In Ninja Trader 7 What Is the Look Back

Summary

Recommended for active traders focusing on futures

NinjaTrader is a US-based software company that provides a great trading platform with advanced research tools. The company was founded in 2003.

Besides providing the software, NinjaTrader is a registered NFA (National Futures Association) company and an introducing broker of brokers like Phillip Capital and Dorman Trading. The introducing broker status means that your assets and cash are held with a broker, like Phillip Capital, but the platform, fees and customer support are provided by NinjaTrader.

In our review, we tested NinjaTrader's platform and brokerage services through an account opened with Phillip Capital. Phillip Capital is a global broker, regulated by top-tier financial authorities such as the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

You can also connect the following brokerage accounts to NinjaTrader platforms: Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade, Oanda, Forex.com, FXCM and City Index. The advantage of connecting these accounts is that you can trade other popular asset classes, like stocks, on NinjaTrader's great platform.

Best broker for futures

We selected NinjaTrader as Best broker for futures for 2022, based on an in-depth analysis of 90+ online brokers that included testing their live accounts. Check out the complete list of winners.

NinjaTrader pros and cons

NinjaTrader has low trading fees, the futures fees are one of the lowest among its competitors. The desktop platform and research tools are great and suitable for experienced traders. You can use quality educational material to get you started.

On the negative side, NinjaTrader's withdrawal and inactivity fees are high. There is no mobile trading platform and the desktop platform is available only on Windows. The product portfolio covers only futures and options on futures, unless you connect an external brokerage account, such as an account with Interactive Brokers.

Pros Cons
Low trading fees High withdrawal fee
Great platform and research No mobile app and desktop is only on Windows
Quality educational materials Only futures and options on futures
NinjaTrader main features and highlights
🗺️ Country of regulation USA
💰 Trading fees class Low
💰 Inactivity fee charged Yes
💰 Withdrawal fee amount $40
💰 Minimum deposit $400
🕖 Time to open an account >3 days
🎮 Demo account provided Yes
🛍️ Products offered Options, Futures, Crypto

NinjaTrader review
Fees

To find out more about its trading and non-trading fees, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader has low trading fees for futures and options on futures. The fee structure is transparent. On the negative side, there is a high withdrawal fee.
Pros Cons
Low trading fees High withdrawal fee
Transparent fee structure
NinjaTrader fees snapshot
Assets Fee level Fee terms
US stock - Available if you connect brokers, like TD Ameritrade
EURUSD - Available if you connect brokers, like FXCM, Forex.com, or Oanda
Mutual fund - Not available
Inactivity fee High $25 per month if you log into the platform, but don't place any round trade (buy and sell)

How we ranked fees

We ranked NinjaTrader's fee levels as low, average or high based on how they compare to those of all reviewed brokers.

To get things rolling, let's go over some lingo related to broker fees. What you need to keep an eye on are trading fees and non-trading fees.

  • Trading fees occur when you trade. These can be commissions, spreads, financing rates and conversion fees.
  • Non-trading fees include charges not directly related to trading, like withdrawal fees or inactivity fees.

In the sections below, you will find the most relevant fees of NinjaTrader for each asset class. For example, in the case of stock investing, the most important fees are commissions.

We also compared NinjaTrader's fees with those of two similar brokers we selected, Interactive Brokers and Saxo Bank. This selection is based on objective factors, such as products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed rundown of NinjaTrader alternatives.

To have a clear overview of NinjaTrader, let's start with the trading fees.

NinjaTrader trading fees

NinjaTrader trading fees are low.

NinjatTrader has three licenses you can choose from. In this review, we tested the 'Free' license. If you upgrade to 'Lease' or 'Lifetime' licenses, the trading fees are even lower.

Futures fees

NinjaTrader futures fees are low for US stock index futures and very low for other futures products.

