Open a ProRealTime account: which broker to choose?
Interactive Brokers, Saxo or IG: what each ProRealTime account lets you trade, what the platform really costs, and who each one is for.
ProRealTime is the trading platform: the charts, the order book, the order entry. Your orders are executed by a broker. Opening a ProRealTime account therefore means choosing which one: Interactive Brokers, Saxo or IG. The choice is quick, provided you know what you want to trade.
Which broker should you choose with ProRealTime?
- You want futures, stocks from around the world or automated trading: Interactive Brokers. It is my broker.
- You want the solidity of a bank, and your account is a large one: Saxo.
- You are starting with a small account, trading limited-risk CFDs: IG.
The three ProRealTime accounts, side by side
ProRealTime + Interactive Brokers
The one I trade with. Stocks and ETFs, index futures, cryptocurrency futures and ETFs, commodity and interest rate futures, options and warrants.
Automated trading on the main futures. Interactive Brokers Ireland is a member of the Irish Investor Compensation Scheme.
Open an accountProRealTime + Saxo
Stocks and ETFs, index futures, options, energy, commodities and metals.
Saxo is a Danish bank, a member of the Danish deposit guarantee fund. Large accounts get a dedicated offer: the Premium version free of charge and the lowest commission rates. No automated trading.
Open an accountIG account sponsored by ProRealTime
Limited-risk CFDs on stocks, indices, cryptocurrencies, energy, commodities and metals, with mini contracts.
The Premium version of the platform is free in the months when you trade enough. Automated trading on most major markets.
Open an accountMinimum deposits, rates and conditions depend on your country of residence: they are on the ProRealTime website, the only authoritative source.
Is ProRealTime free? What the platform really costs
ProRealTime Web is free, with all its features and no advertising. The Complete version, the one you install on your computer, is free with end-of-day data.
The Complete version in real time and the Premium version are paid. But with Interactive Brokers and Saxo, every standard-size contract executed earns you a credit that is deducted from your subscription: in other words, the platform pays for itself as you trade. With IG, the Premium version is free in the months when you trade enough. Current rates are on the ProRealTime website.
Why I have traded with ProRealTime for more than 10 years
The best of both worlds
Execution by Interactive Brokers, the reference broker for futures, which I have traded with since 2006, combined with ProRealTime’s interface, in a single account.
A real interface for scalping
Many platforms are designed to manage portfolios, not for scalping or day trading. ProRealTime is.
Tick-by-tick data
Every tick reaches the chart: none is missed or aggregated. For scalping, that is essential.
A platform that pays for itself
The Complete or Premium version of ProRealTime can become free if you trade enough: no more paying separately for charting software and an order window.
Customer service that knows trading
A Paris-based team that answers in several languages and knows both the software and the futures world inside out.
Negotiable rates
Above a certain volume, rates can be negotiated. Mention that Andlil sent you and you’ll get a sympathetic hearing.
What makes the difference
Remarkably precise charts
ProRealTime is renowned worldwide for the quality of its charts: timeframes, chart types, indicators.
A readable order book
20 levels of market depth, readable at a glance: you can see where the large orders are sitting.
Fast order entry
Market, limit and stop orders go out quickly, and are placed exactly where you decide, down to the tick.
Simple programming
ProBacktest to test an idea on historical data, ProOrder to automate it, without needing to be a programmer.
The futures I trade
The Nasdaq future (NQ) and its micro version (MNQ), which I trade every day.
A French platform
Designed in France, renowned worldwide for its charts and for the speed and stability of its data feeds.
Open a ProRealTime account in 3 steps
- Start with the demoFree, with a virtual portfolio: you discover the platform without risking a cent.
- Choose your brokerThe application is completed online. The ProRealTime team helps you through the process.
- Get to grips with the platformWith my complete course, free of charge, and my Charts & Workspaces.
Is ProRealTime safe? Who does what, and who holds your money
ProRealTime SAS is a French investment firm, authorised and supervised by the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution (Banque de France) and supervised by the Autorité des marchés financiers. It receives your orders and passes them on; the broker executes them and holds your account. When you open a ProRealTime Trading account, you are therefore a client of both. With IG, the account is opened with IG, in partnership with ProRealTime.
Who I am
I am Benoist Rousseau, an active trader since 1994 and a member of the CME and the CBOT, the Chicago exchanges, where I hold my own seats. I have traded with Interactive Brokers since 2006, and on ProRealTime for more than ten years. This page describes what I use; the terms come from the ProRealTime website.
Frequently asked questions
Is the platform really free?
ProRealTime Web, yes, with all its features. The Complete version is free with end-of-day data. For the rest, your trading offsets the subscription at Interactive Brokers and Saxo, and IG offers the Premium version in the months when you trade enough.
How do I open a ProRealTime demo account?
Online, by opening your free ProRealTime demo account. To get the most out of it, then take my free ProRealTime course.
Which account for trading Nasdaq futures?
Interactive Brokers and Saxo both offer index futures. I chose Interactive Brokers, which I have traded with since 2006: it is also the only one of the two that allows automated trading on the main futures.
What if I only have a small amount of capital?
The IG account is designed for small accounts, with mini contracts. But a small account and high leverage rarely go well together. The demo account, on the other hand, has never ruined anyone: start there.
I already have an Interactive Brokers account. Can I link it to ProRealTime?
Yes, if it is an Interactive Brokers Ireland account. For an account opened with another subsidiary, it depends on your country of residence: ProRealTime customer service can tell you.
Start with the demo
Free, and without risking a cent. The live account can wait until you are ready.
Open a free demo accountOpen a live accountAccount terms may change: only those on the ProRealTime website are authoritative. Warning: trading leveraged instruments (futures, selling options, short selling) can lead to losses greater than your deposits and is only suitable for experienced clients. Even limited-risk CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. This page does not constitute investment advice.
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