QuantConnect
quantconnect.com
Cloud platform for coding, backtesting and live-trading algorithms in Python or C#, built on the open-source LEAN engine with decades of data included.
What it is
QuantConnect is a browser-based workshop for systematic traders. You write a strategy in Python or C#, backtest it on QuantConnect's servers against its own historical data, study results in cloud research notebooks, and then run the same code live through a connected broker. The engine underneath, LEAN, is open source, so strategies can also be run on your own machine with the LEAN command-line tool.
Included data is the main draw: US stocks and ETFs and indexes from 1998, equity options from 2010, index options from 2012, the 70 most liquid futures from 2009, forex and crypto from several exchanges, plus alternative datasets from more than 40 vendors. The free plan allows unlimited backtesting on that data with one backtest node and one research node, but no live trading.
Paid organization tiers add compute and deployment. Quant Researcher adds API and command-line access, local coding in VS Code, parameter optimization, paper trading and up to two live trading nodes. Team allows up to ten members and ten nodes of each kind; Trading Firm and Institution remove node limits and add permissions, on-premises deployment and professional broker connections. Compute nodes are rented on top of the tier fee.
Brokers include Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, tastytrade, Alpaca, Tradier, Coinbase, Binance and Kraken among roughly 20 integrations. An AI assistant, Mia, can draft strategies, run backtests and edit code. Expect a real learning curve: it is a programming environment, not a point-and-click strategy builder.
Key features
- Cloud backtesting
- Unlimited backtests on QuantConnect's servers, including on the free plan, using the included historical data.
- Included historical data
- US equities and indexes since 1998, equity options since 2010, index options since 2012, 70 liquid futures since 2009, forex and crypto.
- Research notebooks
- Cloud Jupyter-style notebooks for exploring data and training machine learning models.
- Live trading
- Deploy the same code through around 20 broker and exchange integrations, including Interactive Brokers, Schwab, tastytrade, Alpaca and Coinbase; paid tiers only.
- Open-source LEAN engine
- The engine is on GitHub and can be run locally with the LEAN CLI, synced with the cloud.
- Alternative data
- Datasets from more than 40 vendors that can be added to strategies.
- Mia AI assistant
- Turns natural-language descriptions into strategy code, runs backtests, edits code and helps with parameter optimization.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited backtesting, 1 backtest node, 1 research node, 500MB workspace, community support; no live trading |
Paid tiers (Quant Researcher, Team, Trading Firm, Institution) are listed on the pricing page, but their dollar amounts did not display when we read it, so they are not shown here. Compute nodes for backtesting, research and live trading are rented separately from the tier fee, and some datasets carry their own charges.
Free option: Unlimited cloud backtesting in Python or C# on the included equity, options, futures, forex and crypto data, with one backtest node, one research node and a 500MB workspace; live trading is not included.
Checked September 25, 2026 on quantconnect.com. Prices change; confirm on the provider's site before you subscribe.
Strengths
- Decades of multi-asset historical data included, including options and futures
- Same code runs in backtest, paper and live trading
- Open-source engine avoids being locked into the cloud platform
- A free plan with unlimited backtests
- Large community and documentation for both Python and C#
Limitations
- Live trading is not available on the free plan
- Requires programming in Python or C#; there is no visual strategy builder
- Compute nodes are paid for separately from the tier fee
- The free plan is limited to one backtest node, one research node and a 500MB workspace
Good fit for
- Traders who code and want to test systematic strategies on long histories
- Developers who want one pipeline from research to live trading
- Options and futures quants who need historical chains and contracts
Look elsewhere if
- Traders who do not want to program
- Discretionary traders who backtest by replaying charts
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QuantConnect questions
Is QuantConnect free?
Yes for research and backtesting: the free plan includes unlimited backtests and the platform's data with one backtest and one research node. Live trading needs a paid tier.
What languages does QuantConnect use?
Python 3.11 and C#. The LEAN engine itself is written in C#, and Python is the native language of the research notebooks.
Which brokers work with QuantConnect?
About 20 integrations, including Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, tastytrade, Alpaca, Tradier, Coinbase, Binance and Kraken.
Can I run QuantConnect locally?
Yes. LEAN is open source and the LEAN CLI lets you develop and backtest on your own machine and sync with the cloud.
Written from QuantConnect's own website and documentation. All Trading Tools lists and compares tools; it does not recommend trades or give financial advice. Sources: quantconnect.com, quantconnect.com/pricing, quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/tier-features, quantconnect.com/docs/v2/writing-algorithms/key-concepts/python-and-lean.