Rithmic vs Tradovate vs CQG: Which Track Is Your Account On?

For NinjaTrader, choose the connection route for the account you are buying, not just a platform logo. Rithmic accounts use Rithmic trading credentials; Tradovate accounts use Tradovate credentials. Some firms label their Tradovate track CQG, so confirm what login and setup instructions that label actually provides.

If you are still identifying who supplies each part of the account, start with prop firms, account stages and trading platforms explained.

Rithmic and Tradovate accounts in NinjaTrader

What the account specifies	Credentials to identify	What to check for NinjaTrader
Tradovate, including a firm’s CQG-labelled Tradovate track	The issued Tradovate username and password	Follow the firm’s NinjaTrader instructions and complete its Tradovate activation steps.
Rithmic	Rithmic trading credentials and the account’s System	Check whether this account has a native connection or needs PropFirmConnector.
CQG or Continuum, without an identified Tradovate account	The credentials and connection named by the issuer	The label alone is insufficient: obtain that account’s exact connection instructions before choosing a provider in NinjaTrader.

NinjaTrader Desktop is the application in each case. Its own sign-in and the trading account connection are separate setup steps; opening the application does not identify your account’s feed. The login and setup guide covers the Rithmic steps.

Where TradeSea fits

TradeSea is the trading platform a firm may provide for a Rithmic account. For that account’s PropFirmConnector route, use the firm-issued Rithmic trading username and password to connect it to NinjaTrader Desktop. Opening TradeSea with an email or other platform sign-in does not by itself identify the underlying Rithmic login.

Alpha Funded’s instructions, for example, use an email to open TradeSea, then ask for the account’s Rithmic credentials inside Account Centre. The account’s feed, issued login and platform access determine which guide applies:

Firm guide	Account detail that changes the setup
Alpha Funded	Retrieve the Rithmic trading credentials from Alpha Funded’s dashboard. This is a different firm from Alpha Futures.
Edmond Trader Funding	Use the trading credentials in Setup and Key. Edmond also permits personally licensed platforms that connect through Rithmic; PropFirmConnector is an additional route, not a universal requirement.
P1 Futures	P1 describes TradeSea powered by Rithmic. Obtain the underlying Rithmic credentials from P1 if the account details show only a platform sign-in.
QT Futures	QT’s futures page says Coming Soon as of October 8, 2026. The guide applies only after QT issues active Rithmic futures credentials.
Shark Futures	Use the TradeSea/Rithmic account route. Shark’s separate Volumetrica/dxFeed account does not use the same connection.
YRM Prop	Its homepage says new funded accounts are unavailable as of October 8, 2026. Existing customers should confirm their issued feed and account status; the guide retains the previously documented Rithmic route with that qualification.

Follow the selected guide’s System, activation and connection settings. A TradeSea integration listing does not provision an account or convert credentials from another feed. If the platform works but NinjaTrader does not, use the TradeSea login checks.

Does CQG mean Tradovate?

CQG provides market data and trade-routing technology, but a firm’s CQG account label can lead to Tradovate credentials. Take Profit Trader’s activation guide is a documented example: open the CQG account in its dashboard, obtain the Tradovate credentials and complete activation on Tradovate.

CQG also identifies Continuum as its API technology division. That does not make every CQG/Continuum account a Tradovate account. Use the issuer’s exact connection instructions rather than choosing a similarly named connection by guesswork. For MFFU, use the My Funded Futures account-route guide to match the issued login to its connection instructions.

How to tell which track you bought

1. Check the account’s checkout selection, dashboard and credential email for the provider name.
2. Open that provider’s setup instructions for your firm and account type.
3. Match the issued credentials to the connection form before entering them.

Halcyon traders can use the Halcyon account-feed guide for their provider-specific settings. For Legends credentials and account-stage checks, use the Legends connection guide.

A dashboard-style username does not identify the track. TradeDay’s Rithmic instructions use its ordinary dashboard credentials with a TD_ username prefix.

For an older 4PropTrader account, use the 4PropTrader account-feed check before choosing a connection.

