Manual Backtesting for Trading in 2025

Forex manual backtesting means scrolling the chart backward and moving forward bar after a bar from the chosen point. When it comes to checking the reliability of your strategy, there is no better way to do this rather than by manual backtesting.

You could think that demo-trading is the apparent alternative way to try your trading logic without risking your hard-earned money and rumors say it is equally effective.

Understanding Forex Manual Backtesting

Some consider demo-trading is linear and rather slow. The reason for that is having to sit through the whole process over and over for years to get the needed experience and solidify your strategy while manual backtesting allows you to open any currency pairs, charts, and timelines simultaneously with the ability to fast-forward the testing to get the most precise results. Basically, it’s years worth of experience in a couple of weeks.

Forex Tester was developed to serve as the most suitable manual backtesting software bringing all the tools for it, recreating the market environment piece by piece.

Manual backtesting does not require a program script and you control every trading operation. You can freely change the timeframe, pause/play/stop the process, control the visualization, speed-up or slow-down the chart, and much more!

During manual backtesting, your actions completely comply with real manual trading.

Load the history for all necessary assets, set the broker, edit the trade attributes to recreate the market environment as close as possible.

Manual backtesting allows you to proceed one bar by another, so you can go back and analyze the situation whenever you need to.

And you can switch to automatic testing at any time!

Manual backtesting gives access to

• additional adjustment of any parameters
• add graphical figures and methods of technical analysis
• control the testing speed
• go to any specific data manually and check the market attitude at any conditions
• check the methodology during difficult situations: opening/closing of the market/session, speculation moments, non-standard situations, etc.

Best manual backtesting software in 2025

1. Forex Tester Online
2. Forex Tester Desktop (Try for Free)
3. ThinkTrader
4. TradingView
5. NinjaTrader
6. MetaTrader 5
7. Soft4X
8. Sierra Chart

How to Manual Backtest Trading Strategy with Forex Tester Online

1. Visit Forex Tester Online
2. Select an asset from the available symbols.
3. Choose the historical data range you wish to test.
4. Configure the environment, including spreads, commissions, and market conditions.
5. Use charting tools and indicators to define your strategy.
6. Execute trades manually or automate certain testing processes.

Detailed Guide: How to Use Forex Tester Online

Manual + Automatic: Test combined strategies

It is possible to test combined strategies (Manual + Automatic) in Forex Tester.

For example: You enter trades manually and exit automatically or vice versa. This gives you the opportunity to creatively test different ideas before spending time and efforts on programming fully automatic strategies.

Want to dive into the full testing possibilities right away?

How Can Manual Backtesting Spreadsheet Help?

A backtesting spreadsheet is designed to help you analyze and compare different trading strategies — giving you a clearer idea of what to expect from each one.

Spreadsheets excel at organizing data, and this tool lets you backtest an unlimited number of strategies in one place. Whether you’re validating a new idea or refining an existing approach, the spreadsheet offers a streamlined way to see how your strategy performs over time.

Spreadsheets are designed for organizing and tabulating data, and there’s virtually no limit to the number of strategies you can test using this backtest report.

The backtesting spreadsheet allows you to evaluate whether your strategy is viable or not, or to conduct a thorough backtest to determine if your strategy consistently capitalizes on momentum swings and continues generating profits.

FAQ

What is the best alternative for manual backtesting?

Forex Tester Online is the best choice for traders who want full control over their strategy testing. It provides realistic market simulations, detailed historical data, and customizable backtesting options without relying on AI-generated predictions.

Which platform is best for automated trading strategies?

MetaTrader’s Strategy Tester is a great option for traders who use Expert Advisors (EAs) and want to backtest automated strategies.