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Head to head
NinjaTrader or ThinkMarkets? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
A futures execution platform with a brokerage attached — and some of the cheapest micro contracts in retail.
Raw-spread pricing, six licences and a strong mobile app - held back by its withdrawal record.
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.
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall ThinkMarkets takes it, 4.1 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. ThinkMarkets scores 79 against 75 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. ThinkMarkets covers more ground with 8 of 14 asset classes against 3. On platform and app ThinkMarkets is ahead, 4.4 against 4.2 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
NinjaTraderNinjaTraderNinjaTraderNinjaTraderNinjaTraderUp to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.8 | 4.1 — Better |
| Group index | 75 of 100 | 79 of 100 |
| Best for | Futures day tradersOrder-flow and ladder tradersAutomated strategy developersSmall-account micro futures traders | Active FX tradersMobile-first tradersRaw-spread scalpingShare CFD breadthCopy trading |
| Regulation | CFTCNFA | FCAASICJFSACySECFSCAFSA |
| Top-tier licences | 2 | 3 — Better |
| Investor protection | None | £85,000 — Better |
| Listed group | No | No |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | No | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | No |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | None |
| Founded | 2003 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Chicago, IL, US | London, GB |
| Fees | 4.1 | 4.4 — Better |
| Safety & regulation | 3.6 | 4.1 — Better |
| Trading platform | 4.6 — Better | 4.3 |
| Product range | 2.6 | 3.9 — Better |
| Mobile app | 3.7 | 4.5 — Better |
| Research | 3.2 | 3.6 — Better |
| Customer support | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.6 | 3.8 — Better |
| Account opening | 4.0 | 4.4 — Better |
| Education | 3.8 — Better | 3.2 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | Not offered | €5.00 |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | Not offered | in the spread |
| US stocks | n/a | in the spread |
| ETFs | Not offered | in the spread |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | subscription | Not offered |
| Crypto | n/a | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | 1.1 pips |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | n/a | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | US$35 · after 1 months | £10 · after 6 months — Better |
| Custody fee | n/a | n/a |
| Withdrawal fee | free | free |
| Deposit fee | free | Free on every published method except PayPal deposits in Australia, which carry a 2.5 percent charge. |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 3 | 8 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | No | Yes |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Bonds | No | No |
| Funds | No | No |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | Yes |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader DesktopNinjaScript (C#)NinjaTrader WebNinjaTrader Mobile | ThinkTraderThinkTrader mobileMetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5TradingViewThinkCopy and ZuluTrade |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | No | No |
| 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… | 1:30 · Pro 1:500 |
| Account opening | Same day to 1 business day for most US applicants; longer for international documentation | Fully digital, commonly approved the same business day |
| Account types | Individual futures accountJoint and entity futures accountsFree simulation account | StandardThinkZeroIslamic (swap-free)Demo |
| Payment methods | Bank transferDebit card | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNetellerApple PayGoogle PayCrypto |
| Account currencies | USD | USDEURGBPAUDCHFSGDNZD |
| Deposit time | Debit card near-instant; ACH 1–3 business days; wire same day | Instant for cards and e-wallets, 1-3 business days by bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days | Processed within 24 hours by the broker, then 1-7 business days to reach your account |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseRussian | EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchItalianPortugueseChineseArabicJapaneseThai |
| Channels | PhoneEmailTicket system | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | 24/5 plus weekend coverage; 24-hour trade desk during the futures session | 24/5 for clients of the FCA and ASIC entities |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
NinjaTrader
A futures execution platform with a brokerage attached — and some of the cheapest micro contracts in retail.
Pros
Cons
Best for
ThinkMarkets
Raw-spread pricing, six licences and a strong mobile app - held back by its withdrawal record.
Pros
Cons
Best for
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A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
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.
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