to analyze than forward test. I cant even imagine putting my EA on a live market without having it backtested for 10 yrs period. I just don't have the balls for that
  • #36
  • Sep 18, 2016 4:33pm Sep 18, 2016 4:33pm
FSBPro Backtesting is quite possible and a helluva lot faster than MT4.
WakForward testing is also possible and immediate, all one needs to do is to manipulate the dates of the data....

Perhaps you did not have enough time with FSBPro to evaluate it completely.

I backtest with FSBPro and trust the results far more than MT4, you should not have to backtest any FSBPro strategies with MT4, especially considering the metrics offered by FSBPro.
  • #37
  • Nov 18, 2016 6:05pm Nov 18, 2016 6:05pm
Thank you for all the great replies. There are a number of good options put forward.

I have recieved quite a few PM's asking me what I decided to go with. In the end I stuck with mt5 as my backtesting solution. I have not tried all the options suggested above as they were made after I started down the path of mt5.

I use classes to separate mt4 specific pieces of code and replace them with mt5 specific code e.g. OrderSend. Generally though the code is cross compatible.

I have 28 cores on my machine which mt5 uses all of when optimizing (meaning straight away it's 28 times faster then mt4 can do). There might be better out there but mt5 has provided me with accuracy and speed that I was searching for, so I'm happy with my choice.

Keen to hear if anyone has further thoughts/experience on the topic.

What's it all about? It's all about money.
  • #38
  • Nov 18, 2016 11:24pm Nov 18, 2016 11:24pm
I use MT5 once in a while....... for strategies that I code in MT5, and I use FSBPro most of the time because the metrics in MT5 are inferior to what FSBPro provides and FSBPro is so much faster for Walk Forward.
In addition FSBPro has some neat tools for analysis which I feel to be necessary.
  • #39
  • May 7, 2018 9:12am May 7, 2018 9:12am
any news on this subject since the last post?
  • #40
  • Sep 8, 2018 6:09pm Sep 8, 2018 6:09pm
Has anyone found software to optimize existing MT4 EA file with .ex4 extension? So frustrated by limited number of simultaneous input variables allowed by Metatrader Strategy Tester optimization.
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