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NinjaTrader on a prop-firm eval

Trading platform · reviewed 2026-07-15 · TradersGuild

NinjaTrader is a desktop futures platform (Windows) from NinjaTrader Group with charting, DOM trading, backtesting, and unlimited simulated trading. For prop-firm evals you don't open a NinjaTrader brokerage account — the firm issues platform credentials (Rithmic or Tradovate, depending on the firm) and NinjaTrader connects to the firm's feed with them. Among the firms in our registry it is the most widely confirmed platform.

Setting it up for an evaluation

  1. 1

    Buy your eval, then find the platform/data credentials in the firm's welcome email. Futures firms issue either Rithmic or Tradovate credentials for NinjaTrader — the firm's own platform page (linked below per firm) says which.

  2. 2

    Download the NinjaTrader desktop platform from ninjatrader.com and install it. The download and simulated trading are free — you do not need to fund a brokerage account to trade a prop eval.

  3. 3

    In the Control Center, open the Connections menu, add a new connection of the type your firm issued (e.g. Rithmic), and enter the user ID and password exactly as sent.

  4. 4

    Select the server/system name the firm's email specifies. Eval and live accounts can sit on different servers, so use exactly what the firm names — a wrong server looks like a wrong password.

  5. 5

    Connect, then confirm your eval account ID appears in the account dropdown and that live data is streaming before you place anything.

  6. 6

    Keep the account selector visible on every chart trader and DOM panel. If you run more than one eval, an order on the wrong account counts against whichever account it hit.

What it costs

  • NinjaTrader's Free plan has no monthly platform fee; its paid plans ($99/month, or a $1,499 Lifetime) exist to lower commissions on NinjaTrader's own brokerage ($0.39 Micro / $1.29 standard per side on Free, down to $0.09 / $0.59 on Lifetime). Those brokerage commissions don't apply to a prop-firm eval — your firm's fees do.

    Source: vendor's own site · checked 2026-07-15

  • Exchange, clearing, and NFA fees apply on top of NinjaTrader brokerage commissions (for direct brokerage accounts).

    Source: vendor's own site · checked 2026-07-15

Worth knowing before you connect

  • Some firms gate NinjaTrader by stage: Tradeify's own platform writeup says NinjaTrader is only available once you reach its Elite Live stage.

    Source · checked 2026-07-15

  • BluSky's Rithmic platform list marks NinjaTrader "Evaluation Only" on that route — check the stage rules before assuming it carries into funded.

    Source · checked 2026-07-15

  • Bulenox provides a free NinjaTrader 8 license on the funded Master account (per its own FAQ) — license costs during the eval are the trader's, so check what your firm covers at each stage.

    Source · checked 2026-07-15

Firms that support NinjaTrader

Only firms whose own site names NinjaTrader are listed. A firm missing here means we haven't verified it — not that it's unsupported. See the full compatibility matrix.

Sources

More platform guides

NinjaTrader Setup for Prop-Firm Evals — Which Firms Support It — TradersGuild