Head to head

NinjaTrader vs Consorsbank — which broker is better?

NinjaTrader or Consorsbank? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

NinjaTrader

A futures execution platform with a brokerage attached — and the cheapest micro contracts in retail.

3,8

Group index 75/100Protection depends on your legal entity

CFTCNFA

Stocks (per order): n/a
Minimum deposit: None

Visit broker Full review

Consorsbank

Free ETF savings plans, a real derivatives desk and free professional software — behind a tiered price list that rewards activity.

3,9

Group index 93/100Protection depends on your legal entity

BaFinACPRECB

Stocks (per order): 0.25 %
Minimum deposit: None
FX conversion: 0.26 %

Visit broker Full review

Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Overall Consorsbank takes it, 3.9 against 3.8 out of 5. The two pricing models cannot be converted like for like; the fee rows in the table carry the detail. Consorsbank scores 93 against 75 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Consorsbank covers more ground with 9 of 14 asset classes against 3. We rate platform and app at 4.2 out of 5 for both. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.

Overall score

NinjaTrader: 3.8
Consorsbank: 3.9 — Better

CostsTie

NinjaTrader: Not offered
Consorsbank: €12.50

Group indexNo winner

NinjaTrader: 75 of 100
Consorsbank: 93 of 100

Product range

NinjaTrader: 3/14
Consorsbank: 9/14 — Better

Platform & appTie

NinjaTrader: 4.2
Consorsbank: 4.2

Compare brokers side by side

Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.

Data as of: 30 Aug 2026

Best value in the row

NinjaTrader · Consorsbank
Criterion	NinjaTrader 3,8 Visit broker	Consorsbank 3,9 Visit broker

Overall score	3.8	3.9 — Better
Group index	75 of 100	93 of 100
Best for	Futures day tradersOrder-flow and ladder tradersAutomated strategy developersSmall-account micro futures traders	ETF savings plan investorsEurex and US derivatives tradersActive traders chasing tier discountsMulti-currency portfoliosInvestors who want free professional software

Regulation	CFTCNFA	BaFinACPRECB
Top-tier licences	2	3 — Better
Investor protection	None	€3,000,000 — Better
Listed group	No	Yes
Banking licence	No	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	No	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	1
Founded	2003	1994
Headquarters	Chicago, IL, US	Nürnberg, DE

Fees	4.1 — Better	3.4
Safety & regulation	3.6	4.5 — Better
Trading platform	4.6 — Better	4.3
Product range	2.6	4.5 — Better
Mobile app	3.7	4.0 — Better
Research	3.2	4.0 — Better
Customer support	3.9 — Better	2.6
Deposit & withdrawal	3.6	4.0 — Better
Account opening	4.0 — Better	3.9
Education	3.8 — Better	3.5

