SignalDeck is the only trading journal with live MT5 balance sync, a pre-trade risk gate, and multi-broker import covering IBKR, cTrader (250+ brokers), SnapTrade (30+ brokers), and CSV. Compare to TraderSync, Edgewonk, TradeZella, Tradervue, and TradesViz.
Connect any major broker directly. IBKR via Flex Web Service with FIFO round-trip reconstruction. cTrader via OAuth — works with any cTrader broker: IC Markets, Pepperstone, FP Markets, FxPro, and 250+ more. SnapTrade covers 30+ brokers including Robinhood, Webull, Schwab, Fidelity, Questrade, Trading 212, and DEGIRO. CSV import in 8 formats. All free on all plans. MT4/MT5 via MetaApi (Elite) is the only integration with real-time live balance sync — Kelly Criterion sizing and prop firm drawdown headroom always use your actual equity.
Other journals have basic backtesters. SignalDeck is the only one with Walk-Forward Analysis (overfit detection), 1,000-path Monte Carlo simulation, and grid-search parameter optimization — all inside the same platform where you log your trades. Test on up to 5 years of historical data, then link the backtest directly to your live journal strategy to compare theory against actual execution.
Futures are now first-class instruments. SignalDeck uses tick-aligned P&L math (contracts × ticks × tick value) — not share-based or pip-based calculations. CME Globex session monitoring runs Sun 6PM–Fri 5PM ET with DST-aware Chicago timezone. Front-month contract search resolves ESU6, NQU6, CLN6, GCQ6 automatically. No other trading journal offers this combination natively.
Other journals are post-trade analytics with no news layer — you keep a separate news tab open and lose the context the moment the feed rolls over. SignalDeck pulls sentiment-tagged headlines for the exact symbol on each trade, inside the journal, and archives the news from around your entry time so your post-mortem starts with what the tape was reacting to. Live coverage spans stocks, CFD indices, metals and crypto; forex and futures are coming soon.
| Feature | SignalDeck | TraderSync | Edgewonk | TradeZella | Tradervue | TradesViz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Market News (in-journal) — New v1.0.70 · Elite | ||||||
| Per-Symbol News In Journal | ✅ Per-Trade News Tab | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| News at Trade Entry Time | ✅ Archived ±24h–7d | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Sentiment-Tagged Headlines | ✅ +/=/− per headline | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| ⚡ Multi-Broker Import — New v1.0.74 · All supported brokers → | ||||||
| MT4/MT5 Trade Import (Elite) | ✅ via MetaApi | ⚠️ Fills only (900+ brokers) | ❌ | ⚠️ Fills only | ❌ | ⚠️ Fills only |
| Live Account Balance Sync (Elite) | ✅ Real-Time Equity | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| IBKR Direct Import | ✅ Flex Web Service | ⚠️ Via broker list | ⚠️ CSV only | ⚠️ CSV only | ⚠️ Via broker list | ⚠️ CSV only |
| cTrader Import (IC Markets, Pepperstone, FP Markets, 250+ brokers) | ✅ OAuth — any cTrader broker | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Broad Broker Aggregator (Robinhood, Schwab, Questrade, Trading 212…) | ✅ SnapTrade — 30+ brokers | ✅ 900+ brokers | ❌ | ⚠️ 500+ via aggregator | ⚠️ 80+ legacy brokers | ❌ |
| ⚡ Futures Trading (ES/NQ/CL/GC) — New v1.0.59 | ||||||
| Native Futures Support (ES/NQ/CL/GC) | ✅ Tick Math + Globex | ⚠️ Via broker import | ❌ | ⚠️ Manual entry | ⚠️ Via broker import | ⚠️ Manual entry |
| Tick-Aligned P&L Math | ✅ Auto Contract Spec | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| CME Globex Session Monitoring | ✅ DST-Aware | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| ⚡ Strategy Backtester — New v1.0.30 | ||||||
| Strategy Backtester | ✅ Full Engine | ⚠️ Rule-Based | ⚠️ Manual R-entry | ⚠️ Manual Replay | ❌ | ⚠️ Rule-Based |
| Walk-Forward Analysis | ✅ Overfit Detection | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Parameter Optimization | ✅ Grid Search | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Backtest ↔ Journal Equity Overlay | ✅ Strategy Link | ⚠️ Export Only | ❌ | ⚠️ Same Journal | ❌ | ❌ |
| SPY/QQQ Benchmark Overlay | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ Same-Symbol B&H |
| Save Backtests (Notebooks) | ✅ Save & Compare Runs | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| R-Value Native | ✅ Core Design | ⚠️ Partial | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| SQN Score | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Kelly Criterion | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Monte Carlo Drawdown | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Structured Post Mortem | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Execution Quality (MAE/MFE) | ✅ | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ Basic |
| Entry Slippage Tracking | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Forward Testing (Live Data) | ✅ Automated Scanner | ❌ Backtest Only | ❌ Simulator Only | ❌ Backtest Only | ❌ | ❌ Simulator Only |
| Accountability Calendar | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Public Profile | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ |
| Social Trading (Borg) | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Trade Journal (Per-Trade) | ✅ Threaded & Timestamped | ✅ Notes + Daily Journal | ✅ Diary + Mental Journal | ✅ Notes | ✅ Notes | ✅ Notes |
| Monthly Price | Free (Beta) | $30–$80 | ~$16.50/mo ($197/yr) | $30–$50 | Free (30 tr/mo) → $30–$50 auto-sync = Silver or Gold |
$15–$30 |
| Chart Screenshots | ✅ Unlimited (Entry + Exit) | ✅ | ✅ (Gallery) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Native Forex Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Native Crypto Support | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Behavioral Tags | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ Basic |
| CSV Import/Export | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Trade Replay | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Every competitor treats R-multiple as one metric in a sea of 600. We built the entire system around it — equity curves, cumulative R-curves, expectancy momentum, SQN scoring, and Kelly Criterion all flow from a single coherent risk-normalized framework.
