Platforms / Rithmic
Prop firms that support Rithmic
Verified July 20, 2026
4 of the 34 prop firms we track offer Rithmic. Below: how the platform actually works, what it costs, whether you can automate on it, and which firms to look at.
Vendor
Rithmic, LLC
Launched
2004
Asset classes
Futures
Automation
Full native automation
Mobile
No first-party mobile app — Rithmic is a connectivity/data layer, so mobile access depends entirely on which front-end platform (NinjaTrader Mobile, etc.) is connected on top of it.
Cost model
Rithmic itself doesn't sell to retail traders directly — access comes through a broker or prop firm, which typically passes through a flat monthly connection/technology fee (commonly cited around $25–$30 per user ID) separate from the firm's evaluation or funded-account price.
What Rithmic actually is
Rithmic is not a trading platform in the way MetaTrader or NinjaTrader are — it's the connectivity and market-data backbone that many of those platforms plug into. Alongside CQG, it's one of the two infrastructure providers that most independent futures prop firms build their execution stack on, which is why you'll see the same word — 'Rithmic' — listed as a platform option across dozens of unrelated firms even though none of them built it themselves. For traders, that ubiquity is actually a selling point: a Rithmic connection is broker-agnostic in the sense that the same underlying data and order-routing quality is available whether you access it through NinjaTrader, R | Trader Pro, Quantower, or (historically) ProjectX.
The reason serious algorithmic futures traders gravitate toward Rithmic specifically is its API suite. R | API+ (in C++), a Python binding, R | Protocol API and R | Diamond API give developers direct, documented access to market data, order management and account-level risk controls, without going through a black-box front end. This is meaningfully deeper than what Tradovate, ProjectX or most MetaTrader brokers expose, and it's why most professional and semi-professional automated futures strategies in the prop-firm world ultimately connect through a Rithmic feed rather than a broker's proprietary API.
The tradeoff is that Rithmic access comes with its own line-item cost, layered on top of whatever the prop firm charges for the evaluation or funded account. Firms and brokers commonly cite a flat monthly connection fee in the neighborhood of $25 to $30 per user ID, though the exact number and whether it's included in a firm's plan varies — always check a specific firm's fee schedule rather than assuming it's bundled. Traders who don't need API-level automation and are comfortable with a bundled front end (NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TopstepX) may find the simpler, all-in-one platforms a smoother starting point, reserving a direct Rithmic connection for once a strategy is mature enough to justify building against its API.
Strengths
- + Deep, well-documented API suite favored by professional and algorithmic futures traders
- + Low, consistent latency and a long uptime track record across two decades of futures market cycles
- + Broker-agnostic — the same Rithmic credentials often work across multiple front ends (NinjaTrader, Quantower, R | Trader Pro)
Weaknesses
- − Not a trading interface on its own — you need a separate front end, which adds a layer of platform choice and sometimes a second fee
- − The connection fee is billed on top of the prop firm's own pricing and can catch new traders off guard
- − APIs are developer-oriented; non-technical discretionary traders get little direct benefit from Rithmic itself beyond speed and reliability
Data feeds and connectivity
One of the two dominant futures data-and-execution backbones (alongside CQG); widely regarded for low, consistent latency and is the connectivity layer several front ends (NinjaTrader, R | Trader Pro, Quantower, and previously ProjectX) plug into rather than compete with directly.
Automation and API access
Rithmic's R | API+ (C++), Python bindings, R | Protocol API and R | Diamond API give developers direct, low-level access to order routing, market data and account risk controls — this is the most complete native automation stack of any platform covered here, which is why most serious futures algo shops connect through it.
Prop firms offering Rithmic
| Firm | Type | Entry | Split | Drawdown | First payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Trader Funding | futures | $37 | 100% | trailing | 8 days |
| TradeDay | futures | $63 | 90% | eod-trailing | 10 days |
| Elite Trader Funding | futures | $75 | 100% | trailing | 7 days |
| Bulenox | futures | $50 | 100% | trailing | 7 days |
Platform availability changes when a firm switches liquidity or technology providers. We re-check each firm's platform list on the verification date above, but confirm on the firm's own site before you buy an evaluation specifically for Rithmic.
Who Rithmic suits
- • Algorithmic and systematic futures traders who want direct API access to order routing and data
- • Traders who prioritize execution speed and reliability over interface polish
Rithmic FAQ
- Is Rithmic a broker or a trading platform?
- Neither exactly — it's a data and order-routing infrastructure provider. You access Rithmic through a broker or a front-end platform (NinjaTrader, R | Trader Pro, Quantower, etc.), not directly as a retail trader.
- Why do so many prop firms list Rithmic as a platform?
- Because Rithmic is the shared execution backbone behind several different front ends. A firm that supports 'Rithmic' usually means you can connect any Rithmic-compatible platform of your choice to that firm's funded account, rather than being locked into one interface.
- Does Rithmic cost extra on top of a prop firm's evaluation fee?
- Typically yes — brokers commonly charge a flat monthly connection fee per user ID (often cited around $25–$30) separate from the firm's own challenge or funded-account pricing. Confirm the exact fee and who pays it (you or the firm) in the specific firm's terms.
- Is Rithmic good for automated trading strategies?
- Yes — its R | API+, Python bindings and Protocol/Diamond APIs are widely regarded as the most complete native automation toolkit among futures connectivity providers, which is why most professional algo traders in futures prop trading build against Rithmic rather than a broker's proprietary API.