[Cheesebar]

I'm trying to select an automated trading platform and am keen to greedily benefit from the wealth of experience present on this forum. I have previously undertaken my own analysis using a VBA-based Excel tool that I constructed however this has become unweidly due to its size.

I have been through all of the platform selection-related postings I could find on this site however the posters had different requirements than I (they were singularly Forex focused). Secondly, there appeared to be little concensus on the recommended platform (potentially as a result of a failure by the original poster to properly define their requirements...).

So! In the finest traditions of Traders Laboratory I am very keen for you to trash my ill-informed requirements in the below list (please do not hold back) as well as providing your views on which platform might meet these requirements:

- Low volume - 10 trades per month, ramping up over time
- Low trade size - from $1000 per trade
- Cheap - I want to pay by the trade rather than shell out $100 a month as well as pay per trade (appreciate there is a cut-off point in RT's at which this becomes achievable)
- Capacity to back-test my own indicators/strategies in variety of timeframes, combine multiple indicators including volatility
- Well structured and effective programming language that is worth taking the time to learn
- Fully auto - want to implement my strategy and for round-trip trades to take place automatically without requiring my confirmation
- Free demo - keen to ensure the platform works well for me before investing my time in it
- Effective online learning resources - tradestation appears to do well here - significant knowledge base including tutorial videos and existing code
- Online and firewall-friendly - able to access from work (preferable rather than essential)
- Trade equities, notice a lot of these only trade the more exotic instruments. Must include FTSE.

Platforms I have looked at/heard mentioned:

- tradestation - appears to have good learning assets
- interactive brokers - on first look this appears to meet requirements
- Zulutrader
- WealthLab - looks a little rough around the edges compared to some of its competitors (not necessarily a bad thing)
- MetaTrader - looks expensive and possibly beyond my meagre requirements
- Prodigio - 6 month back-test could be annoying, though I suppose I can see the benefit in breaking the testing down into six-month chunks
- Anything else I'm missing?!

Yours in keen anticipation of your expert knowledge,
Cheesebar

[henryduncan12]

I want to suggest you for Zulutrader, as it is one of the most popular automated trading platforms. I don't know that it fulfill your requirements completely or not.

[SIUYA]

Sierra Chart offers cheap access to automated trading - a very good system at a cheap price.
Improving its back testing at present and hooks into IB

You will likely need to combine systems to get everything you want, which is always a bugger.

[ratmpower]

If you want virtual automated trading platform, then http://www.strategyard.com/ is the best out there. The unique thing about Strategyard is that it provides language-agnostic API for you to submit your trade orders. You are free to choose any programming language (C++, Java, Perl, PHP etc) you like to implement your automated strategy so that you do not have to learn propietery language grammer.
Secondly, with many automated platforms, the strategies are limited to price-action and technical analysis. You cannot automate strategies like "Buy whatever stock Jim crammer or Warren Buffet buys" or "Buy based on picks given by some expert you trust". With Strategyard, how you implement your strategy is left entirely upto you.

For actual trading platform, I like interactive brokers. They also have a pretty good web service API, but slightly on the expensive side.

[Tams]

Originally Posted by ratmpower »

If you want virtual automated trading platform, then http://www.strategyard.com/ is the best out there. The unique thing about Strategyard is that it provides language-agnostic API for you to submit your trade orders. You are free to choose any programming language (C++, Java, Perl, PHP etc) you like to implement your automated strategy so that you do not have to learn propietery language grammer.
Secondly, with many automated platforms, the strategies are limited to price-action and technical analysis. You cannot automate strategies like "Buy whatever stock Jim crammer or Warren Buffet buys" or "Buy based on picks given by some expert you trust". With Strategyard, how you implement your strategy is left entirely upto you.

For actual trading platform, I like interactive brokers. They also have a pretty good web service API, but slightly on the expensive side.

I can bet with certainty... traders will spend more time, money, and loss hair programming your way than with EasyLanguage.

[ratmpower]

Originally Posted by Tams »

I can bet with certainty... traders will spend more time, money, and loss hair programming your way than with EasyLanguage.

Well, if programming with a real programming language makes you lose your hair, then you probably should not be developing algorithmic trading strategy anyway. You are better off doing some other style of trading or flipping hamburgers.

[Cheesebar]

Many thanks to all for info!! Looks from the suggestions that Ninjatrader is the best bet initially, if only on the basis that it lets you demo for free to try the system (though not in anger)

Any one have experience trading UK equities through Ninjatrader? Recommended broker?

[Chippy]

Originally Posted by Cheesebar »

Many thanks to all for info!! Looks from the suggestions that Ninjatrader is the best bet initially, if only on the basis that it lets you demo for free to try the system (though not in anger)

Any one have experience trading UK equities through Ninjatrader? Recommended broker?

I have been with ninja and tradestation. TS is better all around.