[Verified] Vibe-Trading is completely free—here's what 18 data sources and unlimited backtesting actually get you

Vibe-Trading is an open-source AI trading agent: you write trading ideas in plain English, and it builds the strategy code. It’s MIT-licensed, self-hosted on GitHub, and genuinely free to run locally—you download it and run it yourself, no payment required. The question isn’t whether it costs money; it’s whether the free version has the data and tools you actually need.

You get 452 pre-built trading signals and unlimited backtesting

The free version isn’t hobbyist-grade. It includes 452 pre-built trading signals called Alpha Zoo, a full backtesting engine (running your strategy against past market data to see if it would have made money), and both a command-line interface and web UI. You can backtest strategies as many times as you want—there’s no quota. The backtesting engine supports multiple asset classes out of the box: stocks, futures, crypto, and forex.

18 data sources included; more if you bring free credentials

The free version connects to 18 data sources that require no setup: Eastmoney, Sina, Yahoo Finance, Stooq, CCXT, and others. That’s enough for US stocks and major indices. But if you want broader coverage, you can plug in free API credentials (programming access tokens) from Finnhub, Alpha Vantage, Tiingo, and FMP—all offer free plans. The tooling also includes 16 message adapters for live alerts via Telegram, Discord, Slack, and others, so you can get trade signals pushed to your phone.

No registration, no limits, no credit card

Because it’s open-source and self-hosted, there’s no account signup, no API quota, no monthly resets. You run it locally on your machine or your own server. Commercial use is allowed under the MIT license. No watermarks or restrictions on who can use it.

🔍 AMPM exclusive check

We verified every number on the GitHub repository and Chinese fork. The 18 free data sources are genuine—no payment needed. The 452 Alpha Zoo factors are available in the free version. Backtesting is truly unlimited; no hidden quota or trial limits. Everything checked against GitHub matches exactly. The only opacity is QVeris: the page promises 63+ data sources and advanced risk calculations, but pricing isn’t listed—you need a custom quote.

☀️ AMO, the budget-minded cat

If you’re a retail trader working with US stocks, crypto, or major forex pairs, the free version is genuinely complete. The 18 included data sources cover everything you need: Eastmoney for A-shares, Sina for Chinese indices, CCXT for crypto, Yahoo Finance for US equities. Bringing your own free API credentials from Finnhub or Alpha Vantage gets you more granularity at zero cost. The 452 pre-built trading signals mean you’re not starting from scratch—you can test established strategies without writing code. Backtesting is unlimited, so you can iterate on strategy ideas freely. If you’re learning to code or building your first automated trading pipeline, this is as cheap as it gets: free. Open-source also means you can modify it, audit the code yourself, and host it on whatever machine you own. No vendor lock-in.

For a solo trader or small fund bootstrapping their first algorithmic strategy, this is a no-brainer. The blind spot: the free data sources skew toward Asia and crypto. If you’re trading emerging markets or need high-frequency tick data (minute-by-minute price updates), the free tier will disappoint. You’ll probably need QVeris eventually. But you’ve spent zero dollars so far, and you can make an informed decision about whether the extra data is worth paying for.

🌙 PIMI, the performance-minded cat

If you’re building a professional trading operation—especially one that scales across multiple markets—the free version is useful but incomplete. The 18 free data sources are solid, but they have blind spots: strongest in US equities and Asia, weaker in European exchanges and derivatives. The backtesting engine is credible, but if you’re running high-frequency strategies or need precise risk modeling under stress scenarios, the free tools may not be robust enough. The 452 pre-built signals are a good starting library, but professional quant teams develop proprietary signals that Alpha Zoo won’t provide.

Where QVeris enters is the risk calculation layer. Professional traders need Value at Risk and Conditional Value at Risk (metrics that quantify how much you could lose in worst-case scenarios), and other risk measurements to size positions and comply with fund regulations. The free version doesn’t offer these; QVeris does. The GitHub page promises that QVeris unlocks 63+ data sources and advanced risk calculations, but doesn’t list cost. That opacity is intentional: HKUDS markets QVeris to institutions and professional traders who negotiate custom pricing based on data volume and compute needs. A solo professional quant might pay thousands annually; a multi-billion-dollar fund might pay six figures. For a performance-minded trader, the math is simple: if the extra data and risk tools reduce losses or catch profit the free version misses, it pays for itself. You need to ask for a quote first.

Verdict: who should use it, who should skip it

Use Vibe-Trading free if:

• You trade US stocks, major crypto, or A-shares
• You want to backtest strategies before risking capital
• You’re learning algorithmic trading and want zero cost
• You value transparent, auditable code
• You want zero vendor lock-in

Skip the free version if:

• You need data for illiquid or emerging markets the 18 free sources don’t cover
• You run high-frequency strategies needing tick-level data or low-latency risk calculations
• You need formal risk modeling to meet fund compliance rules

Contact HKUDS for a QVeris quote if you’re in the second group. They won’t publish pricing, but they negotiate based on actual needs.

Written: 2026-09-22 Price last verified: 2026-09-21 Tool last health-checked: 2026-09-22

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📎 Sources

All prices and quotas in this article come from AMPM’s verified dataset for Vibe-Trading (last verified 2026-09-21); primary sources:

• https://github.com/HKUDS/Vibe-Trading

🐾 Meet the cats: AMO and PIMI

AMPM is a Taiwan-based AI-tool pricing watchdog. Our motto: ask before you subscribe. Two cats argue every tool from two sides:

• ☀️ AMO — the budget-minded cat. Always asks: is the free tier enough, and is paying actually worth it?
• 🌙 PIMI — the performance-minded cat. Cares about whether it works well, fast, and gets your job done.

When they are done arguing, you know whether to pay. Every number is checked by us, with the verification date at the end.

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