NinjaTrader stock index futures commission of 10 contracts
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
US micro e-mini stock index futures $3.5 $2.5 $40.0
UK stock index futures $12.9 $20.4 $36.0
German e-mini stock index futures $12.9 $8.8 $44.0

The commission charged by NinjaTrader depends on the license you choose. Besides, you have to pay fees independent from NinjaTrader, like exchange or order routing fees.

NinjaTrader stock index futures fees per contract
Free license Lease license Lifetime license
Micro stock index futures
Commission $0.29 $0.19 $0.09
Exchange & NFA fee $0.22 $0.22 $0.22
Order routing fee* $0.10 $0.10 $0.10
E-mini stock index futures
Commission $1.29 $0.89 $0.59
Exchange & NFA fee $1.25 $1.25 $1.25
Order routing fee* $0.10 $0.10 $0.10

*The default order routing fee is $0.10, as 'Continuum' is the default connection. If you choose 'Rithmic' connection, the order routing fee would be $0.25 per contract

NinjaTrader has also low options on futures fees. The commission, exchange, and order routing fees are the same as futures fees.

NinjaTrader stock index options on futures fees per contract
Free license Lease license Lifetime license
Commission $1.19 $0.89 $0.59
Exchange & NFA fee $1.25 $1.25 $1.25
Order routing fee $0.10 $0.10 $0.10

Non-trading fees

NinjaTrader has high non-trading fees.

NinjaTrader non-trading fees
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Account fee No No No
Inactivity fee Yes Yes Yes
Deposit fee $0 $0 $0
Withdrawal fee $40 $0 $0

The account fee depends on the license you choose:

  • No account fee at 'Free' license
  • $720 annual/$425 semi-annual/$225 quarterly fees at 'Lease' license
  • For a 'Lifetime' license, there is a $1,099 single payment/$329 monthly payments for 4 months. This license is good for a lifetime

There is a $25 monthly inactivity fee,if you log in to the platform, but don't place any round trade (buy and sell).

Withdrawals have a high fee, too: $/€ 40 for international wire transfers and $30 for domestic wire transfers.

NinjaTrader review
Account opening

To experience the account opening process, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader's account opening is fully digital and the minimum deposit is low, at $400. On the other hand, account verification can take a long time, as much as 4-5 business days, and the account opening process is a bit complicated.
Pros Cons
Fully digital Slow
Low minimum deposit

Can you open an account?

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What is the minimum deposit at NinjaTrader?

The required minimum deposit is $400.

NinjaTrader Licenses

NinjaTrader has three licenses, 'Free', 'Lease' or 'Lifetime'. These licenses differ in commission, price, and functionality.

NinjaTrader licenses
Free Lease Lifetime/Own
Commission for e-mini index futures $1.19 $0.89 $0.59
Price $0

$720/year

$425/half-year

$225/quarter

$1,099 one-time fee

$329 monthly fee for 4 months

Core functions

(Advanced charting, market analysis, simulated trading)

Yes Yes Yes

Trader+

(stop-loss/take-profit orders, chart trading, advanced alert system, etc.)

No

Yes

Yes

Order Flow+

(volume profile indicator, market depth map, cumulative delta, etc.)

No No Yes
Besides NinjaTrader brokerage*, can you connect other brokers**? No Yes Yes

*At NinjaTrader brokerage, you can trade only futures and options on futures. If you choose NinjaTrader brokerage, your money will be held by either Phillip Capital or Dorman Trading. Both of them are US-based brokers.

** You can connect one or more of the following brokerage accounts: Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade, Oanda, Forex.com, FXCM, and City Index. In these cases, your money will be held by your existing broker and NinjaTrader will just provide the platform. The advantage of connecting these accounts is that you can also trade with other asset classes, like stocks, spot forex, CFD, etc.

In this review, we tested the Free license and NinjaTrader brokerage through Phillip Capital.

