Trusted by AwardBroker
- Regulated by the top-tier CFTC in the US and member of the NFA
- Founded in 2004
- No investor protection
- Clean track record: no major regulatory incidents or fines
6,396 people picked this broker at AwardBroker in the last 6 months
Our take on Optimus Futures
Optimus Futures is a US-based introducing broker that offers futures trading services.
Its futures trading fees are one of the lowest on the market and there is no fee charged for ACH withdrawals. The desktop platform and research tools are great and meet the needs of experienced traders. Lastly, customer service gives helpful and quick answers.
On the negative side, the Optimus Flow platform is available only for Windows and there is no mobile trading platform. Non-US users can only use wire withdrawals, which carry a fee.
AwardBroker gave Optimus Futures a 4.5/5 rating based on analyzing 600+ criteria and testing via opening a live account.
Note: In the review, we cover the conditions relating to Ironbeam FCM as it's the main futures commission merchant (FCM) that Optimus Futures uses. Some conditions, like deposit/withdrawal fees, might differ if you use another FCM.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Low trading fees and free ACH withdrawal ❖ Great platform and research ❖ Fast customer service | ❖ Optimus Flow only available for Windows ❖ Withdrawal fee for non-US users |
Optimus Futures summary
| 🗺 Country of regulation | USA |
|---|---|
| 💰 US stock fee | Not available |
| 💰 Inactivity fee charged | No |
| 💰 Withdrawal fee | $0 |
| 💰 Minimum deposit | $500 |
| 💵 Available base currencies | USD |
| 💵 Conversion fee of deposits in non-base currency | Free |
| 💳 Deposit with bank card | Not available |
| 🕖 Time to open an account | 1 day |
| 🎮 Demo account provided | Yes |
| 🛍️ Products offered | Futures, Options on futures |
For a more comprehensive, in-depth look at the broker's services and features, simply expand on the sections below.
Fees
Score: 4.6/5
Optimus Futures has low futures fees and there is no inactivity fee. ACH withdrawals are free of charge but wire withdrawal fees can get quite high.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Low futures fees ❖ No inactivity fee ❖ Free ACH withdrawal | ❖ Wire withdrawals have a fee |
Optimus Futures trading fees
Optimus Futures trading fees are low.
The futures fees are really low at Optimus Futures, one of the best in the industry.
We compared the fees at Optimus Futures with two similar brokers we selected, NinjaTrader and AMP Futures. These competitors were selected based on objective factors like products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed comparison of Optimus Futures alternatives.
Futures fees
Optimus Futures futures fees are low.
| Optimus Futures | NinjaTrader | AMP Futures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US micro e-mini stock index futures | $2.5 | $3.5 | $1.4 |
| UK stock index futures | $7.5 | $12.9 | $11.0 |
The commission will not exceed $0.50 per side even if you trade only low volumes, but clients who meet daily volume thresholds can qualify for even lower fees, with discounted commissions as low as $0.10 per trade.
| Average daily contracts | Commission per trade for micro contracts | Commission per trade for standard contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 0-20 contracts | $0.25 | $0.75 |
| 21-100 contracts | $0.20 | $0.50 |
| 101-500 contracts | $0.15 | $0.25 |
| 501-1,000 contracts | $0.10 | $0.20 |
| 1,000< contracts | $0.05 | $0.10 |
On top of trading commissions, there are three more fee elements:
- Order routing fee: it can be up to $0.50 per trade depending on the FCM trading platform you use.
- Exchange/clearing & NFA Fees: it varies depending on exchanges and products. For the most popular Micro E-mini and E-mini futures, it is $0.25 and $1.28 per trade per contract, respectively.
- Market Data: the data fee for CME markets is $9 per month for non-professional traders.
Optimus Futures also provides options on futures. Options fees are the same as those for simple futures contracts.
Crypto fees
Optimus Futures offers trading of Bitcoin futures, using the same fee structure as for other futures products. The exchange fee for Bitcoin futures is $6.00 ($2.50 on Micro Bitcoin) per trade per contract on the CME and $1.25 per trade per contract on the CFE.
Non-trading fees
Optimus Futures has low non-trading fees.
