The first very important question to ask yourself. Do you need to place FOREX trades into NinjaTrader, or are you just looking for FOREX data?

Forex Data Only: The good news if you only want forex data you can get it for free (doesn't expire) and it will cost you nothing to get it into NinjaTrader. However, you will not be able to execute orders. You also do not have to pay the $99/month fee to access a different broker. It is free to get FX data into NinjaTrader.

Execute FOREX Orders: On March 4th 2023, NinjaTrader changed its pricing, licensing and overall vision of the company to just focus on Futures. They were no longer going to offer FX trading and instead you would have to use a different Forex broker. If you wanted to use a different broker besides NinjaTrader and to trade FX, they would also charge you $99 a month. The exception to this is for those who bought lifetime licenses of the NinjaTrader software prior to the change on March 4, 2023. If you do own an old license, you do not have to pay the 99/month fee.

FOREX.com will give anyone data to load up into their NinjaTrader account regardless what country you're from and it will never expire.

30 Days of Data

This is going to depend on your geography and the broker you wish to use.

US Residents, US, Australia and Singapore FOREX.COM will take you as a client. Make sure you are opening up a NinjaTrader specific account as they will only allow you if you're from one of these 3 countries. It's worth noting that they will take other clients, but these are not NinjaTrader specific accounts. So if you're going through the account opening process and they offer these other countries, you're not opening a NinjaTrader account.

FXCM will take most countries outside of the US + Canada but can check your specific country on their account opening form.

1. Open an account with FXCM. This is a "Trade Station" account and not a NinjaTrader account. We will convert this later.
2. Fill out an LTA (limited trading authority) form.
3. Go on their live chat and let them know you completed the NinjaTrader LTA and opened your account (provide them the account login) and that you want to change it to a NinjaTrader account.
4. If you're not a lifetime license holder of NinjaTrader 8 software before March 4, 2023, you will need to pay a $99/month fee to access an external broker with NinjaTrader. If you do have a lifetime license from before, this added fee does not apply to you.

You can just import your live account data into NinjaTrader by contacting support@ninjatrader.com and give them your fxcm login details and tell them you do no wish to trade with this account. They will prevent trading and allow you to connect it to your NT8 without having to pay the $99/month fee.

Interactive Brokers will take almost anyone as a client but be prepared for a very long account opening process.