The NinjaTrader platform is designed with advanced users in mind and has a considerable learning curve. Because futures trading involves leverage, it’s much riskier than your everyday stock investing. But you can also lose more money, and you can lose it quickly if you’re not careful. If you lease or buy a Lifetime license for the trading platform software, you also gain access to a suite of premium features that include its advanced trading management (ATM) strategic order handling. Traders who purchase a lifetime license also get the Order Flow feature set which comes with free platform upgrades for life.

Tools & Features

Alternatively, the C# based trading framework is available for more experienced investors. 1000+ unique automated strategies are available through the platform, covering a range of trading styles. NinjaTrader is equipped with security measures to protect users’ personal and financial information. The platforms employed data encryption, two-factor authentication, and security keys.

Fees and Commissions

Consider working with a financial advisor as you sort through the many online investing platforms to find one that fits your skills and goals. We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. Plans range from a $0 monthly fee, to $99 per month, to a one-time payment of $1,499. For example, sophisticated order types the bond and foreign exchange markets 2021 known as automated trade management (ATM) strategies are included in the Trader + feature suite.

1. The platform also offers micro futures and E-minis, which makes it possible for folks just to get started with futures trading to access these investments at a lower cost.
2. Trader + and Order Flow + and paid services that traders can upgrade to, but the core essentials are free for the lifetime of the account.
3. The key to making the most of the services on offer is to spend some time exploring their video library and educational services once you’ve logged in.
4. ACH deposits, incoming checks, and income wire transfers are all free.
5. The unlimited use of its free platform is a great way to get acclimated to NinjaTrader before deciding to trade live.

Launched in 2003, NinjaTrader is a software business based in the United States that offers a top-rated trading platform with a wide range of research tools. Commission and margin requirements are among the lowest in the industry. A $1,000 minimum initial deposit is required to fund a new account and commissions go as low as $.09 per Micro contract with a Lifetime license. Day trading margins of $500 for ES, NQ and YM contracts, and $400 for GC and CL contracts are also very low. NinjaTrader is a windows based platform which relies on the .NET framework. There are methods using Parallels or VMWare to get Ninjatrader working on Macs, but the these are not officially supported.

NinjaTrader’s lifetime plan requires a one-time fee of $1,499, which qualifies the user for the lowest possible commissions. This plan includes order flow and add-ons, potentially lowering additional trading fees. While still complex, thinkorswim is more intuitive and offers extensive educational resources, making it easier for new traders to get up to speed. NinjaTrader excels in backtesting, offering detailed simulations that what is salesforce and what does it do in 2020 allow traders to test their strategies using historical data. This highly customizable feature lets traders tweak variables and analyze potential outcomes in-depth.

Thinkorswim, now under Charles Schwab, offers a more extensive range of tradable assets, including stocks, options, ETFs and futures. The platform is highly regarded for its tool suite, catering to beginners and advanced traders. Thinkorswim also integrates research, analysis and trading into a single platform, providing a seamless experience for traders of all levels. When it comes to research tools and charting features NinjaTrader has a wide range of research and charting tools.

At the same time, NinjaTrader simply doesn’t support the assets that most investors will want to purchase. Investors who want to buy stocks will have to look elsewhere, and the software has no native support for mutual funds or bonds at all. At The Motley Fool Ascent, brokerages are rated on a scale of one to five stars. We primarily focus on fees, available assets, and account types; however, we also take into account features like research, education, tax-loss harvesting, and highly rated mobile apps.

The NinjaTrader platform is geared toward active traders—not long-term investors. As a result, it doesn’t offer any portfolio analysis tools or reports that would help buy-and-hold investors make decisions about asset allocation or specific holdings. A great feature of the platform worth mentioning is the ability to place simulated trades, complete with an imaginary account and profit/loss summary.

The charts are user-friendly and offer tons of technical indicators such as Bollinger Bands and Fibonacci Extensions. Furthermore, NinjaTrader clients have access to automated trading tools such as Bloodhound that offers visual feedback on your trading charts conveying trading signals. NinjaTrader is a trading software company that is based in the US and offers a top-rated online trading platform with sophisticated research tools.

Thinkorswim offers a vast array of tradable assets, including stocks, options, ETFs, futures and forex, providing a one-stop-shop for traders looking to build a diversified portfolio. NinjaTrader’s Help Guide and webinars are great tools for beginner and advanced traders looking to familiarize themselves with the desktop trading platform. The Help Guide is well designed and you can find exactly what you are looking for via web or PDF downloadable content.

NinjaTrader Review

Tradovate also offers the option to trade futures from desktop, mobile, or tablet, including more than 40 advanced trading tools. This platform also lets you start with any amount with day trading margin requirements at a minimum of $10. It’s easy to change colors (for background, crosshair, gridlines, text, etc.), fonts, and bar spacing/width as well as the overall layout of your chart windows.

Day trading margins for popular futures such as the S&P 500 emini are $500. The company also has a YouTube channel which hosts additional content. The NinjaTrader 8 release was highly anticipated and has not disappointed. The 8 system requirements remain similar to that for the 7, so if you have one you should be able to migrate to the other without too much hassle.

Mobile and Emerging Tech

Third-party trading on NinjaTrader requires either licensing or buying the software. The leased version of the software comes with significantly fewer data features, in addition to costing almost as much, so there’s little reason to choose that option. If you’re looking for an affordable place to start futures trading, NinjaTrader doesn’t have any minimum deposit requirements. It also has lower margins than many futures brokers, starting at just $50 for intraday margins on micro contracts. The unlimited use of its free platform is a great way to get acclimated to NinjaTrader before deciding to trade live. NinjaTrader can be reached by email, phone and an online support form for customer service.

NinjaTrader connects to that service, and you use this trading software to see your third-party brokerage’s data and order trades. First, this is a charting and market analysis platform that connects to third-party brokerages and lets you use their data. Second, this is an online brokerage that directly supports derivatives trading (futures and options) and foreign exchange. It offers multiple trading platforms, including for desktop, web, and mobile, and you can trade futures with any of them. The most useful is NinjaTrader Desktop, which allows you to personalize your trading platform. You can install third-party indicators and apps designed for use with NinjaTrader and build automated trading strategies.

Robinhood Gold is an account offering premium services available for a $5 monthly fee. Additional interest charges may apply depending on the amount of margin used. Bigger Instant Deposits are only available if your Instant Deposits status is in good standing. The trading platform offers an innovative market replay function which is useful for backtesting. On a tick-by-tick basis, users can download historical data, rewind to a 5 best cryptocurrencies to invest in 2020 specific day and interact as if it were live.