summary: edgeful runs in the cloud — no VPS or special hardware required. what you need depends on what you want to do. start with the matrix below, then read the detailed sections for the parts that apply to you.
what do I need to use edgeful?
your requirements depend on which parts of edgeful you want to use. find your row, then jump to the relevant detail section below.
what you want to do | TradingView account? | TradingView plan? | broker? | edgeful plan? |
reports / screener / what's in play / edgeful AI | no | — | — | essential or all access |
edgeful indicators on TradingView (visual) | yes | free works | — | essential or all access |
automate algos (live or SIM) | yes | essential or higher (webhooks aren't available on free or basic) | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, or ProjectX | all access |
deep backtesting in the strategy report | yes | premium or higher | — | all access |
a few things to internalize before you start:
edgeful indicators are TradingView indicators. they live on your TradingView chart, not inside edgeful itself. you connect your TradingView username inside edgeful so we can grant you access to the invite-only scripts.
brokers don't talk to TradingView directly. the chain is: TradingView fires an alert → webhook → edgeful → your broker. your broker (Tradovate, NinjaTrader, ProjectX) is connected to edgeful, not to TradingView. edgeful is the middleware that executes the trade.
"the algo runs on my broker" is a common misconception. the algo runs as a Pine Script indicator on TradingView. the broker is the thing that executes the orders edgeful sends after the algo fires.
what you don't need
you don't need a virtual private server (VPS) to run edgeful's algorithms. edgeful runs through cloud infrastructure — no local machine needs to stay always-on. you can trade from any device with a browser.
TradingView
TradingView is required if you want to use the edgeful indicators on charts, run alerts, or automate algos. it's not required if you only use the reports, screener, what's in play, or edgeful AI — those all live inside edgeful itself.
TradingView plan tiers, mapped to what they unlock with edgeful:
Free / Basic — view edgeful indicators on charts visually. no algo automation: TradingView's free and basic tiers don't support webhook alerts, which is what edgeful uses to receive trade signals.
Essential — webhooks are unlocked, so algo automation works. enough chart history for shorter-term backtesting.
Premium — deep backtesting in the strategy report (formerly known as the strategy tester) is unlocked. more bars on the chart, longer lookback, more indicators per layout.
if you're planning to use the algos seriously, we recommend TradingView Premium. it covers webhooks, deep backtesting, and the chart history you'll want when you're tuning settings.
you'll also want the appropriate TradingView real-time data package for the markets you trade — for example, CME for futures.
supported brokers
brokers are only required for algo automation — if you're using the algos visually or only running reports, you don't need a connected broker.
edgeful supports 3 brokers for automation:
Tradovate — works directly, also covers prop firms that route through Tradovate (TakeProfitTrader, Apex, etc.). check your prop firm's rules on automated trading before connecting.
NinjaTrader — supported. yes, edgeful algos work with NinjaTrader: TradingView fires the signal, edgeful routes the order, NinjaTrader executes the trade. same model as Tradovate.
ProjectX — supported. covers Topstep and other firms that use ProjectX as their infrastructure. ProjectX accounts also need a ProjectX API key. ProjectX is the only broker where you can use continuous contracts (e.g. NQ1!) for live trading; on Tradovate and NinjaTrader, use the front-month contract (e.g. NQM2026) for live and continuous only for backtesting.
standard account configurations work fine — no custom setup needed. once you add your broker credentials in edgeful, the platform handles the connection. you'll configure a webhook URL for your broker account inside edgeful, then place that webhook URL in a TradingView alert to enable automation.
edgeful doesn't offer an API to run or automate the algos themselves — algo automation works through TradingView alerts and webhook URLs that connect to your broker. there is, however, a live public API for the report data: it's included on every plan and lets you pull the same stats behind every report programmatically. generate a key in the API dashboard or see the edgeful API — overview + walkthrough.
using edgeful with prop firms
edgeful algos work with prop firm evaluation and funded accounts as long as your prop firm allows automated trading. most do, but always check the rules on:
whether automated/algorithmic trading is permitted
max number of algo-driven accounts
overnight position rules
contract sizing and risk limits
if your prop firm uses Tradovate (TakeProfitTrader, Apex, etc.) or ProjectX (Topstep, etc.), the broker side is already supported. for the full breakdown of multi-account and prop firm setups, see using edgeful algos with prop firms and multiple accounts.
linking your TradingView account
to activate your algo indicators, you'll need to link your TradingView username to your edgeful account. once that's done, the indicators become available in TradingView automatically.
for the full walkthrough, see TradingView indicators: access, updates, and troubleshooting.
internet connection
a stable internet connection is essential. you'll need this to set up and optimize the algos. once your alerts are configured, TradingView's servers fire them — you don't need your own machine running for live trades to execute.
recommended setup
recommended for serious algo users: TradingView Premium + Tradovate, NinjaTrader, or ProjectX + edgeful all access. gives you full algo automation, deep backtesting in the strategy report, and the chart history you'll want when tuning settings.
recommended for reports-only users: edgeful essential or all access. no TradingView or broker required.
optional: secondary device or mobile app for monitoring when you're away from your desk.
which edgeful plan do you need?
algo automation — including all 7 algo indicators, the algo analyzer, and automated trade execution — requires the all access plan. the essential plan gives you full access to all 150+ reports, the screener, WIP, edgeful AI, and TradingView indicators, but doesn't include algos.
for a full breakdown of what's included in each plan, see edgeful subscription plans and pricing.