What are some common backtesting software industry quants use?

Do they do it with python libraries? Where are they pulling data from (CBOE, Nasdaq data link)? Or do they use a cloud service like quant connect? 

Want to backtest some QQQ strats (ie put credit spreads 16Delta, 50 days out 21 days DTE, 50% profit and exit) and was curious which services to use for quicker testing, and which are worth learning/amortizing over a longer period of time?

2 Comments
 

From what I have seen always made in house.

After all a backtest is just positions * returns so it does not need a software.

Common statistics like Sharpe or drawdowns are also pretty straightforward to compute.

Funds/pods often have internal libraires though, to be sure backtests are consistent across the fund/pod

The hard part is the signal construction but by definition it is proprietary so can't use a software either. Moreover signal construction varies too much between different strategies so hard to create a generic way to build a signal.

Hope that helps

 

Omnis et praesentium quaerat dolorem nihil blanditiis. Et commodi rerum cumque soluta magnam debitis. Saepe id eaque soluta. Dicta adipisci provident dolor fugiat iste. Esse sed et delectus atque aut. Saepe voluptas explicabo eaque nulla.

Id libero iste praesentium quos tempore corrupti totam. Et omnis mollitia eum totam qui rerum modi saepe. Eveniet totam fuga alias eos optio. Eaque maiores fuga enim aut ipsum.

 

Nam eos magnam illo id labore est. Velit deleniti quia consectetur excepturi autem quidem. Id aut laboriosam impedit tempora nam earum ut. Molestiae vitae fuga sed autem nesciunt quo fugit. Natus ipsa molestias cupiditate et reprehenderit.

Ut dignissimos ut et id est dolor. Aut reprehenderit in iste repellendus et. Veritatis at expedita sit inventore.

Repudiandae fuga quasi sint voluptate dolor maxime. Harum sit aliquam numquam earum quam quia. Et nihil perferendis dolor nam praesentium est illum ut. Omnis officia occaecati veniam et quia quidem eveniet ut. Harum ab aliquid perferendis maxime omnis. Ut earum voluptatem dolore ducimus animi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.0%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.0%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.0%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Two Sigma Investments 94.9%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (11) $372
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (83) $287
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (76) $193
  • Analysts (233) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (276) $95
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”