Volume Profile Lite · Free
Find the busy price zones on your TradingView chart. Then see how price behaves around them.
A map of estimated activity. It does not give buy/sell signals.
Bars contribute to horizontal rows.
Highlight the point of control.
Mark the main concentration and both edges.
Volume Profile Lite is a free TradingView indicator that estimates volume by price and draws a horizontal profile, point of control and value area boundaries. Choose a rolling window or the current daily session. It distributes candle volume across price rows, so the profile is an estimate rather than a record of individual trades.
Rolling uses a fixed number of recent candles, two hundred by default. Session uses the symbol's current daily boundary, which may differ from local midnight. The session calculation includes at most the latest two thousand bars. Read window and detail settings
The profile recalculates as the live candle changes or the selected window advances. Its busiest row and value boundaries can therefore move. Volume Profile Lite redraws the current profile; it does not store a historical profile for every candle. Read why the profile changes
No. It spreads each candle's available volume across that candle's price range. It does not separate buyer and seller volume or reconstruct individual trades. Depending on the instrument and feed, the volume may represent tick activity. Read the volume estimation limits
A chart shows where price went. This tool adds another clue: where was trading busiest?
Imagine a market’s sales receipts. Add up how many units sold at each price. The biggest total shows its busiest price. That is the idea behind Volume Profile: group trading activity by price.
VP Lite estimates that map from the price bars, or candles, on your chart. Busy areas give you places to watch as price returns to them or moves beyond them.
Press Play or move the slider. Watch volume build the rows on the right.
One candle becomes several rows. This candle’s 12 units are shared across $100–$103. All rows start equal, so no price stands out yet.
This candle adds 12 volume units.
Use the map to choose an area to study. Then use your trading rules to decide when to enter, where to take profit, and when to exit if you are wrong.
Across trades, gains must cover losses and trading costs. The map alone cannot tell you whether a trade will succeed.
Suppose the map helps you find a busy area to watch. Your entry rules are met, and you buy 1 unit at $100. You plan to take profit at $106 or exit a losing trade near $97.
These are made-up prices, not signals from VP Lite. Fees and the price you actually get can change the result. A bigger possible gain does not tell you how often the trade will work.
Practise with virtual money first. Record your entries, exits and costs to see how your complete plan performs.
Longer rows mean more estimated volume at that price.
Busiest price row · POC.
About 70% of estimated volume · Value Area.
Top: VAH. Bottom: VAL.
ETH/USDT · 15-minute candles · Binance
Here, price is inside the blue zone. Compare that with “Inside” in the example below.
2,502.08 — the busiest price row.
2,516.67 — the top of the blue zone.
2,478.27 — the bottom of the blue zone.
All prices in USDT. Default settings: Rolling 200 · 60 rows · 70% Value Area.
Your chart will show different prices and levels as its data changes.
Choose an example to see what changes.
No. It only tells you where price is relative to that area. Watch whether the move holds or comes back inside, then use your own entry and risk rules.
Free and open-source. Copy, paste, and keep it.
On a TradingView chart, use the Pine icon to open Pine Editor.
Copy the code below. Paste it in place of the editor’s sample code.
Choose Add to chart, then save the script to keep it.
Copy the code as it is. No coding needed.
//@version=6
// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
// Volume Profile Lite — ProEA Lab
// Free & open-source volume-at-price: the value-area histogram with POC,
// VAH and VAL, in Session or Rolling mode.
//
// Honest by design:
// · Engine = bar-distribution: each bar's volume is spread across its
// [low, high] range into price rows — an approximation, not tick data.
// · The profile redraws as the live bar develops; closed-bar history is
// read as-is and never rewritten.
// · Context, not signals — it shows where volume traded, never what price
// will do.
//
// © ProEA Lab — source available for download.
// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
indicator("Volume Profile Lite — ProEA Lab", "VP Lite", overlay = true, max_boxes_count = 200, max_lines_count = 50, max_labels_count = 20)
// ───────────────────────── Inputs ─────────────────────────
gP = "Profile"
inMode = input.string("Rolling", "Mode", options = ["Rolling", "Session"], group = gP, tooltip = "Rolling = the last N bars. Session = the current day's profile.")
inLookback = input.int(200, "Rolling lookback (bars)", minval = 20, maxval = 500, group = gP)
inBins = input.int(60, "Rows (bins)", minval = 10, maxval = 120, group = gP, tooltip = "Price resolution of the histogram.")
inVApct = input.float(70, "Value Area %", minval = 50, maxval = 90, group = gP) / 100.0
gS = "Style"
inAnchor = input.string("Right", "Profile side", options = ["Right", "Left"], group = gS, tooltip = "Right = profile to the right of the last bar. Left = overlays the start of the window.")
inWidth = input.int(60, "Profile width (bars)", minval = 10, maxval = 150, group = gS)
inShowLvls = input.bool(true, "Show POC / VAH / VAL lines", group = gS)
inShowTags = input.bool(true, "Show price tags", group = gS)
// ───────────────────────── Fixed Aurora palette ─────────────────────────
color cVA = #5B8DEF // value-area rows
color cPOC = #FFD24A // point of control
color cOut = #3A4257 // rows outside the value area
color cTxt = #C9CEDA
color cPnl = #0E1118
color cInk = #0B0E14
// ───────────────────────── History buffer ─────────────────────────
// 2000 bars covers a full 1-minute session (~1440 bars); the Session loop is
// hard-capped to the same depth so lower timeframes degrade gracefully.
