Install
Backtest Studio runs on Windows 10/11 and Linux (64-bit). It drives the MetaTrader 5 you already have, so you also need MT5 from your broker: see First start.
Both always give the newest version. Release notes and older versions are on the releases page.
Windows
- Download it with the Windows button above (
BacktestStudio-Windows-Setup.exe). - Run it. Windows SmartScreen may say "Windows protected your PC": the app isn't code-signed, so click More info → Run anyway.
- Start Backtest Studio from the Start menu.
To uninstall: Settings → Apps → Backtest Studio.
Linux
- Download it with the Linux button above (
BacktestStudio-Linux.AppImage). - Make it executable:
chmod +x BacktestStudio-Linux.AppImage, or in your file manager Properties → Permissions → Allow executing as a program. - Open it.
It runs on distributions with glibc 2.35 or newer (most from 2022 on).
Linux: where to keep the AppImage
A downloaded file can't run until it's executable, and some file managers refuse to start it until then ("launching executables is not allowed"). Step 2 fixes that.
When the AppImage runs from somewhere other than ~/Applications (your Downloads folder, say), the app offers once to move itself to ~/Applications, so it doesn't get deleted with your downloads. It also adds itself to your desktop's app menu, with its icon. You can remove or re-add that entry later under Engines & API keys (the gear in the title bar).
Updates
The app checks GitHub for a new version. When one is out, the version label in the title bar turns into Update x.y.z: click it to read what's new, then Restart to update. Your strategies, chats, backtests and keys are kept. Click the version label any time to check now.
The download picks the fastest of GitHub's servers for your connection and switches to another if it stalls. If an update ever fails, download the new version from the releases page and install it over the old one: nothing is lost.
Where your data lives
| Windows | Linux | |
|---|---|---|
| App data (strategies, chats, runs, keys) | %APPDATA%\com.anas1412.backteststudio | ~/.local/share/com.anas1412.backteststudio |
Uninstalling the app leaves this folder; delete it to remove everything. More in Files & folders.