TradeDay Connection Guide to NinjaTrader 8

Firm website: tradeday.com

Yes, with PropFirmConnector. TradeDay supports NinjaTrader Desktop only on its Tradovate/CQG accounts, so a TradeDay Rithmic account needs the add-on. Sign in with your TradeDay username (including the TD_ prefix) and password, and select Rithmic Paper Trading (Chicago) for System.

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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 TradeDay, NinjaTrader, or Rithmic.

Your TradeDay Rithmic account and login

TradeDay added Rithmic in August 2026, and you choose Tradovate or Rithmic when you buy an account. Its Rithmic login uses your TradeDay username and password.

TradeDay’s platform guide lists NinjaTrader under its Tradovate/CQG group and says it does not support NinjaTrader Desktop with Rithmic accounts. PropFirmConnector supplies the NinjaTrader connection for the Rithmic login and can run it alongside other firms’ Rithmic logins in one NinjaTrader instance.

Where to find your TradeDay Rithmic login

TradeDay’s Rithmic login is your TradeDay username, including the TD_ prefix, and your TradeDay password: the same credentials you use for the TradeDay members area. Enter the username exactly as shown there.

Open TradeDay members area (opens in a new tab)

How to connect TradeDay to NinjaTrader 8 in 5 steps

  1. Activate your TradeDay Rithmic login

    Install the latest R|Trader Pro and sign in with your TradeDay username (including the TD_ prefix) and password. Select Rithmic Paper Trading for System and Chicago Area for Gateway, turn Market Data on, and accept the two CME market-data agreements. After this one-time check, close R|Trader Pro; the direct PropFirmConnector setup below does not require it to stay open.

  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 TradeDay.

  4. Configure Rithmic for TradeDay

    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 TradeDay, 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 TradeDay

    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 TradeDay connection after it turns green.

Enlarged guide image

If your TradeDay 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 →

Rithmic rejects the TradeDay login.
Enter your TradeDay username with its TD_ prefix and your TradeDay password, exactly as in the members area. Confirm the login in R|Trader Pro with System Rithmic Paper Trading and Gateway Chicago Area before retrying in NinjaTrader.
The Rithmic connection shows no live prices.
As TradeDay instructs, open Settings > Market Data in R|Trader Pro, tick the exchanges you trade (CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX), apply and restart. Then reconnect in NinjaTrader.
Your TradeDay account runs on Tradovate, not Rithmic.
TradeDay asks you to choose Tradovate or Rithmic at checkout. Tradovate/CQG accounts use TradeDay’s native NinjaTrader route; PropFirmConnector connects Rithmic logins only.

Official TradeDay resources

Latest TradeDay coverage

TradeDay + NinjaTrader questions

Q Can I use NinjaTrader with a TradeDay Rithmic account?

Yes, with PropFirmConnector. TradeDay supports NinjaTrader Desktop only on its Tradovate/CQG accounts. The add-on connects the Rithmic login with System Rithmic Paper Trading (Chicago).

Q What are my TradeDay Rithmic username and password?

Your TradeDay username, including the TD_ prefix, and your TradeDay password: the same credentials as the TradeDay members area.

Q Do I need PropFirmConnector for a TradeDay Tradovate account?

No. TradeDay’s NinjaTrader instructions connect Tradovate/CQG accounts natively, with a free NinjaTrader license for evaluation and funded accounts.

Q Can I run TradeDay alongside other prop firms in NinjaTrader?

Yes. PropFirmConnector keeps your TradeDay Rithmic login connected alongside other firms’ Rithmic logins, such as Apex, Lucid Rithmic or Bulenox, in one NinjaTrader instance.

Q Is PropFirmConnector affiliated with TradeDay?

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

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