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NinjaTrader is a futures trading platform offering affordable and accessible trading for sophisticated, active traders. While there's a significant amount of risk involved in trading futures, NinjaTrader's range of tools and simulated trades may prove beneficial for investors to hone their trading skills without putting money on the line.
About NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader is an online futures trading platform for experienced investors to trade traditional and alternative futures contracts with low commissions. You'll get $50 a day for trading margins with NinjaTrader, discount pricing on contracts, flexible funding, and no minimum deposit requirement.
NinjaTraders offers a wide range of futures contracts. You can trade contracts for stocks,cryptocurrency, crude oil, gold, natural gas, and more. In addition, the platform offers unlimited support, daily trainingopportunities, and 24-hour customer support.
Free customizable futures trading charts, simulated trading, live market streams, market trackers, and leveraged analytical tools are just some of the advanced charting tools in NinjaTrader.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.
You can trade on a computer or on NinjaTrader's desktop platform and mobile app. Users can even download the NinjaTrader app without setting up an account on the platform, which gives them a chance to try out the app functions and see what's available before they start trading.
Is NinjaTrader Right For You?
As one of the best commodity trading apps, NinjaTrader is best suited for seasoned investors who can use its robust trading tools and features. However, novice futures traders can also benefit from a NinjaTrader account to access unlimited simulated futures trading. Newcomers can try their strategies in real-time and see how they do without losing money.
When it comes to fees, NinjaTrader vs. other trading platforms, offers an affordable pricing model that makes futures trading more accessible to beginners. NinjaTrader is a great option for folks interested in trading commodity futures.
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.
NinjaTrader Pros and Cons
NinjaTrader Pros
- You can learn the platform and practice futures trading with free simulations
- Free plan option
- Training opportunities available
- Make trades with PC, Mac, or mobile
- Can trade micro and e-mini futures
- No deposit minimum and low margins
NinjaTrader Cons
- Limited trading and investing options
- Pricey monthly fees or lifetime subscription required
- Many fees
- You need a third-party broker to invest in anything other than futures
- Lifetime plan required for lowest trading fees
Is NinjaTrader Trustworthy?
TheBetter Business Bureau has given NinjaTrader a B- rating. BBB ratings typically range from A+ to F and reflect the bureau's opinions of a company's customer complaint history, business practices, and advertising and licensing information.
NinjaTrader has not been involved in public lawsuits or scandals in recent years.
Ways to Invest in NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader offers a different plan for experienced traders, beginners, and more. All plans from NinjaTrader (including the free plan) come with access to the platform's desktop and mobile app.
The platform requires you to make quite a few decisions upfront. You must decide on the type of order you want: Market orders, limit orders, or stop market orders. You must also know the type of futures you want to trade and the order quantity for the number of contracts.
Here are the plan options available with NinjaTrader.
Free Plan ($0 per month)
NinjaTrader offers a free plan that has you pay higher set fees for individual futures trades as you make them. This means there is no monthly plan fee, but other fees apply, including:
- $0.35 per Micro contract
- $1.29 per Standard contract
- Commissions per side
Monthly Plan ($99 per month)
NinjaTrader's monthly plan is $99 per month, and it's geared to regular traders who prefer to pay a monthly fee over higher fees for individual trades. That said, the monthly plan fee does not eliminate commissions but only reduces them.
- $0.25 per Micro contract
- $0.99 per Standard contract
- Commissions per side
Lifetime Plan ($1,499)
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.
- $0.09 per Micro contract
- $0.59 per Standard contract
- Commissions per side
Investment Options
NinjaTraders offers trading across diverse future markets worldwide. Available futures contracts include indexes, metals, energies, and cryptocurrencies.
It's possible to trade traditional futures with NinjaTrader, but you can also trade in micro futures, a smaller version of the same futures contracts. This makes it possible to start futures trading with lower upfront costs.
For example, NinjaTrader says you can invest in the following micro futures with reduced expenses and margins as low as $50:
- E-mini Index Futures
- E-mini Nasdaq-100 Index Futures
- E-mini Russell 2000 Index Futures
- E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Futures
NinjaTrader Fees
NinjaTrader has a free plan, a monthly plan, and a lifetime plan. However, these plans do not eliminate other fees and commissions the platform charges. Here's a rundown of the other costs and fees for NinjaTrader users:
Account Closure Fee: Up to $30
Administrative fees:
- Clearing Fee: $0.15 per contract
- Order Routing:: $0.25 per contract
- Electronic Daily and Monthly Statement: Free
- Minimum Account Activity Fee: $25 per month with no activity
Currency conversions: 1% of funds converted (minimum 10 units of currency being sold)
Deposit fees:
- ACH: Free
- Incoming Check or Wires: No fee
- Bounced Check: $30
Emergency Trade Desk: Free
Margin Call: $50
NinjaTrader Alternatives
NinjaTrader vs. TradeStation
TradeStation is an investment platform offering multiple investment options, including futures trading. It also offers stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and cryptocurrencies.
