Ask ten funded futures traders which data feed their prop firm uses and at least seven will say Rithmic. That dominance isn’t an accident. Rithmic has been building direct market access trade execution software since the early 2000s, and the company has spent two decades embedding itself into the infrastructure of the futures prop trading world.
Most traders never interact with Rithmic directly. They encounter it through NinjaTrader, Tradovate, or their prop firm’s platform, but the feed is running underneath almost everything.
This review covers what Rithmic actually is, what it offers traders directly, which prop firms and platforms use it, and what you need to know about pricing and limitations.
What Is Rithmic?
Rithmic describes itself as a leading provider of direct market access trade execution software. The key phrase there is direct market access. Rithmic connects traders and brokers straight to exchange matching engines rather than routing through aggregators or intermediaries. The company is broker and FCM neutral, meaning it doesn’t push traders toward any specific broker or clearing firm.
The product sits at the intersection of three things: market data delivery, order routing, and risk management. Their R|Trade Execution Platform handles all three simultaneously. Real-time data flows in from exchanges, orders flow out through the same infrastructure, and pre-trade and post-trade risk checks happen server-side throughout. That server-side architecture matters more than most traders realize. Your stops and bracket orders live on Rithmic’s servers, not your computer, which means they stay active even if your internet drops or your machine crashes.
Rithmic serves four client categories according to their site: traders and developers, introducing brokers, futures commission merchants, and funding evaluators. That last category is where most retail traders encounter them. Rithmic explicitly works with prop firms as a segment of their business and lists several funding evaluators directly on their website.
Exchange Coverage
Rithmic’s exchange connectivity is focused on futures. From their exchanges page, the confirmed connections are:
CME Group: CBOT, CME, COMEX, and NYMEX, covering the full suite of US futures exchanges including ES, NQ, MES, MNQ, CL, GC, YM, RTY, ZB, ZN, and the full range of agricultural contracts.
Other exchanges: MGEX for grain futures, Nasdaq (top of book data only), and ICE.
EUREX: Available only for customers at Dorman, AMP, Wedbush, or TheTradingPit. Rithmic has noted plans to expand EUREX availability more broadly, but as of current documentation it remains FCM-restricted.
One thing the FAQ clarifies: historical data goes back to December 2011. There’s a 40GB weekly limit on historical data pulls, which is more than sufficient for standard chart loading but worth knowing if you’re running large-scale backtests that pull raw tick data.
R|Trader Pro: Rithmic’s Own Platform
Most traders use Rithmic as a data feed backend for third-party platforms rather than using their native interface. But R|Trader Pro exists and is worth understanding.
R|Trader Pro is a Windows-only desktop application. Their FAQ is explicit about this, noting it does not run on macOS and does not work on Windows S. For Mac users wanting Rithmic data, the only native options are the web browser version (Chrome, Edge, Safari) and the mobile app.
What R|Trader Pro actually offers: real-time quotes, charts, and market depth, comprehensive order management including trailing stops, brackets, and OCOs, about 100 built-in technical studies, real-time two-way streaming to Microsoft Excel, and pre-trade and post-trade risk management. The Excel integration is genuinely useful for traders who build custom indicators or want live data in spreadsheets. Rithmic supports two-way communication, meaning you can push orders back through R|Trader Pro from Excel formulas.
The web browser version of R|Trader Pro is available for traders who can’t or don’t want to use the desktop app. The mobile version runs on both Android and iOS, though neither the web nor mobile versions are available for demo account users. Those are reserved for live connections.
APIs: Where Rithmic Gets Serious
For developers and systematic traders, Rithmic offers three programmatic interfaces.
R|API+ is the standard developer library. It provides normalized market data and order execution across all supported exchanges, with microsecond timestamps on market data receipt and order submission. Server-side features including trailing stops, brackets, OCOs, and custom bars are accessible through the API.
R|Protocol API is a wire-line interface specification using WebSockets and Google protocol buffers. Because it’s a specification rather than compiled software, apps built on R|Protocol API can run on any operating system and any language. This is primarily designed for mobile and web browser use.
R|Diamond API is the high-frequency version. It includes everything in R|API+ but also allows programs to connect directly to Rithmic’s exchange-facing gateways and market data handlers. According to Rithmic’s site, traders using Diamond Programs realize transit times of less than 250 microseconds from market data read to order release. Those are the actual numbers Rithmic publishes. Actual times vary and are generally faster.
For prop firm traders doing evaluations, the API tier is mostly irrelevant. It’s relevant for algo traders building systematic strategies who want to deploy on Rithmic infrastructure.
Third-Party Platform Integrations
This is where Rithmic’s reach becomes obvious. Their third-party screens page lists platform integrations including AgenaTrader, Medved Trader, Optimus Flow, ATAS, MotiveWave, Sierra Chart, Bookmap, MultiCharts, OverCharts, and Orion Multi-Trader. That’s a partial list. NinjaTrader and Tradovate, the two most common prop firm platforms, both support Rithmic as a data connection option.