NinjaTrader review - Licenses

Account types

You can choose one of the following account types:

  • Individual - account is owned by one individual
  • Joint - account is owned by one or more individuals
  • Corporate/LLC/Trust/Partnership - account is owned by a legal entity
  • Retirement - tax-advantaged account, available only for US residents

How to open your account

The opening of a NinjaTrader account via PhilipCapital is fully digital and straightforward. However, the approval of the account is rather slow. It took 5 business days for us.

The account opening process is a bit complicated, there are a lot of steps to open your account with NinjaTrader:

  1. On NinjaTrader's website, choose the asset you would like to trade: futures, options, forex.
  2. We picked futures. In this case, you can open the account at either Phillip Capital or Dorman Trading.
  3. After selecting Philip Capital, we were redirected to Phillip Capital's account opening process.
  4. Choose an account type: individual or corporate.
  5. Give your personal information, such as name, date of birth, and address. You have to answer a few questions about your financial and employment situation.
  6. You have to verify your identity and address. National ID, passport, and driver's license are accepted for ID verification, while you can upload utility bill and bank statement as proof of address.
  7. Answer a few questions about how you want to use your account: for example, for speculation, etc.
  8. Accept customer and disclosure documents.

After the online registration, we received an email from NinjaTrader to fill out an Options Request Form. We had to say which markets and what positions limits we would like to trade.

NinjaTrader review - Account opening

NinjaTrader review
Deposit and withdrawal

To find out more about the deposit and withdrawal process, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader's deposit and withdrawal services could be better. You can use only bank transfer and check, and there is a high fee for bank withdrawals. As a plus, there is no deposit fee and withdrawals are quick.
Pros Cons
No deposit fee Credit/Debit card not available
Quick withdrawal, less than 1 business day High withdrawal fee

Account base currencies

At NinjaTrader, you can hold your cash only in3 account base currencies:USD, EUR, GBP.

Base currencies at NinjaTrader vs similar brokers
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Number of base currencies 3 19 19

Why does this matter? For two reasons. If you fund your trading account in the same currency as your bank account or you trade assets in the same currency as your trading account base currency, you don't have to pay a conversion fee.

A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. Revolut and Transferwise both offer bank accounts in several currencies with great currency exchange rates as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account only takes a few minutes on your phone.

Compare digital banks

Deposit fees and options

NinjaTrader doesn't charge any deposit fee. However, your intermediary bank might charge a fee, if you make an international bank transfer.

US residents can use checks for depositing.

NinjaTrader deposit options
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Bank transfer Yes Yes Yes
Credit/Debit card No No Yes
Electronic wallets No No No

A bank transfer can take several business days.

You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.

NinjaTrader review - Deposit and withdrawal - Deposit

NinjaTrader withdrawal fees and options

NinjaTrader has high withdrawal fees. The bank withdrawals costs $30, and an international bank transfer costs $/€ 40.

US residents can also make a withdrawal by using check. It's free at Dorman Trading, but has a $4 fee at Phillip Capital.

NinjaTrader withdrawal fees and options
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Bank Transfer Yes Yes Yes
Credit/Debit card No No No
Electronic wallets No No No
Withdrawal fee $40 $0 $0

How long does it take to withdraw money from NinjaTrader? We tested the international bank transfer and it took one day.

How do you withdraw money from NinjaTrader?

Finding out how we can initiate a withdrawal wasn't easy.

  1. First, open the online withdrawal form. You can find it, if you click on FAQ and select the 'How do I withdraw funds?' category.
  2. Then, select the withdrawal method: check or wire.
  3. Fill out the form. You have to add information, such as your name, account number, and the amount you wish to withdraw. For wire transfers, you have to add the wire information, such as SWIFT code or your bank's name.
  4. Submit the request. NinjaTrader will send you an email confirming that they initiated the withdrawal.

