NinjaTrader vs Interactive Brokers

NinjaTrader vs Interactive Brokers Comparison Table 2023
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers
4.5

NinjaTrader is #3 in our broker rankings.

4.3

Interactive Brokers is #1 in our CFD broker rankings.

United States Flag Traders from US accepted
United States Flag Traders from US accepted

NinjaTrader is a US-headquartered and regulated brokerage that specializes in futures trading. There are three pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets, as well as ultra-low margins on popular contracts. The brand's award-winning charting software and trading platform also offers a high-degree of customization and superb technical analysis features.

Interactive Brokers is a leading global brokerage that provides access to a comprehensive offering of stocks as well as forex, futures, metals, bonds and cryptos. The firm has over 40 years experience in the online trading industry and is heavily regulated by SEC, FCA, IIROC, and SFC. Day traders can use the proprietary Trader Workstation and can access powerful tools and data feeds as well as comprehensive educational resources.

Comment by Reviewer
"NinjaTrader is well-positioned to meet the demands of active futures traders looking for low fees and premium analysis tools. The platform hosts top-rate charting features with custom indicators. " "Experienced day traders seeking a regulated broker with sophisticated trading software and very low fees should look at IB. Their range of stocks also can't be beaten."
Pros
  • Excellent trading software for active day traders with bespoke technical indicators and widgets
  • Low fees with $50 day trading margins & commissions from $.09 per micro contract
  • Thousands of add-ons and applications from developers in 150+ countries
  • Widely respected and heavily authorized by the NFA and CFTC
  • Free platform access and trade simulation capabilities
  • Industry-leading futures broker with multiple awards
  • Easy account opening that takes a few minutes
  • Gives day traders unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries
  • Direct market access, including to the FTSE 100 index, the CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX 40
  • Proprietary Trader Workstation comes with powerful tools and charting capabilities
  • Regulated by some of the world's most reputable bodies including in US
  • You have a reliable real-time market data feed, that rarely goes offline
  • Diverse payment options and account currencies
  • Commission reimbursement with Toggle AI
  • Low commissions and tight spreads
Cons
  • Withdrawal fee on some funding methods
  • Premium platform tools come with an extra charge
  • Non forex and futures trading requires signing up with partner brokers
  • Due to the pricing structure, this firm can be more expensive for aggressive traders who trade over $100,000 shares a day
  • Platform and web interface are complex and difficult for beginners to pick up
  • Accessing products like CFDs is not straightforward compared to competitors
  • The TWS platform falls short in terms of technical charting
  • Mediocre customer support
Awards
  • 2021 Benzinga Global Fintech Awards
Instruments
Forex, Stocks, Options, Commodities, Futures, Crypto Stocks, Futures, E-minis, Options, CFD, Forex, Crypto, Exchange Linked Warrants
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$50 $0
Trading Platforms
  • NinjaTrader Futures
  • eSignal
  • AlgoTrader
  • OmniTrader
  • eSignal
  • TradingCentral
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $100
Regulator
NFA, CFTC SEC, FCA, IIROC, SFC
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
1.55 - 2.59%
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No Yes
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No No
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS, Android & Windows
Auto Trading
NinjaScript or via Automated Trading Interface Capitalise.ai & TWS API
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$25 $0
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HUF
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
CFD trading not offered Trade leveraged CFDs on thousands of global stocks as well as 13 global indices, 80+ forex pairs, and London gold and silver. Leverage is available in line with regulatory requirements.
Leverage
1:50 1:50
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread
Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
Oil Spread
N/A N/A
Stocks Spread
N/A From 0.003 per share, variable
Forex Trading
NinjaTrader supports the trading of popular currencies including the EUR/USD. The trading software also offers unique features tailored to forex trading, including specific order and market windows. Trade 85 major, minor and exotic forex pairs via CFDs on IB's FXTrader platform with tight spreads and low commissions, or trade forex on the spot market. They offer more FX assets than almost any competitor.
GBPUSD Spread
1.6 Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
EURUSD Spread
1.3 Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
EURGBP Spread
1.6 Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
Assets
50+ 70+
Cryptocurrency
Trade micro Bitcoin futures with low fees and leading charting tools. Get exposure to Bitcoin through CME Group's centralized exchange with robust risk management tools. Buy and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin with low commissions of 0.12%–0.18%. Fees are low and the broker offers a secure environment to invest in digital assets.
Spread
Floating Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
More Comparisons
NinjaTrader
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Interactive Brokers
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