Forex Tester — Dedicated Manual Backtesting Desktop Software
Forex Tester is a standalone Windows application purpose-built for manual backtesting. It’s been around since 2006, making it one of the oldest and most established tools in this space. Currently on version 5.
Unlike add-on replay features in trading platforms, Forex Tester was designed from the ground up for manual backtesting. It shows: the trading panel, analytics, and session management are all built for the backtesting workflow.
The trade-off is cost ($149-299/year), Windows-only support, and a UI that looks dated compared to modern web apps.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $149/yr (promo) / $199/yr standard | Limited features |
| Professional | $299/yr | All features |
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free demo available
- Data quality varies by plan — tick data requires VIP data subscription
- Frequent promotional pricing
Key Features
Replay Controls with Rewind
Forex Tester is one of only two tools on our list (along with StrategyTune) that supports rewind. You can go back in time, re-examine price action, and replay forward again.
Other controls: play, pause, fast forward, jump to specific dates, skip weekends and non-trading hours.
Data Quality
- Tick data available with VIP data subscription (extra cost)
- 1-minute OHLC on lower data plans
- Historical data back to ~2001 for major forex pairs
- Multiple data sources/feeds available
- Spread simulation (fixed or variable based on historical data)
- Slippage simulation on VIP plan
Quality varies significantly by data plan. The free/basic data is noticeably lower quality than what you get from tick data providers.
Full Trading Panel
This is where Forex Tester excels. The dedicated trading panel includes:
- One-click buy/sell buttons
- Market, limit, stop, and stop-limit orders
- Adjustable lot size
- SL/TP placement by dragging on chart
- Partial close
- Trailing stop
- Multiple simultaneous positions
- Real-time account balance and equity tracking
Comprehensive Analytics
Post-session analytics are thorough:
- Equity curve visualization
- Drawdown analysis
- Win rate, profit factor, expectancy, Sharpe ratio
- Trade-by-trade breakdown
- Export to Excel/HTML
- Compare multiple backtesting sessions
- Risk-of-ruin statistics
This level of built-in analytics is hard to find in free tools. StrategyTune offers trade history and CSV export but not this depth of statistical analysis.
Supported Instruments
- Forex: 50+ pairs (majors, minors, exotics) — the primary focus
- Indices: Major indices (S&P 500, DAX, etc.)
- Commodities: Gold, silver, oil
- Crypto: BTC, ETH (added in recent versions)
- Stocks: Limited (not the core use case)
Instrument coverage depends on your data subscription tier.
Forex Tester vs Free Alternatives
| Feature | Forex Tester | StrategyTune | TradingView (Free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $149-299/yr | Free | Free |
| Platform | Windows desktop | Web (any browser) | Web |
| Rewind | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tick Data | VIP plan (extra $) | Yes (free) | No (OHLC only) |
| Trading Panel | Full dedicated panel | Basic buy/sell | Paper Trading panel |
| Analytics | Comprehensive (equity curve, Sharpe, drawdown) | Trade history + CSV | Basic P&L |
| Instruments | 50+ (forex-centric) | 70+ (multi-asset) | Thousands |
| Custom Indicators | 50+ built-in + API | Not yet | Pine Script + 100K+ |
| Login Required | N/A (desktop) | No | Yes |
When Forex Tester makes sense: You need comprehensive post-session analytics, full order types (trailing stop, partial close, stop-limit), and you’re primarily testing forex strategies. The analytics alone justify the cost for serious backtesting.
When free tools are enough: If you need tick data and rewind without paying, StrategyTune delivers both for free. You trade off analytics depth for zero cost and browser-based access.
Pros
- Purpose-built for manual backtesting (not an afterthought)
- Rewind — go back in time
- Most comprehensive trading panel and order types
- Detailed analytics and statistics
- Long historical data (20+ years for forex)
- Spread and slippage simulation
- Multiple chart windows and timeframes simultaneously
- Mature, stable product (since 2006)
Cons
- $149-299/yr subscription cost
- Windows only (no Mac, Linux, or web)
- UI looks dated
- Free data quality is poor — must pay extra for good data
- Learning curve for setup and data management
- Desktop installation required
- Forex-centric — limited stocks and crypto
- No cloud sync between devices
- Forex Tester Online (web version) is more limited than desktop
Who Is Forex Tester Best For?
- Serious forex traders who backtest regularly and need detailed analytics
- Traders who want the most complete manual backtesting trading panel
- Users who don’t mind Windows-only desktop software
- Anyone willing to pay for a mature, feature-complete tool
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
- Budget-conscious traders — StrategyTune offers tick data and rewind for free
- Mac/Linux users or anyone wanting web access — Forex Tester is Windows-only
- Stock or crypto traders — instrument coverage is forex-centric
- Beginners who want the simplest possible experience — web tools have lower friction