Reference order EUR 5,000	Not offered	€12.50
Minimum deposit	None	None
Stocks (per order)	Not offered	0.25 %
US stocks	n/a	0.25 %
ETFs	Not offered	0.25 %
Options	Not offered	0.5 %
Futures	subscription	€6
Crypto	n/a	Not offered
Bonds (order)	n/a	0.25 %
Funds (order)	n/a	0.25 %
EUR/USD spread	n/a	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	n/a
FX conversion	n/a	0.26 %
Inactivity fee	US$35 · after 1 months	None — Better
Custody fee	n/a	None
Withdrawal fee	free	free
Deposit fee	free	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Platform licence — Free plan: USD 0 Platform licence — Monthly plan: USD 99 per month Platform licence — Lifetime plan: USD 1,499 one-off Micro futures (Lifetime plan): USD 0.09 per side Standard futures (Lifetime plan): USD 0.59 per side Micro futures (Free plan): USD 0.39 per side +9	Depot and cash account: EUR 0.00 — securities depot, Verrechnungskonto, additional sub-accounts and depot transfers are all free ETF savings plans: 0% of the rate on 1,700+ ETFs, permanently, from EUR 10 a month Share and certificate savings plans: 1.50% of the rate per execution; more than 5,000 shares and 100 certificates available Currency conversion: Bloomberg BFIX mid rate plus or minus a published absolute margin per currency: USD 0.0030, GBP 0.0020, CHF 0.0030, CAD 0.0060, AUD 0.0250, SEK/NOK 0.0240, JPY 0.3600. On EUR/USD in the 1.10–1.20 range the USD 0.0030 margin is roughly 0.25%–0.27%; we record 0.26% as the working figure. The price page lists these absolute margins for 'all other transaction types' (section 3.4), while its general rules (section 3.1) refer securities-trade conversions to the section 3.3 margins of 0.30% for G10 and 0.60% for non-G10 currencies; the page leaves open which margin applies to a securities trade Foreign exchange venue fees: London EUR 34, Paris EUR 36, Zurich EUR 41, Amsterdam EUR 42, Vienna, Milan, Brussels and Helsinki EUR 56, Madrid EUR 59, Lisbon EUR 64, Stockholm EUR 65, Oslo EUR 69, Tokyo EUR 72, Sydney EUR 101, Singapore EUR 121, Hong Kong EUR 124, Wellington EUR 136 — per order, on top of commission Wertpapierkredit: 7.55% p.a. nominal (7.77% effective) on an approved credit line; 13.90% nominal (14.64% effective) on tolerated overdrafts; both rates variable, as at 16 September 2026 +8

Asset classes (of 14)	3	9 — Better
Exchanges	n/a	34
Stocks	No	Yes
ETFs	No	Yes
Options	No	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	No	No
CFDs	No	No
Crypto	No	No
Bonds	No	Yes
Funds	No	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	No	Yes
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	NinjaTrader DesktopNinjaScript (C#)NinjaTrader WebNinjaTrader Mobile	Consorsbank Online-Brokerage (web)ActiveTraderActiveTrader ProConsorsbank Pro AppConsorsbank AppTrading API
Demo account	Yes	No
Fractional shares	No	Yes
Maximum leverage	Futures leverage is a function of margin, not a fixed ratio. NinjaTrader advertises intraday day-trading margins of USD 50 per Micro E-mini contract and USD…	Consorsbank does not offer CFDs, so no ESMA retail leverage cap applies. Leverage comes from a Wertpapierkredit against the portfolio at 7.55% p.a.
Account opening	Same day to 1 business day for most US applicants; longer for international documentation	Online application with identity verification, then access credentials sent by post — a day or two slower than app-first competitors
Account types	Individual futures accountJoint and entity futures accountsFree simulation account	WertpapierdepotJunior-DepotMargin-KontoFremdwährungskontoTagesgeld- und Festgeldkonto

Payment methods	Bank transferDebit card	Bank transferSEPASEPA Instant
Account currencies	USD	EURUSDGBPCHFCADAUDJPYSEKNOKSGD+2
Deposit time	Debit card near-instant; ACH 1–3 business days; wire same day	SEPA credit transfer within one business day; SEPA instant transfers execute around the clock within roughly 10 seconds
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days	1 business day for SEPA transfers instructed before the 16:30 cut-off
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseRussian	German
Channels	PhoneEmailTicket system	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	24/5 plus weekend coverage; 24-hour trade desk during the futures session	Betreuungsteam by phone, contact form and live chat; Consorsbank does not publish fixed service hours on its public pages

Strengths and weaknesses side by side

Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.

NinjaTrader

A futures execution platform with a brokerage attached — and the cheapest micro contracts in retail.