There is no inactivity fee and deposits are also free. On the other hand, domestic wire withdrawals cost $20-40 and international wire withdrawals cost $25-60 fee per transaction.
| Optimus Futures | NinjaTrader | AMP Futures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | Yes | No |
| Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $30 |
How we ranked fees
We ranked Optimus Futures's fees as low, average or high based on how they compare to those charged by all the brokers reviewed by us.
There are two basic types of broker fees:
- Trading fees are charged when you trade and may include commissions, spreads, financing rates and conversion fees.
- Non-trading fees include charges not directly related to trading, such as withdrawal fees or inactivity fees.
Account opening
Score: 5/5
Optimus Futures‘s account opening is fully digital and the minimum deposit is not excessive. It's also great that the account opening process takes only one business day.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Fast ❖ Fully digital ❖ Low minimum deposit | None |
Can you open an account?
Yes, you can open an account at Optimus Futures if you live in the United States!
the United States
In this review, we tested an Optimus Futures account through the Ironbeam futures commission merchant (FCM). Ironbeam accepts clients from all over the world.
What is the minimum deposit at Optimus Futures?
The required Optimus Futures minimum deposit is $500.
This minimum deposit is relevant if you use if you use Ironbeam as your FCM.
Other FCMs might require a higher minimum deposit:
- GAIN Capital – $2,000 for standard contracts and $500 for E-mini futures
- StoneX, TradeStation, Wedbush, PhilipCapital- $5,000
- ADM Investor services – $10,000
Account types
Optimus Futures provides different account types based on ownership:
- Individual – account is owned by an individual
- Joint – account is owned by two or more individuals
- Corporate / LLC / Partnership / Trust – account is owned by a legal entity
US customers can also select IRA accounts, which is a tax-advantaged account.
How to open your account
The opening of an Optimus Futures account via Ironbeam is fully digital. The approval of the account was quick; it took us 1 business day to open the account. Also, the account opening process was seamless.
The first step is to select an FCM (futures commission merchant), a brokerage house that will clear your futures trades. We picked Ironbeam as it's the most promoted FCM on Optimus Futures and has the lowest minimum deposit requirement.
Opening your account through Ironbeam FCM consists of the following steps:
- Add your email address and your password.
- Select the account type and your trading objective.
- Enter basic personal data, such as name, email, phone number, country of residence.
- Add other personal information, such as your identity number or employment status.
- Answer a few questions about your financial status, like net income or net worth.
- Answer questions about your investment experience.
- Accept disclosure statements.
Non-US clients should also upload proof of identity and proof of residence. Once you have completed all these steps, you will receive a confirmation email with your credentials.
Optimus Futures review – Account opening
Deposit and withdrawal
Score: 1.6/5
Optimus Futures offers reasonably quick withdrawals and ACH withdrawals are free of charge. However, non-US users can only use wire withdrawals that carry a fee. Credit/debit cards are not available either.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ ACH deposits/withdrawals free ❖ Quick deposit and withdrawal | ❖ Credit/Debit card not available ❖ Withdrawal fee for non-US users |
Deposit fees and options
Optimus Futures charges no deposit fees.
However, your intermediary bank might charge a fee if you make an international bank transfer.
US residents can use checks and ACH to deposit.
Due to US regulations, US citizens cannot use credit cards to fund their brokerage accounts. They can only use debit cards, where available.
| Broker | Bank transfer |
|---|---|
| Optimus Futures | |
| NinjaTrader | |
| AMP Futures |
A bank transfer can take several business days. You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.
Optimus Futures review – Deposit and withdrawal – Deposit
Optimus Futures withdrawal fees and options
ACH withdrawals are free of charge. However, non-US users can only use wire withdrawals that cost between $25-60.
| Broker | Bank transfer |
|---|---|
| Optimus Futures | |
| NinjaTrader | |
| AMP Futures |
You can only withdraw money to accounts in your name.
How do you withdraw money from Optimus Futures?
