Forex Tester Online vs TradingView Bar Replay
Two backtesting tools for futures and forex compared on data depth, price and the gaps that matter if you're practising for a prop firm evaluation.
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Short answer: for NQ or ES where you want real tick data, Forex Tester Online is the strongest match on paper: its own page lists CME tick data back to 2013 (it varies by symbol). If you already pay for TradingView, start with Bar Replay before buying anything, but know its limits on futures history and fills. Other backtesters exist; this guide covers these two. Neither enforces a prop firm's rules for you.
What to look for
- Does it have your market?Futures data (CME) is a paid tier on some tools. Check forex, gold and indices on the tool's own symbol list before paying.
- How deep is the data?Tick, seconds, 1-minute or candles only. This decides whether you can see how far a trade ran against you inside a bar.
- How are trades recorded?Some tools simulate orders and keep stats; others only replay the chart.
- What does it cost, and can you cancel?Prices and promos can differ between sources, so confirm at checkout.
Cost: list prices
| Tool | Price | Futures (CME) data | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Tester Online | Starter list price $199/yr. Pro price varies by source. | Listed on the vendor's futures page; reviews say Pro, not Starter. Confirm before buying. | Web-based. A free demo has been reported by a third party. |
| TradingView Bar Replay | Essential $12.95/mo · Plus $29.95/mo · Premium $59.95/mo · Ultimate $199.95/mo (annual-billed prices) | Real-time CME data is a separate fee, listed at $7/mo for non-professionals | Bar Replay is listed from Essential upward. Check the free Basic plan in the app. |
Data and features compared
| Tool | Data depth | Trade recording | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Tester Online | Vendor claims up to 23 years of tick data per symbol and tick or 1-minute testing across forex, indices and futures. For CME it lists tick data back to 2013, back-adjusted continuous contracts and rollover handling (ES, NQ, CL, GC). | Trading simulator with order simulation and stats. | CME data can only be used inside the platform; it can't be downloaded. |
| TradingView Bar Replay | Plan-dependent. Continuous futures (ES1!, NQ1!) on Premium and up: 1 year of 1-minute and 30 days of seconds data. Seconds replay needs Premium or higher; tick replay needs Ultimate, up to 7 days back. | Replay controls only: start bar, random bar, speed, sync across a layout. Sessions auto-save. | Help page says trading orders use real-time data, not simulated fills on the replayed history. Renko, Kagi, point-and-figure, Range, Line Break, footprint and TPO charts don't work in replay. |
The two, one by one
Forex Tester Online
Who it's for: futures traders who want tick-level CME data, particularly if you're testing a strategy that depends on how far price ran inside a bar. It's also positioned for forex, stocks, crypto and indices.
Watch out: I couldn't confirm the Pro price, which plan holds futures, or the refund terms from the vendor's own pages. A third-party listing reports 30 days from first purchase and 7 days after a renewal, but that is one source. Promo and list prices differ widely, and the CME data can't be exported. Older listings still describe a Windows desktop version; the Online product is web-based. I haven't used Forex Tester myself.
TradingView Bar Replay
Who it's for: anyone already on a paid TradingView plan who wants to practise price action on candles without buying a second tool. I use TradingView for my own charts and Lucid orders, but I haven't tested Bar Replay for backtesting.
Watch out: the help page says orders in replay use real-time data, so the fills on past bars aren't simulated and you'll need to log trades yourself. Futures history on continuous contracts is shorter than for forex and cash indices, tick replay is limited to the top plan and seven days, and exchange data fees are extra and non-refundable. Confirm in the app whether replaying CME contracts needs the paid data feed.
How to backtest a prop firm ruleset
These tools replay price and record your trades. They don't know your firm's rules and won't flag a breach. So build the rules as a checklist or spreadsheet beside the replay, using the firm's own current rule page for the numbers. The method below is general practice, not a promise of results.
- Pick the exact plan and write its rules down first.Rules vary by plan (see the rules cheat sheet). For example, the sheet lists Lucid and Topstep 50K futures accounts at end-of-day trailing with a $3,000 target and $2,000 max loss; Topstep also has a best-day cap of about 55%.
- Model the drawdown type.Intraday trailing follows your open-profit peak, end-of-day trailing moves only at the close, and static never moves. Log your balance at each session close and the open-profit peak of each trade, then work out the floor the way the drawdown guide's worked example does. Intraday trailing needs the in-trade high, so tick or seconds data is the better fit there; candles are enough for end-of-day.
- Apply the daily loss limit.Many CFD firms use 5% and count open trades. Reset your day total at the firm's day boundary and mark any day that hits the limit as a fail.
- Track the profit target.Keep cumulative P&L per session and note whether you reached the target or hit the floor first.
- Check consistency rules.For best-day caps, divide your best day by total profit at the end of each simulated run.
- Cap your position size.I haven't put contract limits on this site as numbers, so read the firm's rule page and treat its limit as a self-imposed rule in replay.
Tool fit: Forex Tester's tick-level CME data suits intraday-trailing tests, if futures are on your plan. Bar Replay is fine for candle-level end-of-day checks, but log fills by hand.
What a backtest misses: slippage, real fills, news, and psychology. Firms also change rules often, so re-check the firm's page before you rely on old numbers.
Which should you pick?
- NQ/ES with tick dataForex Tester Online. Confirm the plan that includes futures first.
- Already on TradingViewBar Replay. The replay feature is part of the plan, but CME data may cost extra, and mind the history and fill limits.
- Forex or goldCheck each tool's symbol list; the pricing pages don't name them all.
Whichever you try, use the free plan or demo first and test one of your own setups before paying.
FAQ
Do I need backtesting software to pass a prop firm evaluation?
No. It can help you practise a strategy and see how it behaves against a firm's drawdown rules, but replay results don't predict evaluation outcomes.
Which backtesting software is best for futures?
On paper, Forex Tester Online has the deepest CME data (tick data back to 2013 per its own page). TradingView Bar Replay works for futures but history is limited. Confirm the plan that includes futures before you buy.
Can TradingView Bar Replay simulate prop firm rules?
No. It replays price and has controls for speed and start point. It doesn't track drawdown, daily loss or consistency rules, and per its help page orders don't fill against replayed history.
Is there a free way to start?
Forex Tester has been reported to offer a free demo, and TradingView's free plan may or may not include Bar Replay: check in the app.
Do any of these tools show a prop firm's drawdown for me?
Neither says it does. Track the floor yourself, as in the section above, and treat your firm's dashboard as the source of truth during a real evaluation.
Related: Trailing vs end-of-day drawdown · Prop firm rules cheat sheet · TradingView for prop firm traders · Best trading journal for prop traders · Best prop firm for NQ