Category: NinjaTrader Platform | Last Updated: April 2026

NinjaTrader operates in two routing modes: SIM (Simulation) and LIVE. If you're new to running Vector strategies, it's important to understand what each mode actually does — and especially how each relates to the type of account you're trading (prop firm vs. personal cash account). This article covers both.

What Does SIM Actually Mean in NinjaTrader?

SIM mode routes orders to NinjaTrader's internal simulation engine. The data feed you're looking at is fully real and live (same Rithmic or Tradovate feed as any other client), but the orders themselves don't get sent to a real exchange — they're matched internally against the current market price.

There are two very different situations where you'll be running in SIM:

1. Learning / personal testing (paper trading) If you're brand new to the platform and just want to see the strategies fire without any real money at stake, you can use SIM as a pure paper-trading sandbox. This is useful for getting comfortable with how signals print, how positions open and close, and how the NinjaTrader interface behaves during a session.

2. Prop firm trading (the most common case for our clients) Prop firm accounts route through SIM by design. Evaluations, funded accounts, and the vast majority of everything our prop clients run lives in SIM mode inside NinjaTrader. Your prop firm tracks your trades and P&L on their end and pays out based on your performance — but the orders themselves go through NT's simulation engine, not to the exchange directly.

In other words: "SIM" inside NinjaTrader does not mean the trading isn't serious. For a funded prop account, the P&L on your prop firm's platform is what drives real-money payouts — even though NT itself is routing in SIM.

What Does LIVE Mean?

LIVE mode routes orders directly to the exchange through your broker. Fills go to real market liquidity, real commissions are charged, real slippage can occur, and profits/losses hit your actual broker account.

You'll be using LIVE mode when: - You have a personal cash account (for example, trading futures through a retail Rithmic or Tradovate account funded by you) - Or when Vector's stock strategies are connected to your personal brokerage account

In this setup, every fill is real and the P&L is immediately yours.

Prop Trading vs. Cash Trading — Quick Comparison

The key takeaway: just because NT shows "SIM" doesn't mean your trading isn't real. For prop firm clients, SIM is the normal and correct mode — and yes, slippage still happens even in simulated markets because the fill prices the prop firm applies aren't always the best available.

How to Confirm You're in the Right Mode

When you attach a Vector strategy to a chart, the account selected in the strategy properties determines where orders will actually go. Always verify:

• The account shown in the strategy's Account field is the correct one for your setup (your prop firm's SIM account, or your cash account for live trading).
• If you're running the same strategy across multiple prop accounts, confirm each instance is attached to the correct account — this is the single most common source of "my strategy isn't firing to the right account" issues.

If something looks off at this step, open a support ticket before enabling the strategy — our team can verify your setup.

A Note on Strategies in Test Mode

From time to time, Vector releases a new strategy that is still in test mode. When this happens, we publish a clear notice in the Discord #announcements channel instructing clients to run that strategy only in SIM (never on a live cash account) until we confirm it's fully production-ready.

This approach lets us gather broader feedback and catch edge cases faster — with more eyes on the strategy in real market conditions, but without exposing anyone to real-money risk on a version that hasn't been finalized. Always read the announcement for any new strategy release so you know whether it's production or test.

Bottom Line

SIM and LIVE are routing modes inside NinjaTrader — not a "practice vs. real" distinction in the way it's usually taught. For Vector clients:

• Prop firm accounts run in SIM by design. That's normal and expected.
• Cash / personal accounts run in LIVE. Orders hit the real exchange.

Your job is to make sure the right account is selected when you attach a strategy. For anything unclear about your specific setup — including whether a newly released strategy is in production or test mode — open a support ticket and a team member will walk you through it.