Free Backtesting for Indian Stocks — 19 Years of NSE Data
BacktestIndia lets you run your first full factor backtest free on 19 years of NSE history (Dec 2006 – Dec 2025) — survivorship-bias-free data with delisted stocks included, realistic transaction costs, and automatic LTCG/STCG tax modelling. You describe the strategy in plain language; the engine does the rest.
No credit card. No coding.
What the free backtest includes
- ✓19 years of NSE data (Dec 2006 – Dec 2025) — long enough to cover the 2008 crash, the 2013 taper tantrum, the 2018 NBFC correction, COVID, and the 2022 rate-hike cycle.
- ✓Delisted stocks included — most free tools only contain stocks that survived, which inflates historical returns. This dataset keeps the failures in.
- ✓Automatic Indian tax modelling — LTCG 12.5% and STCG 20% (FY2024 regime) applied to realized gains on every rebalance, so you see net-of-tax CAGR, not just the gross number.
- ✓Realistic costs — 0.11% per-trade transaction cost plus slippage modelling.
- ✓Factor strategies, not indicators — momentum, low volatility, quality, value, and sequential multi-factor filters on the NSE 500 universe.
- ✓Full metrics — CAGR, maximum drawdown, recovery time, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, volatility, and a Nifty 50 comparison.
How it works
- Describe your strategy to the AI chatbot in plain English — or start from a template (low volatility, momentum, multi-factor).
- Set your rules — market-cap range, number of stocks, factor filters, rebalancing frequency.
- Run the simulation on the full 19-year NSE history with costs and taxes applied.
- Read the results — net-of-tax CAGR, drawdowns, risk metrics, and how the same period treated the Nifty 50.
Free backtesting options in India compared
| Approach | Data depth | Delisted stocks | Indian taxes | Coding needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BacktestIndia (first backtest free) | 19 years | Yes | Automatic LTCG/STCG | No |
| Excel / Google Sheets | Whatever you download | Rarely | Manual | Formula-heavy |
| Python (yfinance / backtrader) | Varies by source | Usually no | Build it yourself | Yes |
| Broker platforms (F&O focused) | ~3–5 years | No | No | No |
Positioning summary as of July 2026 — verify vendor capabilities before relying on this table.
What 19 years of data shows (sample findings)
From BacktestIndia's published research corpus (NSE 500, 30 stocks, equal-weighted, net of costs and FY2024 taxes, Dec 2006 – Dec 2025):
- A low-volatility screen produced a 14.56% net CAGR with a -37.7% maximum drawdown while the Nifty 50 returned 10.41%.
- A 12-month momentum screen produced a 15.84% net CAGR — but with a -73.6% maximum drawdown in 2008.
- Rebalancing frequency alone changed net results by up to 2.3 percentage points a year through tax treatment.
Historical simulations, not recommendations. Past performance does not predict future results.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a genuinely free way to backtest Indian stocks?
Yes. BacktestIndia lets you run your first full factor backtest free — 19 years of NSE data (Dec 2006 – Dec 2025), including delisted stocks, with automatic LTCG/STCG tax modelling. No coding or spreadsheet work is needed; you describe the strategy in plain language to the AI chatbot.
What can I backtest with the free tier?
Rule-based equity factor strategies on NSE-listed stocks: momentum, low volatility, quality (ROE-based), value, and sequential multi-factor combinations, with configurable market-cap ranges, stock counts, and rebalancing frequency (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual).
How is this different from free backtesting in Excel or Google Sheets?
Spreadsheet backtests typically use survivorship-biased data (only stocks that still exist today) and ignore taxes and transaction costs, which overstates returns. BacktestIndia's engine includes delisted companies, deducts a 0.11% per-trade transaction cost plus slippage, and applies India's FY2024 capital-gains tax (LTCG 12.5%, STCG 20%) to realized gains on every rebalance.
Do I need to know Python or coding to backtest?
No. The platform is built around an AI chatbot: you describe the strategy in plain English (for example, '30 lowest-volatility stocks from the NSE 500, rebalanced annually') and the engine runs the historical simulation and returns CAGR, drawdown, Sharpe ratio, and net-of-tax results versus the Nifty 50.
Is backtesting the same as investment advice?
No. A backtest is a historical simulation of a rule set against recorded market data. BacktestIndia is an educational research platform, not a SEBI-registered investment adviser; results are historical computations, not recommendations. Past performance does not predict future results.
What data does the free backtest use?
NSE historical data from December 2006 to December 2025 (EODHD source), covering the NSE 500 universe including companies that were later delisted — such as DHFL and Yes Bank's drawdown period — which keeps historical results realistic rather than survivor-only.
Test your first strategy on 19 years of real NSE data
Start free backtestBacktestIndia is an educational research platform, not a SEBI-registered investment adviser or research analyst. Everything on this page is a historical computation from recorded market data, presented for education. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Past performance does not predict future results. Backtested results have inherent limitations and do not represent actual trading. Consult a SEBI-registered investment adviser before making investment decisions.