What Order Flow Software Costs for Futures Traders
Order-flow tools such as footprint charts are priced very differently from one platform to the next. Some charge for software, some for an add-on, some for a plan tier, and some include them when you fund a brokerage account. Real-time futures data is usually a separate bill on top. This page lays out what you pay, and for what, on the five order-flow platforms TradingLoot has reviewed: NinjaTrader, MotiveWave, Bookmap, TradingView, and ATAS.
It compares cost structures only. It doesn't rank the platforms or name a cheapest option, because the total depends on your data provider, your broker, and how you choose to pay.
Quick answer
- None of the five gives you footprint charts on real-time futures data with no strings attached. NinjaTrader comes closest, but only if you fund its brokerage account; elsewhere you pay for a plan or edition, and for data.
- NinjaTrader: Order Flow+ is included with a funded NinjaTrader brokerage account, which also includes Level I CME Group and EUREX data. Without a funded account it's $59/month.
- MotiveWave: the Order Flow edition is $49/month or $595 one-time. Market data comes from the provider you connect.
- Bookmap: Footprint is included only on Global Plus, at $99/month or $1,990 lifetime. Market data is billed separately.
- TradingView: Volume footprint needs the Premium plan or higher. Real-time exchange data is an extra fee.
- ATAS: prices are in euros. The free START plan and PLUS show futures data on a 15-minute delay; real-time traditional futures needs PRO (€69.95/month, €39.95/month billed yearly, or €1,799 lifetime) or ULTRA, plus market data from a provider you connect.
The three parts of the cost
Using order flow on live futures usually involves three separate costs. First, the software or plan. Second, access to the order-flow tools themselves, which can be a higher edition, a higher tier, or an add-on. Third, real-time market data, which none of the five vendors includes by default, apart from the Level I data that comes with a funded NinjaTrader account. A price that covers only one of the three isn't the whole cost.
At a glance
This table covers NinjaTrader, MotiveWave, Bookmap, and TradingView. ATAS, which prices its plans in euros, is covered in its own section below.
NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader's software is described as always free to use for charting, backtesting, and simulation. Order Flow+ (including Volumetric Bars, Cumulative Delta, Volume Profile, and VWAP) is complimentary with any funded NinjaTrader brokerage account, and existing Lifetime license holders already have it. Without a funded account, it's a standalone add-on at $59/month.
For data, a free two-week trial includes live CME Group Level II data. After that, a funded account includes Level I CME Group and EUREX data, and NinjaTrader lists its CME Group Level II bundle at $48/month. Live trading runs on the Free ($0), Monthly ($99/month), or Lifetime ($1,499) account plan, which differ in commissions; the Free plan carries a $35 fee if you log in but place no live trade within 30 days. NinjaTrader changed its pricing in August 2026; these figures are from its support articles as of September 28, 2026.
MotiveWave
MotiveWave sells software by edition. The free Community edition, Standard, and EW Lite include only base order-flow tools: Volume Profile, VWAP, and a basic DOM. The full Order Flow Studies Pack, including Volume Imprint footprint charts and Advanced DOM, comes with the Order Flow ($49/month or $595 one-time), PRO ($99/month or $1,495), and Ultimate ($159/month or $2,295) editions.
MotiveWave doesn't include market data in any edition. Real-time and historical data come from the broker or data provider you connect, so that cost depends on the provider you pick.
Bookmap
Bookmap sells tiers: Digital (free), Digital Plus ($19/month), Global ($49/month, $39/month billed yearly, or $990 lifetime), and Global Plus ($99/month, $79/month billed yearly, or $1,990 lifetime). Cumulative volume delta is on every tier, including Digital. The Footprint and DOM Pro add-ons are included only on Global Plus, which is also the tier required for live execution.
Real-time stock and futures data isn't included in any Bookmap package. Bookmap's own pricing page gives example ranges: BookmapData roughly $34–79/month, dxFeed futures around $37/month per exchange, and Rithmic around $40–101/month. The exact figure depends on the provider and exchanges you choose.
