# Frequently asked questions (/faq)

Browse by topic: [Plans and access](#plans-and-access) · [Using VectorBT PRO](#using-vectorbt-pro) ·
[Setup and compatibility](#setup-and-compatibility)

## Plans and access \[#plans-and-access]

<a id="membership-includes"></a>

### What does membership include?

You get the complete VectorBT PRO package: the private GitHub repository, documentation and API
references, tutorials, cookbook recipes, release notes, product updates, Discord support, and
access to the private community.

<a id="free-trial"></a>

### Is there a free trial?

We use open-source [VectorBT](https://github.com/polakowo/vectorbt) as the trial. It is free,
gives you a real feel for the array-based workflow, and lets you decide whether this way of
working clicks with you. The public documentation and feature pages show what PRO adds on top.

<a id="membership-plan"></a>

### Which membership plan should I choose?

Pick monthly if you want maximum flexibility, 12-month access if you are ready to commit for a
year and save on the monthly price, or lifetime if you prefer one payment with no renewals.
The product and member benefits are the same on every active plan.

<a id="lifetime-access"></a>

### What does lifetime access include?

Pay once and get lifetime access to the complete VectorBT PRO membership with no renewals. This
includes the repository and its updates, the private website, Discord, and support, subject to
the [Terms of Use](/terms/terms-of-use/).

<a id="switch-to-lifetime"></a>

### Can I switch to lifetime access?

Yes. We credit half of your previous monthly payments toward lifetime access, with a minimum
upgrade payment of $150. If you are still in your first month, the full first payment counts as
credit. Email <olegpolakow@vectorbt.pro> and we will calculate
the upgrade for you&#x20;

<a id="organization-access"></a>

### Can my team or company use VectorBT PRO?

Yes, organization access is available for internal, non-commercial work. If you want to use
VectorBT PRO in a commercial product or service, email
<olegpolakow@vectorbt.pro> and we will find the right setup.
The [software license](/terms/software-license/) has the full details.

<a id="access-timing"></a>

### How soon will I receive access after payment?

GitHub Sponsors is the fastest route: repository access is granted immediately. Other payment
routes are processed within 24 hours. For Discord, join the server and post your GitHub username
in the verification channel; we will review it and grant access within 24 hours.

<a id="support"></a>

### What support is included?

Ask us anything about VectorBT PRO on Discord. We help with installation, APIs, research
workflows, debugging, and your own implementations. The community is also a great place to
compare approaches and learn how other members solve similar problems.

<a id="cancellation"></a>

### Can I cancel a monthly membership?

Absolutely. Cancel through your payment provider whenever you like, and your access will stay
active until the end of the paid term. Refunds and statutory withdrawal rights depend on
applicable law and any additional policy offered by the payment provider. The
[Terms of Use](/terms/terms-of-use/) cover the details.

<a id="access-ending"></a>

### What happens when my paid access ends?

The latest version you installed keeps working. Access to the private repository, website,
Discord, new releases, bug fixes, and support ends with the paid term. You can find more detail
in the [license remarks](/terms/remarks/).

## Using VectorBT PRO \[#using-vectorbt-pro]

<a id="product-format"></a>

### What kind of product is VectorBT PRO?

VectorBT PRO is a code-first toolkit for quantitative analysis, backtesting, and algorithmic
trading research. It provides a Python package and a native Rust crate, both designed to run in
your own environment and integrate into existing workflows.

<a id="markets"></a>

### Which markets and asset classes can I research?

VectorBT PRO is market-agnostic. Members use it with equities, cryptocurrencies, futures, foreign
exchange, options, and other instruments. Supply the data you need and model the details that
matter for that market, such as contract rules, fees, slippage, and execution behavior.

<a id="custom-data"></a>

### Can I use my own data, broker, or exchange?

Yes. Bring Pandas or array-based data, load local files and databases, use a built-in adapter, or
write a custom data class. VectorBT PRO keeps the research layer flexible, so you can connect
whichever data source, broker, or exchange fits your workflow.