max_bars_back(high, 2000)
max_bars_back(low, 2000)
max_bars_back(volume, 2000)
float rHi = ta.highest(high, inLookback)
float rLo = ta.lowest(low, inLookback)
// session tracking
bool newDay = ta.change(time("D")) != 0
var float sHi = high
var float sLo = low
var int sStart = bar_index
if newDay
sHi := high
sLo := low
sStart := bar_index
else
sHi := math.max(sHi, high)
sLo := math.min(sLo, low)
// ───────────────────────── Pools + header chip ─────────────────────────
var array<box> g_boxes = array.new<box>()
var array<line> g_lines = array.new<line>()
var array<label> g_lbls = array.new<label>()
var table hdr = table.new(position.top_right, 2, 1, border_width = 1, border_color = #00000055)
f_clear() =>
for b in g_boxes
box.delete(b)
array.clear(g_boxes)
for l in g_lines
line.delete(l)
array.clear(g_lines)
for t in g_lbls
label.delete(t)
array.clear(g_lbls)
// ───────────────────────── Build + render on the last bar ─────────────────────────
if barstate.islast
f_clear()
bool sess = inMode == "Session"
float gHi = sess ? sHi : rHi
float gLo = sess ? sLo : rLo
int loopN = sess ? math.min(bar_index - sStart + 1, 2000) : math.min(inLookback, bar_index + 1)
float rng = gHi - gLo
if rng > 0 and loopN > 0 and not na(volume)
float binSz = rng / inBins
array<float> vol = array.new_float(inBins, 0.0)
// Fast engine: distribute each bar's volume across its [low, high] span,
// overlap-weighted per row (the same binning contract as the full engine).
for i = 0 to loopN - 1
float bl = low[i]
float bh = high[i]
float bv = nz(volume[i])
if bv > 0 and bh >= bl
if bh == bl
int idx = math.max(0, math.min(inBins - 1, int(math.floor((bl - gLo) / binSz))))
array.set(vol, idx, array.get(vol, idx) + bv)
else
int b0 = math.max(0, math.min(inBins - 1, int(math.floor((bl - gLo) / binSz))))
int b1 = math.max(0, math.min(inBins - 1, int(math.floor((bh - gLo) / binSz))))
float span = bh - bl
for b = b0 to b1
float binLo = gLo + b * binSz
float ov = math.min(bh, binLo + binSz) - math.max(bl, binLo)
if ov > 0
array.set(vol, b, array.get(vol, b) + bv * ov / span)
// totals + POC
float maxV = 0.0
int pocIdx = 0
float totV = 0.0
for b = 0 to inBins - 1
float v = array.get(vol, b)
totV += v
if v > maxV
maxV := v
pocIdx := b
// value area: expand row-by-row around the POC toward the richer side
float acc = array.get(vol, pocIdx)
int up = pocIdx
int dn = pocIdx
float target = totV * inVApct
while acc < target and (up < inBins - 1 or dn > 0)
float vUp = up < inBins - 1 ? array.get(vol, up + 1) : -1.0
float vDn = dn > 0 ? array.get(vol, dn - 1) : -1.0
if vUp >= vDn
up += 1
acc += math.max(vUp, 0.0)
else
dn -= 1
acc += math.max(vDn, 0.0)
float vah = gLo + (up + 1) * binSz
float val = gLo + dn * binSz
float poc = gLo + (pocIdx + 0.5) * binSz
int gap = 2
int xBase = inAnchor == "Left" ? math.max(0, bar_index - loopN - gap) : bar_index + gap
int xl = math.max(0, bar_index - loopN)
int xrr = bar_index + inWidth + gap
// histogram — solid rows, value-area highlight, POC in gold
if maxV > 0
for b = 0 to inBins - 1
float v = array.get(vol, b)
if v > 0
int len = int(math.round(inWidth * v / maxV))
if len >= 1
float binLo = gLo + b * binSz
float binHi = binLo + binSz
float ratio = v / maxV
bool inVA = b >= dn and b <= up
color c = b == pocIdx ? cPOC : inVA ? cVA : cOut
int tp = b == pocIdx ? 0 : math.min(90, inVA ? int(14 + (1 - ratio) * 26) : int(48 + (1 - ratio) * 30))
array.push(g_boxes, box.new(xBase, binHi, xBase + len, binLo, border_color = na, bgcolor = color.new(c, tp)))
// POC / VAH / VAL lines
if inShowLvls
array.push(g_lines, line.new(xl, poc, xrr, poc, color = cPOC, width = 2))
array.push(g_lines, line.new(xl, vah, xrr, vah, color = color.new(cVA, 15), style = line.style_dashed))
array.push(g_lines, line.new(xl, val, xrr, val, color = color.new(cVA, 15), style = line.style_dashed))
// price tags
if inShowTags
int xt = xrr + 1
array.push(g_lbls, label.new(xt, poc, "POC " + str.tostring(poc, format.mintick), style = label.style_label_left, color = color.new(cPOC, 8), textcolor = cInk, size = size.small))
array.push(g_lbls, label.new(xt, vah, "VAH " + str.tostring(vah, format.mintick), style = label.style_label_left, color = color.new(cVA, 30), textcolor = #ffffff, size = size.tiny))
array.push(g_lbls, label.new(xt, val, "VAL " + str.tostring(val, format.mintick), style = label.style_label_left, color = color.new(cVA, 30), textcolor = #ffffff, size = size.tiny))
// header chip
table.cell(hdr, 0, 0, "◆ VP Lite", text_color = cPOC, text_size = size.small, text_halign = text.align_left, bgcolor = cPnl)
table.cell(hdr, 1, 0, "ProEA Lab", text_color = color.new(cTxt, 40), text_size = size.small, text_halign = text.align_right, bgcolor = cPnl)
Rolling · 200 candles · 60 rows · 70% Value Area. This shows activity across the latest 200 candles. Find the gold line and blue zone first; adjust the detail later.
