Updated: 12 July 2026. This page was previously published as a prop firm review. Tradovate is a broker and trading platform, not a prop firm – there is no evaluation, no funded account and no profit split – so we have rebuilt it as a platform guide and removed the expert score. We also corrected several outdated facts: Tradovate no longer offers commission-free trading (every plan now charges per side), the “$199 Professional” plan does not exist, the NFA ID was wrong, and NinjaTrader acquired Tradovate in January 2022, not 2024. Verified against Tradovate’s official pricing page and NinjaTrader Group regulatory disclosures.
Tradovate is a futures broker and trading platform – not a prop firm. There is no evaluation, no funded account, and no profit split. You deposit your own capital and keep 100% of your profits. It appears on JoinProp because it is the execution platform behind many of the futures prop firms we review.
What Tradovate Actually Is
Tradovate is a cloud-based futures brokerage, founded in 2014 by Rick Tomsic and launched publicly in 2016 from Chicago. It is regulated by the CFTC and is an NFA member, operating today under NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC (NFA ID 0309379).
The distinction matters. A prop firm gives you its capital after you pass an evaluation, and takes a cut of your profits. A broker gives you market access and charges you commission to trade your own money. Tradovate is firmly the second. If you are here because you want a funded account, you want our futures prop firms page instead.
Where Tradovate matters to prop traders is as infrastructure: several of the biggest futures prop firms run their evaluations and funded accounts on Tradovate, so the platform you learn here transfers directly.
Tradovate Pricing 2026
This is the part most reviews – including our own previous version of this page – get wrong. Tradovate no longer offers a zero-commission plan. The old “$99/month for $0 commissions” model has been retired. Every plan now charges a per-side commission; the monthly fee only buys you a lower rate.
| Plan | Cost | Micros (per side) | Standard (per side) | Nano & Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 / month | $0.39 | $1.29 | $0.20 |
| Monthly | $99 / month | $0.29 | $0.99 | $0.15 |
| Lifetime | $1,499 one-time (or 4 x $499) | $0.09 | $0.59 | $0.05 |
Exchange, clearing and NFA fees apply on top of all three plans and cannot be waived by any broker.
Which Plan Actually Saves You Money
The monthly plan only pays for itself once your volume covers the $99. Here is the arithmetic, using round turns (a round turn = 2 sides).
| Contract type | Free plan cost per round turn | Monthly plan cost per round turn | Saving | Round turns to break even on $99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micros | $0.78 | $0.58 | $0.20 | ~495 per month |
| Standard (E-mini) | $2.58 | $1.98 | $0.60 | ~165 per month |
The practical read. If you trade micros, you need roughly 500 round turns a month – about 25 a day – before the $99 plan beats the free one. Most retail traders do not come close, and are better off on Free. If you trade standard E-minis at any real size, the monthly plan pays for itself at around 165 round turns. The Lifetime plan only makes sense at high, sustained volume: it takes roughly 2,100 standard round turns just to recover the $1,499 versus the free plan.
Platforms and Integrations
- Tradovate Web – browser-based, no download, works on any OS
- Tradovate Mobile – iOS and Android, full trading capability
- NinjaTrader Desktop, Web and Mobile – included with all plans at no licence fee since the platforms merged under NinjaTrader Group
- TradingView – connect Tradovate as your execution broker directly from TradingView charts
- API access – full API for automated strategies
All plans also include free simulated trading, Market Replay (tick-by-tick historical playback), Order Flow +, and the Pulse sentiment indicator.
Markets and Day-Trading Margins
Futures only – CME Group products. No spot forex, no equities, no direct crypto.
| Contract size | Day-trading margin |
|---|---|
| Nano | $10 |
| Smalls | $25 |
| Micro | $50 |
| Standard futures | $500 |
Available markets include equity indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY and their micros), metals (GC, SI), energy (CL, NG), currencies (6E, 6J, 6B), interest rates (ZB, ZN) and agriculturals. Pattern day trading rules do not apply to futures accounts.
Ownership and Regulation
- Founded: 2014 by Rick Tomsic; public launch 2016. HQ Chicago, Illinois
- Acquired by NinjaTrader: 12 January 2022, for $115 million
- Acquired by Kraken: Kraken agreed to buy NinjaTrader Group in March 2025 for $1.5 billion – the largest crypto-to-traditional-finance deal to date. Tradovate now sits inside the Kraken/NinjaTrader group
- Regulation: NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC is a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and an NFA member (NFA ID 0309379)
This is a meaningful difference from a prop firm. A regulated FCM holds your money under CFTC and NFA rules; a prop firm is an unregulated evaluation provider, and the balance in a funded account is not your money at all.
Prop Firms That Run on Tradovate
This is why Tradovate matters to prop traders. Learn the platform once and it carries across several of the firms we review:
Compare their rules and payout terms on our futures prop firms and prop firm payouts pages.
Who Tradovate Is For
It fits traders who want to trade their own capital in futures, keep 100% of the upside, and hold their money with a regulated FCM rather than an unregulated prop firm. It also fits prop traders who want to practise on the same platform their firm uses.
It does not fit anyone looking for funded capital – that is not what Tradovate does. It is also a poor fit if you trade forex, stocks or crypto directly, or if you are a low-volume trader who has been sold the idea that the $99 plan saves money. At low volume it does not; take the free plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tradovate a prop firm?
No. Tradovate is a futures brokerage and trading platform. There is no evaluation, no funded account and no profit split – you trade your own deposited capital and keep all of your profits. Several prop firms use Tradovate as their execution platform, which is the source of most of the confusion.
Does Tradovate still offer commission-free trading?
No. The old zero-commission subscription model has been retired. As of 2026, all three plans charge a per-side commission – the monthly or lifetime fee simply lowers the rate. On the free plan you pay $1.29 per side on standard contracts and $0.39 on micros; the $99/month plan cuts that to $0.99 and $0.29. Exchange, clearing and NFA fees apply on every plan.
Is the $99 per month plan worth it?
Only at volume. On micros you need roughly 495 round turns a month to recover the $99. On standard E-minis it is about 165. Below that, the free plan is cheaper. The $1,499 Lifetime plan needs sustained high volume – around 2,100 standard round turns just to break even against the free tier.
Who owns Tradovate?
Tradovate was acquired by NinjaTrader Group in January 2022 for $115 million. In March 2025 Kraken agreed to acquire NinjaTrader Group for $1.5 billion. Tradovate now operates as part of the Kraken/NinjaTrader group, alongside NinjaTrader and Kraken Derivatives US.
Is Tradovate regulated?
Yes. Brokerage services are provided by NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and NFA member (NFA ID 0309379). This is a genuine regulatory distinction from prop firms, which are generally not regulated financial institutions.
Which prop firms use Tradovate?
Tradovate is supported by most major futures prop firms, including Top One Futures, Apex Trader Funding, Tradeify, My Funded Futures, Take Profit Trader and FundedNext. If you plan to trade a futures prop firm evaluation, learning Tradovate is time well spent.
