ThinkOrSwim Backtesters
Test your trading strategies on historical data before risking real money. Download free thinkScript backtesters or learn to build your own from scratch.
Popular ThinkOrSwim Backtesters
These are our most-used backtesters for validating trading strategies in ThinkOrSwim.
Build an Election Backtester in 10 Minutes
Free election backtester for ThinkorSwim. It buys the open the day after each U.S. presidential election from 2000 to 2020 and holds 30, 60 or 90 days.
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Moving Average Crossover Backtester
A free moving average crossover backtester for ThinkorSwim. Pick the length and type of a fast and a slow average, and read the P/L of every crossover.
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Moving Average Pullback Backtester
A free moving average pullback backtester for ThinkorSwim. Test pullbacks to 5 stacked moving averages, blind or confirmed, with ATR targets and stops.
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Opening Range Breakout
Opening range breakout backtester for ThinkorSwim: trades each ORB with half or full-range stops and targets and labels winners, losers and win rate.
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Santa Claus Rally Backtester
Free Santa Claus rally backtester for ThinkorSwim. It buys the open on December 18 or the next trading day and sells the close on December 24 or the next.
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SPY Meltdown Backtester
A free SPY meltdown backtester for ThinkorSwim. It buys the open the day after SPY drops more than 3% from open to close, then sells at that day's close.
Download Free →All ThinkOrSwim Backtesters
Browse our complete library of thinkScript backtesters with code and tutorials.
Backtesters 8 backtesters
Build an Election Backtester in 10 Minutes
Free election backtester for ThinkorSwim. It buys the open the day after each U.S. presidential election from 2000 to 2020 and holds 30, 60 or 90 days.
Moving Average Crossover Backtester
A free moving average crossover backtester for ThinkorSwim. Pick the length and type of a fast and a slow average, and read the P/L of every crossover.
Moving Average Pullback Backtester
A free moving average pullback backtester for ThinkorSwim. Test pullbacks to 5 stacked moving averages, blind or confirmed, with ATR targets and stops.
Opening Range Breakout Pro
Opening range breakout backtester for ThinkorSwim: trades each ORB with half or full-range stops and targets and labels winners, losers and win rate.
Santa Claus Rally Backtester
Free Santa Claus rally backtester for ThinkorSwim. It buys the open on December 18 or the next trading day and sells the close on December 24 or the next.
SPY Meltdown Backtester
A free SPY meltdown backtester for ThinkorSwim. It buys the open the day after SPY drops more than 3% from open to close, then sells at that day's close.
TTM Squeeze Histogram Backtester
A free Squeeze histogram backtester for ThinkorSwim: it trades the first yellow bar after 7 red, or the first blue after 7 cyan, with an RSI filter.
TTM_Squeeze – Backtest Like a Pro
A free Squeeze backtester for ThinkorSwim. It trades 5 red dots with stacked 13, 21 and 34 EMAs so you can compare length, nK and nBB.
Squeeze Course Backtesters 4 backtesters
Triple Squeeze Backtester Course
Backtest Triple Pro Squeeze setups with customizable entry and exit rules.
Slingshot Squeeze Backtester Course
Test slingshot squeeze patterns with historical performance stats.
Squeeze Signals Backtester Course
Backtest squeeze signal entries with win rate and profit metrics.
Squeeze Histogram Backtester Course
Test momentum histogram crossover strategies on any symbol.
How to Build ThinkOrSwim Backtesters
Learn how to build your own backtesters from scratch using thinkScript with these step-by-step tutorials.
ThinkOrSwim Backtesting FAQ
Backtesting is the process of testing a trading strategy on historical data to see how it would have performed. It helps you validate ideas before risking real money, identify optimal parameters, and understand the historical win rate and risk/reward of a strategy.
Yes, ThinkOrSwim has built-in backtesting capabilities through thinkScript strategies. You can create custom strategies that generate buy/sell signals and view performance reports showing profit/loss, win rate, and trade history on any chart.
To create a backtester, write a thinkScript strategy with AddOrder() commands that define your entry and exit rules. Apply it to a chart and ThinkOrSwim will show you historical trades. Our tutorials walk you through building backtesters step-by-step.
Key metrics include win rate (percentage of profitable trades), profit factor (gross profit / gross loss), maximum drawdown, average win vs average loss, and total number of trades. A good strategy has a positive expectancy when combining win rate with reward/risk ratio.
Test across multiple market conditions including bull markets, bear markets, and sideways periods. For swing trading, 5-10 years of data is ideal. For day trading, 1-2 years may suffice. More data gives more confidence, but markets do change over time.
Avoid curve fitting (over-optimizing for past data), ignoring transaction costs, testing on too little data, and look-ahead bias (using future data in calculations). Always validate results on out-of-sample data before trading live.
ThinkOrSwim backtesting is primarily designed for stock and futures strategies. For options, you can use the thinkBack feature to view historical options chains, but automated options strategy backtesting requires external tools or manual analysis.
Look beyond just total profit. A strategy with 40% win rate can be profitable if winners are much larger than losers. Check consistency across different time periods. Be skeptical of results that seem too good to be true, as they may indicate overfitting.
Get Pro ThinkOrSwim Backtesters
Unlock advanced backtesters and course-exclusive tools with the Squeeze Course.