Futures trading costs start with the fees that apply to your trades. Per-contract fees show up on every trade: commission, exchange fees, National Futures Association (NFA) fees, and clearing fees. Market data fees are monthly and depend on the data you choose.
Your NinjaTrader trading plan fee is separate from all of those. Your plan is Free, Monthly, or Lifetime, and you pay for it differently on each: nothing on Free, by the month on Monthly, or one time on Lifetime.
This guide sorts these costs into layers, walks through one illustrative example, shows you how to estimate your own cost per trade, and explains why margin isn't on the list.
What goes into the cost of a futures trade
Every futures trade cost falls into one of two groups: costs that grow with each contract you trade, and costs you pay by the month or once.
Here are the layers side by side.
The cost layers in one view
| Cost layer | What it is | How it scales | Where to find the amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | The brokerage charge on each contract, set by your trading plan and contract class | Per contract, per side | Trading plans and the commission schedule |
| Exchange and NFA fees | Two fees the schedule lists together as one amount, which differs by contract | Per contract | Commission schedule |
| Clearing fee | A per-contract fee itemized on the schedule | Per contract | Commission schedule and account and exchange fees |
| Market data fees | Monthly charges for exchange data, depending on the data you choose | Per month | Account and exchange fees |
| Plan fee | What you pay to hold a trading plan: $0 (Free), $99 per month (Monthly), or $1,499 one time (Lifetime) | Fixed, by the month or one time | Trading plans |
Per side vs. round turn
A side is one half of a trade, either the buy or the sell. A round turn is an entry plus an exit, also called a round trip.
NinjaTrader charges commissions per side, once on entry and once on exit, so the commission on a round turn is double the listed per-side rate.
An all-in rate is the sum of a contract's itemized fees on the commission schedule: commission, exchange and NFA fees, and the clearing fee.
Which costs scale with each trade and which stay fixed
Every per-contract layer in the above table follows the contracts you trade, and so do per-contract technology fees, if you use those tools. Plan fees and market data subscriptions don't. You pay those by the month or once, however many trades you place.
A per-contract cost shows up on every trade you place. A fixed cost follows a calendar, so it's worth keeping on its own line when you add things up.
The per-contract costs come first, since they change with every order.
Commissions, exchange fees, and clearing fees: The per-contract costs
The per-contract costs for futures trading come in three layers: commission, exchange and NFA fees, and the clearing fee.
Your trading plan sets the commission. The other two layers stay the same on every plan.
Commissions: The part tied to your trading plan
Your commission depends on two things: your trading plan and the contract class. Standard contracts carry a higher commission than micro and E-nano contracts on every plan.
Commission per side by trading plan
| Trading plan | Plan fee | Micro and E-nano | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no monthly plan fee | $0.39 | $1.29 |
| Monthly | $99 per month | $0.29 | $0.99 |
| Lifetime | $1,499 one time | $0.09 | $0.59 |
Some contracts have different rates, and NinjaTrader's commission schedule lists every one. See our trading plans for the full plan details.
Exchange and NFA fees
The commission schedule itemizes exchange and NFA fees as a single amount per contract, and that amount differs from one contract to the next. It doesn't change with your trading plan, which is why the schedule shows one exchange and NFA column beside three commission columns.
The clearing fee and the all-in rate
The clearing fee is $0.19 per contract on most contracts as of August 14, 2026. The schedule lists the contracts that carry a different amount.
Exchange, clearing, and NFA fees apply in addition to NinjaTrader commissions, and the all-in per-contract rate for each futures contract is listed on the commission schedule. The schedule updates quarterly, so check its as-of date before you rely on a number.
The all-in rate folds all three itemized fees into one figure, so you don't have to add three columns yourself.
Those costs grow with order size. The ones below don't.
Data fees and plan fees: The costs that don't scale per trade
Market data fees and your plan fee don't change with the number of trades you place.
You pay for market data by the month and for your plan by the month or one time, depending on your plan. Technology fees are the exception: they're charged per contract, but only if you use the tool in question.
Market data fees
Exchange data fees are monthly charges for exchange market data, and the amount depends on the data you choose. Rates differ by exchange, by data level, and for non-professional and professional users. Level 1 is top-of-book data, and Level 2 is full depth.
Exchange data fees per month
| Data and user type | Rate |
|---|---|
| CME Group Level 1, non-professional | $12 for the bundle of CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX, or $4 per exchange |
| CME Group Level 2, non-professional | $48 for the four-exchange bundle, or $16 per exchange |
| CME Group, professional | $156 per exchange |
| Eurex, non-professional | $26 |
| Eurex, professional | $99 |
Find the full list on account and exchange fees.
Plan fees
Plan fees are the other fixed cost: $0 for Free, $99 per month for Monthly, and $1,499 one time for Lifetime. Only the per-contract commission changes from plan to plan. The exchange, NFA, and clearing fees for a given contract stay the same. For plan-by-plan totals, see what NinjaTrader costs plan by plan.
Technology fees
Technology fees are per-contract charges tied to specific tools or routing, and they apply only if you use the tool in question. Static SuperDOM is $0.10 per contract, CQG Desktop is $0.25 per futures contract, and Rithmic order routing is $0.25 per contract. Third-party technology integrations run $0.05 to $0.25 per contract, with a possible $10 monthly usage fee. See account and exchange fees for each one.
