Step 3 of 9

Download & install NinjaTrader 8

Get NinjaTrader downloaded, installed, and open for the first time. This takes about 5 minutes.

← Step 2: Sign Up for NinjaTraderStep 4: Platform Orientation →
1

Download NinjaTrader 8

From your NinjaTrader dashboard, you should already have access to the download page. If not, go to NinjaTrader.com and navigate to the download page.

Click the big blue "Download" button to get the latest release.

NinjaTrader Desktop Application Download page - click the blue Download button
The NinjaTrader download page. Click the blue "Download" button to get the latest release (currently 8.1.6.3).

The installer file will be named something like NinjaTrader8Setup.exe. Save it somewhere easy to find — your Desktop or Downloads folder works fine.

Free to start

NinjaTrader's free license gives you full platform access with simulated trading. You don't need to buy anything to get started — just download, install, and sign in.

2

Run the installer

Double-click NinjaTrader8Setup.exe to start the installation. If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" — click Yes.

The installer wizard will walk you through a few screens:

  1. Accept the license agreement
  2. Choose install location — the default is fine, don't change it
  3. Click Install
  4. Wait for it to finish (1–2 minutes)
  5. Click Finish
Install location matters

Leave the install path at the default (C:\Program Files\NinjaTrader 8). Changing it can cause issues with data feeds and strategy loading later.

3

Launch NinjaTrader 8

After installation completes, you'll find a NinjaTrader 8 shortcut on your desktop. Double-click it to launch.

On first launch, the platform takes a moment to initialize — you'll see a splash screen while it loads. This is normal.

VPS users

If you're running on a VPS (from the previous step), install NinjaTrader inside your VPS — not on your local computer. Remote in first, then run the installer there.

4

Sign in to your NinjaTrader account

NinjaTrader will prompt you to sign in. Enter the email and password you created in Step 2 (Sign Up for NinjaTrader).

NinjaTrader sign-in screen prompting for email and password
The NinjaTrader sign-in screen. Enter the email and password from your NinjaTrader account.

After signing in, the Control Center window appears. This is the main hub of NinjaTrader — everything runs from here.

5

What you should see

Once you're signed in, the Control Center is open and NinjaTrader may load a default workspace with a chart or two. Don't worry about any of that yet — we'll set up your workspace properly in the next step.

You might also see a connection status in the bottom-left corner of the Control Center:

  • green Green — Connected and receiving data
  • yellow Yellow — Connected but waiting for data
  • orange Orange — Connection issue
  • gray Gray — Disconnected

If you see gray or no connection — that's fine for now. We'll set up your data connections in a later step.

NinjaTrader 8 is installed and running!

You've got the platform open and signed in. Next, we'll walk you through the interface so you know where everything is before we start loading strategies.

✓

Checkpoint — Verify Installation

Before moving on, confirm:

  • NinjaTrader 8 is installed (on your computer or VPS)
  • You can launch it from the desktop shortcut
  • You've signed in with your NinjaTrader account
  • The Control Center window is visible
← Step 2: Sign Up for NinjaTrader Step 4: Platform Orientation →