Head to head
NinjaTrader vs Tickmill — which broker is better?
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.
NinjaTrader
A futures execution platform with a brokerage attached — and some of the cheapest micro contracts in retail.
- Stocks (per order)
- Not offered
- Minimum deposit
- None
- FX conversion
- n/a
Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest.
Tickmill
A tight-spread MetaTrader broker that quietly turned into a futures and multi-asset shop.
- Stocks (per order)
- in the spread
- Minimum deposit
- US$100
- FX conversion
- 0.01 %
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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 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.
- NinjaTrader
- 3.8
- Tickmill
- 3.9 — Better
- NinjaTrader
- Not offered
- Tickmill
- in the spread
- NinjaTrader
- 75 of 100
- Tickmill
- 70 of 100
- NinjaTrader
- 3/14
- Tickmill
- 11/14 — Better
- NinjaTrader
- 4.2 — Better
- Tickmill
- 3.6
Compare brokers side by side
Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | NinjaTrader 3.8 Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest. | Tickmill 3.9 Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | in the spread |
| 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 |
Strengths and weaknesses side by side
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
- 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
Tickmill
A tight-spread MetaTrader broker that quietly turned into a futures and multi-asset shop.
Pros
- Raw account priced at USD 3 per lot per side with EUR/USD spreads measured at 0.1 pips — roughly USD 7 all-in per standard-lot round turn
- No deposit fee, no withdrawal fee, and a currency conversion mark-up measured at about 0.01%, an order of magnitude below typical retail brokers
- Real exchange-traded futures and options on CME, NYMEX, COMEX, CBOT and EUREX from USD 0.85 per micro contract with a USD 0.00 minimum ticket fee
- IBKR Multi-Asset Account added in July 2026 brings genuine share, ETF, bond and fund ownership at USD 0.35 per US order, with fractional trading
- FCA authorisation (register number 717270) with GBP 85,000 FSCS cover on the UK entity, plus CySEC 278/15 for EEA clients
- Fully digital onboarding that clears in about a day, a 100 minimum deposit, and five base currencies including CHF and PLN
- Pays 1.8% interest on idle USD and GBP cash for accounts that stay active — rare among CFD brokers
- Every strategy allowed on both accounts: scalping, hedging and Expert Advisors, with FIX connectivity and VPS for automated systems
Cons
- The entire retail offering runs on MetaTrader 4 and 5 — dated design, a thin news feed, and no two-step or biometric login on the mobile app
- Research is licensed in rather than produced: Acuity, Signal Centre and calendar widgets, with no house analyst view of any substance
- Protection varies enormously by entity, and clients booked with Tickmill Ltd in the Seychelles get no investor compensation scheme at all
- Privately held with no public financials and no banking licence, so the capital position behind your account is not independently visible
- Aggregated public sentiment through mid-2026 repeatedly flags withdrawal delays, extra verification demands and slippage around news events
- No German or Austrian tax withholding: Tickmill is not an Abgeltungsteuer or KESt agent, so DACH clients must declare every gain themselves
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Risk warning: investing in securities involves risk. You may lose some or all of the capital you invest.
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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