How Do I Connect to Multiple Prop Firms on the NinjaTrader Desktop Platform?

Short answer: it depends on whether your prop firms run on Tradovate or on Rithmic. Tradovate accounts already connect side by side. Rithmic accounts work differently, because NinjaTrader Desktop runs one Rithmic connection at a time.

Start by working out which one you are on

Nearly every prop firm account connects to NinjaTrader through one of two paths, and the answer to this question is completely different for each.

• Tradovate based accounts connect through the “NinjaTrader” connection type. You can run as many of these at the same time as you like.
• Rithmic based accounts connect through “Rithmic for NinjaTrader Brokerage”. NinjaTrader Desktop runs one of these at a time.

Not sure which you have? Your username usually tells you. An Apex username with a hyphen in it, like Apex-123456, is Rithmic. An underscore means Tradovate. If you are still unsure, our prop firm connection guides list the connection type for every firm we have documented.

Multiple Tradovate connections

The “NinjaTrader” connection type can hold as many concurrent connections as you want, to different NinjaTrader or Tradovate based accounts. Nothing extra is needed.

The limiting factor is each provider’s own rules about how many sessions one login may open, not NinjaTrader. A NinjaTrader Brokerage account can generally hold two concurrent connections to different platforms. Other providers may allow only one, so check with your firm if a connection keeps dropping. See our Tradovate connection guide for the setup itself.

Tradovate based accounts also do not need a license key or the Multi-broker add-on. If a firm sent you a license key for a Tradovate account, importing it will not break anything, it just is not needed.

Multiple Rithmic connections

This is the one that stops people. Out of the box, “Rithmic for NinjaTrader Brokerage” runs one active connection per platform. You can save as many connections as you want, and NinjaTrader Desktop connects one of them at a time. To switch firms you have to disconnect the first, then connect the second.

Our Unlimited Prop Firm Connections add-on lets you keep several Rithmic prop firm connections open at the same time, in one NinjaTrader instance, on one PC. It also tells you which System entry each firm needs, and for most firms it will tell you honestly that you already have everything you need.

You do not need a second computer, a VPS, or NinjaTrader 7 running alongside NinjaTrader 8.

If your second connection keeps dropping the first

That is usually a Rithmic session limit on your login, not the platform. Every Rithmic login has a maximum session count set by your firm, and you can check yours in R|Trader Pro under File, then User Profile. Going over it does not refuse the new session, it drops the oldest one. Two different firms will not do this to each other because they issue different logins. The same login open in two places will, so watch for a VPS, a second PC, or your firm’s own web platform holding a session open.

Copying trades once everything is connected

Having the accounts connected is only half of it. To actually trade them together you need a trade copier, so one order fills across every account at once.

• Duplicate Account Actions copies positions and orders across all your connected accounts in real time.
• Accounts Dashboard Suite adds prop firm risk management on top: daily loss limits, trailing drawdown tracking, and auto liquidate protection, in the same window.

The key requirement is unchanged: every account has to be connected to the same NinjaTrader Desktop at the same time. Tradovate accounts already meet that requirement side by side. For Rithmic accounts at two or more prop firms, Unlimited Prop Firm Connections lets you connect and manage them at the same time, so your copier can reach all of them.

Why your evaluation account might not appear

If a Rithmic based connection succeeds but you cannot see the account in the platform, you are almost always missing the Evaluation (Rithmic) entitlement.

To check, go to Control Center > Help > About. Under Entitlements you should see “Evaluation (Rithmic)”. If it is not there, that is why the account is not showing.

Your prop firm provides an evaluation license key with the account. Importing it adds that entitlement. This is free with your evaluation, and it is a different thing from NinjaTrader’s paid Multi-broker add-on.

Do you need the Multi-broker add-on?

Only if you want to connect a live third party brokerage account, an Interactive Brokers account for example. It is not needed for evaluation accounts or prop firm accounts. It is a paid NinjaTrader subscription, so check current pricing and terms with NinjaTrader directly before adding it.

Traders who bought a lifetime license key before NinjaTrader moved to account plans were upgraded to Multi-broker for free, so some long time users already have it. If you do have it, it will also let you see your Rithmic based evaluation accounts.

The old “Rithmic” connection type

You may have read that some traders can run two Rithmic connections because they use a connection type called plain “Rithmic”. That option is only visible to people who bought a lifetime license key before 2015, and those accounts were grandfathered under an older agreement. It is not something newer accounts can enable, so it is not a route worth chasing.

Still stuck?

Our prop firm connection guides cover the setup firm by firm, and the Rithmic connection guide walks through a Rithmic connection step by step. If your firm is not listed or something still will not connect, start a chat with us and we will help you work it out.

Affordable Indicators, Inc. is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rithmic, NinjaTrader, or any prop firm or broker named here; your firm’s and broker’s own terms govern how you may use your account, so check with them first.