Welcome to our Rithmic review. This trading platform executes trades for you, but it’s not a broker. As a result, it doesn’t hold money in an account for you.
Table of Contents
Rithmic Review of the Platform
Rithmic is a leading provider of direct market access (DMA) trade execution software and a trading platform for active futures traders. They’re a broker and Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) neutral platform, providing access to various exchanges and asset classes.
Rithmic’s software infrastructure is known for its high speed, low latency, and high-throughput capabilities. Furthermore, it provides advanced trading features like customizable charting, advanced order types, market depth displays, and real-time data.
Not surprisingly, it’s widely used by institutional traders, day traders, algorithmic traders, and professional risk managers. Hence, this Rithmic review.
The Two Main Functions of Rithmic
Rithmic does two things:
- They act as a Futures Market Data provider to your trading platform. Rithmic provides your machine with the data displayed on your chart, including current prices and the volume traded at those prices. This information includes everything you see in the depth of the market and more.
- They offer order routing services to your brokerage. After placing orders on your trading platform, they are sent to your connected brokerage through Rithmic.
This Rithmic review finds they function as a pipeline, delivering data and forwarding orders to your brokerage.
What Are Futures Commission Merchants?
Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) handle orders for buying and selling commodities in the future. They help customers participate in futures trading by arranging the sale and purchase of futures contracts and the delivery of the actual commodities.
FCMs work as middlemen between buyers and sellers of futures contracts. They must register with the authorities unless they qualify for an exemption. If you want FCMs to handle your order, read this Rithmic review.
What Are Data Feed Service Providers?
Data feed service providers act as intermediaries, helping traders access fast and accurate data from trading platforms and brokerages. Without a doubt, quick data transfer with minimal delay is crucial for traders.
Furthermore, data services also handle orders, so managing positions quickly is as important as reading charts. Some data services may not keep up with real-time market action and could provide average prices or smoothed-out data instead of live quotes. When combined with order delays, this could cause you to miss big opportunities or experience significant losses.
Rithmic provides the solution and is widely used by experienced futures traders. The service provider excels in offering access to fast, accurate, and reliable data streams.
Does Rithmic Offer a Trading Platform?
Yes! Rithmic offers traders two platforms to choose from: R | Trader and R | Trader Pro. As a result, this solves the major inconvenience of connecting your data to external platforms. With natively integrated data feeds, you’re not behind the 8-ball when executing trades!
Let’s dive into the two different platforms in this Rithmic Review.
R | Trader
Put, R | Trader is Rithmic’s basic platform. It lets futures traders see current price quotes, market volume, and options strikes. However, it lacks an important feature most traders need – charting.
With R | Trader, you can place, modify, and cancel orders and view standard stats like your past performance, positions, and risk limits. If you don’t want to spend the money on Pro, I suggest another trading screen to choose not to upgrade. You might need a secondary screen to view third-party charts. Without that, you’ll be trading in the dark.
R | Trader Pro
Rithmic R | Trader Pro is a robust trading platform created for professional traders who need advanced features, real-time data, and advanced order management tools. R | Trader Pro enables traders to execute more complex trading strategies by providing advanced order types like trailing stops and brackets. Traders can analyze real-time market liquidity and price levels by accessing market depth on the platform.
R | Trader Pro includes all the functionalities of R | Trader. However, it comes with charting and a connection to Microsoft Excel for more convenient trade management. Additionally, you can develop your indicators using Excel. If you need help, R | Trader Pro allows you to incorporate a ready-made bundle into Microsoft Excel.
Rithmic Review of Excel Integration
Our Rithmic review found that one of the main attractions of Rithmic’s R | Trader Pro platform is its compatibility with Excel. Traders can utilize as many Excel spreadsheets as needed to:
- View and oversee data
- Generate custom trading signals
- Create and view indicators
- Import and analyze 100 prepackaged studies
- Set up and execute trades on the R | Trade Execution Platform
- Initiate automatic trades for those interested in developing algorithmic trading strategies
Rithmic Review of Order Management
Rithmic’s platform offers a valuable feature with its order “storage” process. Traders often face unreliable internet connectivity, particularly when they are on the move and unable to monitor the markets around the clock.
In such situations, Rithmic efficiently stores your orders on their servers until they’re executed or canceled. Additionally, since the servers link directly to major exchanges, you can rest assured that your orders will be executed at the desired price, even when you’re not actively present.
