Quantower takes the higher overall PlatformScore (80/100 vs 72/100), leading on value, ease of use, broker/data, prop-firm and community. MotiveWave counters with stronger automation. Both are built for futures traders, but they land in different spots. This page breaks down all seven scoring axes, then a plain answer on who should pick which.
| Feature | Quantower | MotiveWave |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing structure (lifetime vs monthly) | Free tier · Lifetime $1590 | Free tier, paid from $24-159/mo · Lifetime $245-2295 |
| Supported data feeds | Rithmic, CQG, dxFeed, many | Rithmic, CQG |
| Prop firm support | Very High (Rithmic (broad)) | Moderate-High (Rithmic (broad)) |
| Metric | Quantower | MotiveWave |
|---|---|---|
| From | $0-80/mo | $24-159/mo |
| Prop-firm support | Very High | Moderate-High |
| Connection | Rithmic (broad) | Rithmic (broad) |
| Value | 9.0 | 8.0 |
| Order Flow | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Automation | 6.0 | 8.0 |
| Ease of Use | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| Broker/Data | 9.5 | 6.5 |
| Prop-Firm | 10.0 | 7.0 |
| Community | 8.6 | 8.2 |
| PlatformScore | 80 | 72 |
Visit Quantower → Referral code: PlatformscoreVisit MotiveWave →
Price & value: Quantower leads here at 9.0/10 (elite) vs MotiveWave's 8.0/10. Quantower runs $0-80/mo with a free tier, MotiveWave runs $24-159/mo with a free tier. Value here weighs subscription cost against the data feed you can't avoid, not just the sticker price.
Order flow: Quantower and MotiveWave are essentially tied here (8.0 vs 8.0/10). This axis measures footprint charts, DOM/ladder tools, volume profile and liquidity heatmaps, the tools order-flow and tape-reading traders lean on most.
Automation & backtesting: MotiveWave leads here at 8.0/10 (excellent) vs Quantower's 6.0/10. This axis measures scripting language depth and the strategy backtesting/optimization engine, what matters if you're coding and testing your own systems rather than trading discretionarily.
Ease of use: Quantower leads here at 6.0/10 (middling) vs MotiveWave's 4.0/10. This axis measures how quickly a new trader gets productive, the inverse of the learning curve. It matters most in the first few weeks, well before it affects your actual trading results.
Broker & data flexibility: Quantower leads here at 9.5/10 (elite) vs MotiveWave's 6.5/10. Quantower connects via Rithmic (broad) across 4 data feed(s). MotiveWave connects via Rithmic (broad) across 2 data feed(s). Broker lock-in matters if you ever want to switch brokers without switching platforms too.
Prop-firm support: Quantower leads here at 10.0/10 (elite) vs MotiveWave's 7.0/10. Quantower rates Very High for prop-firm support (Rithmic (broad)). MotiveWave rates Moderate-High (Rithmic (broad)). Both are confirmed compatible with Apex, Bulenox, Elite Trader Funding.
Quantower wins 4 of these 6 head-to-head axes to 1, but the margins vary a lot, worth weighing which axes matter most for how you actually trade.
Pick Quantower if prop-firm support and data-feed & broker flexibility matter most to you. It's the stronger fit for prop-firm and funded traders and multi-broker traders. One concrete edge: genuinely usable free tier.
Pick MotiveWave if its community rating and value for money matter most to you instead. It leans toward community-driven traders and budget-conscious traders. One concrete edge: genuinely usable free tier.
Neither choice is permanent. Most traders eventually run more than one platform side by side once they know exactly which job each one is best at.
Quantower is cheaper to start than MotiveWave. See the price & value breakdown above for what that actually buys you on each platform.
Quantower rates higher for prop-firm support here. Quantower is Very High (Rithmic (broad)), MotiveWave is Moderate-High (Rithmic (broad)). Always confirm your specific firm allows the platform before funding an account.
They're evenly matched for order flow, both rate 8.0/10 for footprint, DOM/ladder and volume-profile tooling.
MotiveWave scores higher for automation and backtesting, 6.0/10 vs 8.0/10, the axis that covers scripting depth and strategy testing.
Quantower has the gentler learning curve, rating 6.0/10 for ease of use vs 4.0/10. A shorter learning curve mostly saves you time in the first few weeks, it isn't a lasting edge on its own.
Quantower scores 80/100 overall, MotiveWave scores 72/100. Quantower is the higher overall score, driven mainly by the axes where it leads above.
Yes. Plenty of traders run two platforms side by side, one for charting and order flow and another for automation or execution, rather than treating this as an exclusive choice.