TBT displays a stream of orders placed, modified, and executed in the market, while snapshot data provides a summary of the market at intervals. TBT gives precise data required by high-frequency traders, whereas snapshot data is used for historical analysis and reporting the transactions.

Difference Between Snapshot Data and Tick-By-Tick (TBT) Data

Here are the differences between Snapshot Data and Tick-By-Tick data.

• Definition

TBT is a continuous stream of raw data that consists of every trade that takes place, along with their price, volume, and time. Snapshot data consists of market information like opening, closing, high, and low prices, volume recorded at regular intervals, for example, every minute or hour.

• Data Update

TBT data is constantly updated and shows all the orders taking place in real-time. Snapshot data is updated in regular intervals and doesn’t account for the trades that take place within that interval.

• Used for

TBT is used by high-frequency traders and scalpers to make informed trading decisions. It provides a real-time analysis of market volatility for backtesting strategies with high precision. Snapshot data is used for historical analysis, reporting systems, and auditing purposes.

You can use TBT or snapshot data based on your trading approach and strategy.