3,8

Pros

USD 0.09 per side on micro futures and USD 0.59 on standard contracts under the USD 1,499 lifetime licence — among the lowest retail futures commissions available
Intraday day-trading margins of USD 50 per Micro E-mini and USD 500 per E-mini contract make small-account futures trading viable
Market Replay plays back a full session tick by tick, synchronised across charts and the ladder — the best execution-rehearsal tool in retail futures
NinjaScript is a real C# development framework, not a scripting toy, with an ecosystem of thousands of third-party indicators, strategies and add-ons
Free simulated trading with the full platform, strategy backtesting and no funding requirement
Support runs 24/5 plus weekends with a dedicated 24-hour trade desk, and the site is localised into seven languages
No deposit minimum to open a futures account; ACH and debit card funding from USD 5

Cons

Futures, options on futures, single stock futures and event contracts only — no shares, ETFs, bonds, funds, spot crypto or spot forex
The headline commissions require paying for the platform: USD 1.29 per side on the free plan is ordinary, and the cheap rates cost USD 99 a month or USD 1,499 up front
Customer funds are CFTC-segregated but carry no SIPC cover and no compensation scheme — segregation ring-fences money, it does not insure it
Exchange, clearing and NFA fees are charged on top of every commission, and market depth or professional data feeds are billed separately
The desktop platform is Windows-only and has a steep learning curve; the web and mobile builds are materially lighter
A USD 35 Minimum Account Activity Fee hits free-plan accounts that log in but place no live trade within 30 days — USD 25 on plans held since before 20 June 2025
NinjaTrader does not publish an eligible-country list on its public pages, so international applicants have to confirm their jurisdiction during onboarding

Best for

Futures day tradersOrder-flow and ladder tradersAutomated strategy developersSmall-account micro futures traders

Consorsbank

Free ETF savings plans, a real derivatives desk and free professional software — behind a tiered price list that rewards activity.

3,9

Pros

All ETF savings plans run at 0% of the savings rate on more than 1,700 ETFs, permanently — the partners cover the fee, replacing the old 1.50% charge
The deepest derivatives access of any German retail bank: Eurex options and futures with volume rebates down to EUR 2.00 per contract, plus CME, CBOT and OCC options and futures on a dedicated Margin account
ActiveTrader professional software and the Trading API are both free, with real-time monitoring, one-click ordering and Iceberg orders on Xetra in the Pro version
Free depot, free Verrechnungskonto, free sub-accounts and free depot transfers, with no inactivity fee
Transparent, published FX conversion margins — Bloomberg BFIX plus USD 0.0030, GBP 0.0020, CHF 0.0030 — roughly 0.26% on the dollar (0.30% if the price page's percentage margin applies to securities trades), better than flatex's 0.35% and more transparent than comdirect, which publishes no percentage at all
Free foreign-currency sub-accounts in eleven currencies plus EUR, so US or Swiss proceeds do not have to be converted back at a spread
Backed by BNP Paribas S.A. under ECB, BaFin, ACPR and AMF supervision, with the voluntary BdB fund protecting private individuals up to EUR 3 million
From the second partial execution only the percentage commission applies — base fee and venue cost drop away, which materially cuts the cost of large orders that fill in pieces

Cons

The tiered pricing starts unremarkable and Consorsbank does not publish the volume thresholds for Silver, Gold and Platinum status on its public price pages, so a new customer cannot calculate what they will actually pay next year
Direct foreign exchange access is priced punitively: EUR 34 for London, EUR 41 for Zurich, EUR 72 for Tokyo, EUR 121 for Singapore and EUR 136 for Wellington in venue costs per order, plus a EUR 21 USA Smart Order fee and EUR 69 for Canada
Customer service scores 1.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 300 reviews, with reviewers reporting online-banking failures that blocked access to accounts and depots for weeks, and slow, unhelpful responses
Share, certificate and ETC savings plans still cost 1.50% of the rate, so only the ETF plans are genuinely free once the twelve-month new-customer promotion expires
ActiveTrader Pro costs up to EUR 119 a month for standard-status customers, and US derivatives market data adds EUR 5–29 a month — the professional tooling is only free once you are already trading heavily
No CFDs, no spot forex and no spot crypto, and the Tagesgeld pays 1.00% p.a. outside promotional periods

Best for

ETF savings plan investorsEurex and US derivatives tradersActive traders chasing tier discountsMulti-currency portfoliosInvestors who want free professional software

Open an account with either

A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.