No competitor offers a structured self-review workflow. Our 5-step protocol (Setup Diagnosis → Management Diagnosis → Verdict → Training Gap → Mentor Feedback) turns every closed trade into a training session.
IBKR via Flex Web Service. cTrader OAuth — any cTrader broker (IC Markets, Pepperstone, FP Markets, 250+ total). SnapTrade aggregator (30+ brokers: Robinhood, Schwab, Questrade, Trading 212, and more). CSV in 8 formats. MT4/MT5 via MetaApi (Elite) with real-time live balance sync — the only integration where Kelly Criterion sizing and prop firm drawdown headroom update the moment your equity changes. All brokers →
Test a strategy on 5 years of historical data, then immediately compare its equity curve to your real journal trades on the same strategy. Walk-Forward Analysis flags overfitting before you risk real capital. The only journal that combines WFA, Monte Carlo, grid optimization, and an SPY/QQQ benchmark overlay.
Open any trade and see sentiment-tagged headlines for that exact symbol — then review the news from around the time you entered. No other journal ties market news to your specific positions and your post-mortem. Live for stocks, CFD indices, metals and crypto; forex and futures coming soon. Market News →
We don't just give you a login. We onboard you into our Discord, help migrate your first trades, and ship features you request — often within 48 hours. Try getting that from a company with 200,000 users.
Yes — and it's the most complete backtester available inside any trading journal. A handful of competitors (TraderSync, TradesViz, TradeZella) offer basic backtesting, but SignalDeck is the only one with Walk-Forward Analysis for overfitting detection, 1,000-path Monte Carlo simulation for drawdown risk modeling, grid-search parameter optimization across up to 500 combinations, and an SPY/QQQ benchmark overlay — all in the same workflow. Run any of 16 built-in strategies (SMA Crossover, RSI Mean Reversion, EMA, Bollinger Bands, MACD, and more) over up to 5 years of historical data with configurable stop types, position sizing (Kelly, fixed-risk, equal-weight), and commission/slippage modeling. And the truly unique feature: link any backtest directly to a live journal strategy and overlay your real equity curve against the backtest result to see exactly where your live execution diverges from theory.
Yes — and almost no other journal does. Most trading journals (TraderSync, Tradervue, Edgewonk) are post-trade analytics with no news layer, so you keep a separate news tab or terminal open. SignalDeck's Market News pulls sentiment-tagged headlines for the exact symbol on each trade, inside the journal, and archives the headlines from around your entry time so your post-mortem starts with the context — not just the price action. Live coverage spans stocks, CFD indices, metals and crypto; forex and futures coverage is coming soon. Market News is an Elite plan feature, free for everyone during beta.
SignalDeck is built around R-value as its core organizing principle — every metric, from expectancy to SQN scoring, flows from risk-normalized returns. TraderSync offers R-multiple as one metric among hundreds in a feature-heavy interface. SignalDeck also includes a structured Post Mortem protocol that TraderSync lacks, and is currently free during beta vs TraderSync's $30–$80/month pricing.
SignalDeck offers real-time analytics and a modern web-based UX compared to Edgewonk's desktop-first, spreadsheet-inspired interface. SignalDeck also includes native forex pip math, SQN scoring, and a structured post mortem workflow that Edgewonk does not offer. During beta, SignalDeck is free versus Edgewonk's ~$16.50/month (billed $197/yr).
The main remaining gap versus TraderSync is raw broker breadth — TraderSync covers 900+ platforms while SignalDeck covers the major brokers traders actually use (IBKR, cTrader, SnapTrade aggregator for Robinhood/Schwab/Questrade/Trading 212 and 30+ more, CSV in 8 formats, MT4/MT5). Trade replay is not currently available. The backtesting engine supports stocks and ETFs; forex backtesting support is planned.
Yes. Tradervue has a free tier that supports up to 30 trades per month. For most active traders that limit hits quickly. Important caveat: automatic broker sync (the feature most people want) requires Silver ($29.95/mo) or Gold ($49.95/mo) — it is not available on the free tier. If auto-sync is your goal, factor in at least the Silver plan price rather than the advertised free entry.
Yes — SignalDeck supports multi-broker import across five methods: IBKR via Flex Web Service (guided wizard, auto-sync, FIFO reconstruction), cTrader via OAuth (IC Markets, Pepperstone, FP Markets, FxPro, and 250+ cTrader brokers), SnapTrade aggregator (Robinhood, Webull, Schwab, Fidelity, Questrade, Trading 212, and 30+ brokers), CSV in 8 formats (Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, MetaTrader, and more), and MT4/MT5 via MetaApi (Elite — the only integration with real-time live balance sync for Kelly sizing and prop firm drawdown headroom). All methods except MT4/MT5 are free on all plans. See all supported brokers →