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NinjaTrader review
Web trading platform

To try the web trading platform yourself, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

At the time of the review, NinjaTrader provided only a desktop platform. The only way to use a web trading platform along with NinjaTrader's desktop trading platform is if you connect an external brokerage account, with a broker like Interactive Brokers or Oanda.
NinjaTrader platforms to choose from
Trading platform Score Available
Web - No
Mobile - No
Desktop 4.8 stars Yes

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NinjaTrader review
Mobile trading platform

At the time of the review, NinjaTrader provided only a desktop platform. We think that a mobile trading platform is a big miss as traders can't follow their positions on the go. Similarly to the web platform, the only way to use a mobile trading platform along with NinjaTrader is to connect an external brokerage account, such as an account with Interactive Brokers or Oanda.

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NinjaTrader review
Desktop trading platform

To try the desktop trading platform yourself, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader's desktop platform is great for active traders: highly customizable with many advanced features. However, it might feel complicated at first, and also lacks a two-step login.
Pros Cons
Clear fee report No two-step (safer) login
Good customizability (for charts, workspace) Available only on Windows
Good variety of order types
Many great tools for technical analysis

NinjaTrader is specialized in providing a trading platform for active traders.

While NinjaTrader 7 is still available, we tested NinjaTrader 8. NinjaTrader 8 incorporates over 500 changes and enhancements, largely collected from client feedback. The desktop trading platform is available in English, Spanish, Russian, German, Portuguese.

Look and feel

The NinjaTrader desktop trading platform might be too complex for beginners, but for advanced users, this is where NinjaTrader really shines. Day-traders, who like to trade from the chart will especially like NinjaTrader.

The desktop platform is highly customizable and there are thousands of apps and add-ons in the NinjaTrader Ecosystem to personalize your platform. How is that possible? NinjaTrader offers a standards-based (.NET) programming environment for indicators and strategies that created a vibrant developer community.

The functionality of the platform depends on the license you choose:

  • Free license: you can use only the core functions, like advanced charting, market analysis, or simulated trading.
  • Lease license: you can also set up automated trading, backtesting, automatic protective stop loss and profit target orders (ATM Strategies) among many other features.
  • Lifetime/Own license: you can use Order Flow+ features. It can help you identify buying and selling pressure to confirm market movement in a specific direction as the trading action unfolds through visualization of the order flow.
NinjaTrader review - Desktop trading platform

Login and security

NinjaTrader provides only a one-step login. A two-step authorization would be more secure.

The first time you want to use your account, you have to set your license key and the credential for the connection:

  • You can set the license key, if you click on 'Help' and 'License Key'.
  • You can set the credentials, if you click on 'Connections' and select 'Configure'.

Now you can simply log in, if you click on the connection you set up, such as 'My NinjaTrader Continuum'. After it's activated (becomes green), you'll see your positions and can start trading.

Search functions

The search functions work well. There are multiple ways to find an asset to trade.

Maybe the easiest way is to click on 'Tools' and then go to 'Instrument Lists'. Here, you can compile your own instrument lists or edit the pre-defined lists, like 'Futures' or 'Forex'. When you add a new asset to your list, you can search by typing its name or you can search through categories.

NinjaTrader review - Desktop trading platform - Search

Placing orders

NinjaTrader has many order types, including more sophisticated ones, like  One-Cancel-Other (OCO):

  • Market
  • Limit
  • Stop limit
  • Stop-loss
  • Market if Touched (MIT)
  • One-Cancel-Other (OCO)

If you are not familiar with the basic order types, read this overview.

There are also order time limits you can use:

  • Good-Til-Cancelled (GTC)
  • Good-Til-Date (GTD)
NinjaTrader review - Desktop trading platform - Order panel

Alerts and notifications

You can set alerts and notifications on the desktop trading platform. Advanced alerting system is only available in the paid version.

Some example of the available alerts:

  • Simple Moving Average Crossover: triggers when the current market price crosses above a 20-period Simple Moving Average.
  • New Intraday High: triggers when a new High is formed intraday.
  • Price and Fibonacci Retracements: compares the current market price to the 50% line drawn by a Fibonacci Retracements Drawing Tool.

