Trading Platforms
Sierra Chart has existed since 1996 developing and supporting financial market analysis and trading software. Sierra Chart supports all markets including futures, stocks, forex, indexes and options. Sierra Chart develops and supports complete front-end advanced charting and trading software. They develop high-performance server software for market data for Sierra Chart. Sierra Chart provides complete market data services from various exchanges for our front-end trading and charting software. Sierra Chart is truly a global operation with users throughout the world. They develop top-quality and well engineered software.
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Introduction
- Sierra Chart is a professional Trading platform for the financial markets which is compatible with many externally available trading services. It supports Manual, Automated and Simulated Trading.
- Sierra Chart is a complete Real-time and Historical, Charting and Technical Analysis platform for the financial markets.
- Sierra Chart fully supports the open specification Data and Trading Communications Protocol for the community.
- Sierra Chart now offers a high quality direct CME / CBOT / NYMEX / COMEX / Eurex / ICE / Euronext / LIFFE / NYSE / NASDAQ / TSX / Montréal Futures / Cash Indices / Forex market data feed.
- Sierra Chart uses the very best engineering and design practices to produce well-organized, fast and ultra rocksolid software and services. We continue to strive to be as best as we can be.
Main Features of Sierra Chart
- Sierra Chart is widely known for its stable, open, and highly customizable design.
- Sierra Chart is solid professional quality software. Designed for efficiency and ease-of-use. It has an uncomplicated interface that can handle the most demanding applications. It is developed by an experienced and competent development team that stays on top of development. It has been proven and trusted by investors/traders/clearing firms for more than a decade.
- Sierra Chart is extremely fast with a definite focus on high performance in all areas of the program.
- Sierra Chart supports all types of markets: stocks, futures, indexes, currencies/forex and options.
- Complete trading support, both basic and advanced. Including easy to use automated trading. Use our exclusive ChartDOM (depth of market) which is a functional Trading DOM fully integrated with charts.
- Sierra Chart has excellent comprehensive documentation. Best quality support.
- Sierra Chart supports numerous internal and external Data and Trading services. All the major data services and backend trading platforms are supported. Sierra Chart supports DTC making it automatically compatible with any external Data or Trading service using this protocol.
- Sierra Chart uses the FIX and DTC protocols for trading where possible, for the most reliable and trouble-free trading.
- Sierra Chart is simple to get started with and simple to use. Download it and see for yourself. It is well organized with all functionality easily found. Yet it has the features and flexibility for advanced users.
- You can create your own custom studies, indicators and trading systems using the Sierra Chart Advanced Custom Study Interface and Language or the built-in Excel compatible Spreadsheets. Or use ones developed by Sierra Chart users and third party developers.
Data and Trading Connectivity
- Sierra Chart directly provides real-time forex, CFD (contract for difference), stock and futures data without having to use an external service.
- Sierra Chart directly provides Historical Daily and detailed Intraday data for stocks, forex, futures and indexes without having to use an external service.
- Sierra Chart supports many external Data and Trading services providing complete real-time and historical data and trading access to global futures, stocks, indexes, forex and options markets. All of the major Data services and Trading backends are supported.
- Sierra Chart uses direct connections to all Data and Trading services. It does not use any in process blackbox API components. Sierra Chart does not use Java or .NET. It is fast 100% native C++ code. All of this means you have super high reliability, the best connectivity and support for connections.
- For supported Trading services that provide OCO (order cancels order) and/or bracket order functionality on the server side, Sierra Chart uses this server side functionality for the greatest safety for OCO and bracket orders.
Create and customize advanced and real-time Intraday and Historical charts for futures, stocks, commodities, indexes, mutual funds, currencies or any market.
Continuously updated charts as trades occur. Real-time tick by tick charting. Every trade received from the connected data feed is efficiently processed, stored and displayed, with none of them ignored. Charts scroll automatically as new bars are added. Ticks/trades can be stored as individual data records for highly precise charts.
Complete technical analysis capabilities through the detailed and interactive charts, chart Drawing Tools, and Studies.
Create Historical charts with a bar period of Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly, or any number of days. Historical data for the charts is automatically downloaded from various supported services. The downloaded data is saved locally on your hard disk in a text format. You have the ability to easily edit the data, if necessary. Historical charts are updated in real time, so you always have a chart which is up to date with the latest trade.
