Trading Software Vendor Comparison Guide

Vendor Comparison

Finding the right trading platform can be overwhelming. There are simply too many fish in the sea, and while it’s tempting to make a hasty decision, you first need to research what’s out there before settling down. Our trading platform comparison guide will give you the information needed to make a decision between Jigsaw trading, the highest-rated trading platform by users, and other trading platform alternatives.

This comparison will give you some of that time back. We list the five leading day trading platforms along with critical features in 10 areas and show how they match up in terms of service, features, and price.

People tend to focus so much on the platform, they forget about other elements critical to success. Download Guide to get the full picture.

Vendor Comparison Chart

You’re aware of how the right trading platform can help you in your trading, but do you know how they compare? This comparison chart will show you how to evaluate them effectively.

	Jigsaw	Bookmap	NinjaTrader	Investor/RT	Sierra Chart
Analytics	Journalytix	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Leaderboard	Weekly and Monthly	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Community	Support and Live Trade Chat	Support, User Forum, and Live Tech Chat	Support and User Forum	Mainly Support	Mainly Support
Education	Targeted education to get you profitable based on where you are now, Videos, and Webinars	2 Skill Levels, Daily Webinars, and a 4-Part Course	Video Guides and Daily Webinars	Setup Videos Only	Setup Videos Only
Intuitive DOM	Yes	No	No	No	No
News	Real-Time Text/Audio Feed(Extra Cost)	Real-Time Text Feed (Extra Cost)	Available—Depends on Data Service	N/A	N/A
Performance	Fast—Native in Windows	Not Native in Windows	Fast—Native in Windows	Native in Windows, but Numerous Settings Can Cause Slowdowns	Native in Windows, but Numerous Settings Can Cause Slowdowns
Pricing	From $579 for lifetime license plus order flow education	From $990 for lifetime license plus order flow education	$1,099 and Must Use Their Broker	No lifetime license. Monthly subscription from $50 per month for comparative product	No lifetime license. Monthly subscription from $36 per month for comparative product
Self-Tuning Tools	Yes	No	No	No	No
Support	Skype, Ticketing, Email, Facebook Messenger, Knowledge Base, and FAQs	Phone/Email Tech, Knowledge Base, and FAQs	Phone/Email Tech Only + User Forum	Phone/Email Tech Only + User Forum + Knowledge Base	Forum Only (Support) $0.75/Minute

Analytics and Depth of Market

Real-time analytics tell you why your trade was successful.

Intuitive Tool Kit and DOM

Traders need a variety of tools, including a solid depth-of-market (DOM) for execution and analysis, so they can deploy a range of strategies and determine what works best for them. All the firms in this comparison offer tools to analyze order flow, but the availability and effectiveness of those tools are more subjective. Based on anecdotal evidence from actual users, the tools from Ninja Trader, InvestorRT, and Sierra Chart can be complicated and time-consuming to set up (i.e., they’re not intuitive).

Bookmap and Jigsaw offer more intuitive and unique ways to approach order flow. Bookmap’s most noteworthy feature might be its heatmap, which is visually striking but busy; its other tools can take time to set up. Jigsaw—according to users—provides intuitive and easy-to-implement tools and
techniques used by proprietary day trading firms. Available tools include the strength meter, momentum tails, gauges, the reconstructed tape, and a well-known tool called Depth and Sales that reflects DOM.

Analytics

For most traders, they have no idea if they are improving or how they compare to their peers. Jigsaw Trading provides an opt-in trader leaderboard that rates traders on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The leaderboard is not driven by P&L but by Jigsaw's proprietary consistency algorithm. Of course, we see the highest earners at the top, but you can't beat the leaderboard swinging for the fences with hero trades. You will by consistently profitable trades as well as advanced behaviors like scaling into winning trades. Jigsaw is often copied and Sierra Chart has announced plans to launch their own leaderboard; Bookmap, NinjaTrader, and Investor/RT don’t currently offer comparable services.

Community

Traders talk to traders.

Trading Community

All the platforms featured here include customer technical support. Sierra Chart, Ninja Trader, Bookmap, and Jigsaw offer something beyond: communities for users to expand their knowledge, seek advice from other users, build camaraderie, and participate in enlightening discussions.

