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Has anyone done a test on what are the most popular trading AND CHARTING platforms used now?
Because I think TradingView is definitely moving up the ranks. I love how fast it is.
I don't use it to trade -- but I am totally using it for looking at big picture charts without destroying my machine.
I use NinjaTrader 8 right now. With all custom software.
Also I know that most popular platform -=- does not mean most contracts traded. Most contracts traded is most probably XTRader from Trading Technologies probably.
So it would be cool to see the most popular ones. I would say they are:
TradeStation and Sierra Charts are the "old-school" ones. And they are so good already that if it is working for you then there is really no need to 'upgrade'.
They remind me of an F-15 Fighter jet. Old-school but still super super powerful and no need to upgrade really.
The newer kids in the block: Market Delta and TradingView(charting) are awesome as well.
I don't have experience with MarketDelta -- only have seen their videos. I mentioned them because their MarketProfile stuff looks really good and are cloud based as well.
But I don't know -- I was wondering what your thoughts are...
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
I can confirm, Tradingview is hands down the best. I've tried many of those products and they are so legacy compared to TV. The only thing it is missing is an autotrading capability.
Surprised you suggest XTrader would be the most popular but I think it would depends on who you were asking. If you surveyed professional traders or prop shops trading futures then yes. If you surveyed retail traders then I would expect it to look like the list Kevin gives above. Tradestation and Ninjatrader as the favourites. He doesn't say but I am assuming that survey was asking users of a retail trading forum, such as this one. I am surprised Sierra Charts isn't on there though. From this site I get the impression the general consensus is that the program has a steep learning curve but will do anything you want from it, but the customer service leaves something to be desired.
Yes, their customer service is a double edged sword. There is not a lot of hand holding and they can be crass if you haven't done your homework... but if one has a legitimate issue with the software the problem gets resolved, quickly. I've reported a few bugs and they had another version ready literally within 1-2 days. Hard to beat that kind of response time. And yes, it can be a PITA to learn and use, but after experiencing the speed/reliability/flexibility of the platform, I likely wouldn't consider anything else.
Their support can be very cranky about user questions, if they judge the question to be a dumb one. And sure, you would think that a commercial application that needs users would be more tolerant about their users' questions, but maybe they don't need the money.
But if the question is legitimate, so is the response, and as @Rrrracer said, they are extremely fast at fixing a bug. Also, I have never had a business-type issue (fees, payments, etc.) that they didn't handle well and quickly.
I think they probably didn't make the quoted survey numbers because they weren't on the preset list, so their numbers would be in the "not listed" group, which is the second-highest.
For myself, I have used a few of these platforms, and I used Ninja for a long time (6.5, 7 and 8) and I liked it and still do, but when I tried Sierra Chart I found out what speed and flexibility were really like. It's a pain in the ass to learn, but I wouldn't go back for anything.
Plus, I do enjoy the snarky support sometimes, which shows up in their FAQ's and user "support" board. They've never given me any snark, so I guess we're usually on the same side.
Bob.
When one door closes, another opens.
-- Cervantes, Don Quixote
I would wonder who were these 100 traders. If they were surveyed after having expressing interest in automated trading, I could understand Sierra not being high on the list.
LOL they've given me some snark, but I deserved it
I actually sometimes find it hilarious to page through stuff and find people getting beat up, and sometimes want to post a stupid question just to see what response I get LOL... what does that make me?!
I agree it would be interesting to know who these traders were, and what they were basing their evaluations on. Different needs in a platform would make for very different assessments. These platforms are all heavy in the retail trade, at least the ones near the top that I know anything about. Further down, I couldn't say.
I'm no expert on automated trading with any platform (I do my own indicator coding and have on several, but that's a different kind of thing), but from what I have seen, Sierra Chart is at least equal in this to Trade Station and Ninja, and from what I know, better than ThinkOrSwim. (I have used all four, but at different times and so I may not be up to date now about current capabilities.) I've not encountered any criticism of SC in this respect, anyway. I could be wrong, but it would be new to me if automation were not something where it's at least competitive with the others.
In any case, Sierra is not just "not high" on the list, it's not on the list, so it can't be chosen, even if last. In any case, automation is not mentioned as a selection criterion. If it's lumped into "Not listed," (the number 2 choice) it could have done pretty well. We just can't be sure.
But there's always a reason for preferring or not preferring anything, of course, and different people make different choices. The fact I like it doesn't mean SC is right for everybody. In fact, the steepness of the learning curve is a good reason for staying away, actually.
I think Sierra Chart users like to talk about the learning curve and the "support" and "help" pages. It makes us look tough.
Bob.
When one door closes, another opens.
-- Cervantes, Don Quixote
