Top 10 Automated Trading Courses On Udemy

By Galen Woods ‐ 9 min read

Learn how to build automated trading systems with these affordable and practical video courses. Let us help you to pick the most suitable course for you.

Creating automated trading systems is a great skill to have for traders of any level. You can build full-fledged trading systems that trade without your constant supervision. You can also test your new trading ideas efficiently.

You can get third parties to code your trading ideas. But you will save time and money by learning how to code yourself. And even if you outsource your coding, you can communicate better if you know the basics.

Does trading more efficiently sound good to you?

If so, get started with these courses on Udemy.

Udemy courses offer an affordable way to learn a new skill step-by-step.

From the hundreds of trading courses on Udemy, we’ve handpicked ten courses for you. They share a common focus on automated trading and analysis.

How we chose these ten courses

In the selection of these courses, we considered the following factors:

Number and quality of reviews
Course scope and syllabus
Diversity in platforms and markets

How you should choose your course

To select the most suitable course, consider your resources and your coding background. In particular, pay attention to the following:

Coding language

If you choose a language that you are already familiar with, you can shorten your learning curve.

If you are entirely new to coding, MQL4 is an excellent first choice. Or, you can also take a basic programming course in your preferred language to pave the way. (For this, you’ll find recommended courses for Python and C# below.)

Platform

Each course uses a different platform for instruction. Hence, make sure that you have or can gain access to the platform used.

Special requirements

Some courses have specific requirements like access to broker API. These courses are helpful for hooking up with APIs. However, you need to gain access to these brokers if you do not have an existing account.

The ten courses listed below are not ranked. Your choice should depend on your trading aims and resources. Hence, it’s not meaningful to rank them.

Instead, I’ve organized them according to the coding language used for easy navigation.

MQL4
Python
Others (C#, VBA, R)

MetaQuotes Language 4 (MQL4)

MetaTrader 4 (MT4) is the most popular charting platform among retail forex traders. Its scripting language is MQL4.

The principal advantage of MQL4 is the vast amount of forex trading resources you’ll find. On forums like ForexFactory, you’ll find trading strategies shared in MQL4.

If you have MetaTrader 4 installed with access to market data, you’re good to start!

#1: MQL4 Programming for Traders: Build Robust Trading Robots!

This course offers an excellent introduction to MQL4. It covers several basic and common trading strategies including crossovers and fractals. It gives you just enough knowledge to explore advanced trading strategies.

While this course suits a complete beginner, you will have an easier time if you are familiar with MT4.

👉 Click here for MQL4 Programming for Traders: Build Robust Trading Robots!

#2: Build your own Naked Trading Forex Robot

This well-presented course is also for beginners. However, its scope is narrower than MQL4 Programming for Traders.

It is also a much shorter course. The total length of its videos is slightly below 2 hours.

The instructor, Paul du Long, chose to focus on a simple price action trading strategy for this course. If you are not interested in indicators, this course offers a more concise learning route.

👉 Click here for MQL4 Programming for Traders: Build Robust Trading Robots!

#3: Forex Algorithmic Trading Course: Code a Forex Robot!

This high-quality course is very suitable for absolute beginners. If you have zero programming knowledge, this is the perfect course to get started with.

If you want a complete foundation class, this is the course for you. But if you are already familiar with MQL4 basics, you might find parts of this course boring.

👉 Click here for Forex Algorithmic Trading Course: Code a Forex Robot!

#4: Algorithmic Trading In Forex: Create Your First Forex Robot!

The instructor, Kirill Eremenko, has many popular courses with raving reviews on Udemy. This course is one of them. It is a basic hands-on course that introduces you to MQL4 programming.

This course leans towards absolute beginners. In fact, it starts with teaching you how to install the MetaTrader 4 software. Hence, if you’ve had some experience with MetaTrader 4, you might find part of the content too basic.

In a nutshell, it’s still an excellent course for those looking for a reliable MQL4 foundation.

👉 Click here for Algorithmic Trading In Forex: Create Your First Forex Robot!

Python

Python is one of the most popular languages in recent years. This is due to its wide-ranging application, documentation, and clean syntax.

While MQL4 is geared solely towards retail traders, Python goes beyond. If you want to build a career around algorithmic trading, Python is the superior choice.

