Hi waverider,

I've not used the Multicharts portfolio trader for years now, I still use Multicharts but I moved to FX trading, so I don't need that functionality. Last time I used it though, it was good and fast.

I have been considering revisiting equities and bulk testing, and I believe MC will be fine for it - if I do it, I'll write my impressions in this thread.

I also don't use Multicharts.net or C# - I find that the simplicity of easylanguage matches a belief I have - the simpler, the better.

ABCTG 

They are not affiliated in any way. As far as I know the rumors about some of their guys being former TS programmers are also not true. In my opinion MC looked at the handling and feel of TS and implemented what they liked into their platform and at the same time closed all the issues that TS had before they introduced OOEL. On top of that you have features build in today that TS doesn't have - like the delta, <<< volume profiling ????>>> and flexibility of choice when it comes to brokers and datafeeds for example. Also don't forget that the MC guys offered tools for Tradestation long before MC was on the market. Regards, ABCTG

MC Volume profiling ---- you're kidding right?
How many times a week are you being asked for custom coding around their (useless) volume profile, which is a joke as it stands right now.
In my humble opinion, Multicharts doesn't even get close to the ivy league with respect to Volume Profile. There's at least 2 or 3 other products that do this better. Now, let me backup my statements:
- Works only on tick data, no minute. This somewhat limits the amount you can see (considering the 3 or so months of tick data IQFeed provides, for example)
- It is sooo inflexible in terms of setting it on a chart - you can only set it up per session or per last N sessions. No other customization possitlbe (NinjaTrader through DiscoTrading, SierraChart, AmiBroker or Investor/RT can do range - mouse drag/drop across tick or minute charts)
- Playback has no integration with Volume Profile. They took a shortcut and developed a "silo" feature.

One other pain point regarding MC's Portfolio Trader. Try and build a strategy on a large number of stocks stocks (past 10 years') on minute data ... it's hardly usable.
I don't believe someone really tested the software in such "corner case" scenarios with most of their data source <officially supported>. That's not to say TS's Maestro is better ... I don't take sides.

Now, don't get me wrong, MC / MC.NET have some good strong points (such as speed, integration with .NET/c#, productivity, seamless integration with some brokers, best playback bar-by-bar out there) I like and I use them now and then for research. However, Volume Profile is NOT one of their strong points. To me, it's just a wissle to lure in new customers.

andby,

I wasn't kidding, I was giving examples of features that MC had and that TS didn't have at that time.
The full quote from two and a half years ago was "On top of that you have features build in today that TS doesn't have - like the delta, volume profiling and flexibility of choice when it comes to brokers and datafeeds for example."

This was not a valuation or a praise of the quality of the implementation it was just a comparison between TS and MC.

Regards,

ABCTG

andby 

MC Volume profiling ---- you're kidding right? How many times a week are you being asked for custom coding around their (useless) volume profile, which is a joke as it stands right now. In my humble opinion, Multicharts doesn't even get close to the ivy league with respect to Volume Profile. There's at least 2 or 3 other products that do this better. Now, let me backup my statements: - Works only on tick data, no minute. This somewhat limits the amount you can see (considering the 3 or so months of tick data IQFeed provides, for example) - It is sooo inflexible in terms of setting it on a chart - you can only set it up per session or per last N sessions. No other customization possitlbe (NinjaTrader through DiscoTrading, SierraChart, AmiBroker or Investor/RT can do range - mouse drag/drop across tick or minute charts) - Playback has no integration with Volume Profile. They took a shortcut and developed a "silo" feature. One other pain point regarding MC's Portfolio Trader. Try and build a strategy on a large number of stocks stocks (past 10 years') on minute data ... it's hardly usable. I don't believe someone really tested the software in such "corner case" scenarios with most of their data source <officially supported>. That's not to say TS's Maestro is better ... I don't take sides. Now, don't get me wrong, MC / MC.NET have some good strong points (such as speed, integration with .NET/c#, productivity, seamless integration with some brokers, best playback bar-by-bar out there) I like and I use them now and then for research. However, Volume Profile is NOT one of their strong points. To me, it's just a wissle to lure in new customers.

ABCTG 

I wasn't kidding, I was giving examples of features that MC had and that TS didn't have at that time. The full quote from two and a half years ago was "On top of that you have features build in today that TS doesn't have - like the delta, volume profiling and flexibility of choice when it comes to brokers and datafeeds for example."

@ABCTG,

your 2014 observation about MultiCharts having delta and volume profiling features that TradeStation lacked was accurate at the time - and interestingly, that gap still exists in some areas even in 2026.

For anyone researching MultiCharts vs TradeStation today, the landscape has evolved significantly since this thread began:

What's Changed Since 2016

TradeStation now offers their platform free with a brokerage account - a major shift from the pricing discussions in this thread. Portfolio Maestro has matured considerably, though the backtesting speed advantage FastBull32 documented (2 minutes vs 150 minutes for the same test) still favors MultiCharts due to its multi-core CPU optimization.

A recent MultiCharts review from 2024 confirms backtesting runs approximately 20% faster than TradeStation for equivalent strategies, primarily because MC can utilize all available RAM on 64-bit systems more efficiently.

The Core Trade-Off Remains

When evaluating TradeStation vs MultiCharts, the fundamental decision comes down to:

• TradeStation: All-in-one ecosystem (charting, data, broker, platform) - simpler setup, free tier available, excellent walk-forward optimization and Monte Carlo analysis built-in
• MultiCharts: Flexibility (multiple data feeds, multiple brokers, Quote Manager for data organization) - better for traders who want to mix and match components

For volume profile and market profile work specifically - which I know you use extensively - MultiCharts still offers more robust native implementations. TradeStation has improved, but serious profile traders often add third-party tools.

EasyLanguage Compatibility

The code compatibility between platforms remains at roughly 99%, though calculation results can differ slightly due to implementation differences. Most strategies copy between platforms with only minor keyword adjustments - valuable for anyone considering a switch.

Pricing Reality in 2025-2026

• TradeStation: Free with funded account
• MultiCharts: $797/year or $1,497 lifetime
• Portfolio Trader add-on: Additional $499

The free TradeStation tier has made the decision more nuanced. For casual systematic traders, TradeStation's zero cost is compelling. For portfolio-level testing across hundreds of symbols - the original use case in this thread - MultiCharts' speed advantage may justify the investment.

ABCTG, given your experience with both platforms over the years, have you noticed any areas where TradeStation has genuinely closed the gap?

Have a good weekend!

-- Fi
"The best edge is the one you can actually execute."