NinjaTrader vs TD Ameritrade

NinjaTrader is a trading platform and brokerage service for active futures and forex traders. How does it compare to TD Ameritrade? Read our comparison chart below.

NinjaTrader is an online trading platform and broker for futures and forex. It has advanced charting tools and offers free, monthly, and lifetime plans. It has no deposit minimum, and commissions can be as low as $0.09 per contract with the lifetime plan.

While TD Ameritrade offers $0 commission online stock, ETF, and option trades. This online broker also has more than 100 branch locations. There is no minimum deposit, no maintenance fee, and no inactivity fee.

Compare NinjaTrader with TD Ameritrade, side-by-side.

	NinjaTrader	TD Ameritrade
	SPECIAL OFFER Futures Trading Simulator - Learn More Read NinjaTrader Review	OFFER Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades - Learn More
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	No	$0 commission for online stock, ETF, and option trades
Options Trading		$0.65 per contract
Annual Fee	Free Plan: $0 Monthly Plan: $99/mo Lifetime Plan: $1,499 one-time payment
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Mutual Fund Trading		Up to $49.95 or $74.95 for buys. $0 for sells
Commission Free ETFs		550+ Commission-Free ETFs
Live Chat Support		Yes
Penny Stocks
Broker Assisted Trades		$25
Inactivity Fee	$35/month	$0
Maintenance Fee		$0
Online Platform		Yes
Banking		Cash Management account offers free ATM withdrawals, no monthly maintenance fees, free online bill pay, and free check writing.
Mobile App		Yes
Desktop App		Thinkorswim
Forex Trading		Yes
Futures Trading	$1.29 per Standard contract per side for Free Plan, $0.99 for Monthly Plan, and $0.59 for Lifetime Plan	$2.25 per contract (plus exchange & regulatory fees)
Bond Trading		Yes
CFD Trading		No
Currency Trading		Yes
Customer Service	Phone: 800-496-1683 24/5 Live Support Email: support@ninjatrader.com Live Chat Web Form	(800) 669-3900 (Open 24/7)
Locations		More than 100 locations in 34 states
Seminars		Online webcast
Trading Platform	Desktop, Web, Mobile Apps	thinkorswim
Virtual Trading		Yes
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Online Platform
Customer Service
Ease of Use
Education
Research
Pros & Cons	Pros: Low trading fees No minimum deposit Available training opportunities Cons: Limited available market Lifetime plan required for lowest trading fees
Bottom Line	Trading platform and brokerage service for active futures and forex traders... Read full review
	Futures Trading Simulator	Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades Open an IRA in 15 minutes or less
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. NinjaTrader: Pricing information from published websites as of 09/18/2025. TD Ameritrade: Pricing information from published website as of 09/05/2023.

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing NinjaTrader or TradeStation.