These firms illustrate why the purchased account matters:

Firm	What it sells	Where its own NinjaTrader route runs
TradeDay	Tradovate/CQG and Rithmic accounts	Its documented NinjaTrader route uses Tradovate/CQG.
Take Profit Trader	Accounts labelled CQG and Rithmic	CQG uses Tradovate credentials. TPT also publishes native Rithmic instructions, but its platform list names NinjaTrader under CQG. Confirm native Rithmic eligibility; see the account-specific setup guide.
DayTraders.com	Rithmic accounts	No native route; its platform guide says it does not support NinjaTrader.

Tradeify offers three providers at checkout and documents NinjaTrader through Tradovate only. Earn2Trade moved its provided NinjaTrader access to the Tradovate API and ended its legacy connection on June 30, 2026. Its announcement separately allows customers with a personal NinjaTrader license with Rithmic integration to use that access independently.

The Rithmic Prop Firm Connectivity Census classifies the firms we track.

What to check before choosing a provider

1. Your required platform and account stage. Verify the route for evaluation, simulated funding or real live trading. A firm listing NinjaTrader does not establish access on every feed it sells. Start with the firm-specific connection guide.
2. Market-data access. Check your exchange, real-time activation and whether your tools need Level 2 market depth. As of October 8, Tradeify’s platform page lists Level 2 and EUREX add-ons on Tradovate, but says they are not yet available on its Rithmic or WealthCharts accounts. That is Tradeify’s account offering, not a limitation of Rithmic technology generally.
3. Separate logins and copying. Count distinct trading logins, not just account IDs. Follow the multiple-Rithmic connection guide for simultaneous access and the copying workflow for copier and firm-permission checks. PropFirmConnector supplies the connection; a separate copier places follower orders.
4. Switching terms. Establish whether the firm lets an existing account change providers, requires another purchase, or restricts holding both. The examples below show why choosing the feed first matters.

Can you switch after purchase?

Changing a trading platform is different from moving the account to another provider. Tradeify lets a Rithmic customer use its listed Rithmic platforms, but requires a new account to switch to Tradovate. TradeDay’s multiple-account policy bars holding Tradovate and Rithmic accounts together; it does not promise that an existing account can be transferred. TradeDay’s Rithmic launch explains its platform choice.

Installing PropFirmConnector does not change the account’s feed, transfer a balance to another provider, or remove a firm’s account rules. It connects the Rithmic login you already have.

When a Rithmic account needs PropFirmConnector

The account stage and number of logins matter:

• The firm has no native NinjaTrader route for its Rithmic account. Use the per-firm connection guide for the PropFirmConnector setup, including its System and firm-issued credentials. The Rithmic firm directory flags account-availability exceptions and links each documented route to its setup guide.
• Your firm moves you to a real live Rithmic account. PropFirmConnector is required even for one live login, using Rithmic 01 (Chicago). This applies when the earlier stage used Tradovate or Rithmic simulation. See how to keep your NinjaTrader setup through the live transition. A separate Tradovate/CQG live account uses its native route.
• You need separate Rithmic logins active together. NinjaTrader allows one active native Rithmic connection. Several trading accounts may share that login; PropFirmConnector addresses the separate simultaneous logins described in the multiple-connections guide.

Run a prop firm? See how Rithmic prop firms add NinjaTrader without Tradovate accounts.

PropFirmConnector is an independent add-on. NinjaTrader, Tradovate, CQG and Rithmic do not endorse or sponsor it.

Correction — September 15, 2026: Earn2Trade’s discontinued connection was its legacy firm-provided route. Its announcement retains an exception for customers with a personal NinjaTrader license with Rithmic integration.

Clarification — September 18, 2026: TakeProfit Trader’s native Rithmic instructions do not establish availability for every NinjaTrader user. Its provider table and setup article differ, so confirm your account’s route before purchase.

Update — October 8, 2026: Added the provider-choice checks and clarified CQG/Continuum labels. YRM’s homepage now states that new funded accounts are unavailable; its linked help center and the two setup articles previously cited returned 404 during this review. That does not establish the status of an existing trading account.

Platform and firm documentation reviewed October 8, 2026. YRM’s earlier Rithmic/Tradovate route details remain historical September 18 documentation, subject to issuer confirmation. These are documentation checks, not authenticated account tests or a comparison of execution speed or fills.