<a id="live-trading"></a>

### Does VectorBT PRO support live trading?

Yes, as the research and signal engine inside your own trading system. A typical workflow pulls
fresh data, runs VBT, extracts the latest signals or orders, and passes them to your broker or
exchange interface. Your execution layer handles connectivity, state, and live risk controls.
With the MCP server and modern coding agents, building that interface is more approachable than
ever.

<a id="overfitting"></a>

### How does VectorBT PRO help me avoid overfitting?

VBT includes flexible cross-validation, robustness tests, and tools for analyzing out-of-sample
behavior and parameter stability. Together, they help you understand whether an idea holds up
across different market periods and configurations instead of trusting a single strong backtest.

<a id="coding-agents"></a>

### Can I use VectorBT PRO with a coding agent?

Yes. The MCP server, CLI commands, LLM-ready documentation, and agent tools help compatible
coding agents navigate the APIs, run real VBT code, and automate research workflows. You spend
less time looking up syntax and more time working on the idea.

<a id="build-with-ai"></a>

### Why buy VectorBT PRO when I can build my own with AI?

AI can generate code quickly, but building and maintaining a serious research engine still takes
time, tokens, and engineering judgment. Models need context, steering, and review, even for
changes that look small. When you start from scratch, you also have to make every architectural
choice, handle edge cases, test performance, and maintain the result. Ask an AI for a custom
system to help you find an edge, and it may quietly steer you toward familiar patterns and a
solution much like what everyone else is building.

With VBT, thousands of hours of this work are already done and shared across members. You get a
specialized system shaped by deliberate design decisions, lessons from real research, and
improvements made every day. Because VBT includes the source code, MCP server, and agent tools,
your AI can inspect and extend an existing system. You can spend your time and tokens on strategy
ideas instead of rebuilding the same foundation.

## Setup and compatibility \[#setup-and-compatibility]

<a id="python-experience"></a>

### How much Python experience do I need?

Basic Python and some familiarity with Pandas or NumPy are enough to get started. VectorBT PRO
is code-first, but you do not need to be an expert. Tutorials, cookbook recipes, documentation,
Discord, and coding-agent tools can take you from a small example to a serious research workflow.

<a id="system-requirements"></a>

### Which operating systems and hardware are supported?

VectorBT PRO runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. We recommend WSL on Windows for the smoothest
development experience. CPU and memory needs depend on the size of your data and parameter
space. Chunking, caching, parallel execution, and distributed execution help when a workload
grows.

<a id="installation"></a>

### How do I install VectorBT PRO?

Once GitHub access is active, install directly from the private repository with `uv` or `pip`.
You can also clone it for development, use the included Docker environment, or run it in Google
Colab. The private installation guide walks through every option.

<a id="python-workflows"></a>

### Can I use it in notebooks and existing projects?

Yes. Use VectorBT PRO in scripts, applications, IDEs, Jupyter notebooks, or Google Colab like any
other Python package. The repository also includes a ready-to-build JupyterLab Docker environment.

<a id="rust"></a>

### Do I need Rust to use VectorBT PRO?

No. The complete high-level workflow is available from Python, with Numba handling compatible
numerical operations. The optional Rust extension comes as platform wheels, so you can use it
without setting up a Rust toolchain. The Rust implementation is also available as a native crate
if that is where you want to work.

<a id="oss-migration"></a>

### Can I migrate from open-source VectorBT?

Yes. The core array-based ideas will feel familiar, but PRO is a substantial redesign rather
than a drop-in replacement. Start in a dedicated environment, import `vectorbtpro` instead of
`vectorbt`, and use the current documentation and examples while adapting your code.

<a id="updates"></a>

### How do I receive updates?

New releases arrive through the private GitHub repository. Re-run your `uv` or `pip` install
command to update, pull the latest changes if you work from a clone, or rebuild the Docker image
if that is your setup.

<a id="offline-use"></a>

### Can I use VectorBT PRO without an internet connection?

Yes. Once installed, core calculations, local-data workflows, and offline knowledge tools work
without an internet connection. Naturally, installing updates, fetching remote data, calling
cloud services, and opening the website or Discord still need a connection.