The plugin system matters here. Connecting multiple applications to the Rithmic feed simultaneously requires R|Trader Pro running in plugin mode. Without it, connecting a second application disconnects the first. The number of simultaneous connections allowed depends on your broker’s Max Sessions setting, so if you want NinjaTrader and Bookmap running off the same Rithmic feed, verify your broker allows multiple sessions first.
Prop Firm Support
Rithmic has a dedicated section for funding evaluators on their website, which is unusual for a data infrastructure company and signals how important this segment has become to their business. Confirmed prop firms listed on rithmic.com include Apex Trader Funding, Topstep, Earn2Trade, UProfit, Leeloo Trading, OneUp Trader, TheTradingPit, Winbance, and Bulenox.
For traders starting a futures evaluation, there’s a good chance the challenge environment is running on Rithmic infrastructure regardless of which front-end platform the firm uses. Apex uses it. Earn2Trade uses it. Most futures prop firms that offer NinjaTrader as an execution platform are routing through Rithmic underneath.
The practical implication: getting comfortable with Rithmic connectivity before starting an evaluation matters. Login issues, plugin mode setup, and max session configurations are the most common technical friction points traders report during evaluations. None of it is complicated once you’ve done it, but encountering it for the first time on day one of a challenge is a bad time.
Pricing
Rithmic does not publish retail pricing on their website. What’s confirmed from their site: a 14-day free trial is available with live market data from CME Group exchanges, and you can purchase the data feed directly without opening a broker account.
For ongoing pricing, Rithmic directs traders to their broker or FCM. Prop firm traders typically don’t pay separate Rithmic fees during evaluation. The cost is embedded in the challenge fee. For live broker accounts using Rithmic, exchange data fees are set by the exchanges themselves (CME, CBOT, etc.) and vary based on professional vs. non-professional status and depth of market required. Contact your broker or Rithmic directly via sales@rithmic.com for current pricing.
Who Should Care About Rithmic
Anyone trading futures through a prop firm in 2026 is almost certainly already using Rithmic whether they know it or not. The question isn’t whether to use it. It’s whether to understand what’s running under the hood.
Traders who benefit most from engaging with Rithmic directly rather than just through their firm’s platform: order flow traders who want full depth MBO data through Bookmap or ATAS, algo traders building systematic strategies via the R|API+, and traders who want to run multiple platforms simultaneously off the same data connection.
Traders who don’t need to think about it at all: anyone doing a standard evaluation through Apex, Earn2Trade, or similar futures prop firms using NinjaTrader or Tradovate. The connection is already set up. Just trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rithmic a broker?
No. Rithmic is a direct market access trade execution software provider. They’re broker and FCM neutral, meaning they work with any FCM rather than being tied to one. You need a broker or FCM account to actually route orders through Rithmic. For prop firm evaluations, the firm handles that connection on your behalf.
Which prop firms use Rithmic?
Rithmic’s funding evaluator page lists Apex Trader Funding, Topstep, Earn2Trade, UProfit, Leeloo Trading, OneUp Trader, TheTradingPit, Winbance, and Bulenox. This isn’t exhaustive. Many other prop firms use Rithmic infrastructure without being listed on the page.
Does Rithmic work on Mac?
R|Trader Pro desktop is Windows only. Mac users can access R|Trader Pro through a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) or use the mobile app on iOS. Third-party platforms like NinjaTrader that support Rithmic connectivity have their own Mac compatibility considerations.
Can I connect multiple platforms to the same Rithmic feed?
Yes, using R|Trader Pro in plugin mode. Without plugin mode, connecting a second platform disconnects the first. The number of simultaneous connections allowed depends on the Max Sessions setting configured by your broker. Check with your broker before setting up multi-platform configurations.
How far back does Rithmic’s historical data go?
Historical data goes back to December 2011 according to Rithmic’s FAQ. There’s a 40GB weekly limit on historical data downloads, which is more than sufficient for standard chart loading but may be a factor for programs that download raw tick data inefficiently.
Which exchanges does Rithmic cover?
CME Group (CBOT, CME, COMEX, NYMEX), MGEX, Nasdaq (top of book only), and ICE. EUREX is available for customers at Dorman, AMP, Wedbush, or TheTradingPit specifically.
Do I pay Rithmic fees separately during a prop firm evaluation?
No. During evaluations, data costs are typically embedded in your challenge fee. Separate exchange fees apply when connecting Rithmic to a live broker account. Pricing varies by exchange and professional status. Contact your broker or Rithmic sales directly.
Bottom Line
Rithmic is the infrastructure backbone that powers professional futures trading. Phenomenal speed, unfiltered data, and rock-solid server-side order management, but expensive, technical, and designed for experienced traders who already know exactly what they’re doing. Not a product for beginners, but arguably essential for serious scalpers and algo traders.
Rithmic is the default infrastrudcture for futures prop trading. It’s not a platform you shop for. It’s the thing running underneath the platforms you already use. Understanding how it works, how to configure it correctly, and what it actually provides makes you a more competent futures trader regardless of which firm you’re at.
The free 14-day trial with live CME data is the right starting point for anyone who hasn’t worked with Rithmic directly. Get familiar with R|Trader Pro, the plugin system, and the data connection setup before your evaluation starts rather than during it.
See also: CQG review, dxFeed review