- Log into Ironbeam's account
- Click on ‘Account Services' and select ‘Transfer Funds'
- Add the withdrawal method
- Enter the withdrawal amount and the details of your bank
Web trading platform
At the time of our review, Optimus Futures offered only a desktop version of the Optimus Flow platform. Please note however that Optimus Futures has a wide selection (40+) of futures trading platforms, including mobile and web/cloud-based versions.
Mobile trading platform
At the time of our review, Optimus Futures offered only a desktop version of the Optimus Flow platform. Please note however that Optimus Futures has a wide selection (40+) of futures trading platforms, including mobile and web/cloud-based versions.
Desktop trading platform
Score: 4.8/5
Optimus Futures‘s desktop platform is highly customizable and has many advanced features to assit futures trading. However, it might feel complicated at first and it also lacks a two-step login.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Clear fee report ❖ Good customizability (for charts, workspace) ❖ Good variety of order types | ❖ No two-step (safer) login ❖ Slightly complicated interface ❖ Only for Windows |
In this review, we tested the Optimus Flow desktop trading platform, as it is one of Optimus Futures‘s own trading platforms and has no monthly fee. This platform is only available for Windows.
However, if you feel that it doesn't suit your needs, you can choose from more than 40 other trading platforms, including TradeStation's platforms. Many of these platforms charge a monthly fee, though.
The desktop trading platform is available in many languages.
| English | Russian | Ukrainian | Chinese |
| Spanish | German | French | Portuguese |
| Italian | Turkish | Arabic | Polish |
| Korean | Farsi | Hindi | Thai |
Look and feel
The Optimus Flow desktop trading platform might be too complex for beginners, but for advanced users it's a well-designed system. Day-traders who take their trading cues from charts will especially like Optimus Flow.
The desktop platform is highly customizable and there are tons of apps and add-ons to personalize your workspace.
Optimus Futures review – Desktop trading platform
Login and security
Optimus Futures provides only a one-step login. A two-step authentication would be more secure and adding this feature should be high on any company's list of security changes.
The first time you want to use your account, you have to log in with your username and password and also set your credentials for the connection. You can set the credentials if you click ‘Connections' (you can find on the top) and select ‘Configure'.
Each time you log in, you have to choose your data provider and choose whether you want to access your demo account or your real account(s). Once it's activated – marked in green as ‘Connected' – you'll be able to see your positions and account balance, and can start trading.
Search functions
The search functions are good.
There are multiple ways to find an asset to trade.
To help you decide whether you found the correct product, there is a ‘symbol info' panel that gives you a detailed overview of the product.
The front month for all futures and options products is placed on top of the search result list. You can also do a manual search by browsing various categories, although this requires some prior knowledge of exchanges' product offerings and the symbols of various products.
Optimus Futures review – Desktop trading platform – Search
Placing orders
Optimus Futures provides a wide range of order types on the desktop trading platform.
| Bid | Ask | Market |
| Limit | Stop | Stop Limit |
| Trailing Stop |
There is also a wide range of order-placing strategies you can choose from:
- Iceberg
- Local SL/TP
- Limit if touched
- Market if touched
- Orders grid
- Scheduled
- Time Split
There are also order time limits you can use on the desktop platform:
- Good Til Canceled (GTC)
- Day
Optimus Futures review – Desktop trading platform – Order panel
Alerts and notifications
You can set alerts and notifications on the desktop trading platform.
Alerts are also available for demo accounts.
Portfolio and fee reports
Optimus Futures has clear fee reports.
You can find reports under the ‘Trades' info panel.
Markets and products
Score: 1.8/5
At Optimus Futures (using Optimus Flow), you can trade futures and options on futures. Other popular asset classes such as real stocks or ETFs are not available.
However, it is not significantly different from that of similar futures-oriented brokers.
| Optimus Futures | NinjaTrader | AMP Futures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | No | No | No |
| ETFs | No | No | No |
| Forex | No | No | No |
| Funds | No | No | No |
| Bonds | No | No | No |
| Options | No | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | No | No | No |
| Crypto | No | Yes | No |
This selection is average compared to competing brokers.
Futures
You can trade futures on an impressive number of futures and options markets.
| Optimus Futures | NinjaTrader | AMP Futures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futures markets (#) | 14 | 7 | 10 |
This selection is great compared to competing brokers. Both NinjaTrader and AMP Futures offer fewer futures markets to trade on.