Create Intraday charts with any bar period. The period can be less than 1 day or greater than or equal to 1 day. The bars can be based on any timeframe including: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Number Of Trades, Volume, Price Range, Delta/Difference Volume, Renko Value, Reversal Value.All historical Intraday data available from the Data or Trading service server and all real-time data received from the server is stored on your computer for analysis at any time including when offline. Whatever data is missing from the charts and is available on the server is downloaded when you connect to the Data or Trading service server.
High-performance Continuous Futures Contract feature with back adjustments. This feature allows you to instantly create continuous futures contracts without any additional data downloading, if the necessary futures data has already been previously downloaded, and optionally back adjust the data according to the rollover gaps between the contracts. This feature works with both Intra-day and Historical charts. This feature works with all of the supported Data and Trading services including the Sierra Chart data services.
Detach chart windows from the main application window to place on multiple monitors.
Chartbook tabs. Chart window tabs. Spreadsheet window tabs. These tabs allow for direct selection of Chartbooks, charts and Spreadsheets.
Create watch lists of symbols that can be easily iterated through or selected.
Replay one or more Intra-day charts at any speed and from any point in time in the available chart data. The replay speed can be anywhere from .1 to 100,000 times the normal speed of real-time data. You can perform simulated trading or back testing during the replay if you require. There is no need to have recorded the data previously. The replay feature can be used easily at any time. When replaying multiple charts, they stay synchronized with each other.
Multiple Monitor Support. Charts can be displayed on multiple monitors.
Advanced TPO Profile charts (also known as Market Profile). This is a powerful and interactive feature which provides a method of performing market analysis based upon the amount of time that price trades at particular price levels. TPO stands for Time-Price Opportunity . With TPO charts, you are able to analyze the amount of trading activity, based on time, for each price level the market traded at for any given time period.
Fully adjustable subregions within each chart window.
Fully customizable Vertical and Horizontal chart grids that can be hidden.
High-resolution chart Printing.
Linear or Logarithmic scale and many different Scale Range types.
Left side scale display on the charts. This can be enabled by selecting:
Chart >> Chart Settings >> Use Left Side Scale.
Display graph values for any point in the chart using the Chart Values / Crosshair tool. Use the Global Cursor feature to see the crosshair on all charts at the corresponding location. You can choose to synchronize charts, which automatically scrolls charts to the corresponding location. You can synchronize all charts or linked charts.
Chart Linking. Establish links between specified charts. Link the Symbol, Bar Period, Scroll Position and/or Session Times.
Graph Draw Types for charts include:
- Open High Low Close Bars
- Candlestick Bars
- Candlestick Body Only Bars
- Line on Close
- Mountain
- High Low Close Bars
- Line on Open
- Line on High Low Average
- Stair Step on Close
- High Low Bars
- TPO Profile Chart
- Kagi
- Point and Figure OHLC Bars
- Volume by Price
- Point and Figure X-O
- Bid Ask Volume Bars
- Price Volume Bars
- Candle Price Volume Bars
A Numbers Bars study to display numerically the Volume, Ask Volume, Bid Volume, Ask Volume and Bid Volume difference at each price level within each chart bar. Expansive color coding and volume profile display capabilities are supported.
Chart templates. You can also instantly Duplicate a chart to the same or another Chartbook.
Customize colors for the chart graphics.
Load and work with an unlimited number of chart windows and Chartbooks. The Chartbooks can be saved to disk and loaded with all of your previous settings. Chartbooks are saved workspaces that contain all of your charts and related windows and the settings.
You can capture your charts or desktop and upload the images to be shared with others or for your own reference.
Can adjust the Time Scale on charts to your local time zone.
Many more Features. This Features page only provides a general overview of the functionality available.
Complete and Advanced Trading Functionality:
Enter orders, view orders, manage orders, and view positions from a Trade Window, chart, Chart DOM or standalone Trade DOM. Advanced Trading from the charts.
Advanced and highly configurable Trading DOM providing complete trading functionality. The order columns support entry of Limit, Stop, Stop-Limit, and Market if Touched orders. All other Order Types can be entered through the attached Trade Window or through the right-click Trade menu. The Trading DOM is fully configurable. You can set the colors and what columns to display and their order. Columns include Market Depth, Last Trade Size, Cumulative Last Trade Size, Profit and Loss, Recent Bid and Ask Volume.
