Ninja Trader

Ninja Trader is a United States-based online broker mainly focused on futures trading. With a Ninja Trader account, all trading takes place on the proprietary Ninja Trader trading platform and not on any third-party platforms such as MT4, MT5 or cTrader.

Ninja Trader is not only famous for its sharp focus on futures trading, but also for offering ultra-low margins on certain popular futures contracts. Based and regulated in the United States, Ninja Trader has become a popular choice among serious future contracts traders looking for a reputable and reliable platform that gives them access to major futures trading markets. Ninja Trader has been around since 2003 and have offices in Denver and Chicago.

Ninja Trader is not the typical first choice of broker for novice hobby traders online. Future contracts speculation is highly complex and normally only successfully carried out by more experienced traders. Also, Ninja Trader keeps the really small nano traders out by requiring a $400 account minimum, and hefty withdrawal fees discourage the type of trader who makes multiple small withdrawals per month. There is no platform fee for the standard version of the platform, but if you want access to the full range of tools – and the really competitive commission levels – you need to pay for an upgrade.

A few examples of pros and cons

• Ninja Trader is largely focused on futures trading. This is a big plus if you also want to focus on futures trading and a bit of a drawback if you are looking for a broker and a platform that offers more and deeper variety. More extensive non-futures trading is available through partner brokers, but that requires a separate sign-up.
• This is a proprietary platform, so it will take some time getting used to. Some traders prefer to stick with brokers that use a third-party platform that they are already familiar with, such as cTrader or one of the MetaTrader platforms.
• The platform was developed for Windows PC download only. There is no official support for using it with any other operative system or browser-based web trading, and there are no mobile apps.
• Limit choice of transaction methods for deposits and withdrawals.

Regulation

Ninja Trader is based in the United States, must adhere to U.S. law and regulations, and authorized by the CFTC and the NFA.

• The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is an agency of the US government that regulates the U.S. derivatives markets.
• Created by the CFTC in 1981, the National Futures Association (NFA) is the self-regulatory organization for the U.S. derivatives industry.

Platform requirements

The Ninja Trader platform was developed for Windows PC download. There is no official support for Mac OS, Linux or browser-based trading. No mobile apps are available.

Requirements and recommendations:

• Windows 8.1 or later is required.
• 1 GHz processor is enough to run the platform, but a 2 GHz or faster quad-core processor is recommended for optimal performance.
• 2 GB of RAM is enough, but 8 GB of RAM is recommended for optimal performance.
• 1024 x 769 screen resolution or better
• A DirectX 10 compatible graphics card is not required but is recommended for optimal performance.

Purchasing a platform lease or perpetual license

When you have signed up with Ninja Trader, you will get access to the standard version of the trading platform. If you want to, you can pay to get access to the lease version or the license version instead – they each come with various special features.

You only need the standard version of the platform to trade and get access to a wide range of tools and features, including advanced charting, trading simulations and market analysis.

If you opt to pay for the lease version of the platform, you will get special discounts on trading commissions and also gain access to certain premium features, e.g. advanced order types, order entry hotkeys and an advanced alerts system. You can for instance use automatic prospective stop-loss, OCO and stop-limit orders on this version of the platform. The shortest leasing period is one quarter of a year. At the time of writing, the price for one quarter is 225 USD.

If you pay for a perpetual license, you will get special discounts on trading commissions and be given access to the most advanced version of the Ninja Trader platform. At the time of writing, the price is 1,099 USD. Buying a perpetual license costs less than leasing over an extended period of time, but you will still need to pay again when upgrading to a new platform. Examples of features included in the perpetual license version of the Ninja Trader platform are a market depth map view, the volume profile indicator, the volume-weighted average price indicator, and a volumetric bars style chart.

Account types

Ninja Trader offers different account types to suit the needs of different futures traders.

Most traders using this broker have an individual or joint account, but it is also possible to obtain a corporate account, LLC account, trust account, partnership account, or retirement account (IRA) if the respective account requirements are fulfilled.

The minimum capital requirement is 400 USD regardless of account type.

Can I get an DMA Account with Ninja Trader?

No, Ninja Trader does not offer DMA Accounts.

Can I get an ECN Account with Ninja Trader?

No, Ninja Trader does not offer ECN Accounts.

Can I get an Islamic Account with Ninja Trader?

No, Ninja Trader does not offer Islamic Accounts.

Commissions

Commission levels will largely depend on which version of the platform you are using; the standard (free) version, the leased version or the perpetual license version.

• At the standard (free) version, commissions start at $0.35 per micro contract
• At the leased version, commissions start at $0.25 per micro contract
• At the perpetual license version, commissions start at $0.09 per micro contract

Important: Order routing fees and NFA fees also apply to trades on all three platform versions.

Examples of instruments available at Ninja Trader

• Futures (futures contracts). They can for instance be based on forex, cryptocurrency, commodities or equity indices. You can use Ninja Trader to speculate on futures from many well-known exchanges, such as CME, NYMEX, COMEX, EUREX or ICE. You can even speculate on future interest rates.
• E-minis and micro E-minis. They can for instance be based on major indices such as the S&P 500 index or UK FTSE 100 index, or be a way to speculate on commodities, e.g. through crude oil futures.

