Best Brokers for Single Stock Futures in 2026 (Compared)

In July 2026, CME Group launched single stock futures (SSFs) on more than 50 top US companies, including Nvidia, Tesla, Apple and SpaceX, and a first wave of futures brokers made the contracts available from day one. SSFs let you go long or short on individual stocks with the capital efficiency of futures, nearly 23 hours a day, but they are leveraged products, which makes the choice of broker, its costs, platform and data fees, genuinely important.

Below we compare the best brokers currently offering CME single stock futures to US traders. Every broker on this list is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or introduces to a registered Futures Commission Merchant, and is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA).

For broader comparisons, see our guides to the best futures trading platforms and the best futures brokers for beginners.

Best brokers for single stock futures

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Broker reviews

Plus500US (Plus500US Financial Services LLC) is a Futures Commission Merchant registered with the CFTC, a member of the NFA (ID number 0001398) and a CME clearing member, and it was one of the first brokers live with single stock futures on launch day. You will find the contracts under the “Single Stocks” and “Micro Single Stocks” sectors of its WebTrader platform, covering names like Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, SpaceX and Eli Lilly.

What makes it stand out for someone starting with SSFs is the total cost of getting going: commissions start at $0.49 per Micro contract, real-time market data is free (most futures brokers charge monthly data subscriptions that can exceed your commission bill), the minimum deposit is just $10, and there are no inactivity, platform or routing fees.

The unlimited demo account with $50,000 in virtual funds mirrors real pricing, including commissions, so you can practice trading Nvidia or SpaceX futures before risking a cent. The platform itself is deliberately simple: watchlists, alerts, basic technical analysis and three order types (Market, Limit, Stop) with attachable Take Profit and Stop Loss. Advanced traders may miss depth-of-market tools, but for directional SSF trading, especially around earnings, it covers what matters.

The parent group is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PLUS) and serves over 33 million registered customers worldwide. The main limitations: it is only available to US residents, and a $10 auto-liquidation fee applies per contract if you do not close a position before expiration.

Want to know more? Check our Plus500US review and visit Plus500’s website.

Optimus Futures is an NFA-registered Introducing Broker that routes to multiple CFTC-registered clearing firms and made CME single stock futures available to its clients from launch. Its defining strength is flexibility: instead of being locked into one front-end, you can trade SSFs through the proprietary Optimus Flow platform or pair your account with TradingView, Sierra Chart, MultiCharts and a long list of other professional platforms, choosing the tool that fits your workflow.

Commissions depend on the platform and clearing combination you choose and are generally competitive for a discount futures broker, with low day trading margins available on many contracts.

Where Optimus consistently earns praise is service: real futures specialists who answer the phone, help configure your platform and data setup, and guide you through contract specs and margin questions. That matters more than usual with a brand-new product like single stock futures, where margins, symbols and liquidity are still settling in the first months after launch.

For traders who want more control over their setup than an all-in-one app offers, without jumping straight to professional clearing relationships, Optimus sits in a sweet spot.

Want to know more? Check our Optimus Futures review and visit Optimus Futures’ website.

NinjaTrader, now part of the Kraken group, made CME single stock futures available to eligible users on launch day and brings the most aggressive commission structure in the industry for high-volume traders. On the free plan, you pay $0.39 per Micro and $1.29 per standard contract per side; the $99/month plan drops that to $0.29/$0.99; and the one-time $1,499 Lifetime license unlocks $0.09 per Micro and $0.59 per standard contract, the lowest per-trade rates available for SSFs.

The platform is the real differentiator: the SuperDOM depth-of-market ladder for one-click order entry, advanced charting, order flow tools, automated strategy support and unlimited simulated trading, trusted by more than 800,000 traders. There is no minimum deposit and day trading margins are among the lowest available.

The trade-offs: market data requires paid subscriptions, a monthly inactivity fee applies if you stop trading, and the platform’s learning curve is steep for newcomers. For active traders who will amortize the license through volume, though, nothing on this list beats it on cost per trade.

Futures accounts are cleared through NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA member.

Charles Schwab is the only broker on this list where single stock futures sit alongside stocks, ETFs, options and retirement accounts under one roof. If you already invest with Schwab, adding futures approval to your account gives you SSF access through thinkorswim, one of the most complete retail trading platforms available, with the paperMoney simulator included for risk-free practice.

Futures commissions are $2.25 per contract per side, notably higher than the futures specialists on this list, but you get Schwab’s research, 24/7 support and the convenience of managing your actual stock portfolio and your futures hedges from the same place. That combination is genuinely useful for investors who want to hedge single-name risk around earnings without selling shares, one of the most practical use cases for the new contracts.

Note that futures trading requires a separate approval on top of a standard Schwab brokerage account, and futures balances are not covered by SIPC protection.

How we chose the best brokers for single stock futures

Our team has professional experience in finance and portfolio analysis, and we have reviewed well over 100 brokers and trading platforms since we started publishing comparisons. This ranking follows the same methodology we apply across the site.

First, availability and regulation: we started from CME Group’s official list of brokers supporting single stock futures at launch, and only considered firms registered with the CFTC and NFA, or introducing brokers clearing through registered FCMs. More brokers are expected to add SSFs in the coming months, and we will update this comparison as they do.

Second, total cost of trading: commissions, market data subscriptions, platform fees and non-trading charges (minimum deposits, inactivity and withdrawal fees), using each broker’s published pricing rather than headline claims. With futures, data fees in particular can quietly exceed commissions for occasional traders, so we weighted the all-in cost, not just the per-contract rate.

Third, platform quality for the product’s main use cases: directional trading and overnight earnings reactions. We assessed order types, charting, depth-of-market tools, mobile experience and demo accounts, and gave weight to support quality, which matters more than usual with a newly launched product where margins and contract specs are still settling.

Final thoughts

Plus500US leads as the most accessible way to start trading single stock futures, combining low commissions, free market data, a $10 minimum and a real-pricing demo. Optimus Futures is the pick for traders who want platform flexibility with hands-on support, while NinjaTrader offers the lowest per-trade costs for high-volume traders willing to invest in the platform and Charles Schwab suits investors who want SSFs as a hedging tool inside a full brokerage account.

Whichever you choose, make sure you understand how single stock futures work, including margin, cash settlement and expiration mechanics, and start with a demo account. For related comparisons, see our guides to the best futures trading platforms and the best futures platforms for day trading.