I’m new to Forex and normally trade stocks. I’ve spent the last year learning Forex, the MT4 platform, etc. and having a robot built. I’ve got a Forex.com demo account and am about to test my robot, but I’m not sure if their tick data is going to be reliable. The robot developer told me that he uses Birt’s tick data from eareview.com. I got a trial membership from them and the modeling quality on the strategy tester in MT4 showed as 99%. That was great, but for comparison I ran a backtest using Metaquotes tick data straight from the MT4 platform, and it gave me N/A as the modeling quality. Does anyone have a suggestion about whether to trust the tick data coming straight out of the MT4 platform or should I now pay the $99/year for data from eareview.com? Thanks for your help. I’m trying to find a reliable source for tick data for backtesting.
@stressed1, how is this strategy tester measuring the modeling quality of tick data? Did you already try running this backtest on your MT4 demo account with FOREX.com? If so, what were the results?
Since you’re looking for a reliable source for tick data, it’s worth noting that as of the latest financial data from the CFTC, which regulates retail forex in the US, FOREX.com has an over 50% share of the market in terms of client deposits.
Thanks for replying. When I use Strategy Tester with the data from Birt’s (dukascopy data) with the Model setting as “every tick,” the modeling quality in the report shows to be 99%. When I use the data from the MT4 History Center, with the Model setting as “Open Prices,” the modeling quality shows as N/A.
Yes, I did run the tests on my Forex.com demo account. I’m comfortable with Forex.com, just need to get a better handle on if I need to spend the money on an outside tick data service for my backtests going forward. I’m probably just misunderstanding the readouts from the Strategy Tester. It may be that when one chooses Open Prices as the Model type, then the modeling quality does not actually display. Please advise. If this is the case, then that’s the simple answer. Thanks.
You can consider Birt’s Tick Data Suite. I use it to achieve 99% modelling quality for tick data. I think they have a free trial which you can use - very easy in getting the data downloaded and tested with MT4. 
Great. Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it…
Yup, or apart from Birt’s Tick Data Suite you can also try Tickstory, there is a free and paid version!
Thanks for the heads up on Tickstory. I went ahead and got a Birt’s subscription before I had a chance to read your reply, but I’ll definitely keep Tickstory in mind for the future.
Bro. You won’t go wrong with Birts tick data suite. Its the gold standard. Tickstory is obsolete in comparision. I presume you’ve subcribed to the v2.x
$10 a month is a small small price to pay for quality data. Dukascopy data is also gold standard. Trueblue will leave you guessing and you don’t want that.
Enjoy many many hours of screen time ahead
Cool. Thanks for weighing in on that. I’ve really been a lone trader only talking with another buddy of mine for the past 8 years in the trenches. I was trading stocks, and he kept telling me to get into Forex instead. Didn’t want to do it because of the 24 hour market aspect of it, but I also hated morning gaps in the NYSE. Weekend holds killed me many a time. Anyway, I’m getting off topic here. Glad to know that there’s a lot of other knowledgeable traders out there that are willing to give a tip here and there. Thanks again.
Agree with Bob, I have used both. Birt’s TDS is a good choice too
Cool. Thanks for weighing in. I’ll probably have some others questions for you folks once I start trying to go through the optimization process for my EA in the Strategy Tester. Until then…