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Pine Script vs Python - Are They Actually Similar or What?

· 8 min read
Pineify Team
Pineify Team

So here's the thing - if you're messing around with trading strategies, you've probably wondered "is Pine Script like Python?" And honestly? That's a totally fair question. I asked the same thing when I started, and Google was like "here's a 5000-word technical comparison" like bro I just want to know if I can use my Python brain for this.

Let me break it down for you in plain English, because after spending way too much time with both languages, I've got some thoughts.

What the Heck is Pine Script Anyway?​

Pine Script is basically this thing TradingView made so you can build your own indicators and strategies without wanting to throw your laptop out the window. You know when you're staring at a chart thinking "if only I could make this do exactly what I want"? Pine Script is for that. It's super focused on just... making charts do chart things.

Think of it as a specialized tool designed specifically for financial markets. Every function, every built-in variable, everything about it revolves around price data, volume, time frames, and trading logic. It's like having a workshop that only builds one type of thing, but it builds that thing really, really well.

The language itself is pretty straightforward. If you can understand basic programming concepts like variables and if statements, you can probably figure out Pine Script in a weekend. That's not me being overly optimistic - that's genuinely how accessible it is. Check out our Pine Script Tutorial: A Quick Start Guide for Beginners if you want to see what I mean.

And Python is... Well, Python​

You probably know this already, but Python is that language that's everywhere. Like literally everywhere. Want to build a website? Python. Want to do machine learning? Python. Want to automate your coffee maker? Probably Python. It's the Swiss Army knife of programming languages.

Python's been around since 1991 and has evolved into this incredibly versatile tool that can handle almost anything you throw at it. Web development, data science, artificial intelligence, automation, game development - you name it, Python can probably do it. That versatility is both its biggest strength and, depending on what you're trying to accomplish, sometimes a weakness.

For trading specifically, Python offers incredible flexibility. You can pull data from multiple sources, run complex statistical analyses, connect to broker APIs for live trading, build web dashboards, and even create machine learning models to predict market movements. The ecosystem is massive.

The Real Differences (Because This is What You Actually Care About)​

Learning Curve​

Pine Script is honestly pretty chill to learn. If you can read a chart, you can probably figure out Pine Script basics in a weekend. The syntax is clean, the documentation is decent, and because it's so focused on one thing (trading), you don't get overwhelmed with a million different possibilities.

Python is also not terrible to learn, but it's like... way more stuff. You can spend years learning Python and still feel like you don't know anything. That's not because Python is hard - it's because it can do so much that there's always another library, framework, or concept to master.

What You Can Actually Do​

Pine Script limitations:

  • Basically just for TradingView. That's it. You can't really use it anywhere else
  • Limited to what TradingView provides in terms of data and functionality
  • No direct broker connections (though there are workarounds)
  • Can't build standalone applications

Python possibilities:

  • Connect to any data source or API
  • Build complete trading systems from scratch
  • Create web applications and dashboards
  • Implement complex mathematical models
  • Automate entire trading workflows
  • Analyze massive datasets

The Libraries Situation​

Pine Script has... whatever TradingView gives you. That's it. No pandas, no NumPy, no nothing. But here's the thing - what TradingView gives you is actually pretty comprehensive for trading-specific tasks. You get all the technical analysis functions you could want, plus access to price and volume data across multiple timeframes.

Python has SO MUCH STUFF. Pandas for data manipulation, NumPy for mathematical operations, TensorFlow for machine learning, requests for API calls, matplotlib for plotting - the list goes on forever. If you can think of something you want to do, there's probably a Python library for it.

Here's the Thing Though - They're Not Really the Same​

They're not really the same thing at all. Yeah, they both have variables and if statements and whatever, but that's like saying a bicycle and a fighter jet are similar because they both have wheels.

Can you switch between them? Kinda? If you know Python, Pine Script won't feel completely alien. Programming concepts like loops, conditional statements, and functions exist in both. But they're solving different problems. It's like knowing how to drive a car and then trying to fly a helicopter - some stuff transfers, but you're still learning a new thing.

The syntax is different, the built-in functions are completely different, and the entire ecosystem is different. Python thinks in terms of general-purpose programming, while Pine Script thinks in terms of bars, candles, and trading sessions.

Converting Between Pine Script and Python​

This is actually a common need. Maybe you built something awesome in Pine Script and want to use it outside TradingView, or you have a Python strategy you want to test on TradingView's charts.

The good news is that the logic often translates well. The bad news is that you'll need to rewrite everything because the syntax and available functions are so different. If you're interested in this, check out our guide on Converting Pine Script to Python: A Comprehensive Guide - it covers the process in detail.

So Which One Should You Actually Learn?​

Learn Pine Script if:​

  • You just want to make some indicators on TradingView
  • You don't want to deal with setting up development environments and all that nonsense
  • You want to see results like... right now
  • You're primarily focused on chart analysis and visual indicators
  • You want to backtest your trading ideas on TradingView's platform

Learn Python if:​

  • You want to do literally anything else with trading data
  • You want to connect to actual brokers and place real trades
  • You want to backtest with 10 years of data instead of whatever TradingView gives you
  • You want to build actual applications
  • You're interested in algorithmic trading beyond simple indicators
  • You want to analyze multiple markets and datasets simultaneously

The Honest Answer​

Learn both. Start with Pine Script because it's easier and you'll see results faster, then move to Python when you hit the limits of what Pine can do. That's what most people do and it works fine.

Here's my suggested path:

  1. Start with Pine Script to understand trading concepts and get comfortable with basic programming
  2. Build a few indicators and strategies to get your feet wet
  3. When you find yourself thinking "I wish I could do X but Pine Script won't let me," that's when you move to Python
  4. Use Python for the heavy lifting and Pine Script for quick prototyping and visual analysis

The Bottom Line​

They're not really similar, but they're also not enemies. Pine Script is like that friend who's really good at one specific thing - in this case, making TradingView charts dance to your tune. Python is that friend who can do everything but takes forever to get good at anything.

Pine Script gets you from zero to "holy crap, I just built a trading indicator" in about an hour. Python gets you from zero to "I can literally build anything" in about a year.

Pick your poison based on what you're trying to accomplish. If you just want to improve your chart analysis on TradingView, Pine Script is your answer. If you want to build the next great trading system or analyze market data in ways that would make quants jealous, Python is calling your name.

And honestly? In 2025, with tools like ChatGPT helping write Pine Script code, the barrier to entry for both languages has never been lower. The hardest part isn't learning the syntax - it's understanding what you actually want to build and whether it'll make you money.

The choice between Pine Script and Python isn't really about which language is "better." It's about which tool fits your specific needs right now. Start with whichever one gets you closer to your immediate goals, and worry about the other one later. Trust me, they'll both still be there when you're ready.