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Options Backtesting Software with Market Replay tool/feature?
I've used some platforms to backtest futures as if you be in real time. I see many platforms offer these kind of Market Replay features or integrated tools. But for some reason I can't see something similar for options. The only platform I've found with this feature is ToS with the "OnDemand" feature that as I see it allows you to Replay the market selecting a specific date, day and time, run the Options Chain and placing trades as if you be in real time, but of course running with historical data.
The limitation? Well, as many of you may know this requires a ToS live account, and this backtesting feature is not available to try it in a paper trade account.
I would like to backtest the performance of simple options trades, mainly long calls/puts and long spreads, for either Options on Stocks and Options on Futures. Nothing very special.
I would like to be able to backtest in both ways:
- with a software or site that you can make tha Market replay, chosing the past day and time you need to see as if you be in real time, being able to see the Options Chain, the chart for the option you need, putting paper money trades (demo), etc. so as if you are in live.
- also, could be interesting the way you fill a kind of brief form specifying the exact option you want, the date etc. and getting the results almost instantly.
I know in futures is possible to get this for 2 or 4 weeks with a free paper trade account, so if this could possible for options would be great, with a paper trade or demo account. I need this more or less for 1 month but if there are cheap or free alternatives then of course would be great to have at whatever time you need.
Thank you
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
Have you looked at Meta trader, 4 or 5?
I know you can trade futures as CFD on MT4 and MT5. I am sure there are some brokers out that do provide options on those futures CFD. I am currently testing the Phillip Capital demo and it comes with several futures including ES, NQ, DAX,... etc. I don't have options because I have no interest in options at the moment.
Anyways, MT backtester is not too bad at all and it is open source. Additionally, FX Blue is another open source platform, that provides a free simulator which works with Meta Trader 4 or 5 that allow simulated executions. I am not too proficient at it as I just started using the site recently. So far, I like the FX Blue live publisher. once linked it tracks all my trades and put all the data into an extensive spreadsheet data for review. Its incredible. This saves me alot of time.
Hope that this info is of value to you. If you need any assistance don't hesitate to contact me.
Happy trading!
Maybe could be interesting to have the possibilty to trade options on futures CFDs with a "decent broker". Until the moment you post this I hadn't seen that could be possible to trade options on futures CFDs. but by the way, I haven't find information about what broker offer this kind of options on futures CFDs trades
Has someone traded options on futures CFDs trades?
Yes, I had seen these 3 sites time ago before to do this original post, and maybe the Options backtest features of these 3 sites could fit with others traders, but what I'm looking for is something that works as ThinkorSwim OnDemand where you able to backtest Options with a Market Replay feature (Bar Replay, Playback, or whatever the name others platform call to this function). And as far as I've seen, these kind of functions normally comes built-in into a desktop platform.
For what I need, It would be perfect that the platform allows you to do the next:
- Choose the symbol data as: date, expiration/contract, ...
- Choose the starting date and the ending date, with playback buttons like to play/pause, stop, skip forward, skip backward, go to the date, go the time ...
- then, being able to start the Market Replay, for example, selecting the date from January 2, 2020, to July 17, 2020, being able to replay day by day, showing the Options Chain, the general symbol chart, the Options charts, also being able to place simulated trade or paper trade for those past dates, and in fact, to have everything exactly as if you be in real time.
As many of you may know, you can easily find this function and do exactly what I'm describing in many platforms but for Futures, not for options. You can do this for futures in platforms like Sierra, NinjaTrader 7, NinjaTrader 8, also in ThinkorSwim, etc. but the problem comes when you want to do this for Options and I don't understand well why, what would be the reason? because this could be simple past data files replayed and running as if in real time. So I don't understand why when you surf internet trying to get a platform or site with this feature the only pltform I can find is ThinkorSwim with its OnDemand feature only available for live accounts.
The only other platform I've read that could have something similar is Track 'n Trade, but with limitation about it allows you to backtest only with end-of-day data and I need that also be for intraday Options data.
I hope that now with all these details someone here can help me with alternatives to be able to perform Options backtest in the way described here, because I can't believe that only 1 retail platform, in this case ThinkorSwim, be the only one that have the functions described here.
RE:
Sorry for the late reply. With family life (a baby infant) and a focus on my own trading craft and other forums, it is hard to get to every threads inquiries out there in a timely fashion . In all honesty, I don't know of any direct options on futures CFDs as trading instruments per say. I am not too knowledgeable about options trading. In my initial posting I was just simply recommending MT 4/ 5 as a free to use decent backtester that you can use carry out analysis on some futures CFDs instruments as a starting point for your own research. Sorry if It came across as a misinformation. If you still looking for decent info on options, someone whom I know has a ton of contents on options/futures is Carley Garner (An independent futures Broker.). I know this because I have taking some of her free webinar presentation of futures in which she constantly kept drilling the idea of options on futures. I found her to be very open and willing to help people as well. Just to be clear, this is just suggestions for your lead. You just have to do your own homework and exercise your due diligence from this point on. Hope you find the solution to your problems if you have not had any luck yet. Cheers & Happy trading.
Haven't tried Optionvue yet, but can vouch for Optionnetexplorer. It's excellent.
Just take note, the data is delayed by about a day. If you have an account with IB (not sure what other brokers they support), you can link them and get live data pulled through.
