title: Installation Guide description: How to install and set up Backtrader
Installation Guide¶
Requirements¶
Python 3.8 or higher (tested up to 3.13)
pip package manager
Installation (From Source)¶
Note: This project is NOT available on PyPI. Please install from source.
From GitHub (Recommended)¶
git clone <https://github.com/cloudQuant/backtrader.git>
cd backtrader
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -U .
```bash
### From Gitee (For users in China)
```bash
git clone <https://gitee.com/yunjinqi/backtrader.git>
cd backtrader
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -U .
```bash
### Development Mode
If you plan to modify the source code:
```bash
git clone <https://github.com/cloudQuant/backtrader.git>
cd backtrader
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -e .
```bash
## Dependencies
### Core Dependencies
These are installed automatically:
```bash
pandas>=1.3.0
numpy>=1.20.0
matplotlib>=3.3.0
python-dateutil>=2.8.0
pytz>=2021.1
```bash
### Optional Dependencies
#### Visualization
```bash
# Interactive plotting with Plotly
pip install plotly>=5.0.0
# Web charts with Pyecharts
pip install pyecharts>=1.9.0
```bash
#### Live Trading
```bash
# CCXT for cryptocurrency exchanges
pip install ccxt
# CTP for futures trading (China)
pip install ctp-python
```bash
#### Development
```bash
# Install development dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
```bash
## Verify Installation
```python
import backtrader as bt
print(f"Backtrader version: {bt.__version__}")
print("Installation successful!")
```bash
## Development Setup
For contributors, see the [Developer Guide](/developer-guide/setup.md).
## Troubleshooting
### Import Errors
If you encounter import errors, ensure you have the correct Python version:
```bash
python --version # Should be 3.8+
```bash
### Plotting Issues
For matplotlib issues on macOS:
```bash
pip install python.app
```bash
For headless environments, use the Agg backend:
```python
import matplotlib
matplotlib.use('Agg')
```bash
## Next Steps
- [Quick Start Tutorial](quickstart.md) - Create your first strategy
- [Basic Concepts](concepts.md) - Understand core concepts
- [Data Feeds](data-feeds.md) - Load market data