Tradovate and AMP Futures are both US futures brokers, but they suit different traders. Tradovate gives you its own platform on web, desktop and mobile, with paid plans that lower your commission. AMP Futures connects you to more than 50 third-party platforms and charges an all-in rate per side, from $0.56 on a Micro E-mini S&P 500 (checked on 10 Oct 2026). Here's a quick look:
- Tradovate runs in the cloud, so you can trade from a browser, the desktop app or your phone. Plans are Free ($0), Monthly ($99 a month) or Lifetime ($1,499 once), and every plan charges a commission per side that the paid plans lower. It suits newer traders and anyone who wants one platform everywhere.
- AMP Futures lets you choose from more than 50 platforms, such as Sierra Chart, Quantower and ATAS. Its all-in rate on a Micro E-mini S&P 500 is $0.56 to $0.61 per side. NinjaTrader is no longer offered on new AMP setups (more below). AMP suits traders who know which desktop platform they want.
Quick Look
| Feature | Tradovate | AMP Futures |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Futures broker with its own platform | Futures broker that connects to third-party platforms |
| Platforms | Tradovate on web, desktop and mobile | 50+ platforms on 4 data feeds (CQG, Rithmic, TT, Teton) |
| How you pay | Plan fee plus commission per side | All-in rate per side, no plan fee |
| Micro E-mini cost per side | $0.39, $0.29 or $0.09 by plan, plus exchange, clearing and NFA fees | $0.56 to $0.61 all-in (volume-tiered) |
| Minimum deposit | Any funding amount | $100 |
| Day trading margin (micro / E-mini) | $50 / $500 | MES $40 / ES $400 |
| Best for | Newer traders and trading on the move | Traders who want a specific desktop platform |
Prices and margins checked on 10 Oct 2026 on tradovate.com/pricing, ampfutures.com and AMP's all-in cost calculator (CQG feed, no platform selected).
Decision: Choose Tradovate if you are new or want one easy platform on every device. Choose AMP Futures if you want a specific desktop platform and per-side pricing with no plan fee.
Tradovate Platform Features and Technology
Cloud-Based Platform and Tools
Tradovate runs in the cloud, so you can reach your account from a browser, the desktop app or the mobile app without a long setup. The platform includes a Depth of Market (DOM) ladder for order book data, charts with many timeframes and indicators, live quotes and full order management tools.
Market Replay lets you play back past sessions tick by tick, and free simulated trading lets you test a plan without risking money. OrderFlow+ adds order flow tools, and the Pulse indicator tracks sentiment across the top 10 futures markets. Tradovate also connects to third-party tools such as TradingView and Jigsaw. For an external TradingView strategy, a VPS for TradingView alerts can host the receiver after the selected broker's supported route is confirmed.
The next section covers what Tradovate costs.
Monthly Subscription Pricing
Tradovate has three plans. Every plan charges a commission per side, and the paid plans lower it in return for a fixed fee.
| Plan | Plan fee | Micros and E-nano | Standard contracts | Nano and event contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0.39 | $1.29 | $0.20 |
| Monthly | $99 a month | $0.29 | $0.99 | $0.15 |
| Lifetime | $1,499 once, or 4 payments of $499 | $0.09 | $0.59 | $0.05 |
Commissions are per side. All plans include Tradovate's platforms with no license fees, but exchange, clearing and NFA fees still apply (checked on 10 Oct 2026).
Order flow
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Target Trader Types
Tradovate suits a wide range of traders. Its simple layout makes it a good first platform, and active traders can manage positions from their phone. Day trading margins are $50 for micro futures and $500 for standard E-mini contracts (checked on 10 Oct 2026).
Because Tradovate runs in the cloud, you can log in from almost anywhere. New traders can use the free simulated account to learn the platform and test plans with no money at risk.
AMP Futures Platforms and Pricing
Many Platform Choices
AMP Futures lists more than 50 trading platforms and 4 data feeds on its website: CQG, Rithmic, TT and Teton. That choice lets you pick the tool that fits your style, whether you read order flow, run automated rules or want detailed charts. Options include MetaTrader 5, Sierra Chart, CQG Trader, MultiCharts, Quantower, ATAS, Bookmap and TradingView. If you prefer MT5, our guide to AMP's MetaTrader 5 setup walks through it.
NinjaTrader is the exception. AMP's policy page says that as of April 10, 2026, "NinjaTrader has restricted AMP's ability to enable NinjaTrader on new trader setups." Traders already live and enabled before that date keep access, but new AMP clients need another platform.
Several of these platforms are free for AMP clients, with no monthly platform fee. Others charge their own license or data fees.
"The Best Trading Platform is the one YOU like best! AMP Futures offers you 50+ Trading Platforms. Compare and Choose the Best Trading Platform for YOU!"
- AMP Futures
All-In Pricing Per Side
AMP Futures charges an all-in rate per side that already includes exchange, clearing and NFA fees. On volume-tiered pricing, which needs a $100 minimum deposit, the rate falls as your contract volume rises. Flat-rate pricing needs a $10,000 minimum deposit.
| Contract | Volume-tiered (under 1,000 to over 10,000 contracts) | Flat rate |
|---|---|---|
| Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) | $0.61 to $0.56 | $0.59 |
| E-mini S&P 500 (ES) | $2.24 to $1.89 | $1.99 |
Rates are per contract, per side, from AMP's all-in cost calculator on the CQG feed with no platform selected (checked on 10 Oct 2026). Monthly platform and market data fees are separate and depend on the platform and data feed you pick, so run your own setup through the calculator before you open an account.
Market Access and Support
AMP Futures offers more than low prices. Its clearing firm, AMP Global Clearing, is a clearing member of CME, CBOT, COMEX and NYMEX, and the platforms on offer cover both manual and automated trading.
