If you’re serious about consistent, systematic trading, your choice of backtesting software matters more than you might think.

Between AmiBroker and Wealth‑Lab, both offer powerful capabilities. But which one actually supports faster, more realistic backtests, cleaner execution, and more time-efficient strategy development?

Here’s the quick answer: AmiBroker is better suited for advanced traders who want complete control, fast testing speeds, and deep charting capabilities. Wealth‑Lab, on the other hand, offers a more integrated workflow, beginner-friendly interface, and robust support for automation via brokers like Interactive Brokers.

Let’s break it down so you can decide which is right for your trading journey.

AmiBroker is a one-time purchase with a reputation for raw speed and flexibility. But it’s a Windows-only platform and requires scripting via AFL (AmiBroker Formula Language). Mac users can only run it via a VM like Parallels or Bootcamp – Wine is not recommended .

Wealth‑Lab is a subscription-based platform built on C#. It also runs on Windows, with similar VM workarounds for Mac users. It integrates more tightly with brokers out of the box, which is a plus for traders seeking automation with less custom development.

Verdict: Amibroker gives you lifetime value and speed, but Wealth‑Lab is more beginner-friendly out of the box.

AmiBroker shines if you’re comfortable writing code. The flexibility is massive, but the AFL scripting language has a learning curve. There’s no drag-and-drop builder – you’re either scripting or not trading.

Wealth‑Lab offers both code and no-code workflows. You can use its drag-and-drop Block Builder or get under the hood with C# via WealthScript.

Verdict: Wealth‑Lab is faster to learn and build with. AmiBroker is more powerful for custom strategies if you’re a coder.

Here’s where things get serious.

AmiBroker is widely respected for its very fast backtesting engine. It supports realistic position sizing, portfolio-level testing, and simulations over thousands of instruments. You can even simulate slippage and realistic execution delays.

Wealth‑Lab supports portfolio simulation as well, with walk-forward analysis and Monte Carlo testing, but its engine isn’t quite as fast as AmiBroker’s for large universes.

Verdict: For pure backtesting performance and realism, AmiBroker has the edge.

Both tools offer powerful optimization capabilities:

• AmiBroker provides exhaustive, Monte Carlo, genetic algorithms, and out-of-sample testing.
• Wealth‑Lab includes evolutionary optimization, walk-forward, and parameter stability tools.

Verdict: Both platforms are solid. AmiBroker offers more configuration flexibility, but Wealth‑Lab makes robustness testing more approachable.

AmiBroker is in a league of its own for charting. You can build custom indicators, color-code charts, and scan thousands of stocks in seconds.

Wealth‑Lab supports scanning and charting, but it’s more basic and functional rather than beautiful. However, Wealth‑Lab takes the lead on broker integration and trade automation with built-in support for IB, Tradier, and others.

Verdict: Use AmiBroker if deep technical analysis and scanning are core to your workflow. Use Wealth‑Lab if automation is your focus. 

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AmiBroker’s documentation is deep, but dated. Learning AFL takes effort and much of the community support is in forums, not official channels.

Wealth‑Lab has more current documentation, in-software tooltips, and a more modern interface for learning and support. Its drag-and-drop builder also helps flatten the learning curve.

Verdict: Wealth‑Lab is easier to learn. AmiBroker is better for those willing to invest in mastering the tool.