Both platforms do the same core job: let you build an options strategy without code, test it on historical data, and run it automatically through your own broker. The real difference is scope. AlgoTest covers more markets and more product surface; Arthalab covers NIFTY and SENSEX index options deeply and bundles the live-trading infrastructure into one price.
This page is written by Arthalab. What follows is the comparison we would want to read: where each platform concentrates its effort, and what that means for the trader choosing between them.
Quick comparison
| Arthalab | AlgoTest | |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | No-code options strategy automation | No-code options strategy automation |
| Markets | NIFTY and SENSEX index options (NSE, BSE) | Broader — Indian equities and F&O, plus crypto and US market content |
| Pricing model | One plan, everything included | Tiered, with product-specific plans |
| Static IP for live trading | Included in the plan | Not bundled — arranged separately |
| Backtests | 10 per day, resetting at midnight IST | Varies by plan |
| Simultaneous live strategies | 3 | Varies by plan |
| Paper trading | Included, no broker needed | Included (forward testing) |
| SEBI RA strategies | Included, no extra fee, no profit share | Available (RA Algos) |
| Brokers for live trading | Zerodha, Upstox, Groww, Dhan; XTS on request | Broader broker list |
Where the two genuinely differ
1. Breadth versus depth
AlgoTest has expanded well beyond index options. Their product surface now includes equity strategies, indicator-driven signals, crypto, and content aimed at Indians trading US stocks. If you want several asset classes under one login, that breadth is a real advantage and Arthalab does not match it.
Arthalab is focused by design. We support NIFTY and SENSEX index options on NSE and BSE, and that focus is the point: strike selection, expiry handling, margin behaviour and the execution engine are all built for one job rather than stretched across many. The result is a platform whose defaults are already right for what you are trading, instead of a general tool you have to configure into shape.
2. Pricing model, not just price
The structural difference is that Arthalab sells one plan. There is no tier where backtesting is limited, a higher tier where live trading unlocks, and a separate charge for analyst strategies. Everything the platform does is in the one plan.
The Monthly Plan is ₹599 against a list price of ₹1,499, plus 18% GST, for 30 days. That covers NIFTY and SENSEX index options, a dedicated static IP, 10 backtests a day, up to 3 strategies running at once, Research Analyst strategies, paper trading, options analysis and buckets.
What you do not pay on top: no per-strategy fee, no separate Research Analyst charge, and no profit sharing. Arthalab takes no share of your trading profits.
The trap in tiered pricing
Tiered pricing is not worse by definition — it can be cheaper if you only need one part of the product. The thing to check is whether the tier you are costing out actually includes live deployment, or whether that sits a tier higher than the one you compared.
3. The static IP, which is easy to miss
Live algo trading through a broker API requires orders to arrive from a registered address. That is a broker requirement, not a platform preference — we have written about why in detail.
Most platforms leave this to you. You end up buying a business broadband add-on or renting a cloud instance with a reserved address, and that is a recurring cost on top of your platform subscription, plus setup time and ongoing maintenance.
On Arthalab a dedicated IP is allocated with your plan. There is no add-on to buy and nothing to maintain. The allocation takes a few minutes and includes a validation step that places and reverses a small test order so you find out it works before a live signal depends on it.
4. Backtest limits
Arthalab gives 10 backtest credits a day, resetting at midnight IST. One normal backtest costs one credit. A bucket backtest costs one credit per active strategy in the bucket, so a bucket of four costs four. If a run fails to start, the credit is returned. Unused credits do not roll over.
Ten a day is enough for real iteration, including the fragility checks that separate a robust strategy from a curve-fitted one — but it is a cap, and if your process involves sweeping dozens of parameter combinations in an afternoon, you will hit it.
5. Research Analyst strategies
Both platforms host strategies published by SEBI-registered Research Analysts, so you can deploy an analyst's strategy instead of building your own.
The difference on Arthalab is that these carry no extra charge. There is no per-strategy subscription and no profit share. Each one shows the analyst, the index it trades, its backtested win rate and risk-reward, and the minimum margin it needs — and you can clone it into your own strategies and change the rules if you want to.
6. What a trading day actually looks like
Feature lists hide the thing you will experience every day, which is the morning routine. On Arthalab it is two steps, and both are deliberate.
First, you log in to your broker. Indian broker API sessions expire daily — this is a regulatory and security design, not a platform quirk, and it applies on every platform including AlgoTest. It takes under a minute, and a Telegram alert goes out each morning if a connected broker's token has expired.
Second, you start the bots you want running. A deployed bot switches itself off after each market close rather than staying on overnight, so a strategy never trades a day you did not intend. Deploying and starting are separate actions, and confusing the two is the single most common reason a strategy takes no position.