Visit broker: NinjaTrader Visit broker: Consorsbank

More comparisons

Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

NinjaTrader · Consorsbank
Criterion	NinjaTrader 3,8 Visit broker	Consorsbank 3,9 Visit broker

Overall score	3.8	3.9 — Better
Group index	75 of 100	93 of 100
Best for	Futures day tradersOrder-flow and ladder tradersAutomated strategy developersSmall-account micro futures traders	ETF savings plan investorsEurex and US derivatives tradersActive traders chasing tier discountsMulti-currency portfoliosInvestors who want free professional software

Regulation	CFTCNFA	BaFinACPRECB
Top-tier licences	2	3 — Better
Investor protection	None	€3,000,000 — Better
Listed group	No	Yes
Banking licence	No	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	No	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	1
Founded	2003	1994
Headquarters	Chicago, IL, US	Nürnberg, DE

Fees	4.1 — Better	3.4
Safety & regulation	3.6	4.5 — Better
Trading platform	4.6 — Better	4.3
Product range	2.6	4.5 — Better
Mobile app	3.7	4.0 — Better
Research	3.2	4.0 — Better
Customer support	3.9 — Better	2.6
Deposit & withdrawal	3.6	4.0 — Better
Account opening	4.0 — Better	3.9
Education	3.8 — Better	3.5

Reference order EUR 5,000	Not offered	€12.50
Minimum deposit	None	None
Stocks (per order)	Not offered	0.25 %
US stocks	n/a	0.25 %
ETFs	Not offered	0.25 %
Options	Not offered	0.5 %
Futures	subscription	€6
Crypto	n/a	Not offered
Bonds (order)	n/a	0.25 %
Funds (order)	n/a	0.25 %
EUR/USD spread	n/a	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	n/a
FX conversion	n/a	0.26 %
Inactivity fee	US$35 · after 1 months	None — Better
Custody fee	n/a	None
Withdrawal fee	free	free
Deposit fee	free	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Platform licence — Free plan: USD 0 Platform licence — Monthly plan: USD 99 per month Platform licence — Lifetime plan: USD 1,499 one-off Micro futures (Lifetime plan): USD 0.09 per side Standard futures (Lifetime plan): USD 0.59 per side Micro futures (Free plan): USD 0.39 per side +9	Depot and cash account: EUR 0.00 — securities depot, Verrechnungskonto, additional sub-accounts and depot transfers are all free ETF savings plans: 0% of the rate on 1,700+ ETFs, permanently, from EUR 10 a month Share and certificate savings plans: 1.50% of the rate per execution; more than 5,000 shares and 100 certificates available Currency conversion: Bloomberg BFIX mid rate plus or minus a published absolute margin per currency: USD 0.0030, GBP 0.0020, CHF 0.0030, CAD 0.0060, AUD 0.0250, SEK/NOK 0.0240, JPY 0.3600. On EUR/USD in the 1.10–1.20 range the USD 0.0030 margin is roughly 0.25%–0.27%; we record 0.26% as the working figure. The price page lists these absolute margins for 'all other transaction types' (section 3.4), while its general rules (section 3.1) refer securities-trade conversions to the section 3.3 margins of 0.30% for G10 and 0.60% for non-G10 currencies; the page leaves open which margin applies to a securities trade Foreign exchange venue fees: London EUR 34, Paris EUR 36, Zurich EUR 41, Amsterdam EUR 42, Vienna, Milan, Brussels and Helsinki EUR 56, Madrid EUR 59, Lisbon EUR 64, Stockholm EUR 65, Oslo EUR 69, Tokyo EUR 72, Sydney EUR 101, Singapore EUR 121, Hong Kong EUR 124, Wellington EUR 136 — per order, on top of commission Wertpapierkredit: 7.55% p.a. nominal (7.77% effective) on an approved credit line; 13.90% nominal (14.64% effective) on tolerated overdrafts; both rates variable, as at 16 September 2026 +8

