Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sign up?

OpenWater is currently in private beta. Join our waitlist to receive an invitation code, or use an invitation code from an existing user to create your account.

Is OpenWater free?

Yes! The Free tier includes access to all 13 strategies, 37+ symbols with full historical data, unlimited backtests, and real-time analytics. Pro tier features will be announced later.

Do I need coding experience?

No. OpenWater provides 13 pre-built strategies that you can use immediately. Simply select a strategy, adjust the parameters, choose your date range, and run the backtest.

What strategies are available?

We offer 13 professional strategies including:

• SMA Crossover
• RSI Mean Reversion
• MACD Trend Following
• Bollinger Bands
• Momentum
• Pairs Trading
• Sector Rotation
• Market Neutral
• And 5 more advanced strategies

How much historical data do you have?

We maintain 37,000+ bars of historical data across 37+ symbols, covering stocks, ETFs, indices, and commodities. Data goes back 5+ years for most symbols.

How fast are backtests?

Our Rust-powered engine runs backtests in under 100ms for most strategies. Parameter optimization (testing multiple parameter combinations) completes in seconds.

What metrics do you provide?

Every backtest includes comprehensive metrics:

• Total Return & Annualized Return
• Sharpe Ratio & Sortino Ratio
• Max Drawdown & Recovery Time
• Win Rate & Profit Factor
• Monthly Returns Breakdown
• Equity Curve & Drawdown Chart
• Trade-by-trade history

Can I connect my brokerage account?

Yes! OpenWater supports Alpaca for both paper and live trading. You can connect your API keys in Settings. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) integration is coming soon.

Can I deploy strategies to run automatically?

Automated strategy deployment is currently in development. Once live, you'll be able to deploy any backtested strategy to your paper or live account with built-in risk controls and monitoring.

Is my brokerage account safe?

OpenWater never touches your funds. We only use API keys to place orders on your behalf. Your API keys are encrypted with AES-256-GCM and stored securely. You can revoke access at any time by removing your keys in Settings.

Is my data private?

Yes. Your backtests, strategies, and API keys are completely private. We never share your data with third parties. The leaderboard is opt-in only and uses display names.

How do you encrypt sensitive data?

All API keys and sensitive credentials are encrypted using AES-256-GCM encryption. Encryption keys are managed through AWS Secrets Manager and never stored in the database.

Can I export my backtest results?

Yes! Every backtest can be exported as JSON or CSV. This includes all trades, metrics, and chart data for analysis in external tools.

How does the leaderboard work?

The leaderboard ranks submitted backtests by Sharpe ratio, total return, win rate, and other metrics. You can filter by strategy type and time period. It's completely opt-in.

Is my identity revealed on the leaderboard?

No. You can set a display name in Settings. Your email and real name are never shown. You can opt-out at any time to remove all your submissions.

Can others see my strategy parameters?

No. Only the strategy name and performance metrics are shown. Your exact parameters, symbols, and date ranges remain private.

What technology powers OpenWater?

OpenWater is built with modern, performance-focused technology:

• Rust backend for millisecond-level backtesting
• Next.js 14 with React Server Components
• SQLite for efficient data storage
• AWS infrastructure for reliability and scale
• Clerk for authentication

Can I use OpenWater on mobile?

The web interface is fully responsive and works on tablets and phones, though the desktop experience is recommended for detailed analysis and parameter optimization.

Do you have an API?

Public API access is planned for the future. Currently, all features are accessible through the web dashboard.

How do I get help?

Visit the Help page in your dashboard for comprehensive guides on each strategy, metrics explanations, and best practices. For additional support, contact us through the platform.

Can I request new features?

Absolutely! We're actively developing OpenWater based on user feedback. During the private beta, we're especially interested in hearing what features would be most valuable to you.

How do I report a bug?

Please report any issues through the platform. Include as much detail as possible: what you were doing, what you expected to happen, and what actually happened.