Optional topics. Open the one that answers your next question.
POC means Point of Control: the middle of the busiest price row. VAH and VAL mean Value Area High and Low: the upper and lower edges of the blue area.
Ask one question: is price inside, above, or below the blue area? Inside means price is in the main volume area. Above or below means it is outside. Then watch whether it stays there or returns.
Stays outside → acceptance. Price crosses an edge and keeps trading beyond it. Watch where candles close and whether later pullbacks stay outside. Volume building there can add context.
Comes back inside → rejection. Price crosses an edge, then returns to the old area. The move has not held so far. A return to the gold line is possible, but is not promised.
There is no magic number of candles that proves either outcome. VP Lite does not label these events or send alerts. Mark an old edge yourself if you want to compare later price with it: the live profile can move.
The shape shows how activity is spread across prices. Read it as a description of the selected candles.
Most activity is near the middle.
More activity is near the top.
More activity is near the bottom.
Activity is spread across prices without one broad central bulge.
Shape alone cannot tell you who bought or sold, why they traded, or what happens next. A thin profile does not automatically prove a trend day. Do not assume price must return to the middle.
These are examples to study, not entry instructions. Keep your own rules for entering, exiting and limiting a loss.
Look for: price crossing an edge of a roughly D-shaped profile, then closing back inside. Watch next: whether it stays inside and moves toward the gold line. Reconsider if: price holds outside instead. A stretched profile gives less support for an assumption that price will return to the middle.
Look for: price staying outside an old edge, including when it comes back to test that edge. Watch next: whether activity builds outside. Reconsider if: price closes back inside the old area. This does not promise a move to the opposite edge.
In a middle-heavy profile, compare price with the busiest row. It can be a level to observe or a target reference within your existing plan. It is not a magnet: price does not have to revisit it.
Let some candles build before reading the day’s profile. For example, compare the first hour with later activity. Watch whether price keeps returning to the early area or holds outside it. Early levels can change substantially as more data arrives.
Mark prior highs, lows or your existing price zones first. Then see whether a profile edge falls nearby. When levels overlap, traders call it confluence. It gives you a place to examine, not proof that a trade will work.
Rolling uses the latest candles and moves forward with the chart. Session starts again at the symbol’s daily trading boundary. It is for intraday charts; it is not a custom London or New York session selector.
Settings use the same names as the indicator.
These are examples to adjust, not tested settings for better results.
If the rows look too fragmented, try fewer rows. Start with standard candles: changing the chart type or timeframe can change the estimate.
VP Lite spreads each candle’s volume across its high-to-low price range, then adds it into rows. It estimates activity by price; it does not read every individual trade.
The gold line marks the middle of the row with the most estimated volume. The blue area grows around that row until it contains at least your selected percentage. Because whole rows are included, it can hold more than 70% at the default setting.
The profile can move. It is rebuilt as the live candle changes, new candles arrive, or the selected range changes. Earlier profiles and their lines are not saved automatically. Mark a reference level yourself if you want to track it.
Session has a limit: the volume calculation uses at most the latest 2,000 candles from the current trading day. The day follows the symbol’s daily boundary, which may differ from your local midnight.
Volume depends on your chart’s data. Forex and some CFDs may supply tick activity (price updates), rather than units traded. More rows cannot turn that data into exact trade-by-trade volume.
VP Lite maps where activity was concentrated — never what price will do next. It does not separate buying from selling, preserve old profiles, or send alerts.
What shipped and what changed in Volume Profile Lite, newest first. Ask for the next change below; what gets built lands here with a date, and on the lab queue on the front page.
Volume Profile Lite Shipped
Shows busy price areas using estimated trading volume.
A small friction or a big idea. Tell us what would make this tool work better for you.
Requests for a new tool go on the same queue: see what is asked for and what is being built.
These are estimated zones, and their positions can change. Use them alongside your own trading and risk rules. This is a learning tool, not financial advice.