The following exchanges are available for futures trading:
- CME – Chicago Mercantile Exchange
- CBOT – Chicago Board of Trade
- NYMEX – New York Mercantile Exchange
- COMEX – Commodity Exchange Inc.
- CBOE – CBOE Futures Exchange
- EUREX – futures and options market dealing primarily with Europe-based derivatives
- KCBOT – Kansas City Board of Trade
- MGEX – Minneapolis Grain Exchange
- ICE Futures US – Intercontinental Exchange's US-based futures
- ICE Futures Europe – Intercontinental Exchange's EU-based futures
- NYSE LIFFE – the global derivatives business of NYSE Euronext
- SGX – Singapore Exchange
- ASX – Australian Securities Exchange
- LME – London Metal Exchange
The CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX exchanges are part of the CME group. Eurex is part of the Eurex Group and is owned by Deutsche Börse AG.
Cryptos
Bitcoin and Ethereum futures is also available to trade on the following markets:
- CME
- ICE
Research
Score: 4.3/5
Optimus Flow has great research tools and special features for technical trading. Charts are advanced yet easy to use and come with many indicators.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Good interactive chart ❖ Good set of analytical tools | ❖ No trading ideas |
Just like for the desktop trading platform, we tested the research tools on Optimus Flow.
Trading ideas
Optimus Futures does not provide trading ideas.
However, it has a podcast and video section and also some articles on general trading ideas, setups, and best practices.
Fundamental data
Optimus Futures does not offer fundamental data.
This is no surprise as Optimus Futures's main focus is technical trading.
Charting
Optimus Futures has good charting tools. You can use 85 technical indicators.
The chart editor tools are also very advanced and customizable.
Optimus Futures review – Research – Charting
News feed
There is no news feed available.
Other research tools you may enjoy
There are a wide range of other research tools you can use:
- Live market data and quotes (includes level2 data)
- Charts
- Time and tick chart aggregations
- Standard and custom timeframes
- Settings backup manager
- Historical symbols
- Basic chart drawing tools
- Basic technical indicators (40+). Two indicators per single chart.
- Market depth
- DOM trader
- Time & sales
- Exchange times
- Stat matrix
- RSS reader
- Algo extension for Visual Studio
- Access via API
- Order Flow Surface
- DOM Surface – Track all liquidity changes in the order book as well as the trading activity of participants via the Heatmap view
- Volume Analysis – Find strong price levels with volumetric tools and identify reliable price zones and liquidity patterns such as absorption, exhaustion, and pullbacks
- TPO Profile Chart – See the price distribution during a specified time via the TPO profile and understand at which levels the price has spent the most time
- Advanced Features – Advanced chart types: Renko, Kagi, P&F and Heikin-Ashi, Unlimited Overlays, Unlimited Indicators
- Power Trades – Detect execution of a large number of orders in a very short time and catch the price change
- Options Trading – Tools for creating and analyzing option trading strategies or profiles, as well as option Greeks. Includes Option Desk, Options Analyzer, Working orders and Positions (real and paper)
Customer service
Score: 4.5/5
Optimus Futures‘s customer service is exceptionally good – both fast and helpful – across multiple platforms, and includes unique features such as a support forum.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Phone support ❖ Live chat ❖ Fast response time ❖ Relevant answers | ❖ No 24/7 support |
You can contact Optimus Futures via:
- live chat
- phone
Optimus Futures has a speedy live chat. It's a great plus that the first questions and answers are automated, navigating you to the relevant person who will then answer your actual questions. We were satisfied with the quality of the answers we got.
Optimus Futures phone support was also great, providing us with relevant answers.
Via email, we likewise received helpful answers, while turnaround was quick.
Lastly, there is an active support forum, where you can interact with other users and Optimus Futures's support team.
The only thing we missed was 24/7 availability.