TradingView
TradingView's pricing page lists Volume footprint charts and TPO only on its Premium and Ultimate plans, not on Essential or Plus. Volume Profile indicators are listed on every paid plan. Exact plan prices vary by currency, region, and billing cycle, so check TradingView's own pricing page for the current figure where you are.
Real-time data for many exchanges, including futures exchanges, is a separate fee that isn't bundled into any TradingView plan.
ATAS
ATAS sells four plans, priced in euros: START (free), PLUS (€24.95/month), PRO (€69.95/month), and ULTRA (€89.95/month), with lower monthly rates on 3-month and yearly billing, and lifetime licences at €999 (PLUS), €1,799 (PRO), and €1,999 (ULTRA). The catch for futures is data: START and PLUS show traditional futures on a 15-minute delay, and that includes the €999 PLUS lifetime licence. Real-time traditional futures needs PRO (€39.95/month billed yearly, or €1,799 lifetime) or ULTRA (€49.95/month billed yearly, or €1,999 lifetime).
No ATAS plan includes market data. You connect a provider such as CQG, Rithmic, dxFeed, IQFeed, or Interactive Brokers, and ATAS doesn't publish what that data costs. ATAS lists footprint charts among its tools, but its pricing page doesn't say which plans include them. Prices are shown here in euros, as ATAS publishes them; EU residents are charged VAT at their country's rate.
"Free" order flow and its catches
- NinjaTrader is the only one of the five where full footprint tools on real-time futures data come without a software or add-on fee, but the condition is funding a NinjaTrader brokerage account.
- MotiveWave Community is free permanently, but has only base order-flow tools and can't place trades.
- Bookmap Digital is free and includes cumulative volume delta, but futures data is delayed and it shows one symbol at a time.
- TradingView Basic is free, but Volume footprint is listed only on Premium and Ultimate.
- ATAS START is free with no time limit, but futures data is delayed 15 minutes, and PLUS, including its €999 lifetime licence, stays delayed too.
Monthly vs one-time
Our reviews establish a one-time price for four of the five, but they don't buy the same thing. Market data stays a recurring cost in every case.
- MotiveWave Order Flow edition$595 one-time (or 4 payments of $175)
Includes one year of updates and support; after that, you keep your version or buy another year of updates.
- Bookmap Global Plus$1,990 lifetime
The tier that includes Footprint. Market data is still billed separately.
- NinjaTrader Lifetime plan$1,499 one-time (or 4 payments of $499)
An account plan that lowers commissions, not an order-flow purchase: Order Flow+ already comes with any funded NinjaTrader account.
- ATAS PRO Lifetime€1,799
The lowest-priced ATAS lifetime licence with real-time traditional futures; the €999 PLUS lifetime licence stays on 15-minute-delayed futures data. Market data is still separate.
- TradingView PremiumNot established
Our TradingView review doesn't establish a one-time purchase option.
What this page doesn't cover
Other order-flow platforms exist, including Sierra Chart and Quantower. They aren't here because TradingLoot hasn't reviewed them, not because they cost more or less. This page also doesn't add up an all-in monthly total, since data costs depend on your provider and exchanges, and it doesn't cover commissions beyond NinjaTrader's plans. For what footprint, cumulative delta, and the DOM actually show, see our Order Flow guide. For a closer look at two of these platforms, see MotiveWave vs NinjaTrader and our futures charting software comparison.
How this was verified
This comparison is based on TradingLoot's five independently researched reviews, each built from the vendor's own pricing pages, documentation, and help resources. NinjaTrader was last verified on September 28, 2026, MotiveWave on October 2, 2026, Bookmap on September 29, 2026, TradingView on October 1, 2026, and ATAS on September 30, 2026. Prices and plans change, so confirm them with the vendor before buying. See our Methodology for how we research and verify, or read the full reviews: NinjaTrader · MotiveWave · Bookmap · TradingView · ATAS.