Are CFDs available at Ninja Trader?

No, CFDs are not available from Ninja Trader. Ninja Trader does however work together with a network of recommended brokers, so if you are legally permitted to do CFD trading they can be worth checking out.

Can I buy company shares (stocks) at Ninja Trader?

No, Ninja Trader does not offer a market for buying and selling company shares.

Can I buy cryptocurrency at Ninja Trader?

No, the Ninja Trader platform is not for buying and selling cryptocurrencies, but you can speculate on cryptocurrency movements using cryptocurrency futures, e.g. Bitcoin futures, micro Bitcoin futures or Ethereum futures.

Ninja Trader has become renowned among fairly small-scale retail traders for offering micro Bitcoin futures with low fees and having charting tools suitable for Bitcoin analysis.

• Ninja Trader does not offer crypto lending.
• Ninja Trader does not offer crypto staking.

Trading hours

The trading hours follows the global futures markets.

Leverage

Like many other brokers, Ninja Trader offers leverage. This means that you can borrow money from your broker to trade with, within certain limits.

• The leverage rates at Ninja Trader vary immensely depending on the asset.
• Remember that adverse price movements can result in leveraged positions being margin called and forcibly closed.
• Ninja Trader charges special penality fees for margin calls.
• Make sure you understand the difference between leverage for intraday hours positions and overnight swaps before you use any leverage.

Technical analysis

The Ninja Trader platform includes a lot of support for technical analysis traders, including advanced charting software and bespoke indicators. Use the strategy builder and back-testing tools to tailor-make your on trading plan and develop scanner facilities. It is even possible to insert made-up market events during simulations to see how a script would react to the movements.

The broad selection of indicators can be applied to both live trading charts and market replay data. Average daily range, trend lines, value area, swing, gap, Elliot wave, news, and volatility indicator types are all available here.

Here are a few other examples of nifty tools at the platform:

• Heiken Ashi candles
• Drawing tools, such as volume oscillator and Fibonacci retracement
• Easy switch between tick and time chart when viewing data

Deposits and withdrawals

The initial account minimum is 400 USD.

Traders can use debit cards, U.S. physical cheques, wire transfers and ACH transfers (bank-to bank transfers through the ACH network). E-wallets, pre-paid cards and cryptocurrency transfers are not accepted.

Transactions must be made in USD, EUR or GBP to avoid the 1% conversion fee.

Ninja Trader does not charge a fee for deposits, but withdrawals can come with a cost. The trader can make two fee-free ACH withdrawals per month; each ACH withdrawal above that is charged a 15 USD flat fee. Each U.S. cheque request costs 7 USD. Each domestic wire withdrawal costs $30, while each international wire withdrawal costs $/€/£50.

Inactivity fee

If you review markets on the platform without placing any round trades, you will be charged a monthly inactivity fee. At the time of writing, it is 25 USD.

Customer support

Phone support: +1 312 262 1289

Email support: brokeragesupport@ninjatrader.com

Unfortunately, the support hours correspond to US office hours. There is no support staff available outside US office hours.

You can visit the comprehensive Ninja Trader support forums 24/7 to see if your question has already been answered there, or post your own question.

Sign up for a Ninja Trader Demo Account

Before you make any first deposit, we recommend that you sign up for a free Ninja Trader Demo Account. It will come filled with play-money and is a great way to explore the standard version of the platform and see if you like what Ninja Trader has to offer. If you decide that Ninja Trader is a great match for you, making a first deposit and switching over to real-money trading will be quick and effortless.

The Ninja Trader demo account is also a great way to learn how the platform and the tools work without making any costly mistakes with your real money. You can play around and try out various strategies without depleting your actual bankroll, and it can be a really fun way to learn the ropes without putting any real cash on the line.

Education and training

The Ninja Trader platform includes a lot of educational material at various levels. It doesn´t matter if you are a beginner who needs to learn the basics of the platform or an experienced trader who wants to deepen your understanding of technical analysis or futures contracts speculation.

At the platform, you will find things such as:

• Beginner guides
• Charting guides
• Extensive video library
• How-to guides for installing and using plug-ins, add-ons, etc
• Webinars
• The Ninja Trader blog

Questions and answers about Ninja Trader

What is the smallest permitted trade?

It depends on your account type and what you are trading.

Does the platform support social trading and copy trading?

No, the Ninja Trader platform does not include any support for social trading nor copy trading.

Does the platform support automated trading and signal service trading?

Yes, the Ninja Trader platform supports automated trading, including signal service trading.

Does the Ninja Trader platform work with third-party add ons?

Yes, Ninja Trader supports third-party add ons and there are thousands of third-party add-ons to choose among that works with this platform.

You can also create your own custom indicators in the C# programming language and utilize NinjaScript coding to execute your automated trading.