By the way, we figured out a way to allow scanners in TickZOOM to have zero enforced limits on symbols even in the lower priced versions. Instead, the Silver and Gold limit the number of concurrently active strategy instances. Of course, that means that TickZOOM allows strategy instances to be put to "sleep" for better performance when you have a lot of instances. So TickZOOM only limits the number that can be awake at the same time in the lower priced versions. Sincerely, Wayne
Okay, the chart has been updated at: http://www.tickzoom.com/wiki/TickZoom/Comparison Let me know about any corrections you recommend. - Wayne
And Amibroker???? You just left it out, because its unfairly cheap compared to your pricing scheme? Regards Hittfeld
We can add AmiBroker. I hear great things about it except that it has zero way to roll out successful historical tests to real time, live, automated trading. Is that true? Anyway, I never used AmiBroker so if you or someone else would be so kind as to fill in the yes/no questions, that would be good. By the way, all the products that allow deploying of successful historical tests to live automated trading have similar pricing. Sincerely, Wayne
Just to clarify for everyone else the reasons for selecting the products in the current list. They come from the following sources: 1. Some were proposed for the list by current users of TickZOOM who greatly wish to see TZ succeed and want an honest, fair comparison so others can see--and believe--the difference. 2. Others were added by myself because I personally used those products prior to founding TickZOOM. So updates might be needed if the vendor subsequently added features. 3. Other were proposed by a trial user of TickZOOM who evaluated these other products before deciding on TZ. Of course, there's overlap so we have been able to check each others's work. None of us, apparently, considered TradersStudio or Amibroker for portfolio trading or ever used them ourselves. So if someone will be so kind as to provide the yes/no answers who has used either of them, we'll be happy to add it to the comparison. Sincerely, Wayne
One more thing. You seem to think Amibroker is a competitor of TickZOOM. Far from it. All those platforms are closed source, primarily focus on serving "retail traders" as they are affectionately called (except Maestro). That means they either focus on historical testing, discretionary trading, "assisted automation" or some combination of those. TickZOOM is totally different because it's 90% open source in C#, built by and for "sophisticated" traders and small to medium institutions which means traders who are also programmers or who can hire a programmer. For those reasons, it offers very high speed portfolio testing and total automation (meaning "hands-free" and chart free) trading as a reliable 24 hour service plus some research tools like assisted automation, market replay, optimization and charting. This kind of automation ability gives the trader freedom to leave the system running for weeks or months and simply monitor performance reports. It also grants the ability to trade dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of symbols simultaneously. Just to show how different these products really are: MultiCharts and TickZOOM are working on offering the 2 products or a bundle price. Furthermore, the CEO of MultiCharts says TickZOOM should be marketed like Linux compared to Windows. Linux has higher reliability, more flexibility and power due to the open source nature of it. But it generally feels more comfortable to advanced users. Many people think Linux competes with Windows. And may confuse that TickZOOM competes with the other platforms. But that's like saying Ferrari competes with Voltswagen. While it's true they are both "cars" but they serve totally different groups of drivers. Most either can't afford or would be afraid to drive such a powerful sports car. So that's why users who are less sophisticated with technology, use Windows and these other trading platforms and, of course, deal with the limitations of being so tied to a GUI interface. Sincerely, Wayne P.S. So the message isn't that TickZOOM is better, just different--very different.
Please read the following threads, they might help you: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104393 http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=108534
Hi, I've just been taking a look at your site. I have two questions: 1. Does the purchase price mean the end user actually owns the product and isn't tied by the nose to tickzoom? 2. Seeing as this is labelled a programmer friendly product does the purchase price include source code? Thx D
"isn't tied by the nose"? Sorry. What does that mean? The price includes 90% of functionality as open source. And it includes service, maintenance, and all updates to the software. The open source is mostly LGPL. Some of it is 3rd party LGPL like the Charting which has been highly optimized for TickZOOM performance. And that's all included. So only the data engine which converts ticks (or bar data) to other bar intervals and events is commercial open source, sold separately. So 90% of the functionality, other than, that is all open source included in those prices. However, the prices have changed with the addition of multisymbol support, portfolio equity, portfolio position sizing, portfolio money management, and portfolio risk stats. An fully updated price chart that compares, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Round Table versions will be up later today. Wayne
Sorry, I belatedly got the meaning of your expression "tied by the nose". What you mean to ask is whether the customer must continue paying for the software maintenance and support over time or if that's just a one time payment. All the current and many potential members of TickZOOM strongly believe and urge to maintain the annual lease of TickZOOM software, membership, and services without any "lifetime" ownership licenses. That's because serious, successful traders and institutions understand that high quality support and maintenance of software costs money. In other words, sophisticated and successful traders understand that you get what you pay for when you sign up for FREE support with a lifetime license. That concept of FREE support and lifetime licenses is a very retail concept for the general public. TickZOOM never wishes to attract the general public. Only sophisticated traders who either are programmers themselves or can hire a programmer as well as small to medium institutions will find TickZOOM to be a dream come true. Some call it "Nirvana". But the general public or retail traders will probably say it's "expensive", "not user friendly", etc. That's because it's extremely programmer friendly. Sincerely, Wayne