Free trading journal for NinjaTrader.
Elave is a free futures trading journal for NinjaTrader 8. The Elave Connector installs an add-on in NinjaTrader on Windows, and it syncs every account NinjaTrader is connected to, Tradovate and Rithmic connections included. There is no Mac version; on a Mac, import a trade export instead. No card, no subscription.
Arnau Lavernia · Founder of Elave · Last updated:
How NinjaTrader trades get into the journal.
The Elave Connector is a one-file Windows installer. It finds NinjaTrader 8 and adds the Elave add-on. Open NinjaTrader; if Elave isn't listed under New, open New, NinjaScript Editor and press F5 once.
Because the add-on lives inside NinjaTrader, it sees every account NinjaTrader is connected to, including accounts reached through Tradovate and Rithmic connections. It sends their trades to your Elave journal while NinjaTrader is open.
No NinjaTrader on Windows? Export your trades and import the file. In NinjaTrader: Account Performance, Trades, right-click, Export. In Tradovate: Account, Reports, Performance, Download CSV. The importer maps the columns and lets you adjust them.
| Topic | Elave with NinjaTrader 8 |
|---|---|
| How trades get in | Automatic sync from the Elave add-on inside NinjaTrader 8 |
| What you install | The Elave Connector on Windows, which adds the add-on |
| Accounts | Every account NinjaTrader is connected to, Tradovate and Rithmic included |
| Mac | No add-on; export your trades and import the file |
| Rules on the chart | No. Guardian runs on MT5 only |
| Price | Free. No card, no subscription |
How to set up NinjaTrader sync.
- Create your free Elave account and open Connect on your Windows PC.
- Choose NinjaTrader and download the Elave Connector.
- Open the file. It finds NinjaTrader 8 and installs the Elave add-on.
- Open NinjaTrader. If Elave isn't under New, open New, NinjaScript Editor and press F5 once.
- Trade as usual. Every connected account appears in Accounts, and closed trades fill the journal.
What lands in your journal.
- Trade log: every trade per account, filterable.
- P&L calendar: green and red days, with a day view for each one.
- Analytics: expectancy, profit factor, drawdown, average R, costs and streaks, split by session, weekday and hour.
- Strategy tags, so each setup gets its own numbers.
- Trade detail with notes, ratings and a review queue for the trades you haven't reviewed yet.
- An AI trade review that scores how impulsive each trade looked, from 0 to 100.
- Equity curves for several accounts side by side on the journal home, each account in its own currency.
What NinjaTrader sync does not do.
- The add-on is Windows-only, like NinjaTrader 8. On a Mac, use file import.
- Tradovate and Rithmic sync only through NinjaTrader. Without it, export and import your trades.
- Guardian, Elave's risk manager, does not run on NinjaTrader. On-chart rules and daily-limit enforcement are MetaTrader 5 only; futures accounts get the journal.
- Manual trade entry is not offered. Every trade comes from a sync or an imported file, so the journal matches a real record.
Frequently asked questions.
Is there a free futures trading journal for NinjaTrader?
Yes, on Windows. Elave's NinjaTrader 8 add-on syncs every account connected to NinjaTrader, including Tradovate and Rithmic connections, into a free journal: no card, no subscription, no paid tiers. You get a trade log, P&L calendar, analytics by session and setup, trade notes and an AI trade review.
How does the NinjaTrader journal sync work?
The Elave Connector, a one-file Windows installer, adds an Elave add-on to NinjaTrader 8. The add-on runs inside NinjaTrader and sends the trades of every connected account to your journal while NinjaTrader is open. If Elave isn't under New after install, open the NinjaScript Editor and press F5 once.
Does it sync Tradovate and Rithmic accounts?
Yes, when you trade them through NinjaTrader 8 on Windows. The add-on sees every account NinjaTrader is connected to, Tradovate and Rithmic connections included. If you trade Tradovate in the browser or use R Trader without NinjaTrader, export your trades and import the file into the journal instead.
Does the NinjaTrader journal work on a Mac?
The journal runs in any browser, but the sync add-on needs NinjaTrader 8, which runs on Windows, so there is no Mac version. On a Mac, export your trades from your platform and import the file. The importer maps the columns automatically and lets you adjust them before saving.
Does Elave enforce prop firm limits on NinjaTrader?
No. Guardian, the Elave tool that checks entries and closes trades at a prop firm's daily limit, runs on MetaTrader 5 only. On NinjaTrader, Tradovate and Rithmic accounts Elave journals your trades and shows your numbers, but nothing on the chart is enforced by Elave. Use your platform's own risk settings.
Can I journal TopstepX next to NinjaTrader?
Yes. TopstepX accounts connect separately through ProjectX with your username and an API key, and they land in the same journal as your NinjaTrader accounts. One P&L calendar and one set of analytics then cover all your futures accounts, each listed in Accounts with its own currency.
Sources.
Related pages.
- Free trading journal for TopstepX
- Free trading journal for TradingView
- Free trading journalEverything the journal does, across every platform.
- Best trading journal for prop tradersWhat a prop trader needs from a journal.
- Prop firm risk managementDaily limits, drawdown and sizing.
- Best trading journals comparedElave next to the alternatives, sourced and dated.
Get started.
Create your free Elave account, then open Connect and pick your platform. No card, no subscription, no paid tiers.
Educational content, not investment advice. Elave makes no performance, win-rate, pass-rate or income claims. Trading leveraged products carries a high risk of loss.