A Tradovate to MatchTrader trade copier lets one futures decision also trade a CFD prop firm account. You trade a Tradovate or NinjaTrader Brokerage account, or a futures evaluation that runs on Tradovate, and Heron Copier opens the matching CFD position on your MatchTrader account and closes it when you close the master.
Every contract you trade needs an alias on the MatchTrader slave. The master sends dated names such as NQZ6, so the alias reads NQZ6=NAS100 with your firm's symbol on the right, and it has to change when the contract rolls to the next quarter. Size the CFD side with a fixed ratio, because Equity-to-Equity sizing does not account for what a futures point is worth: a Lot Multiplier or a multiplier in the alias is the safer choice. The master's stop loss and take profit are futures prices, so in most setups you switch off SL and TP copying and set them on the MatchTrader side. If you use NinjaTrader 8 desktop through Rithmic or CQG, that account is not covered by the Tradovate connection.
You connect the master on Tradovate's own sign-in page. Tradovate accounts run in the Heron Copier cloud only, so the pair needs no VPS, and the MatchTrader account follows while your computer is off.
How to set up Tradovate to MatchTrader copying
- Add your Tradovate account as the master in the dashboard. Connect it with your Tradovate login on Tradovate's own sign-in page, so your password is never sent to Heron Copier.
- Add your MatchTrader account as the slave and pick the master it copies from. Connect it with your MatchTrader login, password and broker.
- Choose a volume sizing method and add symbol aliases that map each dated futures contract, such as MNQZ6, to your broker's CFD symbol, with a lot multiplier where the contract sizes differ. Update them when the contract rolls.
- Launch. Cloud accounts are usually online in under 60 seconds, and the dashboard shows every copied trade, balance and position live.
About Tradovate and MatchTrader
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.
MatchTrader is Match-Trade Technologies' browser-based platform. Brokers and prop firms run it under their own brand, each with its own symbol names and account setup.
For everything else about each platform, see the Tradovate Trade Copier and MatchTrader Trade Copier pages.
Tradovate vs MatchTrader
| Detail | Tradovate (master) | MatchTrader (slave) |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Tradovate (NinjaTrader Group) | Match-Trade Technologies |
| Markets | CME Group futures and micro futures such as ES, NQ, MES and MNQ | Forex, indices, metals, commodities and crypto CFDs, depending on the broker or prop firm |
| How Heron Copier connects | Tradovate login on Tradovate's own sign-in page, so your password is never sent to Heron Copier | MatchTrader login, password and broker |
| Position model | Net position per contract | Hedging: positions are tracked one by one |
| Trade size | Whole contracts | Lots |
| Symbol names | Dated contracts such as ESZ6 or MNQH7 | Set by each broker or prop firm |
| API speed | Real-time order and position updates | 500 requests per minute |
| Partial closes sent to slaves (as master) | Yes | No |
| Partial closes received (as slave) | Yes | No |
| Position resync on its slaves | Yes | No |
| Local version | No, cloud version only | Yes, plus the cloud version |
| EA / cBot hosting | No | No |
Things to check before you start
- Futures contracts and CFD lots differ a lot in size. The master sends dated contract names such as MNQZ6, so map each one with an alias and a lot multiplier, update the alias when the contract rolls, and test with a small size before you go live.
- Your MatchTrader broker may not offer every contract you trade on Tradovate. Use the symbol whitelist or blacklist on the slave to skip those trades.
- NinjaTrader 8 desktop accounts that connect through Rithmic or CQG are not covered by the Tradovate connection. Connect those through Rithmic instead.
- Partial closes on the master are not copied to MatchTrader slaves, because of a limit in the MatchTrader API. Full closes are copied as usual.
- If your prop firm blocks API access, the local MatchTrader slave app has a non-API mode that works through Google Chrome. It supports only the Lot Multiplier and Fixed Lot sizing methods.
- MatchTrader prop firms often use their own symbol names. Check the symbol list of the slave and add symbol aliases where the names differ.
Frequently asked questions
Can one Tradovate master copy to several MatchTrader accounts?
Yes. Add as many MatchTrader slaves as you need, each with its own volume sizing, symbol mapping and risk limits. In the cloud every account uses one cloud seat.
How are Tradovate contracts converted into MatchTrader lots?
The slave's volume sizing method calculates the lot size, for example from the equity ratio between the two accounts or a fixed risk per trade. The master sends dated contract names, so add an alias with a lot multiplier for each contract, such as MNQZ6=NAS100, and update it when the contract rolls.
Can I copy from MatchTrader to Tradovate instead?
Yes. Every trading platform Heron Copier supports can be a master or a slave. See the MatchTrader to Tradovate 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 slave copies every trade at a fixed 0.01 lot; a paid license unlocks the other sizing methods.
