vectorbt
Python library for very fast vectorized backtests, ideal for testing thousands of parameter combinations.
Unbeatable speed for exploring many parameter combinations at once.
Who it is for
People who already use pandas and NumPy and want to test many strategy variants quickly.
Strengths
- Vectorized approach: fast for sweeping many parameter combinations.
- Active project (commits in October 2026).
Good to know
- Not "pure" open source: the Commons Clause forbids selling the software or a service whose value derives substantially from it.
- Testing thousands of combinations and keeping the best one is the classic recipe for overfitting: always validate out of sample.
Want a bot built on vectorbt, or something similar?
We set it up, connect it to your accounts and keep it running.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these sources, checked on 2026-10-24. If something has changed, the source wins; tell us at hello@heybotify.com.
- https://github.com/polakowo/vectorbt/blob/master/LICENSE.md: Apache 2.0 license with Commons Clause and what it forbids
- https://github.com/polakowo/vectorbt: language and project activity
Alternatives in Backtesting
NautilusTrader
High-performance algorithmic trading platform (Rust core, used from Python) that runs the same strategy code in backtests and live.
Backtesting.py
Lightweight Python library to backtest a strategy on one asset with very little code.
Backtrader
Classic Python library for backtesting strategies, widely used in tutorials.
bt
Python library to backtest portfolio strategies (allocation, weighting, rebalancing) built from reusable building blocks.