NinjaTrader review 2024
- Stock trade fee
- $0
- Minimum deposit
- $0
Our verdict
Trade low-commission futures with NinjaTrader and enjoy industry-low margins and powerful trading tools.
NinjaTrader offers competitive futures trading fees and low margins compared to most brokers. Its commissions for its free plan are on the low end compared to other brokers, with even lower commissions for its paid plans. The same can be said for its trading margins — $50 intraday margins for micro contracts and $500 margins for popular futures markets. Meanwhile, NinjaTrader’s cloud-based futures trading infrastructure offers seamless trading across its desktop, web and mobile platforms, and its unlimited simulated trading lets you test new trading ideas before putting money at risk. There are no minimum deposit requirements to use NinjaTrader, but you must pay for real-time market data before you can trade. NinjaTrader is exclusively a futures trading platform, so you won’t find any other tradable assets.
Best for: Active futures traders.
Pros
-
Competitive commissions
-
Industry-low margins
-
Free and paid plans
-
Powerful trading tools
-
Unlimited simulated trading to practice
Cons
-
Market data costs on the high end
-
Must pay for real-time market data for simulated trading
-
Limited tradable assets
-
Desktop platform is unavailable for Mac
NinjaTrader at a glance
To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read our methodology.NinjaTrader is best for active futures traders
NinjaTrader is exclusively a futures trading platform. It offers customizable mobile, web and desktop trading platforms, advanced charting features and powerful market analysis tools. The platform offers direct access to multiple futures exchanges, real-time data feeds and automated trading capabilities, making it ideal for high-speed and high-volume trading.
NinjaTrader’s plans
| Plan | Monthly fee | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0.35 commissions per side for micro futures. $1.29 commissions per side for standard futures. | Does not accept coupon codes with financing. Financing not available to West Virginia or Iowa residents. |
| Monthly | $99/month | $0.25 commissions per side for micro futures. $0.99 commissions per side for standard futures. |
| Lifetime | $1,499 one-time payment. | $0.09 commissions per side for micro futures. $0.59 commissions per side for standard futures. Order Flow+ suite of indicators included. |
What we like about NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader shines in its industry-low commissions and margins, as well as powerful charting capabilities, extensive market analysis tools and robust trading platforms.
Commissions are competitively priced and margins are unmatched
Ninjatrader charges some of the lowest futures commissions among brokers. With its free plan, trade standard futures for $1.29 per side and micro futures for 35 cents per side. If you’re a high-volume trader, its paid plans reduce commissions even further.
Meanwhile, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a broker that offers futures margins as low as NinjaTrader. It offers $50 intraday margins for micro contracts and $500 margins for popular futures markets. To compare, many brokers charge an intraday margin rate of 25% of the overnight rate. For the E-Mini S&P 500 futures contract, which has an overnight rate of $12,980, the intraday rate would be $3,245. NinjaTrader charges $500.
Access advanced trading tools and customization options
Trade across desktop, web and mobile platforms, with a customizable futures trading platform that offers advanced charts with over 100 technical indicators, depth of market tools, advanced order types and more.
Here are some other trading tools and features you’ll find on NinjaTrader:
- Replay historical market data
- Order flow analysis tools
- Unlimited simulated trading
- Order entry hotkeys
- Automatically submit protective stop loss and profit target orders (ATM Strategies)
- Once Cancels Other orders (OCO)
- Automated trading and backtesting
- Alerts
- Auto-close positions
- Free daily livestreams with real-time market analysis and trading
- Third-party integrations
Practice trading with a futures trading simulator
With NinjaTrader’s free futures trading simulator, you can test new trading ideas and access unlimited simulated trading. It also includes live-streaming market data, a free backtesting engine and the ability to replay historical market data.
Where NinjaTrader falls short
While NinjaTrader has no deposit minimums and a free plan for infrequent futures traders, we think it falls short in a few areas, including market data costs, lack of a desktop platform for mac users and its limited tradable assets.
Market data fees are on the high end
NinjaTrader requires all customers to subscribe to real-time market data to trade with live and simulated funds. Its market data subscription costs are also on the high end compared to competitors.