Regarding futures trading, TradeStation offers traditional futures contracts and mini-futures. Like NinjaTrader, TradeStation offers a range of trading tools and features, such as simulated trading, backtesting, and charting.
TradeStation is a better option for investors who want to access a broader selection of investment options besides futures contracts. However, if you're mainly focused on trading futures, NinjaTrader is the better choice.
TradeStation review
NinjaTrader vs. Tradovate
Tradovate is a futures trading software company focusing on this type of investing without offering other options or trying to be a "one-stop shop" for investors. This platform offers a 14-day free trial to help users get acquainted with its tools and functionality, and it has three different plans to choose from — a free plan, a monthly plan, and a lifetime plan.
Where the monthly plan through Tradovate costs $99 per month just like with NinjaTrader, the lifetime plan through Tradovate costs $199 per month prepaid annually (or $2,388). Interestingly, the fees for standard and micro contracts for each plan tier through Tradovate are almost identical to those through NinjaTrader.
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.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed NinjaTrader
We applied Personal Finance Insider's rating methodology for rating investment products to compare fees, ethics, access, investment selection, and overall customer experience when reviewing the NinjaTrader platform. While top online brokerage platforms offer multiple investment options, advanced charting tools, education resources, and more for different trading needs, we acknowledge the limitations of a trading platform that is mostly focused on futures trading instead of offering a broad range of investment choices.
Some 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.
Business Insider's Overall NinjaTrader Review
| Feature | Rating (Out of 5) |
| Fees | 3 |
| Investment Selection | 4 |
| Access | 4.5 |
| Ethics | 4.5 |
| Customer Support | 4.5 |
| Overall Score | 4.1 |
NinjaTrader Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is NinjaTrader, and who is it best suited for?
NinjaTrader is a futures trading platform offering advanced charting and market analysis features through different plan options. It's best for active, experienced traders mainly looking to invest in traditional and alternative futures (including mini-futures). Novice future traders can also use the platform's simulated trading features and backtesting to test strategies.
How does NinjaTrader's pricing model work?
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. NinjaTrader is transparent about its fees, but there is much to keep track of.
Can I automate my trading strategies with NinjaTrader?
NinjaTrader's automated trading capabilities, such as semi-automated trade functionally for managing positions, are available on its desktop platform. ATM strategies can be used to attach advanced orders to entry orders and execute conditional or contingent orders.
What kind of support and educational resources does NinjaTrader offer?
Educational resources for NinjaTrader traders include interactive training features, helpful guides, a user's library, free daily livestreams, video tutorials, webinars, and support forums to help its users further hone their trading skills. Moreover, the platform hosts training sessions and workshops for beginners and experienced futures traders.
How does NinjaTrader ensure the security of my trades and personal information?
NinjaTrader is equipped with security measures to protect users' personal and financial information. The platforms employed data encryption, two-factor authentication, and security keys. Furthermore, NinjaTrader partners with reputable brokerage firms to ensure reliable and secure trade execution.
Freelance Writer
Holly Johnson is a credit card expert, award-winning writer, and mother of two who is obsessed with frugality, budgeting, and travel. In addition to serving as contributing editor for The Simple Dollar and writing for publications such as Bankrate, U.S. News and World Report Travel, and Travel Pulse, Johnson ownsClub Thriftyand is the co-author of "Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You’ll Love."
Investing and Retirement Reporter
Tessa Campbell is an investing and retirement reporter on Business Insider’s personal finance desk. Over two years of personal finance reporting, Tessa has built expertise on a range of financial topics, from the best credit cards to the best retirement savings accounts.ExperienceTessa currently reports on all things investing — deep-diving into complex financial topics, shedding light on lesser-known investment avenues, and uncovering ways readers can work the system to their advantage.As a personal finance expert in her 20s, Tessa is acutely aware of the impacts time and uncertainty have on your investment decisions. While she curates Business Insider’s guide on the best investment apps, she believes that your financial portfolio does not have to be perfect, it just has to exist. A small investment is better than nothing, and the mistakes you make along the way are a necessary part of the learning process.Expertise:Tessa’s expertise includes:
- Credit cards
- Investing apps
- Retirement savings
- Cryptocurrency
- The stock market
- Retail investing
Education:Tessa graduated from Susquehanna University with a creative writing degree and a psychology minor.When she’s not digging into a financial topic, you’ll find Tessa waist-deep in her second cup of coffee. She currently drinks Kitty Town coffee, which blends her love of coffee with her love for her two cats: Keekee and Dumpling. It was a targeted advertisem*nt, and it worked.
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