Automating the start
If the daily start is friction, the scheduler removes it: you can set live bots to auto-start on chosen days relative to expiry, so the only manual step left is the broker login. The login itself cannot be automated on any platform, and you should be wary of anything claiming otherwise — it would need your broker password stored somewhere, which defeats the point of daily expiry.
7. When something goes wrong
The useful question is not whether a platform has support, but whether you can diagnose a problem yourself at 9:20 in the morning without waiting for anyone.
Arthalab keeps execution logs that record every decision, not just every trade — including the checks where the strategy correctly decided not to enter. The broker's own raw error message is preserved rather than replaced with a friendly one, because the exact wording is what identifies a rejection's cause. A day with no trades still leaves a trail you can read.
There is also a read-only assistant integration: you can connect your Arthalab account to Claude and ask about your own bots, brokers, orders and P&L in plain language. It can read your account but can never place a trade, start or stop a bot, or change a setting. As far as we know no other Indian algo platform offers this, though that is the kind of claim that dates quickly.
When a broader platform may suit you
A comparison worth reading says who each tool is for. AlgoTest covers more ground, and that extra ground is worth having if you need it. Consider it if:
- You trade more than index options. Equities, crypto or US stocks are outside what Arthalab supports.
- You want indicator-driven or signal-based automation. Their signals product and TradingView-adjacent workflows are more developed.
- You need a broker we do not support yet. Our self-serve list is Zerodha, Upstox, Groww and Dhan, with XTS available on request.
- You run very high backtest volume. A hard daily cap will frustrate a heavy parameter-sweeping workflow.
- You want a longer public track record. They have been publishing and operating at scale for longer, and that is worth something.
Why traders choose Arthalab
- You trade NIFTY or SENSEX index options and nothing else. The whole product is built for that.
- You want one bill. One plan, everything in it, no feature gated behind a higher tier.
- You do not want to deal with infrastructure. The static IP is allocated, validated and maintained for you.
- You want analyst strategies without a second subscription. Included, with no profit share.
- You want to try it properly before paying. A 3-day free trial with the same access as the paid plan, once per account.
What is the same
Worth saying plainly, because it is most of the product: both platforms let you build multi-leg option strategies without code, define strike selection and entry and exit times, set per-leg stop loss, target and trailing stop loss, apply strategy-wide max profit and max loss rules, backtest against historical data, forward test on live prices with simulated orders, and deploy to your own broker account.
Neither platform holds your money. On both, orders go to your own broker account and your funds stay with your broker throughout.
How to actually decide
1
Check the instrument first
If you do not trade NIFTY or SENSEX index options, the decision is already made and it is not us.
2
Cost the whole setup, not the plan
Add a static IP to whichever side does not bundle one, and confirm which tier actually includes live deployment.
3
Count your real backtest usage
If you genuinely run more than 10 a day, that is a hard constraint on our side.
4
Trial both
Arthalab has a 3-day free trial with full access. Build the same strategy on each and compare the backtest reports and the execution logs.
5
Paper trade before paying for a year
On either platform. A strategy that works on paper for two expiry cycles has told you more than any comparison page can.
If you are new to this and not sure what you would even test, start with the backtesting guide and then paper trading — neither needs a broker, an IP or a paid plan commitment to understand.
Frequently asked questions
Arthalab's Monthly Plan is ₹599 plus GST for 30 days, with everything included. AlgoTest uses tiered pricing that changes, so check their current pricing page rather than any third-party figure. When comparing, add the cost of a static IP to whichever platform does not bundle one.
No. Arthalab supports NIFTY and SENSEX index options on NSE and BSE only. If you need equities, crypto or US stocks, a broader platform is the right choice.
Yes, with a paid plan, at no separate charge. Live trading through a broker API requires one, so bundling it removes a recurring cost and a setup step. The 3-day free trial does not include an IP.
10 credits per day, resetting at midnight IST. A bucket backtest uses one credit per active strategy in the bucket. Failed runs are refunded, and unused credits do not carry over.
No. They are included in the plan with no per-strategy fee and no profit sharing.
Zerodha, Upstox, Groww and Dhan, for live trading. XTS is also supported, enabled on request, and does not need a daily login from you. Backtesting and paper trading need no broker at all.
Yes. There is a 3-day free trial with the same access as the paid plan, available once per account. It does not include a dedicated IP, so it covers backtesting and paper trading rather than live trading.
No. There is no profit sharing, no per-strategy fee, and no separate charge for analyst strategies. Your funds stay in your own broker account at all times.
Start with a free 3-day trial
Build a strategy, backtest it and run it on paper — no broker, no IP and no money needed to try it.
