How to connect prop firm accounts on your VPS (Tradovate and Rithmic)

Before you start

Prop firms run their evaluation and funded accounts through a connection provider, most often Rithmic or Tradovate. The platform on your VPS (NinjaTrader, R | Trader Pro, Quantower, Tradovate and others) signs in to that connection, not to the firm's website.

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   Step 1: Find your connection details

   Open your firm's welcome email or dashboard and note:

   • the connection: Rithmic or Tradovate
   • your username (Rithmic calls it the user ID) and password
   • for Rithmic, the system and gateway to select
   • which platforms the firm allows for this account
2. 02

   Step 2: Connect to your VPS

   Sign in to your VPS with Remote Desktop, using the IP address, username and password in your QuantVPS Control Panel. The connect guide in your dashboard walks you through it on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android.

Connect a Rithmic account

Rithmic accounts sign in with a user ID, a password, a system (often your firm's name or Rithmic Paper Trading for evaluations) and a gateway, the Rithmic server location. For CME futures from a Chicago VPS, firms usually specify the Chicago Area gateway.

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   Step 3: Sign in to R | Trader Pro once

   Open R | Trader Pro on the VPS (it can be pre-installed when you order). Enter your user ID and password, choose the system and gateway from your firm's instructions, and sign in. The first time, Rithmic asks you to accept its market data agreements; complete them, or your platform will not receive data.

   Some platforms connect through R | Trader Pro in plug-in mode. If your firm says so, tick Allow Plug-ins on the sign-in screen and keep R | Trader Pro running.

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   Step 4: Add the Rithmic connection to your platform

   In NinjaTrader 8, open Control CenterConnectionsConfigure, add the Rithmic connection type your firm names (usually Rithmic for NinjaTrader Brokerage), enter the same user ID, password, system and gateway, then connect from Connections. Quantower and other Rithmic-connected platforms ask for the same details in their own connection settings.

Connect a Tradovate account

Tradovate accounts sign in with the username and password from your firm. There is no system or gateway to choose.

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   Step 5: Sign in to Tradovate

   Open the Tradovate app on the VPS, or Tradovate in a browser, and sign in. On the first sign-in, complete any market data agreements Tradovate asks for.

   To trade the account from another platform, such as NinjaTrader 8 or TradingView, add a Tradovate connection in that platform and sign in with the same credentials, if your firm allows that platform for the account.

Verify before you trade

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   Step 6: Verify the account and data

   • The account appears in your platform's account list with the expected balance and name.
   • Quotes update on a chart or the DOM.
   • The order entry panel shows the right account before you click Buy or Sell, especially with more than one account connected.
   • Your firm's daily loss and drawdown limits match what you expect in its dashboard.

Running several accounts

Many traders run several evaluation or funded accounts at once, from one firm or several. Each connection is separate, and each account, chart and strategy adds load. Our guidance runs from 1–2 accounts on Lite to 5–10 on Ultra and 20+ on a dedicated server; see Standard vs Performance plans to choose.

To mirror one account's trades to others, use a trade copier, where your firm allows copying. Browse firms, rules and discounts in the futures prop firm directory, or set up a Rithmic VPS or a Tradovate VPS.