Here are some key features of the order management functionality in R | Trader Pro:
- Order Placement: The platform allows traders to conveniently enter orders by choosing the preferred contract, quantity, price, and order type. R | Trader Pro accommodates different order types, such as market, limit, stop, and bracket orders.
- Order Modification and Cancellation: Traders can easily change or cancel current orders. Before executing, they can modify order quantities, price levels, or order types.
- Order History: The platform allows traders to view their order history, examining previous orders, executions, and any changes or cancellations made to orders.
- Performance Tracking: Traders can monitor their orders and trading activity using the performance tracking functionalities available in R | Trader Pro. This encompasses monitoring profits and losses, trade statistics, and other essential metrics.
- Position Monitoring: Traders can check their existing open positions and track adjustments in position sizes, unrealized profits and losses, and margin requirements. The real-time display of position details ensures that traders stay updated.
- Risk Limit Management: R | Trader Pro provides tools for setting and managing risk limits. Traders can define risk parameters such as position size limits, loss thresholds, and margin requirements to help control their risk exposure.
If you’re sold on R | Trader, read this Rithmic review for setup tips!
How to Set up R | Trader
After downloading the installation file, you will find a shortcut on your screen and within your programs listing at:
All Programs > Rithmic > Launch > Rithmic Trader Pro.
Upon launching the application for the first time, you will be prompted to connect your broker-dealer (FCM or IB) by providing your credentials. As a result, this will grant you access to your suite of trading accounts.
Once logged in, you can proceed to the settings management page or directly to your account. If you experience a slow login or encounter other issues, click ECL at the bottom of the loading page. Please copy and paste the text from the pop-up window and email it to Rithmic support for assistance with connectivity. That’s it!
R | Trader Pro is easier to set up than many platforms because you don’t have to deal with the complexities of connecting third-party data feeds.
R | Trader User Interface
A Rithmic review finds the user interface easy to understand but quite basic. The main page does not have customization options but is designed to make everything easily visible and accessible.
With R | Trader Pro, you can draw trend lines, shapes, arcs, fans, and other visual cues users prefer. The object selection panel is located at the top of the window.
You can also control primary and secondary studies from the top of the window and add the technical overlays you have created or used from the pre-programmed selection.
You can customize chart styles to match your preferences and trading strategy. The available options include:
- Equivolume bars
- Equivolume shadow bars
- Standard bars and candlesticks
- Candlesticks with volume
- Kagi
- Point and figure
- Renko
- Three-Line Break
If you want to access all the information in one place, you can create a quote and market data window directly on the chart. The user interface offers more features, which are the most standard across platforms.
Rithmic Review of R | Trader Pro Indicators
R | Trader Pro comes with approximately 100 pre-set indicators, but experienced traders can develop additional ones. Currently, users cannot import third-party charts while using the software.
R | Trader Pro provides basic charts with fundamental indicators, so traders with sophisticated strategies may require a more advanced platform.
Type of System to Run R | Trader?
Like other platforms, the minimum hardware and network requirements are not fixed because they change depending on market conditions and your trading type.
They suggest using a Single Dual-Core or better CPU, 4096MB RAM or more, and a High-Speed Cable or higher. The app’s monitoring features are compatible only with Windows machines.
Rithmic Review of Cost
One of the main advantages of using R | Trader Pro is that it’s free! Yes, you read that correctly—it comes at no cost! Although the software is free, you must sign up for Rithmic data services since the platform is incompatible with other data services. The monthly subscription for Rithmic data is $25, and you will be charged $0.10 per contract sent to your broker.
Final Thoughts: Rithmic Review
We hope you enjoyed this Rithmic review. New traders or those using a simple strategy that doesn’t require many indicators or advanced features may find R | Trader Pro an excellent choice.
Its uncomplicated user interface, default connection to Rithmic data services, and mobile app features are ideal for traders with such requirements.
Traders with complex strategies or those seeking more versatility may want to explore other options due to the platform’s limited indicators, inability to import third-party indicators, and lack of access to non-rhythmic data sources, which restrict its capabilities.
However, it’s still worth trying before deciding, especially since it’s free!
Frequently Asked Questions
Rithmic is NOT a brokerage, nor do they hold your funds. Rithmic is a leading provider of direct market access (DMA) trade execution software and a trading platform for active futures traders.
They both provide good data. However, Rithmic is superior when it comes to tick data.
The platform is free! However, the monthly subscription for Rithmic data is $25. There is a $0.10 charge per contract sent to your broker.
Rithmic is a trading platform for futures traders.