Asset classes (of 14)	3	9 — Better
Exchanges	n/a	34
Stocks	No	Yes
ETFs	No	Yes
Options	No	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	No	No
CFDs	No	No
Crypto	No	No
Bonds	No	Yes
Funds	No	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	No	Yes
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	NinjaTrader DesktopNinjaScript (C#)NinjaTrader WebNinjaTrader Mobile	Consorsbank Online-Brokerage (web)ActiveTraderActiveTrader ProConsorsbank Pro AppConsorsbank AppTrading API
Demo account	Yes	No
Fractional shares	No	Yes
Maximum leverage	Futures leverage is a function of margin, not a fixed ratio. NinjaTrader advertises intraday day-trading margins of USD 50 per Micro E-mini contract and USD…	Consorsbank does not offer CFDs, so no ESMA retail leverage cap applies. Leverage comes from a Wertpapierkredit against the portfolio at 7.55% p.a.
Account opening	Same day to 1 business day for most US applicants; longer for international documentation	Online application with identity verification, then access credentials sent by post — a day or two slower than app-first competitors
Account types	Individual futures accountJoint and entity futures accountsFree simulation account	WertpapierdepotJunior-DepotMargin-KontoFremdwährungskontoTagesgeld- und Festgeldkonto

Payment methods	Bank transferDebit card	Bank transferSEPASEPA Instant
Account currencies	USD	EURUSDGBPCHFCADAUDJPYSEKNOKSGD+2
Deposit time	Debit card near-instant; ACH 1–3 business days; wire same day	SEPA credit transfer within one business day; SEPA instant transfers execute around the clock within roughly 10 seconds
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days	1 business day for SEPA transfers instructed before the 16:30 cut-off
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseRussian	German
Channels	PhoneEmailTicket system	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	24/5 plus weekend coverage; 24-hour trade desk during the futures session	Betreuungsteam by phone, contact form and live chat; Consorsbank does not publish fixed service hours on its public pages

Criterion

3,8

3,9

Overall score

3.8

3.9

Group index

75 of 100

93 of 100

Best for

Futures day tradersOrder-flow and ladder tradersAutomated strategy developersSmall-account micro futures traders

ETF savings plan investorsEurex and US derivatives tradersActive traders chasing tier discountsMulti-currency portfoliosInvestors who want free professional software

Regulation

CFTCNFA

BaFinACPRECB

Top-tier licences

Investor protection

None

€3,000,000

Listed group

Banking licence

Segregated client accounts

Negative balance protection

Audited financials

Disclosed regulatory actions

None

Founded

2003

1994

Headquarters

Chicago, IL, US

Nürnberg, DE

Fees

4.1

3.4

Safety & regulation

3.6

4.5

Trading platform

4.6

4.3

Product range

2.6

4.5

Mobile app

3.7

4.0

Research

3.2

4.0

Customer support

3.9

2.6

Deposit & withdrawal

3.6

4.0

Account opening

4.0

3.9

Education

3.8

3.5

Reference order EUR 5,000

Not offered

€12.50

Minimum deposit

None

Stocks (per order)

Not offered

0.25 %

US stocks

n/a

0.25 %

ETFs

Not offered

0.25 %

Options

Not offered

0.5 %

Futures

subscription

€6

Crypto

n/a

Not offered

Bonds (order)

n/a

0.25 %

Funds (order)

n/a

0.25 %

EUR/USD spread

n/a

Index CFD spread

n/a

FX conversion

n/a

0.26 %

Inactivity fee

US$35 · after 1 months

None

Custody fee

n/a

None

Withdrawal fee

free

Deposit fee

free

Overnight financing

n/a

Other fees

Platform licence — Free plan: USD 0
Platform licence — Monthly plan: USD 99 per month
Platform licence — Lifetime plan: USD 1,499 one-off
Micro futures (Lifetime plan): USD 0.09 per side
Standard futures (Lifetime plan): USD 0.59 per side
Micro futures (Free plan): USD 0.39 per side
+9