Portfolio and fee reports

NinjaTrader has clear portfolio and fee reports. Using the 'Trade Performance' window, you can see your net profit or the commissions you paid. We also liked that the platform will calculate Sharpe ratio, Sortino ratio and the Ulcer index, among many others.

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NinjaTrader review
Markets and products

To dig even deeper in markets and products, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

At NinjaTrader Brokerage you can trade only futures and options on futures. To trade popular asset classes like stocks or spot forex, you have to connect your existing brokerage account to NinjaTrader.

NinjaTrader's asset classes and the individual assets within each asset class lag behind other brokers.

NinjaTrader asset classes
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Stock No Yes Yes
ETF No Yes Yes
Forex No Yes Yes
Fund No Yes Yes
Bond No Yes Yes
Options Yes Yes Yes
Futures Yes Yes Yes
CFD No Yes Yes

Futures

NinjaTrader has an average futures selection. It's better than most brokers that give access to futures markets, but lag behind Interactive Brokers or Saxo Bank.

NinjaTrader futures selection
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Futures markets (#) 7 32 23

You can trade ~70 assets on these markets, covering stock indices, bonds, forex, and commodities.

The following exchanges are available for futures trading:

  • CME: Chicago Mecantile Exchange
  • CBOT: Chicago Board of Trade
  • COMEX: Commodity Exchange Inc.
  • NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange
  • EUREX:  futures and options market, which deals primarily with Europe-based derivatives
  • ICE: Intercontinental Exchange
  • ICE UK

The CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX exchanges are part of the CME group. Eurex is part of the Eurex Group and is owned by Deutsche Börse AG.

Options on futures

NinjaTrader gives access to a few options markets. In these markets, you can trade only options on futures.

NinjaTrader options selection
NinjaTrader Interactive Brokers Saxo Bank
Options markets (#) 4 33 23

Options on futures cover the following exchanges and products:

  • CME: Equity Indexes, Interest rates, Agricultural, FX
  • NYMEX: Energies
  • CBOT: Dow E-mini, Interest rates, Agricultural
  • COMEX: Metals

NinjaTrader review
Research

To check the available research tools and assets, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader has great research tools for technical trading. Charts are easy to use and have many indicators. Unique features include strategy back-testing and automated trading tools.
Pros Cons
Good interactive chart No trading ideas
Good set of analytical tools

Just like for the desktop trading platform, we tested the research tools on NinjaTrader 8.

Charting

NinjaTrader has excellent charting tools. The choice of editor tools and indicators is almost endless. You can use 125 technical indicators. There are thousands of other indicators available through NinjaTrader's developer community, the NinjaTrader Ecosystem.

We also liked that it was really easy to add the editor tools and technical indicators to the chart.

NinjaTrader review - Research - Charting

Other technical research tools you will enjoy

There are a lot of other technical tools you can use. We just mention the top ones in our opinion:

  • You can use automated trading tools through applications, like Bloodhound or Blackbird.
  • You can easily build strategies. We also liked that it's easy to backtest these strategies.
NinjaTrader review - Research - Strategy back-testing

Trading ideas

NinjaTrader does not provide trading ideas. However, they have a blog, where they post short articles that cover a variety of topics that traders might be interested in.

Fundamental data

As NinjaTrader's main focus is on the charting and other technical tools, they don't offer any fundamental data.

Compare research pros and cons

NinjaTrader review
Customer service

To find customer service contact information details, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

We liked NinjaTrader's customer service. We got relevant and fast answers both on the phone and in email. Live chat is quick but sometimes they can't answer more complex questions. The support is limited to US market hours.
Pros Cons
Phone support No 24/7 support
Live chat
Fast response time
Relevant answers

You can contact NinjaTrader via:

  • live chat
  • telephone
  • email
  • support forum

NinjaTrader has great phone support. It was fast and we got relevant answers.

Email support is also good. We usually got quick (within one day) and detailed answers.

NinjaTrader has a fast live chat. The relevancy of the answers was satisfactory, however, there were some questions they couldn't answer and asked us to write an e-mail.

