You can set up automated NQ futures trading on NinjaTrader 8 yourself. Each step shows exactly what to click and where people usually get stuck. Prefer a hand? Book a 20-minute Storm call and the team sets it up with you.
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Step 1 · 5 minutes
Storm is licensed to you by Freedom Algos. Book a short Storm call to choose the license that fits you; the team confirms your plan, your price and your starting position size before you pay anything.
Tip: use the same email for your Storm license, your broker and NinjaTrader. One email for everything makes support much faster.
Step 2 · 15 minutes + broker approval
Storm runs inside NinjaTrader 8 and places trades on your own futures account. NQ futures trade on the CME, a US exchange, and your account is held at a broker registered with the CFTC and a member of the NFA. Your money stays there, in your name.
Your account needs
NinjaTrader Brokerage
NinjaTrader's own brokerage, registered with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant and an NFA member. The most direct path: one account covers the platform and your trading account.
Interactive Brokers
One of the largest CFTC-registered FCMs and NFA members in the US. Connects to NinjaTrader 8. A good option if you already have an account there.
You don't need to install NinjaTrader on your own computer. It comes pre-installed on the VPS in Step 3.
Using a prop firm funded account? Many traders run Storm on funded accounts. Book a call so the team can confirm how your firm's account connects to NinjaTrader 8 and that Storm's worst-case loss fits your firm's daily loss limit.
Freedom Algos is a software provider. We are not a broker, and we don't recommend, endorse or guarantee any broker. Compare brokers and choose what fits you.
Step 3 · 10 minutes
A VPS (virtual private server) is a computer in a data center that stays on all the time, so Storm keeps running even if your internet, laptop or power goes down. Storm adjusts stops and sends orders often, so a server close to the CME's matching engines in Chicago gets you faster, cleaner fills.
Provider
QuantVPS
Minimum plan
VPS Pro or higher
Location
Chicago, USA
Can't find your VPS login? QuantVPS has a guide: how to find your VPS login credentials. You can also see them in your QuantVPS dashboard under server details.
QuantVPS plans and prices change; check their site for current pricing. The link above is a referral link, and Freedom Algos may receive compensation if you sign up through it.
Step 4 · 5 minutes
You reach your VPS with a remote desktop app, from a computer, phone or tablet. Pick your device and follow QuantVPS's official guide.
Step 5 · 10 minutes
NinjaTrader 8 is already installed on your VPS. Now you sign in and connect it to your broker so Storm can see prices and place orders.
Time zone settingsTurning on Multi-Provider
Connection error? QuantVPS keeps a guide to the most common NinjaTrader login errors.
Step 6 · 2 minutes + key by email
Your Storm license is tied to the computer it runs on. NinjaTrader gives each computer a Machine ID; you send it to us and we send back your license key. Do this on your VPS.
Running Storm on more than one computer? Repeat this on each one and send every Machine ID. Reinstalling Windows or moving to a new VPS creates a new Machine ID, so you'll need a new key.
Step 7 · 15 minutes
Storm comes as a NinjaTrader add-on file (.zip). You import it, open an NQ chart, add Storm to the chart, set your position size and enable it.
Install
Add it to a chart
Chart and Storm setupSaving your workspace
Choosing your size
Storm scales into a trade with up to three positions. By default each position is 1 contract, so a full trade is 3 contracts. Start small; you can scale up after you've watched Storm for a while.
| Account | Starting size |
|---|---|
| Smaller account, or new to futures | Micro NQ (MNQ): 1 / 1 / 1 MNQ, one-tenth the size of NQ |
| $25,000 evaluation or starter account | 1 / 1 / 1 NQ (3 max) |
| $50,000–$100,000 funded account | 1 / 1 / 1 NQ; consider 2 per position only after 60+ days |
| $150,000+ funded account | Per your prop firm's rules |
| Personal cash account | So a full stop on every position risks no more than 1–3% of your balance |
Know your worst case. Stop distance in points × point value ($20 per point on NQ, $2 on MNQ) × number of contracts = your loss if every position is stopped out. Make sure that fits your risk and any daily loss limit. Example: 20 points × $2 × 3 MNQ = $120. See the recommended setups for tested contract ladders.
Don't edit Storm's code or hidden settings, and don't run two copies of Storm on the same account; they'll compete for the same position.
That's it. Storm is set up.
From here, Storm runs during its trading window each session. A two-minute routine keeps it running smoothly.
Turn Storm off on
If Storm turns off mid-session
Leave it off for the rest of the day and turn it back on before 9:30 ET tomorrow. Re-enabling mid-session can fire on an old signal or repeat a trade. If it keeps happening, contact support.
Still stuck? Email support@freedomalgos.com with the date and time, what you saw, and any message from NinjaTrader's Log tab, or book a Storm call and the team will look at it with you.