NinjaTrader Review 2024: Pros, Cons and How It Compares

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’s state-of-the-art trading platform has a variety of features available across three license levels that allow traders to select the best fit for their trading approach. There are two upgrade feature sets available, Trader + and Order Flow +. Bonus offers subject to terms and conditions, visit robinhood.com/hoodweek for more information.

You may be better off sticking with the web and desktop platforms, which get much higher marks from investors. NinjaTraders is a competitively-priced trading platform offering multiple pricing plans catered to different styles and budgets. Investors can choose from the platform’s free plan to access basic trading features or pay into the more costly plans to unlock advanced features and reduced commission rates.

Advanced Traders

It has livestreams before the markets open and close every weekday with commentary, analysis, and trading opportunities. Some livestreams also include futures trading in real time, so you can see how other investors prepare and analyze the market. NinjaTrader offer a huge range of help guides, video tutorials and webinars, both for beginners, and also for advanced traders looking to get review cycle analytics for traders the most out of the system.

Final Thoughts on NinjaTrader Data Fees

The platform is robust with lots of tools and resources, and it takes some time to learn how to use all the features. Fortunately, NinjaTrader hosts free weekly webinars to help you get started. Topics include connecting to data, one-click order entry, how to set up a workspace, basic chart creation, advanced settings, and strategy automation. NinjaTrader is one of the top brokers for futures Forex sentiment analysis and forex trading. The unlimited use of its free platform is a great way to get acclimated to NinjaTrader before deciding to trade live.

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. Plans range from a $0 monthly fee, to $99 per month, to a one-time payment of $1,499. But if you want to trade anything other than futures, consider a different investment platform than NinjaTrader, such as one of the best online brokerages. All content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult relevant financial professionals in your country of residence to get personalized advice before you make any trading or investing decisions.

• NinjaTrader’s low commissions and fees, free tools and an active community forum will work to any trader’s advantage.
• The NinjaTrader brokerage supports futures, options on futures, and forex trading.
• Some livestreams also include futures trading in real time, so you can see how other investors prepare and analyze the market.
• Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.
• NinjaTrader can be reached by email, phone and an online support form for customer service.

Futures are available from $0.59 per contract ($0.09 per Micro contract). The company also has a YouTube channel which hosts additional content. For more details about the categories considered when rating brokers and our process, read our full methodology.

It does charge an inactivity fee of $25 per month, but this is easily waived by making at least 1 trade per month. It charges an outgoing ACAT transfer fee of $50, which is on the lower end among brokers we review. A great feature of the platform worth mentioning is the ability to place simulated trades, complete with an imaginary account and profit/loss summary.

NinjaTrader has its flagship advanced trading platform for Windows-based desktop computers. If you are a Mac user, you can run the trading software using a multi-boot utility like Apple Boot Camp. At Motley Fool Money, 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. Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.

NinjaTrader at a glance

It’s important to understand how reduced intraday margins in futures trading work before starting to trade. This may result in a margin call if your account has insufficient funds to meet the higher overnight margin requirement. 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.

Charting

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 specific day and interact as if it were live. The feature is great for general practice or when testing out a new strategy such as with Fibonaacci levels. NinjaTrader and the community’s ecosystem has a wide selection of educational videos, webinars, and documentation. Vendors provide much of the education, which includes promotional material for vendor systems, add-ons, and plugins, but we didn’t see this as a negative.

Impact of Data Fees on Trading Decisions

The platform caters to online traders across asset classes and global markets. Costs are reasonable and there are free indicators and resource options available. Moreover, the platform hosts training sessions and workshops for beginners and experienced futures traders. Some how to write rfp for software online brokerage platforms are best for beginners, while others are more fitting for more advanced traders. We evaluated NinjaTrader with a focus on how well it performs as a futures trading platform, as well as the past experiences of users.

As you grow in your trading and are ready for more tools and functionality, you can add more complexity. 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.

DayTrading.com may receive compensation from the brands or services mentioned on this website. 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 are monitoring demand for a Mac version of the platform, and one may be developed, but as yet, there are no plans to do so. Fortunately, NinjaTrader does provide a suite of resources to help you get the most out of the terminal, from daily webinars to training videos, a blog, and help guides. There is also an active user community you can turn to for additional support.