If this is you
Choose Forex Tester
You want tick data with simulated costs in a browser, several synced charts, robots tested next to manual trades, blind testing or a prop firm simulator with an optimizer.
Forex Tester vs Soft4FX
Forex Tester vs Soft4FX: which forex simulator to use
Forex Tester and Soft4FX both replay forex on tick data for traders who place trades by hand. Forex Tester Online goes wide in the browser: 283 assets, 10 synced charts, robots and a prop firm simulator. Soft4FX lives inside MetaTrader, with real variable spreads and a news calendar. BacktestFlow goes deep on forex execution: every trade recorded, findings checked for significance.
6rows Forex Tester leads
0rows Soft4FX leads
4rows BacktestFlow leads both
The difference that decides it
The same kind of data, two different homes.
On data, these two are close. Forex Tester Online forms its candles from tick data, with spreads, swaps and commissions simulated. Soft4FX uses 10 to 20 years of ticks from Dukascopy, TrueFX and HistData, including real variable spreads.
The split is where they run. Soft4FX is a plugin for MetaTrader 4 or 5, and its download page lists Windows among the requirements. You replay inside the terminal you may already trade from, and export results to Excel or to an HTML report laid out like an MT4 or MT5 statement.
Forex Tester Online runs in any browser, desktop or mobile, and a separate desktop version works offline. It goes further on method: up to 10 synced charts, robots next to manual trades, a blind mode and a prop firm simulator.
BacktestFlow runs in the browser too, and goes deep on measuring execution: planned against captured R:R, target hit rate and sizing consistency on every plan. Our Forex Tester alternative and Soft4FX alternative pages go row by row.
Side by side
Feature by feature. Where one tool leads, its cell is marked: 6 rows for Forex Tester, 0 for Soft4FX, 4 for BacktestFlow. BacktestFlow is the last column, for reference.
| Feature | Forex Tester | Soft4FX | BacktestFlow |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A backtesting platform for manual and algorithmic strategies | A manual simulator that runs as a plugin inside MT4 or MT5 | A replay backtester for forex, with its own statistics and a separate journal for live trades |
| Where it runs | LeadsAny browser, desktop or mobile; a separate desktop version works without an internet connection | MetaTrader 4 or 5 on Windows, plus the plugin | Nothing to install: runs in the browser, the same on macOS, Windows and Linux |
| Price data | Tick by tick data that forms each candle, with spreads, swaps and commissions simulated | Tick data from Dukascopy, TrueFX and HistData, including real variable spreads | 1 minute OHLC candles from bid prices; no tick data and no spread modeling |
| History | Up to 23 years depending on the asset: EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY and gold from May 6, 2003 | 10 to 20 years of tick data | Forex from 2010 to 2015 depending on pair: GBPUSD and AUDUSD from 2010, EURUSD from 2012. Gold from 2011 |
| Instruments | Leads283 assets: 112 currency pairs plus commodities, indices, stocks, futures, ETFs and crypto | 60 forex pairs, gold, silver, bitcoin, ether and 12 stock indexes | 41 instruments on paid plans, forex first: 28 pairs plus metals, energy, the dollar index, four stock indices, BTC and ETH. The free plan has 8 of them |
| Several charts at once | LeadsUp to 10 synced charts, across different symbols and timeframes | Multi currency trading in the MT5 version | One instrument per session |
| Moving through history | LeadsJumps to indicator crossovers, level touches, session opens and news events, with a blind mode that hides the instrument and dates | Pause, change speed, step and rewind candle by candle | Each session starts on a date you pick. Fast forward runs the replay to the next Sydney, Tokyo, London or New York open, or to a time of day, and stops early on a fill, stop or target. On the Max plan, rewind steps back 1 to 50 candles |
| News | An economic calendar, with jumps to news events and practice around NFP and FOMC | The Forex Factory calendar, filterable by importance and currency, from 2007 | Not offered: fast forward runs to session opens or a time of day |
| Coded strategies | LeadsBacktests trading robots, and portfolios that mix robots with discretionary trading | Manual simulation: you place every trade by hand | Manual by design: every trade is placed by hand |
| Statistics | A Trade Analyzer, an Exit Optimizer and analysis of which sessions and market conditions work best | “Statistics similar to ones offered by Metatrader”, with Excel export and an HTML report like an MT4 or MT5 statement | On paid plans, more than 40 metrics in five sections, in R, %, money or pips; on the free plan, the Verdict and Edge sections |
