How NinjaTrader counts trades
NinjaTrader’s Trade Performance report typically counts individual executions or fills. If you scale into a position with 3 separate entries and exit with 2 fills, NinjaTrader may show that as multiple trades. It also shows total contracts traded — so a 4-contract position counts differently than a 1-contract position.How TurtleMetrics counts trades
TurtleMetrics uses flat-to-flat counting. A single “trade” is everything that happens from the moment you open a position until you’re completely flat again. Here’s what that means in practice:Example: Scaling into a position
Example: Scaling into a position
You buy 1 MES contract at 5000, then buy another 1 MES at 5005, then sell all 2 at 5020.NinjaTrader might count this as 2–3 separate trades or show 4 total contracts.TurtleMetrics counts this as 1 trade — you went from flat (0 contracts) to a position, back to flat. The P&L, entry, and exit are calculated across all executions within that single position.
Example: Quick scalp
Example: Quick scalp
You buy 1 ES contract at 5000 and sell it at 5010.Both platforms count this as 1 trade. Simple round-trip trades always match.
Example: Reversals
Example: Reversals
You’re long 2 MES, then sell 4 MES (closing your long and opening a 2-contract short), then buy 2 MES to close.TurtleMetrics counts this as 2 trades: one long trade (flat → long → flat) and one short trade (flat → short → flat).
Why flat-to-flat?
Flat-to-flat counting gives you a cleaner picture of your actual trading decisions. Each trade represents a complete idea — from entry to exit — which makes analytics like win rate, average P&L per trade, and setup performance much more meaningful. If TurtleMetrics counted every individual fill as a separate trade, your metrics would be skewed by scaling behavior rather than reflecting actual strategy performance.What about the P&L?
Even though the trade count may differ, your total P&L should match between TurtleMetrics and NinjaTrader (before commissions, depending on configuration). The same executions go into the calculation — they’re just grouped differently. If your total P&L numbers don’t match, check the commissions setup guide to make sure both platforms are using the same commission values.Still seeing unexpected numbers?
If something looks off beyond the counting methodology:- Make sure all your trades have finished syncing (there’s a small delay after closing positions)
- Check that you’re looking at the same date range in both platforms
- Verify you’re comparing the same account — TurtleMetrics shows data per account