What is a portfolio stress test?

It estimates what a specific bad event would do to the holdings you have today. A historical test replays a past crisis; a hypothetical test applies a shock you choose, such as a 20% fall in equities or a two-point rise in yields, and shows the loss on each position and on the whole portfolio.

What is the difference between a historical stress test and a hypothetical scenario?

A historical test uses what markets actually did in a past period, so it is concrete but limited to events that already happened. A hypothetical scenario lets you test something that has not happened yet, and good tools also move the assets you did not shock, using how they have moved together in the past.

Can I stress test my portfolio for free?

Partly. Portfolio Visualizer shows historical stress periods in its backtests on the free plan, and IBKR Risk Navigator is free for Interactive Brokers clients. In MEDGE the backtesting lab is free and the Stress Lab with your own scenarios starts with Essential, at €14.99 a month.

Guide · checked November 2026

Best portfolio stress testing software in 2026

Two kinds of stress test exist. Historical tests replay a past crisis, such as 2008 or the 2020 crash, on today’s holdings. Hypothetical tests let you set a shock yourself, such as rates up two points or oil up 40%, and see what it does to each position. The tools below differ mainly in which of the two they offer, and in who they are built for.

Published by MEDGE Capital, which is one of the tools listed. Details of the other tools come from their public pages, checked in November 2026, with a link to each source below. Prices are list prices for one user, before tax; check with the vendor before you buy. The order is not a ranking.

Tool	Stress testing	Price
MEDGE Capital	Your own shocks on any of 45 benchmarks (indices, sectors, countries, rates, credit, commodities, currencies) or on your holdings, with bear, neutral or bull market relationships and a horizon from one week to one year. Shocks propagate jointly to every holding, with a plausibility reading and similar historical windows.	Free plan; Stress Lab from Essential (€14.99 a month or €149 a year); Plus €39.99, Pro €59.99, Advisor €159 a month; 7-day Plus trial
Portfolio Visualizer	Backtest results include a table of named historical stress periods where data allows (for example the Dotcom Crash, the Subprime Crisis and COVID-19). The Monte Carlo tool has a sequence-of-returns option that sets a number of poor early years.	Free plan (up to 15 assets, limited history); Basic $30 a month and Pro $55 a month, billed annually
Nitrogen (formerly Riskalyze)	Historical event stress tests (for example the 2008 crisis, the COVID-19 crash and the 2022 inflation sell-off), with seven default scenarios; custom scenarios through its Advanced Risk Modeling.	Risk Center from $199 a month on an annual term
Kwanti	Stress tests on historical scenarios, with results net of fees and comparable with another portfolio or an index.	Single $224 per user a month, billed annually; Multi $195 a month (5-user minimum); 14-day trial
YCharts	A Stress Test tab with pre-built historical periods (such as the Great Financial Crisis and the Coronavirus Crisis) and editable dates, plus a Scenario Builder.	Price on request from the vendor; 7-day free trial
IBKR Risk Navigator	What-if portfolios and custom scenarios that change the underlying price, implied volatility and date, on live positions including options.	Free for Interactive Brokers clients

MEDGE CapitalOur tool

Portfolio analytics for self-directed investors and independent advisors: backtests, attribution, regimes and a Stress Lab, on US and European listings.

Stress testing: Your own shocks on any of 45 benchmarks (indices, sectors, countries, rates, credit, commodities, currencies) or on your holdings, with bear, neutral or bull market relationships and a horizon from one week to one year. Shocks propagate jointly to every holding, with a plausibility reading and similar historical windows.
Price: Free plan; Stress Lab from Essential (€14.99 a month or €149 a year); Plus €39.99, Pro €59.99, Advisor €159 a month; 7-day Plus trial
Fits if: you want to test a scenario you define on your own holdings, not only past crises.

How the Stress Lab works

Portfolio Visualizer

Web-based backtesting and portfolio analysis tools.

Stress testing: Backtest results include a table of named historical stress periods where data allows (for example the Dotcom Crash, the Subprime Crisis and COVID-19). The Monte Carlo tool has a sequence-of-returns option that sets a number of poor early years.
Price: Free plan (up to 15 assets, limited history); Basic $30 a month and Pro $55 a month, billed annually
Fits if: you want to see how an allocation did in named past crises inside a backtest.

Source: Backtest · Pricing

Nitrogen (formerly Riskalyze)

Platform for financial advisors covering risk alignment, proposals and planning.

Stress testing: Historical event stress tests (for example the 2008 crisis, the COVID-19 crash and the 2022 inflation sell-off), with seven default scenarios; custom scenarios through its Advanced Risk Modeling.
Price: Risk Center from $199 a month on an annual term
Fits if: you are an advisor who wants stress tests inside client risk conversations and proposals.

Source: Stress tests · Pricing

Kwanti

Portfolio analytics and reporting for advisors.

Stress testing: Stress tests on historical scenarios, with results net of fees and comparable with another portfolio or an index.
Price: Single $224 per user a month, billed annually; Multi $195 a month (5-user minimum); 14-day trial
Fits if: you are an advisor who needs client reports on historical scenarios.

Source: Stress test (support) · Pricing

YCharts

Research and proposal platform for financial advisors.

Stress testing: A Stress Test tab with pre-built historical periods (such as the Great Financial Crisis and the Coronavirus Crisis) and editable dates, plus a Scenario Builder.
Price: Price on request from the vendor; 7-day free trial
Fits if: you compare securities and model portfolios across crisis periods for client proposals.

Source: Custom stress tests · Plans

IBKR Risk Navigator

Real-time risk tool inside Interactive Brokers’ Trader Workstation.

Stress testing: What-if portfolios and custom scenarios that change the underlying price, implied volatility and date, on live positions including options.
Price: Free for Interactive Brokers clients
Fits if: your account is at Interactive Brokers and you trade options or want scenarios on live positions.

Source: IBKR risk management · Custom scenarios (IBKR Campus)

Frequently asked questions

What is a portfolio stress test?: It estimates what a specific bad event would do to the holdings you have today. A historical test replays a past crisis; a hypothetical test applies a shock you choose, such as a 20% fall in equities or a two-point rise in yields, and shows the loss on each position and on the whole portfolio.
What is the difference between a historical stress test and a hypothetical scenario?: A historical test uses what markets actually did in a past period, so it is concrete but limited to events that already happened. A hypothetical scenario lets you test something that has not happened yet, and good tools also move the assets you did not shock, using how they have moved together in the past.
Can I stress test my portfolio for free?: Partly. Portfolio Visualizer shows historical stress periods in its backtests on the free plan, and IBKR Risk Navigator is free for Interactive Brokers clients. In MEDGE the backtesting lab is free and the Stress Lab with your own scenarios starts with Essential, at €14.99 a month.

More comparisons

Test the scenario you worry about, on your own holdings.

Free plan with no time limit, no brokerage connection. Not investment advice.

See the Stress Lab