Optimus Futures vs NinjaTrader

vs
Optimus Futures vs NinjaTrader Comparison Table 2025
Optimus Futures NinjaTrader
4.3

Optimus Futures is #27 in our broker rankings.

4.5

NinjaTrader is #2 in our broker rankings.

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

Established in 2004, Optimus Futures specializes in low-cost, customizable futures trading. It provides access to a growing suite of around 70 futures markets spanning micro E-minis, energies, metals, grains, and cryptos. With commission tiers starting at $0.25 per side for micros and the option to choose your own clearing firm (e.g. Ironbeam, StoneX, Phillip Capital), the brokerage offers flexibility. Optimus Futures has also introduced excellent features like multi-bracket orders and journaling, giving active traders more control.

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.

Customer Reviews
4
Comment by Reviewer
"Optimus Futures is best for active futures day traders who want low per-contract costs and the flexibility to build a custom trading setup across platforms like Optimus Flow, TradingView, and Sierra Chart. Its fast order-routing, low day trading margins, depth-of-market and footprint analysis tools, plus the ability to select your own clearing firm, make it especially suited to high-volume traders focused on U.S. and global futures markets." "NinjaTrader continues to meet the demands of active futures traders looking for low fees and premium analysis tools. The platform hosts top-rate charting features including hundreds of indicators and 10+ chart types."
Pros
  • Optimus Futures has expanded its suite of software, with a variety of futures trading platforms, including its own Optimus Flow, CQG, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView, making it easy to find the right fit for charting, order management, and execution.
  • The brokerage provides the flexibility to choose your clearing firm, including Iron Beam, Phillip Capital, and StoneX, allowing for direct control over where your funds are held and the associated transaction costs - helpful for customizing the futures trading setup.
  • Optimus Futures stands out with ultra-low day trading margins on micro futures, starting at just $50 per contract and a $100 minimum balance, giving small accounts serious buying power.
  • Optimus Futures has added event contracts from CME Group, allowing traders to express a daily market view with a simple yes-or-no position on major futures markets. Only offered by a handful of brokers, these fixed-risk products provide a straightforward way to speculate on a short-term basis.
  • Futures commission rates are competitive, and there’s transparent access to trading on major exchanges, while the firm's fee calculator makes it a breeze to estimate trading costs before placing orders, helping to avoid surprises.
  • Product and service upgrades, notably multi-bracket orders, an integrated trade journal, and a broader futures lineup, show Optimus Futures is making a clear effort to support active traders.
  • NinjaTrader continues to deliver comprehensive charting software for active day traders with bespoke technical indicators and widgets
  • NinjaTrader is a widely respected and award-winning futures broker and is heavily authorized by the NFA and CFTC
  • Low fees are offered, with $50 day trading margins & commissions from $.09 per micro contract
  • Traders can get free platform access and trade simulation capabilities in the unlimited demo
  • You can get thousands of add-ons and applications from developers in 150+ countries
Cons
  • There's no true 'all-in-one' account management dashboard - key functions like risk settings, software downloads, and subscriptions are split across different sections or platforms, so it required extra digging to set everything up during testing.
  • Live chat support is handled entirely by a bot, so despite several attempts in our tests, it wasn't possible to get access to a human agent, which can be frustrating when urgent or complex questions arise.
  • There are limited payment options and no toll-free numbers for international support, while withdrawals cost $20 to $60, potentially making frequent withdrawals costly for active traders.
  • There is a withdrawal fee on some funding methods
  • The premium platform tools come with an extra charge
  • Non forex and futures trading requires signing up with partner brokers
Awards
  • 2023 Benzinga Global Fintech Awards
Instruments
Futures on Indices, Metals, Energies, Softs, Bonds, Cryptos, Options on Futures, Event Contracts Forex, Stocks, Options, Commodities, Futures, Crypto
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$500 $0
Trading Platforms
  • Optimus Flow
  • Optimus Web
  • MT5
  • TradingView
  • NinjaTrader Desktop
  • Web & Mobile
  • eSignal
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$50 0.01 Lots
Regulator
NFA, CFTC NFA, CFTC
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No No
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
App Review
Optimus Futures Mobile gives futures traders fast, direct exchange access with low-latency execution and full depth-of-market (DOM) views. Order entry is quick and reliable, with support for advanced strategies such as brackets, OCO, and trailing stops alongside 150+ indicators for charting. It’s best suited for active day traders who need professional futures tools on the go.
Android App Rating
2.9
3.2
iOS App Rating
2.9
3
Auto Trading
TradingView Pine Script, API Features NinjaScript or via Automated Trading Interface
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
Copy trading services are available across some of the broker's extensive range of platforms.
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
None 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
$0 $25
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • USD
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
Forex Trading
Optimus Futures gives forex traders access to CME currency futures, including full, mini, and micro contracts such as EUR/USD (6E, M6E), GBP/USD (6B, M6B), JPY/USD (6J, MJY), AUD/USD (6A, M6A), CAD/USD (6C, MCD) and others, with low day trading margins starting around $50–$100 on micros. It’s a strong choice for active currency futures traders rather than spot forex traders. NinjaTraders supports the trading of popular currencies including the EUR/USD. The software also offers advanced features to streamline the trading experience, including complex order types like market if touched (MIT) and one cancels other (OCO).
GBPUSD Spread
Variable 1.6
EURUSD Spread
Variable 1.3
EURGBP Spread
Variable 1.6
Assets
15 50+
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Optimus Futures’ crypto lineup is focused on Nano Bitcoin Futures (BIT). In our hands-on tests, the contract’s $25 day trading margin makes it cost-efficient. Each BIT contract is 1/50 the size of the standard five-bitcoin futures, giving traders a way to fine-tune bitcoin exposure with smaller, precise position sizing. You can get exposure to micro Bitcoin futures through the CME Group’s centralized exchange, which is highly regulated by the US CFTC. Micro contracts allow you to trade a fractional size of one Bitcoin, giving you more risk control and order flexibility.
Spread
Variable Floating
Coins
  • BTC
  • BTC
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No