Copy trades from TradeLocker to Tradovate when you trade CFDs on a TradeLocker prop firm account and want the same trades in a futures account on Tradovate, such as a futures evaluation or a NinjaTrader Brokerage account. Heron Copier turns each TradeLocker trade into a futures position on Tradovate, in whole contracts.
Each CFD you trade needs an alias that names a futures contract, for example US30=MYM. You can leave out the expiry month, because the slave uses the front-month contract. Sizing is where this differs from copying between CFD accounts. Equity-to-Equity converts the TradeLocker position into contracts using what the contract is worth per point, then rounds to the nearest whole contract. The Fixed Risk methods round down, and a trade that comes to less than half a contract is skipped, so small CFD positions often map better to micros such as MYM or MES than to full-size contracts. Scaling out on TradeLocker closes the same share of the Tradovate position, rounded to whole contracts.
Tradovate accounts run in the Heron Copier cloud only, and you connect them on Tradovate's own sign-in page, so your password never reaches Heron Copier. The TradeLocker master runs in the cloud too.
How to set up TradeLocker to Tradovate copying
- Add your TradeLocker account as the master in the dashboard. Connect it with your TradeLocker email, password and server.
- Add your Tradovate account as the slave and pick the master it copies from. Connect it with your Tradovate login on Tradovate's own sign-in page, so your password is never sent to Heron Copier.
- Choose a volume sizing method and add symbol aliases such as NAS100=MNQ, so each CFD symbol maps to a futures contract. Sizes are rounded to whole contracts.
- Launch. Cloud accounts are usually online in under 60 seconds, and the dashboard shows every copied trade, balance and position live.
About TradeLocker and Tradovate
TradeLocker is a newer platform built for the web and mobile, with TradingView charts built in. Many prop firms adopted it as an alternative to MetaTrader.
Tradovate is a cloud-based futures platform owned by NinjaTrader Group. It runs in the browser, on desktop and on mobile, and also powers NinjaTrader Brokerage and many futures prop firm accounts.
For everything else about each platform, see the TradeLocker Trade Copier and Tradovate Trade Copier pages.
TradeLocker vs Tradovate
| Detail | TradeLocker (master) | Tradovate (slave) |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | TradeLocker | Tradovate (NinjaTrader Group) |
| Markets | Forex, indices, metals, commodities and crypto CFDs, depending on the broker or prop firm | CME Group futures and micro futures such as ES, NQ, MES and MNQ |
| How Heron Copier connects | TradeLocker email, password and server | Tradovate login on Tradovate's own sign-in page, so your password is never sent to Heron Copier |
| Position model | Hedging: positions are tracked one by one | Net position per contract |
| Trade size | Lots | Whole contracts |
| Symbol names | Set by each broker or prop firm | Dated contracts such as ESZ6 or MNQH7 |
| API speed | About 1 request per second | Real-time order and position updates |
| Partial closes sent to slaves (as master) | Yes | Yes |
| Partial closes received (as slave) | Yes | Yes |
| Position resync on its slaves | No | Yes |
| Local version | Yes, plus the cloud version | No, cloud version only |
| EA / cBot hosting | No | No |
Things to check before you start
- CFD lots and futures contracts differ a lot in size. Map every symbol you trade with an alias and a lot multiplier, then test with the smallest size before you go live.
- Turn on Position Resync if you want the Tradovate slave to check that every copied position is still open on the master.
- TradeLocker reports new trades at about one request per second, so very fast scalps can reach the slaves with a short delay.
- You don't need the Tradovate API add-on or a market data subscription. The connection also covers NinjaTrader Brokerage accounts and prop firm accounts that run on Tradovate.
- Auto symbol mapping, additional TP/SL in pips and TP/SL offsets are not available on Tradovate and Rithmic slaves.
Frequently asked questions
Can one TradeLocker master copy to several Tradovate accounts?
Yes. Add as many Tradovate slaves as you need, each with its own volume sizing, symbol mapping and risk limits. In the cloud every account uses one cloud seat.
Can I copy from Tradovate to TradeLocker instead?
Yes. Every trading platform Heron Copier supports can be a master or a slave. See the Tradovate to TradeLocker trade copier.
What happens if a trade fails to copy?
Turn on failed trade copy notifications to get an e-mail alert. The account logs in the dashboard also show the reason, for example a symbol that doesn't exist on the slave or a size below the minimum.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, 7 days with 2 cloud accounts. During the trial a futures slave copies every trade at a fixed 1 contract; a paid license unlocks the other sizing methods.
