NexusFi: Find Your Edge


Home Menu

 





CQG or ZenFire...whats the difference? Anyone have any suggestions?


Discussion in Brokers

Updated
      Top Posters
    1. looks_one Big Mike with 9 posts (5 thanks)
    2. looks_two Upupandaway with 4 posts (0 thanks)
    3. looks_3 dlatbm with 3 posts (1 thanks)
    4. looks_4 steve2222 with 3 posts (0 thanks)
      Best Posters
    1. looks_one Jura with 1.7 thanks per post
    2. looks_two Big Mike with 0.6 thanks per post
    3. looks_3 dakine with 0.5 thanks per post
    4. looks_4 NinjaTrader with 0.5 thanks per post
    1. trending_up 18,993 views
    2. thumb_up 18 thanks given
    3. group 16 followers
    1. forum 50 posts
    2. attach_file 7 attachments




 
Search this Thread

CQG or ZenFire...whats the difference? Anyone have any suggestions?

  #1 (permalink)
 Upupandaway 
Dallas/Tx
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: NinjaTrader
Trading: CL Crude Oil
Posts: 281 since Sep 2011
Thanks Given: 168
Thanks Received: 166

Ok I'm setting up NT7, and I have to purchase a lease so I can use the chart trader. I've always just used ZenFire. But I got my broker telling me CGQ is better. Is it? Why? Or is it all the same?

Thanks

Visit my NexusFi Trade Journal Started this thread Reply With Quote

Can you help answer these questions
from other members on NexusFi?
My NT8 Volume Profile Split by Asian/Euro/Open
NinjaTrader
Request for MACD with option to use different MAs for fa …
NinjaTrader
NexusFi Journal Challenge - April 2024
Feedback and Announcements
ZombieSqueeze
Platforms and Indicators
 
Best Threads (Most Thanked)
in the last 7 days on NexusFi
Retail Trading As An Industry
58 thanks
Battlestations: Show us your trading desks!
52 thanks
NexusFi site changelog and issues/problem reporting
48 thanks
What percentage per day is possible? [Poll]
31 thanks
GFIs1 1 DAX trade per day journal
29 thanks

  #3 (permalink)
 lblanks 
South Carolina
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: Ninjatrader
Broker: Zen Fire
Trading: 6E, ES
Posts: 51 since Jun 2011
Thanks Given: 126
Thanks Received: 15


FWIW:

When I signed up with Amp initially they raved about how great Zenfire was. When they changed over to CQG they (Amp) again raved about how great CQG was. I have not noticed much difference except that CQG seems more reliable. Hope this helps.

Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)
 
hunter548's Avatar
 hunter548 
western ny
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: ninjatrader
Broker: Amp Futures/CQG
Trading: 6E, ES
Posts: 102 since Nov 2009
Thanks Given: 197
Thanks Received: 93

I'm with AMP also. They recommend CQG because Zenfire started to charge a $25.00 inactivity fee unless a minimum number of live trades take place. No good for SIM trading as Zenfire still views it as inactivity.

Here's the Zenfire statement:

Zen Fire User Only: $25 Inactivity Fee Structure | beginning February 1, 2012

In order to remain in compliance with exchange market data vendor regulations and discourage abuse of market data access, Zen Fire will impose restrictions and fees on user ids beginning February 1, 2012.

Zen Fire team will work with the FCMs to help identify offending user ids and disable or create exemptions for the new fee structure being implemented.


Definitions

Inactive User: any user id, or multiple thereof, that accesses the trading engine in any calendar month and trades less than 40 contracts/ 20 round turns per month.

Idle User: any user id that is active but does not access the trading infrastructure.

Active User: any user id that trades more than 40 contracts in a calendar month.

Insufficient Funds User: any user id with authority to trade an account with a liquidating value of less than $400.

Inactivity Fee Structure: $25 per Inactive User Id.


Notes: Zen Fire will attempt to automatically disable all Insufficient Funds User ids 30 days after their account falls below the minimum in order to avoid any unnecessary fees. FCMs may, at their discretion, re-enable the ids manually if there is reasonable assurance that funds are being sent. If the id accesses the trading infrastructure, they may still be billed as an Inactive User.


What is going to happen?

