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Firstrade vs NinjaTrader : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Firstrade
NinjaTrader
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN/STP
Years of Existence / Established Year
1985
2003
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
1Million
1.5M
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
CFTC NFA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.
Leading Broker in TASC's 2024 Readers' Choice Awards 2024 Great Place to Work Best Brokerage for Trading Futures at Benzinga Global Fintech Awards 2023
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC & FSCS
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
2200+ ETFs including CDs, Treasury bills, Notets and bonds, Primary market CDs, Zeros and strips and more
115+ trading instruments
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
Yes- Through ETFs
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes- Through ETFs
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
No
Yes
Bonds
Yes
Yes
Mutual Funds
Yes
No
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
Yes
No
Precious Metals
No
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Yes
Yes
Equities
No
Yes
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
Yes
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Firstrade platform
Ninjatrader 8
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Brokerage account- Individual, Joint, Custodial, Retirement- Retirement (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA), Corporate, Trust, International, Education Planning, Business Planning
Free Plan Lifetime Plan Monthly Plan
Demo Account (Yes/No)
No
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Depends on assets type
Commission (per account type)
$0
Free- $0.35 per micro and $1.29 per standard, Monthly- $0.25 per micro and $0.99 per standard, Lifetime- $.09 per micro contract and $0.59 per standard
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Both beginners and experienced traders
Beginners & experienced
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer
ACH Transfer Debit Card Wire Transfer / SEPA By Check
Withdrawal Methods
Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed
Bank Transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs
Video tutorials Learning tools Technical analysis
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission for stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual funds- $0, Fixed income- Treasury Bills, Notes & Bonds, Municipal Bonds, Agency Bonds, Secondary Market CDs, Zeros & Strips- Net yield basis, Primary Market CDs- $30, Broker-Assisted Stock & Options Trades- $19.95 (+$0.50/Contract)
$.05 to $.25 per contract
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Typical
variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0
$0.25 per contract (order routing fees)
Futures Contract Fees
NA
$0.29 to $.85
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
Variable
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
NA
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$25 monthly
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
Volume Indicators - $59 Data Fees - $4 per exchange Multi-License broker - $99
Advisory Fees
0.20-0.30%
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
$50
Statement or Document Fee
$2-$5
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
Free Plan - $0 Monthly Plan - $99 Lifetime Plan - $1499
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
NA
Deposit Fee
$0
ACH - Free Domestic Wire Transfer - $30
Currency Conversion Fee
3%
1% of currency converted, minimum 10 units of currency sold
Withdrawal Fee
$25-$75
$0
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Pre-Market: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET Regular Market: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET After-Hours: 4:05 PM to 8:00 PM ET
Depends on the assets type
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET
24/5
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: U.S. Toll Free: 1-800-869-8800, Outside the US: 1-718-961-6600, E-mail, FAQ, Fax: 1-718-961-3919
Emergency trade desk: 312.423.2234 General inquiries: 1.800.496.1683 Fax: 312.329.9888 Email: mailto:[email protected] , Live chat
Support Languages
3
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354
222 N LaSalle Street Suite 1450, Chicago, IL 60601
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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