BadTrade Disciple vs CrossTrade
Two NinjaTrader 8 trade copiers compared on what each vendor publishes: price, where it runs, account limits and prop-firm status.
Disclosure: I sell Trade Disciple, so keep that in mind. Every fact about CrossTrade comes from its vendor’s own pages, read on October 3, 2026. Prop-firm approval facts come from the firm’s own page. Where something isn’t published, I say so instead of guessing. Prices and promotions change.
| Trade Disciple | CrossTrade | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | BadBuddha Customs (me) | CrossTrade |
| Where it runs | Add-on inside NinjaTrader 8, on your own computer. | On NinjaTrader 8 it copies inside NinjaTrader through an add-on, so NinjaTrader must stay open and connected. On Tradovate it copies in CrossTrade’s cloud, so your computer can be off. |
| Price, as the vendor states it | $5/month, flat, after a 30-day free trial; or a one-time $199 lifetime license (launch price) with all future updates and support. | The copier is part of the Pro plan: $49/month, or $469 billed yearly. Elite is $99/month. The Standard plan ($29/month) does not include it. |
| Rough first-year cost | About $60 for the first year on the monthly plan, or $199 once for the lifetime license. | About $469 on the yearly plan, or $588 paying monthly. |
| Accounts | One master account to up to 20 follower (“disciple”) accounts. Licensed to your NinjaTrader account, not the computer: a desktop and a laptop signed in to the same account are covered by one license. | Unlimited accounts; the page says there are no per-account fees or follower caps. |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader 8 only. | NinjaTrader 8 and Tradovate. |
| Trial and refunds | 30-day free trial of every feature. All sales are final: no refund for a month already billed or for the lifetime license. Cancel the monthly plan anytime to stop renewal. | 7-day free trial. CrossTrade says it does not provide refunds on paid plans; you can cancel anytime. |
| On TakeProfitTrader’s approved list? | Not named. | Not named. |
| What the vendor says about prop-firm rules | Check your firm’s rules first. No prop firm has approved Trade Disciple. | CrossTrade says to check your firm’s current rules and your account agreement before enabling a copier, and that it does not decide whether a firm permits copying. |
Pick CrossTrade if
- You trade Tradovate accounts too. CrossTrade copies there in its cloud, so your computer can be off. Trade Disciple runs only inside NinjaTrader 8.
- You want more than 20 follower accounts. CrossTrade says unlimited accounts with no per-account fees.
Pick Trade Disciple if
- You mainly want a NinjaTrader 8 copier at a lower price. Trade Disciple is $5/month, or $199 once, against CrossTrade Pro at $49/month ($469 billed yearly).
- You want to try every feature free for 30 days (CrossTrade’s trial is 7 days).
- You run Karma Guardian and want copying to stop on a locked account.
What I couldn’t confirm
- Prop-firm approval. CrossTrade says it doesn’t decide firm eligibility, and it isn’t named on TakeProfitTrader’s list.
- Latency. CrossTrade’s copier page says there’s no network hop between leader and follower on NinjaTrader 8, but I have no measured figure for any copier.
Check your prop firm first
Whether copying is allowed is the firm’s call. TakeProfitTrader publishes an approved-copier list that doesn’t name Trade Disciple, and other firms set their own conditions. The prop-firm policy table shows what six firms’ own pages say. Read your firm’s page before you copy a trade.
Trade Disciple vs CrossTrade: FAQ
Is Trade Disciple or CrossTrade better for prop firm accounts?
That depends on your firm’s own rules rather than on either product. CrossTrade says it doesn’t decide whether a firm permits copying and tells you to check your firm’s rules and your account agreement before enabling a copier. TakeProfitTrader’s approved-copier list names neither CrossTrade nor Trade Disciple. Read your firm’s page first. The policy table on the Trade Disciple page links six firms’ published rules.
How much does CrossTrade cost compared with Trade Disciple?
CrossTrade’s copier is part of its Pro plan at $49 a month, or $469 billed yearly, which is about $39 a month. Its Standard plan at $29 a month doesn’t include it. Trade Disciple is $5 a month after a 30-day free trial, or $199 once. Over a year that is about $60 for Trade Disciple’s monthly plan against $469 to $588 for CrossTrade Pro. CrossTrade offers a 7-day free trial and says it doesn’t give refunds on paid plans. These prices were read on October 3, 2026, so check each vendor’s page before buying.
Does CrossTrade run inside NinjaTrader 8?
On NinjaTrader 8 its copier works through an add-on inside NinjaTrader, so NinjaTrader has to stay open and connected. On Tradovate it copies in CrossTrade’s cloud, so your computer can be off. Trade Disciple runs only inside NinjaTrader 8, on your own computer.
Sources and further reading
Official pages for the facts in this guide, last opened October 2026. Rules and schedules change, so check the source before relying on it.
- CrossTrade trade copier — how it works, accounts, platforms
- CrossTrade pricing — plan prices, trial, refunds
- TakeProfitTrader: Trade Copier Policy — the approved-copier list