Getting started
Installation
System requirements
| Platform | Installer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | .dmg |
Universal build — Apple Silicon and Intel |
| Windows x64 | .msi or setup .exe |
64-bit Windows |
Installers are fully self-contained — no .NET runtime, no prerequisites, nothing else to install. You only need NinjaTrader 8 when you want to export your own data or trade an exported strategy; the bundled sample dataset works without it.
Install
macOS — open the .dmg and drag Verdict Strategy Builder into Applications, then launch it from there.
Windows — run the .msi (or setup .exe) and follow the prompts. The app appears in the Start menu.
Get the current installer from the download page.
First launch
- A splash screen shows "Starting engine…" while the analysis engine boots. The engine runs entirely on your machine and only listens on
127.0.0.1— nothing is exposed to your network. - Terms — the app asks you to accept the End User License Agreement and the Privacy Policy. Both documents are shown in full, with a View online link to the canonical copies. The disclosure is explicit: a license needs an account and online activation, your builds/runs/leaderboards back up privately to your account, and your imported market data never leaves the machine.
- Activation — enter the license key from your purchase email (it starts with
VSB-) and press Activate. One online call binds a seat to this install; after that the app verifies your license locally and works offline. Details in Licensing & activation. - Setup guide — a four-step first-run wizard offers to walk you from empty install to your first ranked strategy. You can skip it and relaunch it anytime via Setup guide in the top bar or Help → Setup Guide.
From here, follow the Quickstart.
Updating
The app checks for updates automatically on launch and every couple of hours, and you can check manually from the menu (Check for Updates…). Downloads are signature-verified before anything is installed. See Updates.
Uninstalling
Remove the app like any other application (drag to Trash on macOS; Apps → Uninstall on Windows). Your datasets, runs, and results live in the app-data directory listed in Troubleshooting → Where your data lives — delete that folder too if you want a truly clean slate, and deactivate the device first (see Licensing → Seats) so the seat is freed for another machine.