Test the demo
before you buy

Two marketplaces, different trial rules

Check what “demo” means for that product

Write down any restricted symbols, timeframes, inputs, features or expiry dates. If the trial omits something you need to evaluate, ask the seller about it before making a purchase. A limited trial cannot answer every question about the full product.

Start with the exact package

Match the listing, platform and manual

Save the official product URL and note its platform, version and update date. Match these to the installed package and the manual you are reading. An MT5 EA and a cTrader cBot can share a product-family name while using different settings or release numbers.

Confirm the intended symbol, chart timeframe, account mode and setup requirements. For Gold software, check your broker's actual instrument name and contract specification rather than assuming every XAUUSD symbol is identical. Our broker Gold-symbol guide explains what to record.

For an MQL5 demo, download the trial from the official listing and use the EA's Test action in the Navigator. For cTrader, use the same cTrader ID in the Store and your app, then follow the trial's installation and usage instructions. cTrader documents how Store installation and account access work.

Make your first run repeatable

Record these details before pressing Start

• Identity: product URL, installed build, platform version and trial limitations.
• Configuration: exact preset and every input you changed. Keep the manual's reference setup as a separate record.
• Market: broker or data source, symbol, timeframe and the intended start and end dates.
• Account assumptions: starting capital, currency, leverage and position-sizing method.
• Test assumptions: data model, spread, commission, swap treatment and execution assumptions available in your tester.
• Question: what would this run help you decide? For example, whether the documented preset starts correctly on your broker's Gold symbol.

Use our free Backtest Plan Generator to put the record together. It runs in your browser and gives you a plan to copy or print.

Begin with the documented configuration. Check that the software starts and that its logs make sense before changing inputs. Avoid searching for a winning combination until you understand the reference behaviour; otherwise you can lose track of which change caused the result.

A downloaded demo is the beginning

Finish the run and keep its report

Check the actual end date and whether the run completed, stopped at a risk limit, hit a trial restriction or failed. Keep interrupted runs labelled as interrupted. A panel screenshot or a running progress bar does not establish a completed test.

For MT5, review the tester results and retain the report with the settings and Journal. MetaQuotes explains the testing report. In cTrader, save the completed HTML report and the .cbotset parameter file, then retain the relevant History, Events and Log information. cTrader explains report and parameter-file exports.

Read equity drawdown, balance drawdown, trade count, losing sequences and costs alongside return. Inspect when the strategy struggled and whether a few trades account for most of the result. Our backtest-metrics guide covers those measures.

If there are no trades, save the logs and check the manual's entry conditions, trial limits, symbol and settings. Diagnose the cause before changing risk controls. A quiet test alone does not tell you whether the software is faulty or suitable.

Make the comparison useful

Keep a separate period out of your tuning

After you understand the reference run, evaluate the same configuration over different dates that you did not use to choose its settings. Where the tester permits it, examine less favourable trading-cost and execution assumptions. Save each run separately and record the one change being compared.

A trial that only works on one symbol or locks some inputs may restrict this review. Record that limitation instead of treating the result as evidence for other markets or settings.

If you can legally use the product on a broker demo account under its licence, a separate forward observation can help you examine current behaviour. Keep that record distinct from the historical test. Neither demo observation nor a backtest establishes future live performance.

Before you choose

Ask the seller questions they can answer

• Which current product version does this manual or preset cover?
• What can the trial test, and which full-version features are excluded?
• Which symbols, timeframes, account modes and platform versions are supported?
• Which settings govern position size, exposure, trading hours and risk-stop behaviour?
• Is there a complete report with dates, settings and costs for the example being shown?
• What support is available if my test stops or produces different behaviour?

Attach a concise test summary and the relevant log lines when requesting setup help. Remove account identifiers and private information. A precise setup question is easier to resolve than a screenshot of a final profit number.

Common questions

EA and cBot demo-testing FAQ

Can an MQL5 Market EA demo run on a demo trading account?

Its trading functions are restricted to the Strategy Tester. Connecting the terminal to a demo account does not make the Market trial usable on an online chart.

Does every paid cTrader cBot have a free trial?

A trial is optional. Check the current listing for a trial button and read the seller's limitations before installing it.

Should I buy after one profitable backtest?

One historical result is insufficient to establish suitability. Review the complete test, its assumptions and losses, investigate limitations and assess behaviour across separate periods.

What should I send when asking for setup help?

The product version, platform, broker symbol, timeframe, preset, test dates and relevant logs. Explain whether the run completed or stopped, and remove private account information.