There is an active support forum, where you can interact with other users and NinjaTrader's support team.

The only thing we missed is the 24/7 availability. The Trade Desk is available at all times, when the futures market is open, while brokerage support teams are available during US market hours. You can contact Trade Desk only in emergent situations and with emergency orders.

NinjaTrader review - Customer Service

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NinjaTrader review
Education

To check the available education material and assets, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader has great education tools. There is a well-structured Help Guide, you can use a demo account, and you can attend webinars.
Pros Cons
Demo account None
Educational videos
High-quality help guide

At NinjaTrader, you can learn in the following ways:

  • Demo account
  • Help Guide
  • Platform tutorial and general educational videos
  • Webinars

We think the demo account is the best way to get familiar with the platform. You can also use a 'Simulated trading' feature, where all market prices and conditions are simulated. It's useful both for learning and for testing new concepts.

NinjaTrader 8's Help Guide is also a great source of education. It is well-structured and it's quite easy to find what you're looking for. You can download as PDF or use the web version. The latter is better because they have embedded videos.

There are webinars covering several topics, including trading strategies, how to's, and many others.

NinjaTrader review - Education

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NinjaTrader review
Safety

To find out more about safety and regulation, visit NinjaTrader

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader is an introducing broker of brokers, like Phillip Capital or Dorman Trading. Your assets and cash will be held at these brokers, which are regulated by top-tier financial authorities, like the US CFTC or UK FCA. On the flip side, NinjaTrader is not a listed company and doesn't disclose its financials.
Pros Cons
Top-tier financial regulation Not listed on stock exchange
Financial information is not publicly available

Is NinjaTrader regulated?

NinjaTrader is registered with the National Futures Association (NFA), which allows it to provide introducing broker service for companies, such as Phillip Capital or Dorman Trading. These companies are regulated by at least one top-tier financial authority, like the US CFTC or UK FCA.

What does NinjaTrader's introducing broker status mean? It means that your assets and cash are held at the broker, like Phillip Capital, but the platform, the fees, and customer support are provided by NinjaTrader.

Is NinjaTrader safe?

To be certain, we highly advise that you check two facts:

  • how you are protected if something goes wrong
  • what the background of the broker is

In case of NinjaTrader, we recommend that you check the background of the broker where your assets and cash are held as NinjaTrader is an introducing broker.

How you are protected

We recommend NinjaTrader's services for professionals because trading with futures is not covered by investor protection schemes. In addition, there's no negative balance protection. If the balance on your account goes negative, you would be responsible for those losses.

Background

NinjaTrader was established in 2003. The longer track record a broker has, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.

We tested NinjaTrader's platform through an account opened with Phillip Capital. Phillip Capital is the one holding your assets and cash in this case. Phillip Capital publishes financial statements and it's regulated by a top-tier authority (USA). These are all great signs of safety.

If you choose to connect one of the following brokerage accounts to NinjaTrader, we recommend checking their backgrounds here:

  • Interactive Brokers
  • TD Ameritrade
  • Oanda
  • Forex.com
  • FXCM
  • City Index

Find your safe broker

NinjaTrader review
Bottom line

Visit NinjaTrader if you are looking for further details and information

Compare to its best reviewed alternative: TradeStation

NinjaTrader is a great platform for futures trading.

On the plus side, we liked the low commissions.Its advanced platform is great for experienced traders, especially for futures traders. The educational material provided by Ninja is well structured and they have an active user forum as well.

NinjaTrader Brokerage has some drawbacks though. The fees for withdrawal are high, at $30-40 per withdrawal. There is no mobile platform and the desktop platform is available only on Windows. Lastly, the product portfolio covers only futures and options on futures.

As there is no fee for the demo account and you can open it within a few minutes, feel free to try NinjaTrader.

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NinjaTrader review
FAQ

In Ninja Trader 7 What Is the Look Back

Source: https://brokerchooser.com/broker-reviews/ninjatrader-review

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