Advanced chart based trading interface (Chart DOM) which is a fully functional Trading DOM on the charts that functions just like a traditional trading DOM with optional market depth display. It supports entry of Limit, Stop, Stop-Limit, and Market if Touched orders. The Chart DOM is fully configurable. You can set the colors and what columns to display and the column order.
Advanced Trade strategies including: Targets, Stops, numerous types of Trailing Stops, and Move to Breakeven Stops, all fully managed with OCO functionality and automatic quantity management (Advanced Trade Management). Targets and Stops can be automatically entered when submitting the parent order or after.
Order types supported:
- Market
- Limit
- Stop
- Stop-Limit
- OCO Limit and Stop
- OCO Limit and Stop-Limit
- Market if Touched
- Trailing Stop
- Trailing Stop-Limit
- Triggered Trail Stop
- Move to Breakeven Stop
- OCO Buy Stop Sell Stop
- OCO Buy Limit Sell Limit
- OCO Buy Stop-Limit Sell Stop-Limit
- Attached Orders-Position
- Attached Orders-Price
- Limit Chase
Trading Scale In and Scale Out functionality.
Create Automated Trading Systems based on your own custom criteria using Spreadsheets or the Advanced Custom Study Interface and Language. Spreadsheets provide a rapid and simple means of creating an automated trading system.
Advanced and complete Trade Simulation. Trade simulation can be used during chart replays or with live market data. All of the Sierra Chart trading functionality works in the Trade Simulation Mode
Complete Trade Activity logging through the Trade >> Trade Activity Log. This window provides the ability to generate Trade Statistics with various performance related fields, a Trades list, and other performance reports for any period of time and based on other filters.
High speed back-testing with detailed trade reporting. Tick by tick back testing is supported.
Support for multiple trade accounts if the connected Trading service supports multiple trading accounts on the logged in username. All of the available trade accounts are automatically discovered on the logged in trading account username and can be easily selected from a drop-down list through the Trade Window on a chart or Trade DOM.
For supported Trading services that provide OCO (order cancels order) and/or bracket order functionality on the server side, Sierra Chart uses this server side functionality for the greatest safety for OCO and bracket orders.
When you are trading the foreign exchange markets on Sierra Chart you have a trading environment which is more powerful than typically what is offered in Forex trading platforms. Easily visualize where you want to enter an order in relation to the current price and the historical prices by using the Trade DOM or Chart DOM. There is a full view of the depth of market. There is a single Position for every Forex pair. There is no need to be concerned with all of the smaller trades which make up the larger Position. When you want to flatten the Position or reverse, it is a simple one step procedure. Chart based trading is easy, straightforward, and flexible and provides all of the capabilities needed for advanced trading.
Many more Features. This Features page only provides a general overview of the functionality available.
350+ fully customizable technical studies and indicators. For the current list of available studies and indicators go to Analysis >> Studies within Sierra Chart. Sierra Chart offers an Advanced Custom Study Interface and Language. This allows us or users to add studies very rapidly.There is also a large library of custom studies developed by other users that you can use.
Each study has inputs to modify the variables of the study. Various Draw Styles are available and can be customized for each subgraph of a study. Draw Styles include transparent styles as well.
Specify simple or advanced Alert Conditions on studies and the main price chart for continuous monitoring and scanning across a list of symbols. Alerts can play a sound, are logged, are displayed on the chart, and an email message can optionally be sent. Alert conditions can reference multiple studies on the chart and are specified using very flexible and powerful Excel type formulas. You have access to all of the available Excel operators and functions.
Color or paint bars based on any condition formula using the Color Bar Based on Alert Condition study. The condition formula can reference multiple studies on the chart. This condition formula is specified using the same Simple Alert formula you use for Alerts. There is also the Color Background Based on Alert Condition study that will color the background of the bars where your condition formula is true.
Create your own custom studies, indicators, trading systems, and other analysis methods using the built-in Excel/Calc compatible Spreadsheets or use the powerful Sierra Chart Advanced Custom Study Interface and Language.
Take advantage of custom indicators and trading systems developed by other users or third-party developers.
