A Sierra Chart alternative you can set up in an afternoon.
Sierra Chart is endlessly configurable, and it asks a lot of you in return. SabrTrader gives you the same order flow depth with a modern interface, a copier that works across prop logins, and an AI and strategy builder Sierra Chart does not have.
Download SabrTrader free Jump to the comparison14 days of full access. No card. Runs next to Sierra Chart.
Market Profile TPO on the E-mini S&P 500, with the volume profile, value area, initial balance and opening range for each session. Added from the indicator list, no study settings to hunt through.
The same order flow depth, a fraction of the setup
Sierra Chart rewards people who love configuring it. SabrTrader gives you the same class of order flow tools without the learning curve, and several things Sierra Chart leaves to you.
SabrTrader is the better fit when
- You trade Rithmic prop accounts. We are built around that connection. Sierra Chart's own documentation advises against using Rithmic data.
- You copy between accounts on different logins. Sierra Chart copies only within one connection.
- You want to build strategies visually, not in spreadsheet formulas or C++.
- You value your setup time. Templates, toolbars and an AI that can add and configure indicators for you.
What to know before you move
- You are set up in an afternoon. Footprint, heatmap and profile are indicators with templates, not studies to assemble.
- Your prop firm's Rithmic data is all you need. No separate exchange feed to qualify for.
- You can start for free. Charts, 200+ indicators, replay and the backtester cost nothing, for as long as you like.
- Your studies have equivalents. Standard ones are built in, and custom logic is rebuilt in C# with hot reload.
- Mac and Linux are on the way. Both versions are planned for Q1 2027.
"Before Sierra Chart was my fav, now I would rate Sabr as #1. Sabr is a beast in footprint, MBO, volume profile, VWAP, everything was beautifully crafted."
gold213144 · came from Sierra Chart and ATASSabrTrader vs Sierra Chart, feature by feature
Sierra Chart facts come from Sierra Chart's own documentation and package page, checked in October 2026.
| SabrTrader | Sierra Chart | |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint charts | Yes, 14 one-click templates (Pro) | Yes, Numbers Bars (advanced packages) |
| Volume profile and TPO | Yes (Pro) | Yes. TPO needs an advanced package |
| Liquidity heatmap | Yes, with 3D volume bubbles (Pro) | Yes, Market Depth Historical Graph (advanced packages) |
| Market by Order | Yes, in Pro, on Rithmic or Databento | Yes, top package, on its Denali feed |
| DOM with order entry | Yes, SuperDOM | Yes, a highly configurable Trading DOM |
| Rithmic prop accounts | First-class. Several logins at once | Connects, but Sierra Chart tells users not to rely on Rithmic data |
| Multi-account trade copier | Yes. Across separate logins, stops and targets mirrored | Yes, within one connection. Sierra Chart states it does not analyse problems with copied trades |
| No-code strategy builder | Yes, visual designer (Ultimate) | Spreadsheet formulas |
| Strategy generator | Yes (Ultimate) | Not found |
| Backtesting and replay | Yes, both on the Free plan | Yes, both |
| AI assistant | Yes. Reads chart, footprint and positions (Pro) | Not found |
| Options tools | Yes. Chain, screener, analyzer, gamma levels (Pro) | Not found |
| Daily loss lock | Yes, Risk Master with auto-flatten (Ultimate) | Yes. Server-side on its own Teton accounts, client-side elsewhere |
| Trade journal | Yes, automatic, with chart and context (Ultimate) | Trade Activity Log with statistics |
| Own data feed and order routing | No. Uses your broker or feed | Yes, Denali and Teton |
| Custom code | C# SDK with hot reload | C++ (ACSIL) |
| Runs on | Windows. Mac and Linux planned for Q1 2027 | Windows |
"Not found" means we could not find the feature in the vendor's public documentation on the date we checked. If that has changed, tell us and we will correct this page.
What one SabrTrader plan includes
Sierra Chart sells service packages by feature. SabrTrader has a free plan, two paid plans and a pay-once licence.
| SabrTrader | Sierra Chart | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 forever. Charts, 200+ indicators, replay, backtester, copier for two accounts | No free plan |
| Footprint, TPO and heatmap with a broker connection | Pro | An advanced integrated package |
| Market by Order | The same Pro plan | The top package only |
| AI, options desk, premium indicator suite | Included in Pro | Not part of the product |
| Visual strategy builder, strategy generator, journal, risk lock | Ultimate | Not offered in that form |
| Pay once and own it | $1,499 Perpetual | No lifetime licence listed |
Sierra Chart's low exchange data rates on its Denali feed require a live funded futures account. Its documentation states that evaluation accounts at firms such as Apex and Topstep do not qualify. With SabrTrader you simply use the Rithmic data your prop firm already gives you.
The same depth, without building it yourself
In Sierra Chart a good footprint or heatmap layout is something you assemble from studies and settings, or download from someone who already did. Here each one is an indicator with templates.
- Footprint: 14 templates, with imbalance, absorption and exhaustion signals drawn on the bars.
- Heatmap: resting liquidity over time with volume bubbles, on per-order data when your feed has it.
- SuperDOM: the per-order queue at each price, with iceberg detection.
- One book feeds all three, so they never disagree.
Volume profile and TPO that look right out of the box
Session profiles side by side, developing value, high and low volume nodes, naked points of control and single prints. Every setting sits in a toolbar on the chart.
- Initial balance and opening range with extensions.
- Buy/Sell, delta and heatmap colour modes.
- The AI can read the profile and tell you where today's value sits against yesterday's.
Strategies by pointing and clicking, not spreadsheet cells
Sierra Chart automates through spreadsheet formulas or C++ code. Both work, and both take time to learn. AlgoStudio Pro builds the same logic on a canvas.
- Conditions on any indicator, including order flow, across several timeframes.
- Backtested on tick data, then run live on the same engine.
- Prop firm presets fill in trailing drawdown and daily loss limits for you.
"I've used quite a few trading platforms over the years and Sabr just feels like a much more modern way of doing things. It's fast, charts are really responsive, and everything feels like part of one system rather than having to rely on loads of third-party plugins. I genuinely wouldn't want to go back to the older platforms now."
skipstreamSierra Chart users ask us this
How does SabrTrader hold up at the open?
Well. It is built to stay responsive at the open with heatmaps and footprints loaded, and traders tell us it keeps up with the NQ open on full Market by Order data. Try it on your own machine during the trial.
Can I import my Sierra Chart chartbooks or studies?
No. Chartbooks and ACSIL studies are specific to Sierra Chart. Most standard studies have a native equivalent here, and custom logic can be rebuilt in the C# SDK.
What do I get that Sierra Chart does not have?
The time you save setting things up, a copier that works across prop logins, an AI that reads your chart, a visual strategy builder and generator, an options desk, and a free plan to start on.
Does SabrTrader have its own data feed like Denali?
No. It connects to the feed or broker you already use, including Rithmic, Databento, dxFeed and Interactive Brokers.
Which feed do I need for Market by Order?
Rithmic or Databento.
Can I run both?
Yes. SabrTrader installs next to Sierra Chart and has its own connection.
See how far you get in one afternoon.
Install it, connect your Rithmic login, add a footprint and a heatmap. If that took you a weekend in Sierra Chart, you have your answer.
Download SabrTrader free Compare plans14 days full access · no card · keep your broker