For instance, CBOT, CME, COMEX and NYMEX Market Depth Level 2 data is $16 per month and $4 per month for Level 1 with NinjaTrader. Interactive Brokers charges $11 and $1.25, respectively, for each exchange for non-pro accounts. Meanwhile, E*TRADE absorbs all CME and CFE quote fees for non-pro clients. TradesStation provides non-pro customers free access to CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX and CBOE Level 1 data. Charles Schwab doesn’t charge for live market data for futures trading, except for quotes from the ICE exchange.
With NinjaTrader, subscribe to CME Bundled Level 1 Data for $12 per month or CME Bundled Level 2 Data for $41 per month. Or you can customize your data selections by choosing individual exchange data. Either way, live or simulated trading requires a paid market data subscription.
Exclusively offers futures trading
Being a futures trading platform exclusively, you won’t find other tradable assets. Therefore, NinjaTrader is limited to a select group of traders. Look elsewhere if you want to invest in stocks, options, ETFs or any other asset other than futures.
NinjaTrader’s fees
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Minimum investment | $0 |
| Annual fee |
|
| Inactivity fee | $25 monthly fee if no live trades are made during the monthly |
| Outgoing account transfer fee | $50 |
Is NinjaTrader legit?
Yes, NinjaTrader is a legitimate futures trading platform and futures broker. Founded in 2003, it supports over 1 million users globally.
NinjaTrader is a registered broker-dealer with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Customer experience
Overall, customer sentiment for NinjaTrader is positive based on online reviews and feedback. On Trustpilot, it earns 4.6 out of five stars based on over 700 reviews as of April 2024. Customers appreciate the level and quality of service and the platform’s advanced features, user-friendly interface and extensive customization options.
However, some negative reviews mention occasional bugs and glitches, as well as difficulties with applying, setting up and using the platform. NinjaTrader is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and currently holds a D- rating.
Compare NinjaTrader to other platforms
Compare similar platforms by available asset types, trade fees and minimum deposit requirements. Select Go to site to sign up for an account.
NinjaTrader
★★★★★
Finder rating 3.7 / 5
Available asset types
Futures
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Complete signup bonus
Get up to $250 in futures commission rebates*
Frec
★★★★★
Finder rating 4.3 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, Mutual funds, ETFs
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$20,000
Complete signup bonus
N/A
Wealthfront
★★★★★
Finder rating 4 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, ETFs
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$500
Complete signup bonus
Get $50 when you sign up and fund a taxable automated investing account with at least $500
Frequently asked questions
Is NinjaTrader good for beginners?
NinjaTrader is a powerful trading platform with advanced features and functionality that may be overwhelming for beginners. It’s designed for more experienced traders looking for sophisticated analysis, charting and automation tools. That said, NinjaTrader offers resources for beginners, such as educational materials, webinars and a simulated account to practice trading without risking real money.
How much does NinjaTrader cost per month?
NinjaTrader offers a free plan, a $99-per-month plan and a lifetime plan for a $1,499 one-time payment. The two paid plans offer reduced commissions for high-volume traders.
Is NinjaTrader trustworthy?
NinjaTrader is generally considered a reputable and trustworthy futures trading platform. It’s been around for many years, and over 1 million traders and brokerage firms use it.
How much money do I need for NinjaTrader?
NinjaTrader has no minimum deposit requirements and offers a free plan for infrequent futures traders who want to pay-per-trade. It also offers two paid plans — one for $99 per month and a lifetime plan for a $1,499 one-time payment. There are also additional costs associated with using NinjaTrader, such as data fees for real-time market data and fees for using certain advanced features and tools
How we rate trading platforms
★★★★★ 5/5 — Excellent
★★★★★ 4/5 — Good
★★★★★ 3/5 — Average
★★★★★ 2/5 — Subpar
★★★★★ 1/5 — Poor
We analyze top online trading platforms and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. These factors include fees, securities available for trade, customer support, customer feedback, platform resources and overall reliability.
For a complete breakdown of how we score each category, read the full methodology of how we rate trading platforms
Your reviews
Matt Finder
Editor, Investments
Hi there, looking for more information? Ask us a question.
You are about to post a question on finder.com:
- Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
- finder.com is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
- We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
- Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked
Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our finder.com Terms of Use and Privacy and Cookies Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.