| Trade record | Trades and notes kept in the backtest project, with tags, screenshots, checklists and a confidence level | Trades recorded in the simulation and exportable | LeadsEvery close opens a write up with notes, tags, checklist and screenshots, and the replay waits until it is saved |
| Findings and coaching | Data driven recommendations and a Trade Analyzer | Not documented beyond the statistics above | LeadsFlow Coach runs 28 analyses. A finding is kept only if it passes a significance check, and a report may only quote numbers the engine measured. On the Max plan every report, on the others the first per strategy and lens |
| Execution metrics | Tracks whether your higher confidence trades actually perform better | Not documented | LeadsPlanned against captured R:R, target hit rate and position sizing consistency on every plan; the checklist discipline score on paid plans |
| Trading sessions | Session analysis, across forex, stocks, futures and ETFs | A sessions window with New York, London, Tokyo and Sydney times | LeadsStatistics in pips, candles on the DST aware 17:00 New York session grid, and on paid plans, performance by trading session |
| Prop firm challenges | LeadsProp Firm Simulator: account size, profit target, daily and total drawdown and minimum days, with an optimizer | Not documented on its product page | On paid plans, a challenge mode: profit target, daily and max drawdown on equity, open positions included, and a locked Passed or Failed result |
| Trying it | A free demo, no credit card required | A free demo | A free plan, no credit card: the replay, the full trade record and the Verdict and Edge statistics on 8 instruments |
The short answer
Which should you use?
If this is you
Choose Soft4FX
You trade from MetaTrader 4 or 5 on Windows and want manual replay inside it, with real variable spreads, a news calendar and MetaTrader style reports.
If this is you
The forex specialist: BacktestFlow
You trade forex by hand and want to know whether you followed your own process. Every trade is recorded before the replay moves on, nothing needs installing, and findings must pass a significance check.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions. About Forex Tester, Soft4FX, and the differences.
On breadth and method, yes: 283 assets, up to 10 synced charts, robots next to manual trades, a blind mode and a prop firm simulator, in any browser. Soft4FX is the better fit if you trade from MetaTrader every day and want replay there, with real variable spreads and results laid out like an MT4 statement.
Soft4FX is a plugin for MetaTrader, and its download page lists Windows as a requirement: 10 or 11 for the MT5 version, 7 to 11 for MT4. Forex Tester Online runs in any browser, macOS included. BacktestFlow runs in the browser too, the same on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Yes. Forex Tester Online forms each candle from tick data over up to 23 years, with spreads, swaps and commissions simulated. Soft4FX uses 10 to 20 years of ticks from Dukascopy, TrueFX and HistData, with real variable spreads. Tick data matters most for scalping and very tight stops. BacktestFlow replays one minute bid candles.
Soft4FX, if you want replay inside the terminal: it runs as a plugin in MT4 or MT5 and reports MetaTrader style statistics. Forex Tester Online works next to MetaTrader instead: its Exit Optimizer can import your MetaTrader trade history. For strategies written as code, MetaTrader's own Strategy Tester is the standard.
Both. Soft4FX builds in the Forex Factory calendar, filterable by importance and currency, with data from 2007. Forex Tester Online has an economic calendar and jumps straight to news events such as NFP and FOMC. BacktestFlow has no calendar: fast forward runs to the next session open or to a time of day.
Both go wide on data: ticks, spreads and long histories. BacktestFlow goes deep on forex execution. The replay waits until every trade is recorded, and Flow Coach keeps a finding only if it passes a significance check. Every plan measures planned against captured R:R and sizing consistency; paid plans add a checklist discipline score.
Sources
Check it yourself. Every claim about Forex Tester and Soft4FX on this page was checked against their own published material in November 2026.
- Forex Tester Online, product site (features, asset list, FAQ)
- Forex Tester Online, prop firm challenge simulator
- Forex Tester Desktop, product site
- Soft4FX, Forex Simulator product page
- Soft4FX, Download and requirements
We quote no prices: they change often, so check them at the source. Software changes too, so if something here is out of date, it is an error rather than a position, and it gets corrected.
BacktestFlow is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Forex Tester, Soft4FX or MetaQuotes. Forex Tester, Soft4FX, MetaTrader, MT4 and MT5 are trademarks of their respective owners. Forex Tester's site blocks automated access, so its claims were checked by hand in a browser. Features change: verify current details at the source.