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NinjaTrader
Posted By: TradersLog
NinjaTrader is a developer of trading software for the active trader – a complete end to end trading platform catering to discretionary and automated traders of futures, equities and forex markets. The software is available at over 100 brokerage firms worldwide.
Denver, CO based NinjaTrader was founded in 2003 by Raymond Deux, an active futures trader. In 2005 NinjaTrader acquired TradeMagic, the developer of an advanced .NET trading framework, which served as the foundation for growth into trading system development and automated trading. NinjaTrader version 6 was released in 2007 which included full trading system development via NinjaScript, chart based trading and real time multi-instrument scanning.
Website: NinjaTrader.com
By Jim Kline
On 11-16-2009 at 3:20 pm
NinjaTrader is excellent. I have been using TradeStation for the past several years for automated strategy development and recently switched to NinjaTrader. It is C# based and provides and event driven model, something that TS has been lacking. In addition to TS brokerage, I have several accounts at other brokerage all which NinjaTrader supports. I highly recommend this product. It is free until you start trading live.
By George Fan
On 11-17-2009 at 12:53 pm
Nice software package. Very powerful for being free. Contains a ton of features and is really well thought out. Use with any of the big brokerages. Superb charting. Superb scripting. Superb auto trading features through their ATM.
By Bret Taskin
On 11-22-2009 at 1:00 pm
Running NinjaTrader’s DOM on Zen-Fire next to XTrader and OEC is no comparison. Updates occur in NT’s DOM faster than the others compared.
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By Deucalion
On 11-24-2009 at 1:02 pm
I agree Bret…..if you read my review of Ensign elsewhere I have posted that NT has nothing (nothing) to do with Zenfire. ZF is simply a feed. ZF is comparable to esignal on unfiltered speedy tick inflow. How a charting platform handles that packet of data is a whole different ball game. Feed the TT feed into NT and one can see that it is the TT feed that comes up short and not the TT DOM. Similarly it is the OEC platform (just like the TT platform) that is much less resource intensive that NT. Please compare apples to apples. Infact I would personally go as far as saying that the ZF feed is in some cases better than the eSignal feed and the combination of ZF/NT on a T1 or high speed data network is very responsive but does not change the poor core performance of NT6.5. Apples to apples please
By Deucalion
On 11-28-2009 at 7:32 am
NT has made an excellent attempt at being a legitimate competitor to eSignal & TS. The UIis a little bit clunky but very easy to use, just like a plug and play OS-UI. Importing custom scripts is stupid easy. After a week using it’s multiple features are downright enjoyable. Things look simple and clean. And that’s the problem, they just look clean. For a professional trader, this is an unacceptable software. Uses too much memory, crashes far too often (hangs up my quad core processor) and the biggest problem of all. There is a time latency between this and the data server side API. I have fed eSignal data and ZenFire data in to it and compare the ticks. Not the same. Then fed eSignal data into eSignal charts and then on to EnSign Charts. Big difference, ticks are handled in blocks they don’t even look the same. It’s ridiculous. Time base ticks do not show the difference but tick charts sure do. Apparently ZenFire data is one of the cleanest but not so on Ninja. Admittedly, Ninja support is not bad and the polished look is good. But it feels like Vista compared to XP – bloated, clumsy, huge and inefficient. End result; rather like a Porsche with no roof – pretty but pointless.
By Rob Miller
On 12-12-2009 at 12:56 pm
This is a great, versatile platform and I converted to a lifetime license a few weeks ago, as with the ZenFire feed it’s a rock solid combination for my day to day futures trading. The support team does an excellent job of giving competent quick replies, though some will need some time getting used to their ‘no inbound’ calls support model. I also make good use of their C# / NinjaScript programming language that allows you to leverage existing systems by having the confidence to execute them to multiple broker technologies, and that without any messy code conversion needs! What I read so far on the upcoming NinjaTrader 7 release is very sweet as it will support my multicore systems more efficiently and allows you to chart multiple timeframes and symbols on one chart (even min and tick in a nice way) … overall very happy and I also like their ‘try it for free’ pricing model, this will make more and more NinjaScripts cirle around the net…convenient perspectives indeed
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By Largo
On 1-12-2010 at 6:41 pm
NT (latest for now – 6.5) is not perfect. It does not allow write my not so complicated strategy due to its internal orders handling rules – it disallows reversing position strategies and using custom SL/TP/TS.
