Rithmic

Rithmic is a futures market-data and order-routing infrastructure provider whose logins are issued by brokers and prop firms rather than by Rithmic itself. A Rithmic account is the common way to bring CME executions, depth and order routing into third-party order flow software.

Senzoukria · Glossary · Updated September 2026

What a Rithmic login is

Traders rarely open an account with Rithmic directly. A broker or a prop firm issues the credentials and chooses the system name, the permitted third-party applications and the market-data entitlements. Rithmic then serves the data and routes orders on that firm's behalf. Two logins that look identical can therefore carry different permissions, and a firm's name in a connection catalogue is not proof that every account type permits the same access.

Behind the login, Rithmic separates its services into plants: market data, order routing, history and profit-and-loss. Paper and live plants are distinct, and a market-data entitlement lives on a specific plant. This is why a chart can connect and still show nothing for an instrument the account is not subscribed to.

  • Credentials: username, password and system name, chosen by the issuing firm.
  • Access: R | Trader Pro on one side, the R | Protocol API for third-party software on the other; they are sold separately.
  • Entitlements: exchange subscriptions, depth tier, history availability and trading permission, each checked on its own.

What to verify with the issuing firm

  • The account's current system name and the third-party applications it may use.
  • Exchange and instrument subscriptions for live trades and depth.
  • Historical trades and historical depth for the dates you need; empty history is not proof that nothing traded.
  • Concurrent-session limits when a platform and a bridge share the login.
  • Manual order routing and automated-strategy permission, asked separately.

In Senzoukria

Rithmic is a Direct connection on the Broker Connections page: the card asks for the system name, lets you fetch the live system list from the gateway and choose an access point, and stores the credentials in the operating-system keychain. Rithmic Direct is labelled in the tour as CME futures: ES, NQ and the other CME contracts. The card carries an Allow order routing on this connection toggle; routing stays off on a funded account until you enable it explicitly there.

The card also states that a free Rithmic demo, the 14-day trial with live market data, cannot connect, because Rithmic does not offer the R | Protocol API to demo accounts whatever the system name or gateway. A supported Rithmic connection exposes manual order entry from the order ticket and the chart; the strategy autopilot only sends orders after explicit arming. Market data is billed by the broker, firm or exchange.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming that a login accepted by R | Trader Pro is accepted by the API.
  • Reading a chart connection as permission to trade or to automate on a prop firm account.
  • Debugging indicators when the symbol, expiry, session or entitlement is the cause of an empty chart.
  • Expecting historical bars because historical ticks work; they are separate entitlements.

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Frequently asked questions

Does any Rithmic login work with third-party footprint software?
No universal compatibility exists. The issuing firm decides which applications, connection methods and datasets the account may use, and a demo trial is excluded from the API entirely. Confirm the system name and third-party access with the provider before subscribing to software on the strength of a login.
Is Rithmic market data included in the software price?
No. Exchange fees and any depth or history package are contracted through the broker or prop firm that issued the account. Senzoukria reads what the account is entitled to and bills only its own subscription.
Can I use Rithmic through NinjaTrader instead of directly?
Yes, through a local bridge when NinjaTrader already holds the feed on the same machine. Direct and bridged connections can differ in depth and history coverage, so compare the fields actually received rather than assuming they are identical.

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