Commodity Option Brokers

Commodity brokers offering online trading at discount commission for e-mini contracts are compared. This comparison is  to review the trading platform and compare commission costs for simple to complex trades. A Commodity Broker with excellent trading platform can reduce cost of additional software and data maintenance. Execution and ability to process complex orders also play key role.  Trading platform with trading system abilities as well as the facility to interface with third-party trading systems is big asset and nice to have with commodity broker.

Another important factor to be considered in selecting a commodity brokers is the interest paid on unused capital in trading account. A Trading account of size $100,000 may have a difference of $2000 to $3000 on interest earned depending on the activity. Cheap commissions are important but expected annual commission costs are important along with interest paid on credit balances and interest charged on margin.

Commodity Brokers online platform comparison (Future trades)

Broker ---> Interactive Brokers Think or Swim Trade Station Global Futures Velocity Futures
Platform features
Minimum amount to open an account $4000.00 $3,500.00 $5,000.00 $2,000.00 $5,000.00
Ticket charge per trade None None None None None
Commissions per contract per side.
  • Minis: $1.81
  • Mini-Dow: $2.13
  • Gold and Silver mini: $2.13
  • E-mini ag's: $3.05
$3.50
  • $1.72-$6.00 based underlying
  • $5.00 per e-mini option trade
 $2.25 for e-minis $2.82 for most of e-minis
Commission for pit-traded contract $4.00 to $6.00 -N.A.- $6.99 to $13.98 -N.A.- -N.A.-
Interest* paid on credit balance 4.804% to 5.054% 1.5 %
(Fed Funds Rate-3.75%)		 1.25% -Unknown- -Unknown-
Interest* charged on margin 5.554% to 6.804% 8.95%
(Fed Funds Rate + 3.7%)		 6.75% to 8.25% -Unknown- -Unknown-
Platform fee -N.A.-
 -N.A.- $99.95/month
Free with 10round-turn trades.		 Supports various platforms. Varies with platform. Varies with platform
Market data fees Monthly fee form $1.00 to $55.00 per exchange.
varies on exchange. 		No charge
  • $59.95/month
  • Free with 10 round-turn trades.
  • Additional exchange fees
 None -Unknown-
Demo account for practice Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Order types supported
  • Over 40 diff. types supported. Notable's:
  • Market with protection
  • Market to limit
  • Mmarket if touched
  • Llimit if touched
  •  Immediate or cancel
  • Iceburg
  • Fill-or-Kill
  •  GTC
  • GTD
  • spreads on futures and future options
  • stops-adjustable
  • OCA
  • Hidden 
  • Basket
  • Conditional
  • Discretionary

 
  • Day orders
  • Market
  • Limit
  • Stop,Stop Limit
  • OCO
  • OTO
  • OTA
  • OTS
  • Blast6
  • Limit
  • Market
  • Stop
  • Stop Limit
  • Cancel/Replace stop limit
  • Stop market
 Varies with platform Varies with platform
Broker known to take other side of the trade? Yes No No No No
minimum commission cost for a condor on e-mini (involves 4 options per trade) $7.24 to $24.00 -N.A.-
Future options are not supported at this time. 		$20.00 $9.00 $11.28
Platform support for Excel DDE Yes Yes Yes -N.A.- -N.A.-
Trading system features within the platform Very minimal in their TWS. various orders can be set-up to enter, maintain and exit a trade.

their API support really opens for many system vendors.		 variety of order types can be set-up to enter,maintain and exit a trade.
  • Extensive.
  • Easy-Language allows to write your own rules to enter, maintain and exit a trade
  • Known for best charting.
  • Strategy creation and strategy back-testing supported.
 varies with platform varies with platform
Interface to third-part trading systems.
  • indexfuturos
  • Ensign software
  • Ninja Trader
 -Unknown- 100 + Add-ons available
  • J-Trader
  • X-Trader
  • GS Trader
  • Strategy Runner (Pro & lite)
  • Turbo trader
  • RAN

 
  • X-Trader & Pro
  • Ninja Trader
  • PS Trader
  • Strategy Runner
  • Velocity FIX Adapter
Mobile trade support Yes Yes -Unknown- -N.A.- -N.A.-
Webinars for learning platform Yes -Unknown- Yes varies with platform varies with platform
Customer service Chat/Email.
No phone support		 Email/Chat/Telephone.
Known for good c/s.		 Email/Chat/Telephone. Email/Telephone. Email/Telephone.

* Interest rates change with bench mark rates

*** Above information is best known information at the time. Changes are expected from time to time. Check with Broker for more accurate info.