The ultimate curated resource list for Python-based algorithmic trading β built and maintained by Python for Traders.
We only include tools, libraries, and projects worth your time. No bloated lists. No dead links. If it's here, it's useful.
β = Highly recommended based on community feedback and active development
- π§ Setup & Environment
- π Data Sources
- π Backtesting Engines
- βοΈ Execution & Brokers
- π¦ Strategy Codebases
- π§ ML & Quant Research
- π Courses & Books
- π§° Libraries & Tools
- π¬ Communities & Blogs
- π₯ Starter Projects
- π Master the Stack
Tools and templates to get your Python quant stack running fast.
- β uv - Modern Python package installer and resolver
- β ruff - Fast Python linter and code formatter
- β cursor - AI-powered code editor
- poetry - Python dependency management and packaging
- jupyterlab - Web-based interactive development environment
- VSCode - Popular code editor with great Python support
- mplfinance - matplotlib utilities for financial charts
- finplot - Fast & clean financial plotting
Free and paid APIs for historical and live market data.
- β yfinance - Free Yahoo Finance data
- β Alpaca Market Data - Real-time and historical US stocks/crypto
- β Crypto: CCXT - Unified crypto exchange API
- Polygon.io - Comprehensive market data API
- Tiingo - Financial data platform with free tier
- Quandl - Financial, economic and alternative data
- IBKR TWS API - Interactive Brokers market data
- Alpha Vantage - Free stock, forex and crypto data
- Finnhub - Real-time RESTful APIs
- IEX Cloud - Financial data infrastructure
- Binance API - Crypto exchange data
- CoinGecko - Comprehensive crypto data
- EOD Historical Data - Global financial data
- Financial Modeling Prep - Financial statements API
- Marketstack - Real-time and historical market data
Simulate, validate, and iterate on trading strategies.
- bt - Flexible backtesting for Python
- vectorbt - Fast vectorized backtesting
- Backtrader - Popular event-driven framework
- QuantConnect Lean - Production-grade engine
- fastquant - Backtest strategies in one line
- PyAlgoTrade - Event-driven algorithmic trading
- Zipline - Quantopian's backtesting engine
- finmarketpy - Backtesting with market analysis
- QTPyLib - Algo trading framework for stocks & futures
- TradingView - Cloud-based backtesting platform
Trade automation libraries and broker APIs.
- β IB-insync - Interactive Brokers Python API
- β Alpaca-Py - Commission-free stock trading
- β ccxt - Crypto trading across 100+ exchanges
- Binance API Python - Binance exchange API
- IBKR Native API - Official IB API
- Coinbase Pro - Coinbase exchange API
- Kraken API - Kraken exchange API
- Oanda API - Forex and CFD trading
Real strategy examples to learn from or fork.
- QuantConnect/Lean
- bt examples
- Alphalens β factor analysis
- zipline β legacy Quantopian engine
- finmarketpy
ML and stats tools for modeling and signal generation.
- β scikit-learn
- β statsmodels
- β quantstats
- pmdarima
- arch β volatility models
- TA-Lib
- mlfinlab
The best content to deepen your understanding.
- β Python for Traders Masterclass β Build real bots in 30 days.
- Algorithmic Trading: Winning Strategies and Their Rationale β E. Chan
- Quantitative Trading: How to Build Your Own Algorithmic Trading Business β E. Chan
- Machine Learning for Asset Managers β M. Lopez de Prado
- Python for Finance: Mastering Data-Driven Finance β Y. Hilpisch
- QuantInsti - Professional algo trading certification
- Udacity Artificial Intelligence for Trading - AI/ML focused trading course
- Hudson & Thames - High-quality quantitative research and courses
High-impact libraries every Python quant should know.
- β Pandas - Fast and flexible data analysis
- β NumPy - Scientific computing foundation
- β Polars - Lightning-fast DataFrame library
- Vaex - Out-of-memory DataFrames
- TA-Lib - Technical analysis
- Quantlib - Quantitative finance
- plotly - Interactive visualization
- mplfinance - Financial charting
Where the smart traders hang out.
- β Python for Traders Community
- Quantocracy
- r/algotrading
- EliteTrader Forums
- Ernie Chan Blog
- QuantStart
- QuantInsti Blog
- Substack: Alpha Architect
Use these as boilerplates or learning exercises.
Want to go deeper and actually build bots that trade?
Join our free Python for Traders community and get:
- β Step-by-step strategy building from idea to execution
- β Live broker integration
- β Downloadable templates and backtest code
- β A private community of serious builders
No fluff, no theory - just practical code and strategies you can use today. Our community has helped hundreds of traders go from zero to live trading.