Alpha Futures Connection Guide to NinjaTrader 8

Firm website: alpha-futures.com . For Alpha Funded at alphafunded.com, use the Alpha Funded guide.

For a new Alpha Futures account, NinjaTrader is not an advertised option. TradingView returned through Plus500, not the former Tradovate connection. PropFirmConnector requires active Rithmic credentials; it cannot turn a Plus500 or dxFeed login into a Rithmic account. If you were previously given a Rithmic login, ask Alpha Futures to confirm that access is still active before following this guide.

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System: Rithmic Paper Trading (Chicago) Last verified:

PropFirmConnector is an independent third-party add-on and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Alpha Futures, NinjaTrader, or Rithmic.

Choose your Alpha Futures account route

Alpha Futures says platform choices are not interchangeable after purchase. Its September 4 TradingView update describes a Plus500 connection; it does not restore the old NinjaTrader/Tradovate route. Use the current platform instructions linked below before purchasing or configuring an account.

The five-step walkthrough is conditional: it covers a Rithmic evaluation or simulated account only after Alpha Futures confirms that the issued login and paper-trading System remain active. A directory reference does not establish present account availability, and this documentation review does not verify a working legacy account.

Match your credentials to the account route

Check the provider named in your account details. TradingView through Plus500, Quantower through dxFeed and Rithmic have different connection instructions. If you have older Rithmic credentials, ask Alpha Futures to confirm the login, account status and System. Do not substitute your website password or another platform login.

Check Alpha Futures platform choices (opens in a new tab)

How to connect Alpha Futures to NinjaTrader 8 in 5 steps

  1. Confirm your Rithmic account before starting

    Ask Alpha Futures to confirm that your previously issued Rithmic evaluation or simulated account is still active and which System it uses. If confirmed for the paper-trading route, sign in to R|Trader Pro with that trading login, accept pending agreements and confirm the expected account appears. Stop here if the account instead uses Plus500, dxFeed or another non-Rithmic route.

  2. Install PropFirmConnector

    From your PropFirmConnector account, download PropFirmConnector.zip and close NinjaTrader completely. Extract the ZIP, then copy NinjaTrader.Custom-pfc.dll to My Documents\NinjaTrader 8\bin\Custom. Start NinjaTrader again and, when your browser opens, click Activate this device.

    Open your account downloads

    No license yet? Start the free 7-day trial, then download PropFirmConnector from your account.

  3. Open NinjaTrader 8 and sign in

    Start NinjaTrader 8 and sign in with your NinjaTrader account credentials when prompted. These are your NinjaTrader credentials, not the Rithmic username and password issued by Alpha Futures.

  4. Configure Rithmic for Alpha Futures

    In the NinjaTrader Control Center, select Connections, then configure. Select Rithmic for NinjaTrader Brokerage from the Available list on the left, enter the Rithmic username and password issued by Alpha Futures, give the connection a recognizable name, leave Connect on start up and Plug-in mode off, and select Rithmic Paper Trading (Chicago) for System.

  5. Connect to Alpha Futures

    Open Connections again and click the connection name you just created. A green status indicator and the account appearing in NinjaTrader confirm the connection.

    An interface illustration of the Alpha Futures connection after it turns green.

Enlarged guide image

If your Alpha Futures connection is not working

Should Plug-in mode be on or off?
Off. Plug-in mode shares a running R|Trader Pro session with NinjaTrader, which is a different setup from PropFirmConnector’s direct connection. In Connections > Configure, select your Rithmic connection, uncheck Plug-in mode, click OK and connect again. Some firm and Rithmic instructions turn it on for their R|Trader Pro workflow; leave it off for PropFirmConnector.
The connection is green, but the account isn’t in NinjaTrader’s Accounts tab.
Your NinjaTrader login is probably missing the general Rithmic entitlement, so the Accounts tab often shows only Sim101. In NinjaTrader, open Help > About. The Entitlements line should say Evaluation (Rithmic); if it doesn’t, the connection can turn green without showing your accounts. Older NinjaTrader accounts don’t have this entitlement by default, but newly registered accounts do. The fix is in your NinjaTrader account, not in Rithmic or your firm’s dashboard, and you only do it once.
About NinjaTrader window with Entitlements showing Evaluation (Rithmic).
Correct: Entitlements lists Evaluation (Rithmic). Machine ID and User are hidden.

If Evaluation (Rithmic) is missing:

  • Import this license key at account.ninjatrader.com: click your initials, then Settings > Plans > Import license key. Paste the key, click Import, then close and restart NinjaTrader.
    @APE-XTRA-DERF-UNDI-183T-PR45-LW27-63GE
  • No Import license key button, or still missing? Trading mainly with prop firms? Your NinjaTrader login doesn’t matter, so the fastest fix is to create a new NinjaTrader account with a different email and sign in with it.
  • Keeping your current login, for example because it has a live account on it? Email platformsupport@ninjatrader.com with your NinjaTrader username and ask them to enable the general Rithmic entitlement.
Play video: Rithmic Account Not Showing in NinjaTrader? Connected but Only Sim101

Rithmic account not showing in NinjaTrader: the full fix, step by step →

The Alpha Futures login is rejected in the Rithmic connection.
First confirm that the issued login is for Rithmic. For a confirmed Rithmic account, check the username, password and assigned System in R|Trader Pro, then complete any pending agreements. A rejected login alone does not prove that Rithmic access is unavailable; ask Alpha Futures to check the credentials and account status.

Rithmic credentials and login troubleshooting →

TradingView works, but the same credentials do not connect to NinjaTrader.
Alpha Futures' current TradingView instructions connect through Plus500 US using the issued AlphaTrader account credentials. That does not establish a Rithmic or NinjaTrader entitlement. Follow the setup for the platform selected when the account was purchased.

Correction, October 4, 2026: the earlier troubleshooting text treated a rejected R|Trader Pro login as proof of no active Rithmic access. A rejection alone is insufficient; the credentials, System and account status must be checked.

Official Alpha Futures resources

Latest Alpha Futures coverage

Alpha Futures + NinjaTrader questions

Q Does Alpha Futures currently support NinjaTrader?

Its current official platform guide says NinjaTrader and Tradovate are unavailable for new accounts. This page does not establish that an older account still works; obtain account-specific confirmation before using the conditional Rithmic instructions.

Q Does TradingView returning mean Tradovate or NinjaTrader returned too?

No. Alpha Futures says TradingView returned through Plus500. Its TradingView setup selects Plus500 US and uses the issued AlphaTrader account credentials; that is a separate connection from Tradovate or Rithmic.

Q Is PropFirmConnector affiliated with Alpha Futures?

No. PropFirmConnector is an independent NinjaTrader add-on and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Alpha Futures, NinjaTrader or Rithmic.

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