NinjaTrader futures costs
As of 2026-10-13 - verify on the broker's site before opening an account.
At a glance
Websiteninjatrader.com/
Account minimum$0
Platform feeFree
PlatformsNinjaTrader Desktop, NinjaTrader Web, NinjaTrader Mobile
MNQ commission per side$0.39
MES commission per side$0.39
Inactivity fee$35.00
Costs per contract
| Product | Commission per side | Exchange fees | All-in round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| MNQ | $0.39 | Charged on top | $1.90 |
| MES | $0.39 | Charged on top | $1.90 |
| MGC | $0.39 | Charged on top | $2.40 |
| MCL | $0.39 | Charged on top | $2.40 |
| NQ | $1.29 | Charged on top | $5.76 |
| ES | $1.29 | Charged on top | $5.76 |
Free: $0.39/side micro and $1.29/side standard. Monthly ($99/month): $0.29 and $0.99. Lifetime ($1,499 one-time): $0.09 and $0.59.
Margins
| Product | Day-trade margin | Overnight margin | CME initial margin | CME maintenance margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MNQ | $100 | $4,647 | $4,762 | $4,762 |
| MES | $50 | $2,863 | $2,881 | $2,881 |
| MGC | $200 | $2,473 | $2,083 | $2,083 |
| MCL | $100 | $885 | $948 | $948 |
| NQ | $1,000 | $46,473 | $46,623 | $46,623 |
| ES | $500 | $28,632 | $28,813 | $28,813 |
Day-trade margin is what this broker shows for positions closed the same day. CME columns are the exchange's own margins as of 2026-10-13, shown for reference.
Platform & fees
| Platform fee | Free - Free plan; optional Monthly plan is $99/month and Lifetime plan is $1,499 one-time. |
|---|---|
| Platforms | NinjaTrader Desktop, NinjaTrader Web, NinjaTrader Mobile |
| Market data fees | Top-of-book real-time market data is included after an approved live account is funded. A 14-day streaming-data trial is included when opening an account. |
| Inactivity fee | $35.00 |
| Withdrawal fees | Not stated on the cited pricing and margin pages. |
| Account minimum | $0 |
- Product commissions record the standard Free plan, not the lower paid-plan rates.
- Day and overnight figures come from the margin table dated 2026-08-31; overnightMargin records the table's Initial column.
- Exchange, clearing, and NFA fees are additional, so exact all-in round trips are not computed.
- All-in round trips use the Free-plan commission, NinjaTrader’s published .19-per-side clearing fee, and the exchange plus NFA amounts in cme-fees.json, then double the per-side total.
- The inactivity fee applies to Free Account Plan holders after 30 days without a live trade; Monthly and Lifetime plans are exempt.
Watch out for
- Inactivity fee of $35 applies to Free Account Plan holders after 30 days without a live trade; Monthly ($99/month) and Lifetime ($1,499 one-time) plans are exempt.
- Exchange, clearing, and NFA fees are NOT included in the quoted commission. The all-in round trip adds NinjaTrader's $0.19-per-side clearing fee plus exchange and NFA amounts on top of the per-side commission.
- Day-trade and overnight margin requirements differ dramatically: for example, MES is $50 day-trade vs $2,863.17 overnight, and NQ is $1,000 vs $46,473.17. Holding positions overnight requires substantially more capital.
- Commission rates shown are for the Free plan only. Paid plans lower per-side costs ($0.29/$0.99 Monthly, $0.09/$0.59 Lifetime) but add their own fixed cost ($99/month or $1,499 one-time).
Sources
- NinjaTrader pricing - checked 2026-10-13
https://ninjatrader.com/pricing/ - Margins for Available Futures Markets - checked 2026-10-13
https://ninjatrader.com/pricing/margins/ - NinjaTrader account and exchange fees - checked 2026-10-13
https://support.ninjatrader.com/s/article/Account-and-Exchange-Fees?language=en_US - NinjaTrader commissions and all-in rates - checked 2026-10-13
https://ninjatrader.com/pricing/commissions/
As of 2026-10-13 - verify on the broker's site before opening an account.