Receive e-mail notifications for any condition in Sierra Chart that plays an alert sound. This includes: Spreadsheet alerts, study alerts, trading conditions that play alerts, Chart Drawing alerts and Advanced Custom Studies that play alert sounds.
Point and Figure, Three Line Break, Kagi, Heikin Ashi chart types supported. Point and Figure charts support the traditional X-O bars and the more practical Open High Low Close bars for a more detailed view.
Volume by Price study for detailed volume analysis at each price level across any timeframe. Numerous and customizable time frames are supported. Sierra Chart maintains detailed Volume at Price data based upon the underlying data in the chart data file for the symbol when using the Volume by Price, Volume Value Area Lines, and TPO Profile Chart studies. This provides for 100% accurate and stable volume analysis across any timeframe per bar when using any of these studies.
Overlay multiple price graphs into a single chart.
Base a study on another study with the Based On setting for studies. This provides a simple method to create studies based on other studies. For example, you can apply Bollinger Bands to a Stochastic.
Display graphs in the chart for Volume, Open Interest, and Number of Trades per Bar.
Spread and comparison charting.
Add any number of studies to a chart. You can set the region to display a study in.
- Reference: Chart Studies – Adding Studies to a Chart
Save a configured collection of studies and apply them to a chart with one step.
Built-in Excel and OpenOffice Calc compatible Spreadsheets for containing continuously updating quotes, for creating custom studies and systems, or for general Spreadsheet use. All Excel functions are supported. Enter simple or advanced formulas, format cells with amazing flexibility, and more.
A Variable Period Pivot Points study which calculates Pivot Points anywhere from 1 minute to 1 Year on any chart bar type.
Overlay Studies or primary price graphs from different timeframes or symbols onto a single chart. There is no limit to the number of overlays. For example, you can overlay 10 minute price bars on a 1 minute chart. Or you can overlay a Moving Average-Simple study from a 10 minute chart onto a 1 minute chart or do the reverse and overlay the moving average from a 1 minute chart onto a 10 minute chart. There is no limit to the possibilities. More information.
Complete set of Chart Drawing Tools and functionality. Tools include:
- Pointer
- Chart Values/Crosshair
- Global Cursor
- Symbol Cursor
- Adjust Regions
- Hand
- Zoom In / Cancel Zoom In (Opens in a new page)
- Line, Ray, Extended Line
- Chart Calculator
- Price Retracement (2 point) | Price Expansion (2 point) | Price Projection (3 point) Tools
- Vertical Line | Horizontal Line | Horizontal Ray
- Horizontal Level
- Parallel Lines
- Parallel Rays
- Linear Regression with Channel
- Raff Regression Channel
- Time Expansion
- Time Projection
- Fibonacci Fan / Percentage Fan / Speed Resistance Lines
- Gann Fan
- Type Text | Stationary Text
- Pitchfork (Median Line Tool) | Pitchfork – Schiff Median | Pitchfork – Modified Schiff
- Rectangle | Extending Rectangle | Ellipse
- Gann Grid
- Arrow
- Marker
- Draw Volume Profile
- Zig-Zag
- Cycle
- Reward/Risk
- Swing Marker
- Date Marker
- OHLC Ray
- Control Bar Text Drawing Buttons
Chart Drawing Modification Functions include:
- Chart Drawing Properties
- Chart Drawing Alerts
- Move Drawing
- Copy and Move Drawing
- Adjust Drawing
- Copy and Adjust Drawing
- Make Line Parallel
- Snap to High/Low and Snap Side to High/Low
- Modify Text
- Erasing Chart Drawings
- Quickly Changing Colors / Line Style / Line Width
- Hide Drawing
All Drawing Tools can be fully customized. Each drawing tool has 8 custom configurations which can be selected through the menu, the Control Bar buttons or keyboard shortcuts. These apply a preconfigured configuration to a Drawing Tool to be used.
Ability to Undo and Redo Chart Drawings drawn with a Tool.
Set an Alert Condition on most Chart Drawings drawn with Tools (Lines, Rays, Horizontal/Vertical Lines, …). When the Alert Condition becomes TRUE, a text and audible alert is given. An email notice can also be sent.
Many more Features. This Features page only provides a general overview of the functionality available.
Solid professional quality software. Designed for efficiency and ease-of-use. It has a straightforward and well-designed interface that can handle the most demanding applications. It is developed by an experienced and competent development team that stays on top of development. It has been proven and trusted by investors/traders/clearing firms for more than a decade.
