NinjaTrader Review

NinjaTrader is a brokerage for futures trading. Unlike other stock brokers, it focuses only on futures contracts. It’s a popular choice for trading stocks, futures, and forex, offering strong desktop and web platforms that you can tailor to your needs. In this review, we’ll explore what NinjaTrader provides, its pros and cons, and if it’s the right fit for your trading needs. 

🏢 Headquarters	The United States, Denver, Colorado
📅 Year founded	2003
🗺️ Regulation	NFA, CFTC
💻 Trading platform:	NinjaTrader 8
💰 Account currency:	EUR, USD
📊 Accounts:	Futures account, Forex account, affiliates’ accounts
💵 Withdrawal options:	Bank Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal
💵 Deposit options:	Bank Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal
🚀 Minimum deposit:	$50, For futures – $400
⚖️ Leverage:	Following the affiliates’ terms
☪️ Islamic account (swap free)	No
🎮 Demo Account	Yes
💱 Spread:	Following exchange specifications and affiliates’ terms and conditions
🔧 Instruments:	Derivatives market – instruments of exchanges CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX, NYBOT, ICE US, ICE UK, EUREX
📋 Orders execution:	Following the affiliates’ terms
☎ Customer Support:	24/7
📚 Education	Yes

What is NinjaTrader?

NinjaTrader is a Forex broker that has been offering brokerage services in the derivatives and foreign exchange markets since 2003. The company mainly focuses on the futures and futures options markets. It is a licensed company based in the United States, with offices in Germany and the Netherlands that serve mostly representative roles.

Fees

NinjaTrader doesn’t charge any fees for depositing money. ACH deposits, incoming checks, and incoming wire transfers are all free. However, there’s a $30 fee for bounced checks. ACH withdrawals are also free. Domestic wire transfers for withdrawals have a $30 fee, and international wire transfers cost 30 units in the originating currency.

Here are some other fees you should know about:

• Currency conversion: 1% of the amount converted, with a minimum of 10 units of the currency being sold
• Outgoing account transfer: $50
• Margin call: $50
• Margin and delivery liquidation: $25 for the first violation, $50 for additional violations
• Minimum account activity fee: $25 for existing accounts that log in but don’t make any trades in the live trading environment during the month.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Offers algorithmic trading with over 850 proprietary systems	High trading costs due to commission fees, exchange and regulatory fees, and fees to the intermediary broker.
Has a top-notch proprietary trading platform for the derivatives markets, similar to MetaTrader 4 for Forex	Requires an initial deposit of at least USD 400, which doesn’t include fees related to the US stock market.
Competitive commissions	Only supports trading in US futures and options markets.
No minimum deposit required	Users need a deep understanding of the derivatives market and exchange rules
Low margins	No chat or phone support
	History of client risk neglect; fined in 2014 for regulatory irregularities
	Not suitable for beginners
	Mediocre mobile app and no support for mobile app; desktop platform only available on Windows
	High withdrawal fees
	Only offers futures trading

Regulation and Security

NinjaTrader is registered with the National Futures Association (NFA), one of the world’s top regulators. This allows NinjaTrader to offer introducing broker services for companies like Phillip Capital and Dorman Trading. These companies are regulated by major financial authorities such as the US CFTC or UK FCA.

Deposit and Withdrawal

NinjaTrader’s deposit and withdrawal services need improvement. You can only use bank transfers and checks, and bank withdrawals have high fees. However, there are no deposit fees, and withdrawals are quick. NinjaTrader does not charge deposit fees, but your intermediary bank might if you make an international bank transfer. US residents can deposit using checks.

NinjaTrader has high withdrawal fees. Bank withdrawals cost $30, and international bank transfers cost $/€ 40. US residents can also withdraw using checks. It’s free at Dorman Trading but costs $4 at Phillip Capital.

Account Types

A forex account at NinjaTrader is a trading account similar to your bank account, but it is mainly for trading currencies. Forex Islamic accounts, also called swap-free accounts, do not charge swap or rollover interest on overnight positions, which aligns with Islamic faith. The number and type of accounts a trader can open with a broker often vary depending on the country and the regulation authorities there.

NinjaTrader offers the following types of accounts:

• Futures Account
• Automated Systems Account
• Micro E Mini Futures Account
• Options Account

Steps to Open a NinjaTrader Account

Here’s how you can open a NinjaTrader account:

1. Go to NinjaTrader’s website and pick what you want to trade, like futures, options, or forex.
2. Choose if you want an individual or a business account.
3. Fill in your personal info, like your name, birthday, and where you live. You’ll also need to answer some questions about your money and job.
4. Verify who you are and where you live. You can use your national ID, passport, or driver’s license for this. For your address, you can upload a utility bill or bank statement.
5. Answer a few questions about how you plan to use your account, like if it’s for making guesses in the market.
6. Agree to the customer and disclose papers.
7. Once you finish signing up online, NinjaTrader will email you an Options Request Form. You’ll need to fill that out and let them know which markets you want to trade in and any limits on your positions.

Trading Platforms

NinjaTrader offers three versions of its trading platform:

• NinjaTrader Desktop: This is NinjaTrader’s main platform, which is very powerful. You can use it on multiple screens and access thousands of trading apps and extras.
• NinjaTrader Web: This platform is online and can be accessed from any PC or Mac web browser.
• NinjaTrader Mobile Trading App: You can use mobile apps on Android and iPhone devices.

Research 

The research options on NinjaTrader are strong, but they only cover futures trading. They offer educational stuff on things like Futures 101 and how to use the NinjaTrader platform. You can also find market commentary, info about futures products, and technical analysis help.

One helpful thing on NinjaTrader is its livestreams. They happen before the markets open and close every weekday. During these livestreams, experts talk about the market, analyze it, and share trading tips. Some even show real-time futures trading, so you can see how others prepare and analyze the market.

Conclusion

We recommend NinjaTrader for traders because most reviews say clients are happy with it. It might take a few weeks to get the hang of it, especially for beginners. But there’s a big trading community, lots of learning materials, and you can customize it a lot. These things can help you trade better and make more money during the day. In short, NinjaTrader is great for traders who are into US futures and options.

FAQs

Is NinjaTrader regulated?

Yes, the NFA and CFTC regulate NinjaTrader.

Does NinjaTrader charge commission?

Yes, you can get details on commissions from customer support.

How long does it take to withdraw money?

It might take several days for your money to be available, depending on your bank’s services.