Quantshare Review – Build and Backtest Trading Strategies

What is Quantshare?

Quantshare is a sophisticated trading and analytics platform with in-depth quantitative tools for traders and analysts. With one of the deepest library of technical indicators and scalable tools further enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) optimization, this platform is suited for quantitative, algorithmic and technical analysis-based users seeking optimization and automation for their trading systems. From back-testing to predictive modeling and strategy construction, the platform is a mechanical and quantitative trader’s dream.

Originally developed as a tool for back-testing, validating and augmenting trading strategies, Quantshare has expanded both in terms of functionality and a growing global community of users. As the name states, it’s also a sharing platform where users can share and market their creations on social media and other users in the community. However, the sophisticated nature of functions comes with a steeper learning curve than most plug-and-play platforms. Therefore, an investment in time and effort is also required to take full advantage of the powerful tools. Users with programming backgrounds will acclimate quicker as lots of manual script writing is required to operate the platform even modestly.

Quantshare Pricing Options

Quantshare pricing options apply to the Advanced Lifetime License and Premium Lifetime License. Both licenses still require data feeds to function. The Premium license enables users to plug-in multiple brokers and third-party data feeds, while the Advanced version is limited. Users can opt for the in-house Monthly end-of-day lifetime license for $245 or the Monthly real-time lifetime license is $595.

The Advanced Lifetime License includes charting, screeners, analysis and advanced simulation and scripting tools. Users support and access to the sharing server for the first year are included.

The Premium Lifetime License also enables Level 2 with Time and Sales windows, Alerts, Automated Trading strategies and the flexibility for multiple brokers and data providers.

Note that ‘lifetime’ can be confusing as users have complained about purchasing ‘lifetime’ memberships only to be told they need to ‘upgrade’ to the ‘new’ license to access the share server. Upgrading the license for support upgrades thereafter comes at a 60-percent discount (IE: $90-per year for the Advanced license).  

Quantshare Features Breakdown

Quantshare functions as a sophisticated tool that takes data and manipulates it in ways to enable users to gain insights on the underlying price action. Data (IE: quotes, news, social media) must be downloaded (through a downloader) either by importing or directly plugged into a data feed. The software itself is static and users must determine how that data will be homogenized with the software. A lot of this is done manually, which many users may find burdensome and complicated. Quantshare has a number of How-To tutorials to help newbies navigate the details.

Advanced Charting   

Quantshare charting has all the bells and whistles to create highly customized charts with a mind-boggling arsenal of indicators. However, be prepared to put in the time to manually configure the formulas to your needs. It’s best to go into this with the mindset that patience, time and effort are a required investment. Charts can be configured to virtually any time periods with candlesticks, bar, line charts as well as more exotic charts including Ichimoku Cloud, point-and-figure, histograms.

The charts aren’t as extensive as those found in standalone charting platforms like TradingView, TC2000, and eSignal but there are still a lot of options

Indicators/Studies

Quantshare has amassed a (growing) library of over 500 technical indicators that users can integrate into the charting. These are a combination of in-house and user created indicators. However, users will have to update formulas or add code to bridge the functionality gap. For example, to dynamically update indicator settings for a simple moving average (SMA), users will have to update the formula and configure the script manually. Darva’s Box and Elliott Wave indicators are available as well as Custom Indicator Development capabilities.

Drawing Tools

Technicians love drawing tools and Quantshare has a ton of them ranging from basic trend lines and shapes to Fibonacci retracement, fans, and time levels to Gann fans, gridlines and speed lines. Users can also create customized drawing tools. The sharing server enables access to test out other user created tools and offer your tools as well.

Algorithmic Trading Systems and Back-Testing

Originally developed as a tool for quantitative tasks including creating strategies and trading systems, Quantshare enables very flexible and customized back-testing. Users can create and discover rules and rankings to refine systems both for trading and money and risk management. Users have access to a library of trading and management strategies to download and plug-in from the sharing server and systems marketplace.

Artificial intelligence (AI) powered optimization and forecasting functions are also available as plug-ins (similar to Trade Ideas and eTrade Pro’s Strategy Scanner). I find it intriguing to have the ability to input news, social media and fundamental data to create custom indicators and automated alerts into your trading algorithms.

Simulator

The simulator enables users to run their trading systems through real market environments to see how they perform in current markets or would have performed historically. If you don’t have a trading system in place, there are numerous pre-built, and user created trading systems available on the sharing server. Newbies can start with these and reverse engineer the mechanics, rules and script to gain an understanding of them. More experienced users can take pieces of existing trading systems to create their own and run them through the simulator to refine and validate. The simulator can be used for both trading and money management strategies. There are existing scripts for every piece of a trading system and Quantshare provides a wizard to simplify trading system construction.

Quantshare Forums

The Quantshare message forums are a global community that can be tapped to find solutions and collaborations with other users. There are some amazing quants on them willing to help users sort out solutions. This is where the community-effect really shines.

Customer Service

The customer service is excellent as users can send questions through e-mail and forums. They are very attentive and naturally have the expertise to answer any technical and scripting questions. User licenses enable access to one-year of support which includes customer service as well as minor script processing.

Quantshare Platform Differentiators

Quantshare is a solid trading system platform with in-depth functions and tools. The sharing server is the key differentiator as it opens the doorway to a global community of experienced users sharing their own expertise and customized indicators, tools and systems with everyone. Accessing the sharing server comes with the annual support licenses and is well worth it.

Is Quantshare a Good Value?

Quantshare is an excellent value for the software and the annual support contract. You get out what you put into it in terms of time and effort. It’s dirt cheat because there is a lot of manual legwork involved with using the software and automating the tasks to even function like a conventional trading platform.

What Type of Trader Quantshare is Best For

The platform has a learning curve in terms of learning the mechanics of usage, scripting/coding to customize functions and trading experience to know how to use the tools. It’s a sophisticated platform for sophisticated and experienced traders. To newbies, it will seem clunky and outdated compared to mainstream brokerage and charting platforms that come with online brokerage accounts.

Pros

• One of the largest library of indicators (over 500)
• Not a resource hog
• Very low priced platform
• Sharing server enables access to tons of free scripts, tools and trading systems
• AI-powered automated, predictive forecasting, optimization and back-testing functionality
• News and social media data-based custom tool integration available
• Multiple trading instruments and markets

Cons

• Steep learning curve for non-programmers
• Newbies will find it clunky and outdated on the surface