Optimus Futures review – Customer Service
Education
Score: 4/5
Optimus Futures has great education tools. There is a well-structured video library on its YouTube channel, and you can also use a demo account.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Demo account ❖ Trading platform tutorial ❖ Educational videos | ❖ No webinars |
At Optimus Futures you can learn through the following ways:
- Demo account
- Platform tutorial videos
- General educational videos
- Quality educational articles
As Optimus Futures is an introducing broker, it offers several trading platforms. Instead of embedding hundreds of tutorial videos on the website, Optimus Futures has created a well-structured and organized video library on its YouTube channel.
Optimus Futures also offers a demo account, which we think is the best way to get familiar with the platform. You can also use a ‘Simulated trading' feature, where all market prices and conditions are simulated. It's useful both for learning and for testing new trading concepts.
There is also a webinar section on the website; however, we found no upcoming webinars upon repeated visits to the website, suggesting that such events are likely not held very frequently.
Optimus Futures review – Education
Safety
Optimus Futures is an introducing broker of FCMs, which hold your assets and cash and are regulated by top-tier financial authorities. On the negative side, Optimus Futures doesn't disclose its financials.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| ❖ Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | ❖ No investor protection ❖ No negative balance protection ❖ Does not hold a banking license |
Is Optimus Futures regulated?
Optimus Futures is registered with the National Futures Association (NFA), which allows it to provide introducing broker services for futures commission merchants (FCMs) such as Ironbeam, TradeStation or Wedbush. These companies are all regulated by at least one top-tier financial authority, such as the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
What does Optimus Futures‘s introducing broker status mean? It means that your assets and cash are held at FCMs, like Ironbeam, but the platform, fee structure, and customer support are provided by Optimus Futures.
Is Optimus Futures safe?
To be certain that a brokerage is safe, we highly advise that you check two facts:
- how you are protected if something goes wrong
- the background of the broker.
How you are protected
To check who the relevant regulator is for you, we recommend that you check the background of the FCM where your assets and cash are held, as Optimus Futures is only an introducing broker.
In this review, we tested Optimus Futures's Optimus Flow platform through an account opened with Ironbeam. In this case, Ironbeam would be the entity holding your assets and cash. Ironbeam is regulated by the top-tier US CFTC.
We recommend Optimus Futures's services for experienced traders because futures trading is not covered by investor protection schemes. In addition, there's no negative balance protection. If the balance on your account goes negative, you will be responsible for replenishing those losses.
Background
Optimus Futures was established in 2004. The longer track record a broker has, the more proof we have that it has successfully weathered previous financial crises.
Bottom line
Optimus Futures‘s Optimus Flow is a great platform for futures trading.
On the plus side, we liked its low trading commissions. Its advanced trading platform is great for experienced futures and options traders. Optimus Futures has great customer service including an active user forum, as well as some niche educational materials.
Optimus Futures has some drawbacks, though. For Optimus Flow, there is no mobile platform and the desktop platform is available only for Windows. Non-US users can use only wire withdrawals that cost between $25-60.
As there is a free demo account that you can open in a few minutes, you should feel free to try Optimus Flow.
FAQ
We recommend Optimus Futures for day traders focusing on futures and technical trading.
Below you can find links to all aspects of Optimus Futures in this comprehensive collection.
Lower fees, lower costs?
We detailed this in our Optimus Futures fees article.
What about the minimum deposit?
Our ultimate guide to the Optimus Futures minimum deposit is updated regularly.
How to start your Optimus Futures account?
Look no further than our evaluation of the Optimus Futures account opening.
Is the quality of customer service satisfactory?
All you need to know about the Optimus Futures customer service.
Legit or scam?
Is Optimus Futures legit features all the key aspects you need to look at to see if a broker is safe and legit.
Free or premium? Or both?
A glance at actual costs and whether Optimus Futures is really free.
Is this broker good for beginners?
We checked it in Is Optimus Futures good for beginners.
Should you buy your silver bullets on Optimus Futures?
Research for silver bugs in the Silver buy on Optimus Futures guide
What is the minimum account balance at Optimus Futures?
Check out the current account balance requirements at Optimus Futures in our What is the minimum account balance at Optimus Futures article.
Looking for commission and fees data for Optimus Futures?
We collected them in Optimus Futures commission and fees.
How do you withdraw money from Optimus Futures?
We tested it and collected the options and costs in How to withdraw money on Optimus Futures.