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By Deucalion
On 1-14-2010 at 12:58 pm
This is a follow up on my previous review. The new version improves the handling the core tick data from ZenFire which remains a very very good feed (great job ZenFire). But the old problems in NT are replaced by new ones. System does not terminate active strings and is left in opentasks on Windows Task manager even when shut down. One has to end process in the Task Panel (on both Vista and XP – both on multicore processors) to end so one can restart. The system does not crash as often as before when refreshing data data but hangs up just the same. Market replay is abysmal with massive memory hogging. One can only hope NT7 is better. In my opinion a much better option is to go with a direct entry DOM execution platform like OEC or TT or CQG and run charts separately. This remains an amateur’s platform. With it’s glossy look and easy programming features making it a geek’s dream but an unreliable and almost nearly an impossibility for a professional. Buyer beware. And of course its better than TS (TS code belongs in the Dark Ages so that’s not even a fair comparison). Seriously, run the OEC DOM or TT DOM or CQG DOM in comparison and you will realize the difference. And except for the CQG platform the other two are retail end white label software.
By Brad Repsant
On 2-3-2010 at 6:55 am
NinjaTrader has come along way since it first started out as a simple IB front end. I have used NinjaTrader for several years for only order execution and just recently dropped TradeStation and exclusively use NinjaTrader for all my charting and system development. It takes some time to get your head around C# but the development aspect of NinjaTrader is light years ahead of Easy Language. Their support forum is top notch and the development community is helpful and growing. A lot of defectors from other platforms are adopting NinjaTrader. In a few more years I think NinjaTrader will be the gold standard.
By Adrian
On 3-5-2010 at 11:12 am
Horrid UI, good features. NinjaTrader looks like it was written by a group of PhDs, the automating trading features are good and reliable but the user interface is one of the worst I’ve ever come across. You’ll need their manual at all times and even simple tasks like adding a new stock requires navigating a painful and tedious maze of menus and buttons. The only reason to choose NinjaTrader over OpenQuant is if you absolutely need NT’s features, but otherwise the horrible interface should drive everyone away. Avoid it unless absolutely necessary.
By Jim Bean
On 5-9-2010 at 2:17 am
I have been using NinjaTrader for discretionary trading of futures using the Zen-Fire feed and its head and shoulders above the Transact AT platform I was using. Charting is excellent and there is a lot of 3rd party components available.
By Bob
On 6-9-2010 at 10:08 am
As stated, this program is slugish and uses a ton of resources. Pretty much useless in normal market conditions.
By R W
On 10-20-2010 at 3:16 pm
I just finished a 3 month course in which I was required to use Ninja in the process. The truth is ninja is a decade behind the cutting edge and is still predominately “menu” driven. Even their trade bar requires you to go to a pop up to execute a trade. It is a very unstable plateform that has data retrieval problems and requires you to again and again rebuild the data base to correct errors. Trade Navigator from from Genesis Technologies is icon drive and every thing including drawing tools and time frame chgs are one click away. They seldom ever have a data problem the truth of the mater is if Ninja customers new what was available in Navigator there would be a mass migration to Navigator. There is a reason why Larry Williams and the big dogs use it. Their from the chart trading is more advanced and easier to use with no “Pop Ups required. Ninja support is via e-mail, navigator has the best support in existance and is a phone call away. Needless to say I was very disappointed with Ninja. Talk to Melissa at Genesis
By vlc
On 12-19-2010 at 1:59 pm
NinjaTrader7 has just been released. Simply brilliant.
By Frank S
On 7-22-2011 at 2:33 pm
I am very dissappointed with Ninja 7 as a whole. Yes it has some nice features. Yes there are some nice strategies that can be created. But try trading with 4 other traders where we are sharing tick charts using Zen-fire for the data feed and you will notice that your charts dont agree. We were told to reload historical data every 5 minutes if we want our charts to agree and that doesnt work either. If I cant trust the data, I cant trust the platform.
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