Tradovate Plans: Free vs Monthly vs Lifetime
Picking the right Tradovate plan can quietly save you hundreds of dollars a year in commissions, or cost you that much if you guess wrong. Here's how the three account plans stack up and how to land on the cheapest one for the way you actually trade.
Picking the right Tradovate plan can quietly save you hundreds of dollars a year in commissions, or cost you that much if you guess wrong. Whether you're a new futures trader shopping brokers or wiring up automation with PickMyTrade, here's how the three Tradovate account plans stack up and how to land on the cheapest one for the way you actually trade.
What Are Tradovate Account Plans?
A Tradovate account plan (you'll sometimes see it called a membership) sets the per-side commission you pay on every futures contract you trade. Every account opens on the Free plan by default. Pay a monthly or one-time fee and your commission rate drops in steps. You only need one plan per login, and you can move between tiers whenever your trading changes.
Choosing Your Tradovate Plan: Step-by-Step
Understand the Three Tiers
Tradovate runs three plans, and each one trades a fixed subscription cost against your commission rate: Free, no monthly fee, but the highest per-contract commissions; Monthly, a flat monthly fee that pulls your commissions down; and Lifetime, a bigger one-time payment (or a few installments) that locks in the lowest commissions for good. Prices and exact rates shift over time, so check the current numbers on Tradovate's live pricing page before you commit to anything.
Compare Per-Side Commissions
The real difference between the tiers is the commission per side, you pay it once when you enter and again when you exit. Micro contracts always cost less than standard e-minis, and no matter which tier you're on you'll still pay exchange, clearing, and NFA fees on top of the commission. See the table below for how the tiers lined up as of July 2026, confirm the live rates before you decide.
Find Your Break-Even Point
The right plan comes down to how many contracts you trade. A paid plan only starts saving you money once the commission you shave off outweighs its fixed cost. For a quick gut check, divide the monthly fee by the per-side commission you'd save versus Free, that tells you how many sides you'd need to trade each month just to break even. Trade occasionally or in small size and Free usually wins. Trade actively every day and Monthly or Lifetime tends to come out ahead.
Select or Switch Your Plan
You change plans inside the Tradovate Web Trader, not on the website. Log in to the Tradovate Web Trader, open Application Settings (top-right), then the Subscriptions (Plans) tab. In the Membership section, click Upgrade and choose your new plan, want to split Lifetime into installments? Toggle the 4 Payments option first. Confirm and pay with your account balance or a card, then log out and back in so the new plan shows on the Settings › Plans page.
| Plan | Cost | Micros (per side) | Standard e-mini (per side) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 / month | $0.39 | $1.29 |
| Monthly | $99 / month | $0.29 | $0.99 |
| Lifetime | $1,499 one-time (or 4 × $499) | $0.09 | $0.59 |
Exchange, clearing, and NFA fees apply on all three tiers and aren't baked into the figures above.
Why You'd Need This
- Cut trading costs, matching your plan to your volume can save you real money on commissions.
- Budget accurately, know your fixed monthly cost before you go live.
- Compare brokers fairly, line Tradovate's all-in rate up against the alternatives.
- Avoid surprise fees, the Free plan can carry an inactivity fee if you don't trade within a set window, and prop-firm and evaluation rules vary by firm and account size, so check your firm's current rules too.
Automate This with PickMyTrade
PickMyTrade wires your TradingView alerts straight through to your Tradovate account. Once you've settled on a plan, your strategy executes on its own, no manual clicks, no missed fills, whatever commission tier you land on.
Automate Your Tradovate Trades
Once you've settled on a plan, let your strategy execute on its own. PickMyTrade wires your TradingView alerts straight through to your Tradovate account.
Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
There's no single cheapest plan, it depends on volume. Free wins for occasional traders because there's no fixed fee to cover. Monthly and Lifetime win for active traders because their lower per-side commissions eventually more than offset the subscription cost.
No. You can trade live on the Free plan; a paid plan simply lowers your commissions. Keep in mind the Free plan may charge an inactivity fee if you go a set period without live trades, so check Tradovate's current rules.
Yes. You can upgrade any time from Application Settings > Subscriptions in the Web Trader, then log out and back in for the change to take effect.
This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading futures and other leveraged products carries a substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. PickMyTrade is an independent third-party automation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tradovate, Inc. "Tradovate" and all related names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Platform features and steps change over time, so always confirm the current process in the official Tradovate platform and documentation before acting.