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Head to head
NinjaTrader or Tickmill? 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.
A tight-spread MetaTrader broker that quietly turned into a futures and multi-asset shop.
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 Tickmill 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. NinjaTrader scores 75 against 70 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Tickmill covers more ground with 11 of 14 asset classes against 3. On platform and app NinjaTrader is ahead, 4.2 against 3.6 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
NinjaTraderTickmillNinjaTraderTickmillNinjaTraderTickmillNinjaTraderTickmillNinjaTraderTickmillUp to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.8 | 3.9 — Better |
| Group index | 75 of 100 | 70 of 100 |
| Best for | Futures day tradersOrder-flow and ladder tradersAutomated strategy developersSmall-account micro futures traders | Active forex and CFD tradersScalpers and Expert Advisor usersFutures traders wanting micro contractsCost-driven MetaTrader usersTraders wanting FCA-regulated pricing |
| Regulation | CFTCNFA | FCACySECFSCADFSAFSA |
| Top-tier licences | 2 — Better | 1 |
| 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 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Chicago, IL, US | London, GB |
| Fees | 4.1 | 4.5 — Better |
| Safety & regulation | 3.6 | 3.9 — Better |
| Trading platform | 4.6 — Better | 3.5 |
| Product range | 2.6 | 3.8 — Better |
| Mobile app | 3.7 — Better | 3.6 |
| Research | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Customer support | 3.9 — Better | 3.6 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 3.6 | 4.3 — Better |
| Account opening | 4.0 | 4.8 — Better |
| Education | 3.8 — Better | 3.6 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | Not offered | €5.00 |
| Minimum deposit | None — Better | US$100 |
| Stocks (per order) | Not offered | in the spread |
| US stocks | n/a | US$0.35 |
| ETFs | Not offered | in the spread |
| Options | Not offered | US$1.30 |
| Futures | subscription | US$1.30 |
| Crypto | n/a | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | in the spread |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | 0.1 pips |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | 0.3 points |
| FX conversion | n/a | 0.01 % |
| Inactivity fee | US$35 · after 1 months | €10 · after 12 months — Better |
| Custody fee | n/a | None |
| Withdrawal fee | free | free |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 3 | 11 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | No | Yes |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader DesktopNinjaScript (C#)NinjaTrader WebNinjaTrader Mobile | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5MetaTrader WebTraderTickmill Mobile AppCQGTrading Technologies (TT)FIX API and connectivityAdvanced Trading Toolkit |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| 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… | 1:30 |
| Account opening | Same day to 1 business day for most US applicants; longer for international documentation | Fully online; verification typically completed within one business day |
| Account types | Individual futures accountJoint and entity futures accountsFree simulation account | ClassicRawFutures & OptionsIBKR Multi-AssetIslamic (swap-free) |
| Payment methods | Bank transferDebit card | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardSkrillNetellerPayPalSofort |
| Account currencies | USD | USDEURGBPPLNCHF |
| Deposit time | Debit card near-instant; ACH 1–3 business days; wire same day | Cards and e-wallets instant; bank wire processed within 1 working day, arriving in 2–7 working days |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days | Processed within 1 working day; e-wallets often same day, bank wire 2–7 working days |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseRussian | EnglishGermanChineseIndonesianRussianSpanishArabicPolishItalianKorean+3 |
| Channels | PhoneEmailTicket system | PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system |
| Availability | 24/5 plus weekend coverage; 24-hour trade desk during the futures session | 24/5, Monday to Friday, with a separate professional client services desk for futures and options |
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
Tickmill
A tight-spread MetaTrader broker that quietly turned into a futures and multi-asset shop.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Open an account with either
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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