I highly recommend having a basic grasp of Python before you enroll in any of the courses below.

For learning basic Python, you can take a look at these courses:

#5: Python for Financial Analysis and Algorithmic Trading

The instructor of this course, Jose Portilla, is engaging, responsive, and knowledgeable.

A Python crash course is included in the course but may not be sufficient. As mentioned, I recommend that you learn basic Python before signing up.

It covers various Python libraries related to finance and essential quantitative financial concepts. (More attention is given to the former.)

This course ends with an introduction to Quantopian. It is a collaborative environment for developing your quant-trading skills.

Overall, this course is excellent for an aspiring quant trader.

👉 Click here for Python for Financial Analysis and Algorithmic Trading

#6: Python for Finance and Algorithmic Trading with QuantConnect

This course covers an impressive scope and is an excellent introduction to quantitative finance.

It teaches you the fundamentals of using Python for financial analysis. Moreover, it shows you how to put these tools and ideas into practice on Quantconnect.

Looking for a quick start in Quantconnect? This course is ideal if you are comfortable with Python.

👉 Click here for Python for Finance and Algorithmic Trading with QuantConnect

#7: Algorithmic Trading & Time Series Analysis in Python and R

This is another popular course that uses Python to introduce financial trading models. It covers a few popular indicators, time-series analysis, market-neutral strategies, and basi machine learning algorithms. Like the course above, you need to have a strong interest in mathematics and statistics to make the most out of it.

For traders who are completely new to Python and R, the author included crash courses to get you up to speed.

👉 Click here for Algorithmic Trading & Time Series Analysis in Python and R

Others (C#, VBA, MQL5)

#8: NinjaTrader 8 Strategy Design Essentials

NinjaTrader is an award-winning software popular among futures traders.

One important note: This course is not for absolute beginners. It’s for someone who knows basic C# and wants to explore automated trading.

For learning C#, take a look at these two courses.

For those with a background in C#, this course saves you from figuring out things on your own with NinjaTrader 8. Step-by-step, it brings you through the essentials of setting up automated trading strategies.

👉 Click here for NinjaTrader 8 Strategy Design Essentials

#9: Create Your Own Automated Stock Trading Robot In EXCEL!

There are Excel ninjas out there who seem to be able to do anything with Excel. Add automated trading to that list.

Excel is a standard software you’ll find in workplaces. Hence, it’s likely that you’re already familiar with Excel. In that case, you are well-positioned to start with this course.

In this course, you learn by working with and understanding a sample trading system - Ranger 1.0.

The drawback of this course is that it only works with Interactive Brokers’ Excel API.

If you are familiar with Excel and have an Interactive Brokers account, this might just be the perfect course for you.

👉 Click here for Create Your Own Automated Stock Trading Robot In EXCEL.

#10: Algorithmic Trading In MQL5: Code Robots & Free Up Your Time

MQL4 has been immensely popular among forex traders and enjoys a rich ecosystem. But MQL5 offers several advantages.

If you want to start learning MQL5, this course is the perfect start. While it does not focus on quantitative concepts, it gives a robust coverage of the tools you need to get started with MQL5 Expert Advisors.

This 9-hour course is well-presented in a no-fluff manner which makes it perfect for picking up a good foundation.

👉 Click here for Algorithmic Trading In MQL5: Code Robots & Free Up Your Time

Automating Your Trading Strategy

These online classes are great for learning the basics of automated trading step-by-step. Algorithmic trading is as intimidating as it is. Having an organized course to help you along is valuable and time-saving.

Be realistic about your expectations. Some courses make claims on profitability. Always take these claims with a pinch of salt.

From these courses, expect to learn to build automated trading systems. Do not expect to make money.

Can’t decide among these ten courses? Want a quick shortlist of recommendations?

Here you go.

Forex Algorithmic Trading Course: Code a Forex Robot! - for absolute beginners who are trading forex
Python for Financial Analysis and Algorithmic Trading - for those with a background in Python or don’t mind picking up this versatile language

Finally, what I learned from reviewing these course is that the most suitable course for everyone is different and depends heavily on two things:

Your starting point (coding, mathematics, and statistics skills)
Your aspirations (markets and strategies you would like to automate)

Hence, it’s a good idea to check out the full list of algorithmic trading courses yourself to see if there are better choices for you.

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