AMP also offers 24-hour customer service and a 24-hour trade desk, plus a video library, webinars and other learning tools.
Latency and Platform Design
Latency
Latency depends mostly on where your platform runs and how it connects, not on the broker's name. AMP clients choose a data feed such as CQG or Rithmic and a desktop platform such as Sierra Chart. Tradovate runs in the cloud, so your orders pass through Tradovate's servers on the way to the exchange.
Cloud vs Desktop for Trading
The biggest difference is design. Tradovate is cloud-based, so you reach your account from a browser or the mobile app. Your settings and orders live on Tradovate's servers, which means less software to maintain and nothing lost if your own computer fails.
AMP Futures works with more than 50 platforms, most of them desktop software, which gives you more advanced features and more ways to tune your setup. Tradovate is easier to keep running; AMP's desktop platforms give you more direct control.
How a VPS Helps
A trading VPS runs desktop platforms such as Sierra Chart or Quantower on a server close to the exchange, so they stay online when your home PC or connection does not. That lowers network latency and suits automated strategies that must run all session.
Tradovate users can benefit too, especially if they run the Tradovate desktop app or an automation tool that needs to stay connected all day.
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VPS Hosting for Futures Trading
Why Use VPS Hosting?
A VPS gives your trading platform a stable machine of its own. Your tools run apart from the other apps on your home PC, so those apps can't slow them down.
A VPS also lowers network latency, because it sits close to the exchange instead of at the end of your home connection. QuantVPS servers in Chicago are 0.52ms from CME, so a Chicago VPS suits both Tradovate and AMP futures traders.
A VPS also adds security. Firewalls and secure remote access protect your platform and data better than most home setups, and QuantVPS adds always-on DDoS protection with advanced filtering on every server.
VPS Impact on Trading Results
QuantVPS backs its servers with a 99.999% uptime SLA, so your trading systems stay up even if your home network cuts out. If you trade a prop firm account at Apex, Bulenox or TopStep, check which platforms the firm supports before you set up the server.
If you run automated strategies, a VPS keeps them running through the whole session, so an outage at home does not interrupt them.
For active futures traders, lower latency and fewer disconnections are usually worth more than the monthly cost of a VPS.
Tradovate vs AMP Futures Side by Side
Here are the main differences side by side (checked on 10 Oct 2026):
| Feature | Tradovate | AMP Futures |
|---|---|---|
| Type of platform | Cloud platform on web, desktop and mobile | 50+ third-party platforms, such as Quantower, Sierra Chart and ATAS |
| Mobile trading | Tradovate mobile app | Third-party apps such as CQG Mobile |
| Ease of use | Simple, one platform | More choice, more setup |
| How you pay | Plan fee plus commission per side | All-in rate per side |
| Plan fee | $0, $99 a month or $1,499 once | None; some platforms and data feeds charge monthly fees |
| Micro E-mini commission | $0.39, $0.29 or $0.09 per side by plan | $0.56 to $0.61 per side all-in (volume-tiered) |
| Standard E-mini commission | $1.29, $0.99 or $0.59 per side by plan | $1.89 to $2.24 per side all-in (volume-tiered) |
| Exchange, clearing and NFA fees | Extra on every plan | Included in the all-in rate |
| Data feeds | Tradovate | CQG, Rithmic, TT or Teton |
| NinjaTrader | Desktop, web and mobile access included with plans | Not available on new setups since April 10, 2026 |
| Running on a VPS | Desktop app runs on a VPS; the web version needs none | Desktop platforms run well on a VPS near CME |
| Who it's for | Newer traders and traders on the move | Experienced traders who want a specific platform |
Each difference matters more or less depending on how you trade.
Pricing is the biggest difference. Tradovate charges a commission per side on every plan, and the paid plans lower it, so they pay off if you trade often. AMP Futures has no plan fee and charges an all-in rate per side, which can suit traders who trade less or want a platform Tradovate doesn't offer.
For access, Tradovate works anywhere because it is cloud-based and has a full mobile app. AMP Futures has no app of its own, but it supports mobile platforms such as CQG Mobile, and its main strength is the wide choice of desktop platforms.
Both can deliver low latency. With Tradovate, orders route through its cloud servers; with AMP, you choose the data feed and platform, and where that platform runs sets most of your latency.
The learning curve differs too. Tradovate is easy to learn, which suits new traders. AMP Futures suits traders who know which platform they want and are happy to set it up on a desktop.
In the end, the choice depends on how often you trade and which platform you want. If you trade often and like Tradovate's platform, a paid Tradovate plan lowers your costs. If you trade less often or need a platform Tradovate doesn't offer, AMP's per-side pricing may suit you better.
End Thoughts
The best broker for you depends on how you trade, your experience and what you want to spend. Each one suits a different kind of trader.
Tradovate is a good fit for newer traders and anyone who trades from a phone. It runs in the cloud, so you can trade from almost anywhere, and its simulated account lets you practice with no risk. Plans cost $0, $99 a month or $1,499 once, plus commissions per side.
AMP Futures suits experienced traders. It offers more than 50 platforms and access to exchanges such as CME, COMEX and ICE. Day traders get low all-in rates and platforms such as Sierra Chart, though NinjaTrader is no longer available on new AMP setups.
On cost, Tradovate charges a commission per side on every plan, and the paid plans lower it, which helps if you trade often. AMP Futures charges an all-in rate per side with no plan fee. Think about your platform and how often you trade when you choose.
Latency depends mostly on where your platform runs. A VPS close to the exchange keeps that network path short with either broker.
A VPS also keeps your platform online and steady, even if your home internet is slow or drops.