Automatically reconnects to the Data and Trading servers if you become disconnected.
CPU multi-core support for increased performance with data downloading, Chartbook loading, and market data processing.
Complete and detailed online and up to date documentation with numerous images.
Historical Intraday data is loaded from the local data file on a background thread for supersmooth and faster loading of data. This means the user interface is never busy during the loading process when opening an Intraday chart or Chartbook and this takes advantage of multiple CPU cores. Historical Intraday data downloaded from Data or Trading services that use the Sierra Chart server software/systems, is downloaded on a background thread also for faster and smooth performance.
Sierra Chart is a stand-alone software program for Windows operating systems. We are working to add native support for Mac OS and Linux. This is an ongoing task.
High quality and well engineered charting and trading software.
Sierra Chart is written entirely in C++ with a focus on high performance in all areas of the program. This language has proven itself to be very fast.Sierra Chart does not use Java or .NET. Sierra Chart is high-performance code. All professional and serious applications where performance is critical, are developed in C++, the true development standard.
.NET is a proprietary Microsoft technology that has high memory and performance overhead. Professional programmers use and trust C++. For example, consider web browsers, all the major web browsers are developed in C++. For the highest reliability and performance, a C++ based application is the only choice.
Sierra Chart does not use the Windows registry in any way.
Portable application. All program files, data files and configuration files are installed into the folder and sub-folders where Sierra Chart is installed to. Very easy to uninstall or relocate. Sierra Chart can easily be installed to a removable drive.You can install unlimited copies of Sierra Chart to a system simply by installing each one into its own folder. There are no restrictions on the number of copies that can be run simultaneously on a system.
By installing multiple copies of Sierra Chart on a system, you can work with multiple Data and Trading services or use multiple accounts with those services.
Multiple CPU processor/core support by running multiple copies of Sierra Chart at same time on a system. Each copy of Sierra Chart can share the data from other copies. One copy can act as a master, and the other as slaves. The most significant CPU load usually comes from charting, so slave copies can be dedicated for advanced charting purposes. Multiple back tests can be run by using multiple installed copies of Sierra Chart. You are able to install and use as many copies of Sierra Chart as you want on a system.
Widely known for its stable, open, and highly customizable design. Sierra Chart provides a wealth of functionality. All of which is stable and well engineered. Sierra Chart is developed by a team of highly experienced engineers with impeccable standards and who which continuously strive to design everything in the best possible way for the greatest stability and performance.
No annoying pop-up windows which require acknowledgment. All messages from the program are organized into Log windows which do not interrupt the flow of user input. These log windows can be provided easily to Sierra Chart support for assistance without having to type or communicate the details of information or error messages because the Log windows contain the actual messages.
Many more Features. This Features page only provides a general overview of the functionality available.
All Sierra Chart service packages include a Real-Time and Historical Forex and CFD data service. Some packages include Historical Daily and Intraday data for stocks, futures, indexes, Forex, and mutual funds.
Supports numerous external Data and Trading services as well as our own data services. This gives you access to many brokers and clearing firms throughout the world. We offer a complete trading and charting platform that you can use with most any broker that you choose. It is a trusted platform that is continuously being improved. It is offered at low prices to everyone.
Sierra Chart provides its own Market Statistics data feed that can be used alongside any supported Data or Trading service, to receive various market statistics for several exchanges and indexes.
Ability to correct errors in charts yourself without having to request a correction from the Data service.
Offline analysis. Chart data can be displayed at anytime whether you are connected to a Data or Trading service or not, since all data downloaded and received is stored locally on your computer.
Display prices in any decimal or fractional format.
Time and Sales Window.
Depth of Market display on charts. Custom studies have access to market depth. Market depth studies are included. Such as the Bid & Ask Depth Bars study which provides an indication of bid versus ask depth.
Complete data management functions including adjusting for stock splits, adjusting price and volume, adjusting for futures contract rollovers and mutual fund distributions, and adjusting Dates and Times.
Intraday Data Editor for easy correcting of errors in an Intraday chart.
Reads, charts and can automatically update Text/CSV/ASCII Historical Daily data directly.
Many more Features. This Features page only provides a general overview of the functionality available.