MetaTrader 5 vs Backtrader (2026)
MetaTrader 5 (free trading platform with built-in tick-level backtesting for mql5 expert advisors) and Backtrader (free open-source event-driven backtesting framework for python, no longer actively maintained) solve backtesting differently. The table below compares them on verified specs and pricing; full details are in each review.
Side by side
| MetaTrader 5 | Backtrader | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.5 / 10 | 6.8 / 10 |
| Engine type | event-driven | event-driven |
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 | $0 |
| Languages | MQL5, Python (data/trading API only, not usable in the Strategy Tester) | Python |
| Asset classes | forex, CFDs (indices, commodities, crypto), stocks (broker/exchange-dependent), futures (broker/exchange-dependent) | stocks, ETFs, futures, forex (spot), crypto (via community data feeds), CFDs |
| Bundled data | Free historical bar and tick data downloaded automatically from your broker's server; 'real ticks' coverage and quality vary by broker (99%+ modeling quality requires a broker with full tick archives) | None. Bring your own data. Loaders exist for CSV, pandas DataFrames, and Yahoo Finance (the online loader breaks periodically as Yahoo changes its API); live feeds come from Interactive Brokers, Oanda (legacy v1 API), and Visual Chart. No bundled historical dataset of any kind. |
| Finest resolution | tick (every tick based on real ticks) | tick (tick data supported; resampling/replay down from ticks to any timeframe) |
| Live trading | Yes | Yes |
| Options support | No | No |
| Open source | No | Yes |
MetaTrader 5
Free trading platform with built-in tick-level backtesting for MQL5 expert advisors
Backtrader
Free open-source event-driven backtesting framework for Python, no longer actively maintained
Frequently asked questions
Is MetaTrader 5 better than Backtrader?+
They target different users. MetaTrader 5: forex and cfd algo traders who want free tick-level backtesting and a direct, unchanged path from tested ea to live execution on almost any retail broker. Backtrader: python-comfortable retail quants who want a free, battle-tested event-driven backtester with abundant learning material, and who will accept a frozen codebase, byo data, and manual walk-forward in exchange for zero cost. Our scores: MetaTrader 5 7.5/10, Backtrader 6.8/10.
Which is cheaper, MetaTrader 5 or Backtrader?+
MetaTrader 5 entry pricing: $0 (freemium). Backtrader: $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.