Algorithmic Trading Platform
Zorro Trader is by far the best algorithmic trading and financial research platform for building algorithmic and quantitative trading systems. From classical technical indicators like moving averages and Bollinger bands, to modern machine learning methods, like LSTM neural networks, Zorro Trader got it all. Any algorithmic trading strategy can be implemented with a relatively small script in Lite-C code, which is extremely fast. Zorro Trader can interact with Python and R as well, extending its functionality beyond the C programming language. The learning curve can be pretty steep, but you can use the materials on this website to get started. Zorro Trader has a FREE version, which is as flexible and feature-rich as the paid version of the software.
Commercial software is available, like TradeStation, MultiCharts, NinjaTrader, AmiBroker, etc. There is also the free MetaTrader, but it only works with Forex brokers. You can also get ThinkOrSwim for free if you are a TD Ameritrade customer. However, none of these platforms can do what Zorro Trader can do, and all them are really slow when it comes to back-testing (if they even do it). Speed is one of the main attributes of Zorro Trader, and platforms developed in Python or Java don’t even come close.
Algorithmic trading is the best thing a retail trader can do these days. But implementing an algorithmic trading strategy is not an easy task. It requires deep understanding of the stock market, a lot of quantitative research and a lot of back-testing. With Zorro Trader, all of this can be done very quickly. Zorro Trader is relatively new in the area of algorithmic trading, but it has a lot of potential. Zorro Trader can access any relevant financial data source on the internet (financial data, Yahoo, brokers, forex exchange, and cryptocurrency exchanges.) This data is used by Zorro Trader whenever you back-test your strategy. Live trading usually uses broker data.