AmiBroker vs Zipline Reloaded (2026)
AmiBroker (windows desktop platform for high-speed portfolio backtesting in the afl language) and Zipline Reloaded (maintained open-source fork of quantopian's event-driven python backtesting engine) solve backtesting differently. The table below compares them on verified specs and pricing; full details are in each review.
Side by side
| AmiBroker | Zipline Reloaded | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.8 / 10 | 6.7 / 10 |
| Engine type | hybrid | event-driven |
| Pricing model | one-time | open-source |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 | $0 |
| Languages | AFL (AmiBroker Formula Language), C++ (plugin ADK), JScript/VBScript (OLE automation) | Python (3.9+, wheels through Python 3.13 as of v3.1.1) |
| Asset classes | stocks, ETFs, futures, forex, mutual funds, crypto (via imported data) | US equities, ETFs, futures (continuous futures support), crypto/other via custom bundles and calendars (community workarounds) |
| Bundled data | No market data is bundled. The AmiQuote companion app (included in the Ultimate Pack, $99 standalone) downloads free EOD data from Yahoo Finance and Stooq, plus limited free intraday from Barchart OnDemand. Paid sources (Tiingo, eSignal, IQFeed, Norgate, Interactive Brokers) plug in when you need higher quality. | No usable current data ships with the library. The default Quandl/WIKI bundle (via NASDAQ Data Link) covers US equities only through March 2018, so you bring your own: either the csvdir bundle, which takes OHLCV CSVs with splits and dividends, or your own custom bundle ingest code. |
| Finest resolution | tick (Professional edition, with a tick-capable feed such as eSignal or Interactive Brokers); Standard edition is limited to minute bars | minute |
| Live trading | Yes | No |
| Options support | No | No |
| Open source | No | Yes |
AmiBroker
Windows desktop platform for high-speed portfolio backtesting in the AFL language
Zipline Reloaded
Maintained open-source fork of Quantopian's event-driven Python backtesting engine
Frequently asked questions
Is AmiBroker better than Zipline Reloaded?+
They target different users. AmiBroker: systematic eod and swing traders on windows who want the fastest affordable portfolio-level backtesting and optimization, own their data pipeline, and don't need turnkey live execution or options modeling. Zipline Reloaded: python-fluent quants doing us-equity, factor-based (cross-sectional) research who want a free, realistic event-driven engine and are willing to wire up their own data pipeline. Our scores: AmiBroker 7.8/10, Zipline Reloaded 6.7/10.
Which is cheaper, AmiBroker or Zipline Reloaded?+
AmiBroker entry pricing: $0 (one-time). Zipline Reloaded: $0 (open-source). See each review for full verified pricing tables.
Educational content only, not investment advice. Specs and prices come from each platform's official pages; see the individual reviews for sources and last-verified dates.