TradeDay Adds a Rithmic Track: What It Means in NinjaTrader

A TradeDay Rithmic account reaches NinjaTrader 8 through PropFirmConnector, which the TradeDay connection guide walks through; TradeDay’s own NinjaTrader route runs on its Tradovate/CQG accounts only. Platform is now the first choice at TradeDay’s checkout, and it applies to every account you hold.

What changed

TradeDay announced the launch on its blog under the headline “IT’S HERE: RITHMIC IS NOW LIVE ON TRADEDAY”, dated August 10, 2026 and signed by CEO and co-founder James Thorpe. It presents Rithmic as a long-standing community request: “For a long time, one request has come up more than almost any other from our community: bring Rithmic to TradeDay.” It also says nothing else moved: “Adding Rithmic doesn’t change anything else about how TradeDay works. Same pricing. Same evaluation structure. Same standards.”

The checkout shows the change. TradeDay’s pricing section now opens with “1. Choose your platform”, offering Tradovate or Rithmic, followed by account type and drawdown type. A July 29, 2026 Wayback Machine capture of the same page shows a two-step flow, account then drawdown, with no platform step and no mention of Rithmic.

TradeDay’s two platform groups

TradeDay’s platforms article sorts its platforms into two named groups:

TradeDay’s group	Platforms it lists
CQG Platforms	Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView & Jigsaw
Rithmic Platforms	R|Trader Pro, Quantower, ATAS, Motivewave, BookMap, Jigsaw, Sierra Chart, EdgeProX, Finamark, Volfix, WealthCharts, Multicharts, Overcharts

Under the Rithmic heading, the article states: “Please note that we do not support NinjaTrader Desktop with Rithmic accounts. Users who wish to use NinjaTrader Desktop must have a Tradovate/CQG account.” TradeDay’s “CQG” label covers its Tradovate-side platforms; our explainer on Rithmic, Tradovate and CQG covers how those names relate.

On the CQG side, NinjaTrader provides TradeDay members a free version of NinjaTrader 8, which TradeDay says “rides on the more stable CQG data feed”. Its NinjaTrader setup article starts on the other track: “You will need to be set up on Tradovate before connecting NinjaTrader.”

On the Rithmic side, every platform setup TradeDay documents signs in with your TradeDay username, with the instruction “Include the TD_ prefix”, and your TradeDay password. In R|Trader Pro the System is “Rithmic Paper Trading” and the Gateway is “Chicago Area”. You then accept two CME agreements, and “R|Trader Pro must be open and connected before you open any other Rithmic platforms that you wish to connect.”

What it means for NinjaTrader traders

The checkout choice covers every account you hold. TradeDay’s Multiple Accounts article says “Traders can only have multiple accounts on 1 broker”, with the example “you cannot have a 50k evaluation on Tradovate and a 50k evaluation on Rithmic.” TradeDay allows up to 10 accounts at a time, with up to 5 active Funded Sim accounts and up to 5 Funded Live accounts, all on the platform you pick.

• Tradovate: the route TradeDay documents for NinjaTrader, using the free NinjaTrader version and set up through Tradovate first.
• Rithmic: the 13 Rithmic platforms above, with NinjaTrader 8 through PropFirmConnector.

Your TradeDay Rithmic accounts share one login. TradeDay allows each trader only one username and uses it, with the TD_ prefix, as the Rithmic User ID. The limit that matters comes when you add another firm. NinjaTrader’s own support documentation states: “It is not possible to maintain two simultaneous Rithmic connections on the NinjaTrader Desktop app.” PropFirmConnector keeps several firm-issued Rithmic logins connected in one NinjaTrader instance; multiple Rithmic connections in NinjaTrader explains when that matters.

Common questions

Does my existing TradeDay account change?

TradeDay’s announcement says pricing, evaluation structure and standards are unchanged. Rithmic is an added option, not a replacement for the Tradovate track.

Can I move an account from Tradovate to Rithmic?

TradeDay’s rule covers holding both: all of a trader’s accounts must sit on one broker. It does not describe moving an existing account, so ask TradeDay support before assuming a switch is possible. Use the provider-choice checklist to check platform access, market data and switching terms together.

Which should I pick if I trade in NinjaTrader?

Both reach NinjaTrader 8. Tradovate is the route TradeDay documents and supports, with the free NinjaTrader version. Rithmic adds the 13 Rithmic platforms, and NinjaTrader 8 runs through PropFirmConnector. That fits better if you also use one of those Rithmic front-ends, or trade another firm’s Rithmic login in the same NinjaTrader.

Checked against TradeDay’s blog, help center and checkout and NinjaTrader’s support documentation on September 28, 2026. The July 29, 2026 Wayback Machine capture dates the checkout change.