Fast charts. Fast entries. FastTrader.

FastTrader is charting and trade execution software for Interactive Brokers customers. It helps active traders replace the tangled workflow of using Thinkorswim or TradingView for charting and DAS Trader or Trader Workstation for execution. Built on top of the Interactive Brokers API, FastTrader has 24-hour charts with overnight trading, defined-risk orders, single-click options trades, hotkeys for everything, and native Mac and Windows support.

Your current setup

Thinkorswim logoThinkorswim
TradingView logoTradingView
DAS Trader logoDAS Trader
TWS logoTWS

Your new setup

FastTrader app iconFastTrader

Built around how active traders actually work

Market data

True 24-Hour Charts and Trading

See and trade overnight, premarket, and after-hours price action in one continuous view. Built on Lightweight Charts by TradingView for a familiar charting feel.

Execution

Chart-first trading flow

Place trades directly from the chart with tools built for speed instead of brokerage clutter.

Single-Click Trading

Equities, Options, Futures

Purpose-built trading panel that supports single-click defined-risk orders and single-click options trades with auto-selected strikes and expirations.

Hotkeys

Hotkey-Centered Design

Define hotkeys for studies, drawings, timeframes, trades, and more so you can focus on execution instead of digging through menus.

Workspace

Flexible layouts

Switch between saved multi-monitor setups without rebuilding your workspace each session.

Platform

Windows and Mac

Get the same fast, hotkey-centered native desktop workflow on either platform.

Quick demo

See FastTrader In Action

24-Hour Charts

24-Hour Charts

Preview Candle On Daily Chart In Premarket

Preview Candle On Daily Chart In Premarket

Daily SMAs And Weekly SMAs On Intraday Charts

Daily SMAs And Weekly SMAs On Intraday Charts

Trading Panel

Trading Panel

Watchlist / Scanner

Watchlist / Scanner

General FAQ

Can I use FastTrader with my IB account?

Yes, as long as you have a funded IBKR Pro account. The commission-free Lite account does not support API access.

Are my IBKR account credentials safe?

FastTrader never requests or sees your IB account credentials. You log into Trader Workstation or Gateway API, then run FastTrader, which connects to the API provided by these applications.

Is FastTrader a desktop app or a web app?

FastTrader is a desktop app that supports multi-monitor layouts and runs natively on Windows and Mac.

What IB market data subscriptions do I need?

You need access to real-time data in your IB account, which means you will need at least these 3 subscriptions:

  • US Equity and Options Add-On Streaming Bundle (NP)
  • US Securities Snapshot and Futures Value Bundle (NP,L1)
  • US Real-Time Non Consolidated Streaming Quotes (IBKR-PRO)

You also need to sign Market Data API Acknowledgement, which is located on the right side of the page in Settings -> Market Data Subscriptions in your Interactive Brokers account.

How do I create an IB Paper Account?

It is highly recommended that you thoroughly test FastTrader for your trading workflow with an IB paper account.

This is the official guide: How to create an IB Paper Trading Account

Technical FAQ

How do I configure TWS or IB Gateway for FastTrader?

In TWS, go to File -> Global Configuration -> API -> Settings. Check Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients and uncheck Read-Only API. If you use Gateway API, just uncheck Read-Only API in settings.

You can also check Bypass Order Precautions for API Orders if you want to ignore precautionary settings that are set in Global Configuration -> Presets. In addition, if you plan to trade OVERNIGHT, you need to check Bypass Redirect Order warning for Stock API Orders. This is because Overnight is considered an exchange in IB and routing to it means you are using direct routing instead of SMART routing.

How many charts can I open simultaneously?

The number of chart windows is not limited. However, the number of distinct symbols that you can open is guided by the tick-by-tick subscriptions limit in your IBKR account.

To check your maximum number of tick-by-tick subscriptions, open Trader Workstation and press Alt+Ctrl+=. Additional subscriptions can be purchased in your IBKR account.

Why is chart loading slow for symbols opened for the first time?

IB API is notoriously slow for large historical data pulls and especially for overnight historical data. If you have multiple charts with different timeframes and overnight flags, the initial load can be slow.

Subsequent loads of the same symbol will be quick because historical data is cached and only the recent history will be pulled from IB API.

If you need to load new symbols quickly, limit the number of timeframes and disable overnight data on the chart. The slowest timeframe to load is 4hr, because it is built based on 1hr bars (IB API does not provide correct 4hr candle data).

How do I request a new feature or report a bug?

Use the bug icon in the app's top menu.

Can I correct morning spike candles that appear at 8am?

Morning spike candles appear in the 8:00-8:16am window in Trader Workstation and can distort all timeframes. FastTrader automatically cleans up these candles, re-assembles all timeframes, and refreshes the charts at 8:31am.

Can I manually correct a candle?

Yes. Right click on the candle, then choose Correct Candle to manually enter corrected candle OLHC values, or use Autocorrect Candle (preferred way), which finds the single spike 1-minute candle, clamps it, then re-assembles all higher timeframes so that all charts are consistent and clean.

How do I fix the charts after stock-split?

Click chart settings gear in the bottom-right corner of the chart window and select Reload All TF, which will erase all cache for symbol and reload updated post-split history.

Will chart alerts be triggered when the app is closed?

No. Alerts only trigger while the app is open. If the app is closed and price crosses the alert level, the alert will show the next time the app is opened, provided that the conditions for the alert are still met.

Can I execute equity orders in Overnight session (8pm - 3:50am)?

Yes, but any equities order outside regular trading hours should be a limit order. The Outside RTH checkbox should also be enabled in the trading panel for the limit order to execute in extended hours. To trade OVERNIGHT, select OVN in the TIF (time-in-force) dropdown in the trading panel and use limit orders.

I have multiple monitors and when the computer wakes up from sleep, the charts are scattered. How can I fix it?

This issue is related to Windows display management and delays between monitor wake-ups. To restore all app windows to their proper location, go to menu -> Restore Window Positions or use the default hotkey Ctrl+Shift+R.

My app becomes slow with multiple monitors

If you use multiple GPUs, especially internal GPU + external / discrete GPU, you can now choose where each app window is rendered.

For app windows on monitors connected to internal GPU, choose Restart with Software Rendering in window menu.

For app windows on monitors connected to external / discrete GPU, choose Restart with GPU Rendering in window menu.

I am moving to a new computer, how can I transfer my saved layouts, settings such as saved chart styles, drawings, indicator configs, watchlist and scanner symbols, and other settings?

You can simply copy your saved desktop layout files and open them after a new app install.

To preserve chart styles, drawings, configs, watchlist and scanner symbols, copy symbolHistory.* and database.* files to your new computer.

On Windows, these files are stored in:

  • %APPDATA%\FastTrader or %LOCALAPPDATA%\FastTrader as a fallback

Typical path:

  • C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\FastTrader\

Possible fallback:

  • C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\FastTrader\

On Mac, these files are stored in:

  • ~/Library/Application Support/FastTrader
I have AMD Adrenalin drivers and my hotkeys don't work correctly

Disable AMD hotkeys in Adrenalin Software:

  1. Open AMD Software.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Go to Hotkeys.
  4. Disable hotkeys globally, or clear/remap the specific conflicting shortcuts.
  5. Also check Settings -> Preferences for overlay/in-game overlay options and disable overlay if you do not use it.