1) Zenfire User ID will be disabled if: hasn't traded in 3 months or has less than $400 in their account.

2) $25 Inactivity fee will be charged if: less than 40 contracts/ 20 round turns per month have been executed/traded.

Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)
 
Beljevina's Avatar
 Beljevina 
Toronto, Canada
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: NinjaTrader, SierraCharts
Broker: Amp/CQG, IB
Trading: CL, GC, 6E, ES, RTY, EURUSD, GBPJPY, AUDUSD
Posts: 352 since Sep 2010

Assuming both feeds are uncompressed and raw, I'd think the only other thing to worry about would be latency from your location to where the data source servers are, as well as reliability/up time. And both are of course difficult to gauge, with the latency for the average NA user on a decent internet feed probably negligible.

I'm on CQG and use it almost 7/24 - it is incredibly rare there are problems, inavailability or disconnects.

One thing that comes to mind with CQG is that they have a web trader, where, you could log in via a IE browser (Chrome doesn't work), to cancel or make any basic changes to standing orders, should NT or your main internet feed go down. Not sure if Zenfire has this, but for a FT trader, this is a major edge to me.

Follow me on Twitter Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)
 TrendTraderBH 
Detroit, Michigan
 
Experience: Beginner
Platform: Ninja Trader
Trading: Futures
Posts: 315 since Nov 2011
Thanks Given: 565
Thanks Received: 300

I started with CQG in Jan. 2012 and liked it. Now with Rithmic since May 2012 and also like it.

CQG seemed faster to me but with much more disconnects (disconnects that sometimes take several minutes to end). Rithmic seems a bit slower than CQG (but still ok). However, almost never has disconnects (only had one in the past month and it was so short it was almost unnoticeable if I didn't see it visually).

Overall I prefer Rithmic to CQG due to the importance of staying connected.

It's my understanding that Zen Fire is a "white label" of sorts of Rithmic - but I'm not sure if it's comparable beyond that.

Hope this helps.

Reply With Quote
The following user says Thank You to TrendTraderBH for this post:
  #7 (permalink)
 Upupandaway 
Dallas/Tx
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: NinjaTrader
Trading: CL Crude Oil
Posts: 281 since Sep 2011
Thanks Given: 168
Thanks Received: 166

thanks to everyone who responded back appreciate it

Visit my NexusFi Trade Journal Started this thread Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)
 Upupandaway 
Dallas/Tx
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: NinjaTrader
Trading: CL Crude Oil
Posts: 281 since Sep 2011
Thanks Given: 168
Thanks Received: 166

Iblanks how does it seem more reliable?




lblanks View Post
FWIW:

When I signed up with Amp initially they raved about how great Zenfire was. When they changed over to CQG they (Amp) again raved about how great CQG was. I have not noticed much difference except that CQG seems more reliable. Hope this helps.


Visit my NexusFi Trade Journal Started this thread Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)
 Upupandaway 
Dallas/Tx
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: NinjaTrader
Trading: CL Crude Oil
Posts: 281 since Sep 2011
Thanks Given: 168
Thanks Received: 166

I dunno, I've always used ZenFire before, but the whole inactivity fee turned me off. Anyways...

Visit my NexusFi Trade Journal Started this thread Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)
 lblanks 
South Carolina
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: Ninjatrader
Broker: Zen Fire
Trading: 6E, ES
Posts: 51 since Jun 2011
Thanks Given: 126
Thanks Received: 15


My experience with CQG has been that they dont seem to go down as much as Zenfire. I dont have any proof (statistics) except to say that Zenfire seemed to go down literally every other day. CQG seems more stable but perhaps I haven't given CQG enough time.

Reply With Quote
The following user says Thank You to lblanks for this post:





Last Updated on September 17, 2013


© 2024 NexusFi™, s.a., All Rights Reserved.
Av Ricardo J. Alfaro, Century Tower, Panama City, Panama, Ph: +507 833-9432 (Panama and Intl), +1 888-312-3001 (USA and Canada)
All information is for educational use only and is not investment advice. There is a substantial risk of loss in trading commodity futures, stocks, options and foreign exchange products. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
About Us - Contact Us - Site Rules, Acceptable Use, and Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy - Downloads - Top
no new posts