Sierra Chart and Ninja Trader deliver this via a user forum, and Jigsaw and Bookmap provide access to a live chat room.

From time to time, CEO Peter Davies joins the Jigsaw chat room, helping customers who might be experiencing trading issues.

Client Rankings

Support

Good service should go beyond tech support.

Technical Support

If you are spending money on a trading platform, you must be confident it will work as expected—and that the provider will assist you if it doesn’t. Jigsaw, Bookmap, Ninja Trader, and InvestorRT offer free phone tech support. Sierra Chart offers tech support via a user forum, and if you can’t find a solution to your issue there, you can call for more help at $0.75 per minute. Bookmap and Jigsaw also provide a knowledge base for members.

Trading support

Need help with using the DOM? Overwhelmed by the numbers? Not to worry. At Jigsaw trading we offer all our customers with trading support. Jigsaw trading was created with Peters (CEO of Jigsaws) own frustration with the lack of professional level graded trading platform at an affordable price. His experience in trading, working with traders and strong relationships with proprietary firms across the world is available to all traders at Jigsaw trading. Not surprising, trading support is only offered by Jigsaw.

Education Matched to You

Trading platforms may offer educational resources such as daily webinars (as Bookmap and Ninja Trader do) to boost their users’ knowledge. Ninja Trader also produces video guides, and Bookmap provides courses for two skill levels, including a four-part class for more advanced traders. InvestorRT and Sierra Chart only offer setup videos on how to use their platforms. Jigsaw offers four separate levels of education, each designed for traders at a specific stage in their journey. These education offerings include in-house courses as well as courses from professional firms such as London-based prop firm Axia
Futures.

Platform

Can you rely on your platform?

High-Performance Platform

Many variables can impact the performance of a trade station, but eliminating potential problems that would slow down execution is crucial for success. There is nothing worse than when your screen freezes in the middle of an important trade. Native Windows technology, used by Investor/RT, Sierra Chart, and Jigsaw, enables a trading platform to run more efficiently and not bog down CPU or memory operation. However, some tools in Investor/RT and Bookmap have been reported to slow down during periods of heavy usage. It is infamous for not keeping up at peak times. In particular, Bookmap relies on Java, which is not native Windows technology.

Unique, Self-Tuning Tools

Analytics are great, and more is always better, but if your toolbox is too complicated to use effectively, you won’t get anywhere. Jigsaw tools are self-tuning because you will be most effective when focusing on your trading rather
than implementation or playing around with hundreds of indicator options that won’t make any difference.

Pricing

Pricing options include monthly fees or one-time payment.

All-Inclusive Pricing

Pricing for the five firms is, at first glance, in the same ballpark. However, some charge for platform upgrades, new tools, and service calls, and NinjaTrader makes you use its brokerage. Investor/RT and Sierra Chart charge by the month. Jigsaw offers lifetime pricing that includes exceptional education, platform upgrades, new tools, and free tech and trade support.

Real-Time News

Access to real-time and scheduled news is essential for consistent results.

Built-In News Feed

Markets are very sensitive to news, and even traders that don't trade news events must be aware of news, so that it doesn't negatively impact them. Jigsaw’s built-in, real-time text/audio news feed is completely filterable, with recommended settings for key topics to get you started. It also features a real-time economic release calendar (filterable by country), with announcements both on the screen and via browser notifications. You also get one-minute and five-minute warnings so you don’t get caught in a trade. This feed delivers the actual numbers as they arrive and ahead of popular sites such as Forex Factory. Bookmap offers an extra-cost, real-time text feed (IQFeed), and NinjaTrader is compatible with several news feeds depending on which data service is used

It’s Your Move

We have explained how Jigsaw Trading offers a unique approach to day trading. And in this detailed vendor comparison, the clear leader for day traders stands out. If you still need convincing that Jigsaw Trading represents the best value and that Jigsaw’s tools and philosophy will make members more effective and consistent traders, sign up for the 14-day money-backguarantee trial (*). Go to the Try/Buy page, select the package that best suits your needs, and trade on the Jigsaw platform risk-free for 14-days. Take all of our educational material, support, and tools, and then make your mark on the market.".

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