Margin can look like a cost, but it works differently. Here's how.
Margin is a capital requirement, not a fee
Margin is not a fee; it's the capital a futures account must maintain to open and hold a position, and it's separate from commissions and fees.
What margin is
Your account has to maintain margin to hold a position. That makes margin a requirement on your capital instead of a charge against it.
Intraday margin vs. initial margin
Which margin applies depends on how long you hold a position. Your broker sets the requirement for trading hours, and the exchange sets it for holding into the next trading session.
| Margin type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Intraday margin | The minimum balance your broker requires to hold a position during trading hours |
| Initial margin | The amount, set by the exchange, required to hold a position into the next trading session |
Margin amounts vary by contract. See margin policy and position management for the rules and the amounts by market.
Why margin sits outside the cost per trade
A commission, an exchange fee, and a clearing fee are costs you pay. Margin is capital you keep in the account. Futures margin vs. fees comes down to one question: is the money spent, or held? Leaving margin out of your cost per trade keeps that math clean.
For more depth, read how futures margin works and how much capital you need to trade futures.
With the layers sorted, you can see what the cost of a real trade adds up to.
A worked cost example (illustrative)
Here's what one futures round turn costs in an illustrative example. You buy two micro crude oil (MCL) contracts, then sell the same two, on NinjaTrader's Free plan. Every rate comes from the commission schedule as of August 14, 2026.
Illustrative example: two MCL contracts, Free plan, rates as of August 14, 2026
| Cost layer | Rate | How it's charged |
|---|---|---|
| Commission (Free plan, micro) | $0.39 | Per contract, per side |
| Exchange and NFA fees (MCL) | $0.61 | Per contract |
| Clearing fee | $0.19 | Per contract |
| All-in rate (MCL, Free plan) | $1.19 | Sum of the three itemized amounts, per contract |
Buying two contracts and selling two means four commission charges at $0.39 each, or $1.56 in commission for the round turn.
The exchange and NFA fees and clearing fee are listed per contract, and the schedule rolls all three layers into one all-in rate: $1.19 per contract for MCL on the Free plan.
This example covers commission, exchange, NFA, and clearing fees only. It doesn't include data fees, plan fees, technology fees, or order routing. Actual costs depend on your plan, the contract, and the fees that apply to your account, and these rates are as of August 14, 2026.
If you switch NinjaTrader plans, the commission line changes. The exchange, NFA, and clearing lines for MCL stay the same.
Try the same math on your own contract.
How to estimate your cost per trade
Here's how to calculate futures commissions, and the fees around them, for any contract you trade.
- Pick the contract and your trading plan.
- Find the contract on the commission schedule and read its itemized fees: commission, exchange and NFA, and clearing. Their sum is the all-in rate.
- Multiply the commission by the number of contracts, then by two for the entry and the exit. Then multiply the exchange, NFA, and clearing fees the schedule lists for your contract by the number of contracts.
- Add per-contract technology or routing fees only if your setup uses them. See account and exchange fees for the list.
- Treat fixed costs, like your plan fee and data subscriptions, as a separate line. Spread them over the round turns you expect to place in the same period.
- Leave margin out of the cost per trade. It's capital you hold in the account, not a charge.
- Check the as-of date on the schedule before you rely on the number.
- Practice entering and exiting orders in NinjaTrader's trading simulator to see how many round turns your approach generates before you trade live.
Once you've worked through one contract, you can repeat the same steps for any other. Recheck the schedule whenever it updates.
You can now price a trade before you place it. Check the commission schedule for the contract you trade, then open a free NinjaTrader account when you're ready.
FAQs on futures trading costs
What is a round turn in futures trading?
A round turn in futures trading is an entry plus an exit, also called a round trip. The commission on a round turn is double the listed per-side rate.
Are futures commissions charged per side or per round turn?
NinjaTrader charges futures commissions per side, once on entry and once on exit. A round turn costs double the listed per-side commission.
What fees apply on top of futures commissions?
Exchange, clearing, and NFA fees apply in addition to NinjaTrader commissions, and the all-in per-contract rate for each futures contract is listed on NinjaTrader's commission schedule.
Is futures margin a fee?
Margin is not a fee. It is the capital a futures account must maintain to open and hold a position, and it is separate from commissions and fees. See margin policy and position management for the rules.
Do I pay for market data when I trade futures?
Exchange market data carries monthly fees that depend on the data you choose. For non-professional users, CME Group Level 1 data is $12 per month for the four-exchange bundle or $4 per exchange, Level 2 is $48 or $16, and Eurex is $26. Professional rates are $156 per exchange for CME Group and $99 for Eurex. See account and exchange fees for the full list.
How do I estimate the cost of a futures trade?
Start with the commission for your contract and trading plan, multiply it by the number of contracts and by two for the entry and the exit, then add the exchange, NFA, and clearing fees the commission schedule lists for that contract, multiplied by the number of contracts. Add technology or routing fees only if you use them.
How do trading plans change what I pay per trade?
Per trade, only the commission changes by plan. The exchange, NFA, and clearing fees for a contract stay the same on every plan, and plan fees are separate: $0 on Free, $99 per month on Monthly, and $1,499 one time on Lifetime. See what NinjaTrader costs plan by plan for the totals.
Can I practice before paying live trading fees?
Yes. Simulated trading is free to use, with no time limit and no funding required. Try it in the NinjaTrader trading simulator.