Depot and cash account: EUR 0.00 — securities depot, Verrechnungskonto, additional sub-accounts and depot transfers are all free
ETF savings plans: 0% of the rate on 1,700+ ETFs, permanently, from EUR 10 a month
Share and certificate savings plans: 1.50% of the rate per execution; more than 5,000 shares and 100 certificates available
Currency conversion: Bloomberg BFIX mid rate plus or minus a published absolute margin per currency: USD 0.0030, GBP 0.0020, CHF 0.0030, CAD 0.0060, AUD 0.0250, SEK/NOK 0.0240, JPY 0.3600. On EUR/USD in the 1.10–1.20 range the USD 0.0030 margin is roughly 0.25%–0.27%; we record 0.26% as the working figure. The price page lists these absolute margins for 'all other transaction types' (section 3.4), while its general rules (section 3.1) refer securities-trade conversions to the section 3.3 margins of 0.30% for G10 and 0.60% for non-G10 currencies; the page leaves open which margin applies to a securities trade
Foreign exchange venue fees: London EUR 34, Paris EUR 36, Zurich EUR 41, Amsterdam EUR 42, Vienna, Milan, Brussels and Helsinki EUR 56, Madrid EUR 59, Lisbon EUR 64, Stockholm EUR 65, Oslo EUR 69, Tokyo EUR 72, Sydney EUR 101, Singapore EUR 121, Hong Kong EUR 124, Wellington EUR 136 — per order, on top of commission
Wertpapierkredit: 7.55% p.a. nominal (7.77% effective) on an approved credit line; 13.90% nominal (14.64% effective) on tolerated overdrafts; both rates variable, as at 16 September 2026
+8

Asset classes (of 14)

Exchanges

n/a

Stocks

ETFs

Options

Futures

Forex

CFDs

Crypto

Bonds

Funds

Commodities

Indices

Warrants

Spread betting

Social trading

Platforms

NinjaTrader DesktopNinjaScript (C#)NinjaTrader WebNinjaTrader Mobile

Consorsbank Online-Brokerage (web)ActiveTraderActiveTrader ProConsorsbank Pro AppConsorsbank AppTrading API

Demo account

Fractional shares

Maximum leverage

Futures leverage is a function of margin, not a fixed ratio. NinjaTrader advertises intraday day-trading margins of USD 50 per Micro E-mini contract and USD…

Consorsbank does not offer CFDs, so no ESMA retail leverage cap applies. Leverage comes from a Wertpapierkredit against the portfolio at 7.55% p.a.

Account opening

Same day to 1 business day for most US applicants; longer for international documentation

Online application with identity verification, then access credentials sent by post — a day or two slower than app-first competitors

Account types

Individual futures accountJoint and entity futures accountsFree simulation account

WertpapierdepotJunior-DepotMargin-KontoFremdwährungskontoTagesgeld- und Festgeldkonto

Payment methods

Bank transferDebit card

Bank transferSEPASEPA Instant

Account currencies

USD

EURUSDGBPCHFCADAUDJPYSEKNOKSGD+2

Deposit time

Debit card near-instant; ACH 1–3 business days; wire same day

SEPA credit transfer within one business day; SEPA instant transfers execute around the clock within roughly 10 seconds

Withdrawal time

1–3 business days

1 business day for SEPA transfers instructed before the 16:30 cut-off

Free withdrawals

n/a

Languages

EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseRussian

German

Channels

PhoneEmailTicket system

PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system

Availability

24/5 plus weekend coverage; 24-hour trade desk during the futures session

Betreuungsteam by phone, contact form and live chat; Consorsbank does not publish fixed service hours on its public pages