Jigsaw Daytradr for TradeDay: DOM Trading Setup

Tradovate's DOM is functional but basic. You see bid/ask, you click to enter, you manage positions. It works. But if you're trading ES or NQ based on order flow — watching for absorption, stacked orders, iceberg activity, tape momentum — Tradovate's native DOM gives you maybe 30% of the information you actually need.

Jigsaw Daytradr gives you the other 70%. This article explains how to connect Jigsaw to your TradeDay account, what you get that Tradovate doesn't provide, and whether the $500/year ($50/month) cost justifies itself when you're trying to pass evaluation and stay funded. If you trade off order flow, you'll probably want this. If you're a pure chart trader, you can skip it.

Platform tested firsthand: I've connected and traded TradeDay accounts through Tradovate, NinjaTrader, and TradingView across multiple funded accounts. Everything here comes from real evaluation and funded trading on these platforms—not from reading setup docs.

If you want the full breakdown of what each platform delivers with TradeDay—including Tradovate's browser-based simplicity, NinjaTrader's advanced charting, TradingView integration, Jigsaw's DOM trading, and platform-specific quirks like data feed configuration and credential setup—my complete TradeDay platform guide covers everything with honest pros, cons, and practical setup tips. For the absolute latest, check TradeDay's website.

What Jigsaw Daytradr Actually Is

Jigsaw Daytradr is a standalone trading platform built specifically for DOM (depth of market) traders and scalpers. Founded by Peter Davies (a trader himself, not a software guy who learned to code), it focuses on showing you the real-time battle between buyers and sellers at each price level.

Core philosophy:

If you can see actual order flow — who's buying aggressively, who's stacking limit orders, where liquidity disappears right before moves — you can anticipate price movements better than traders relying on lagging indicators or basic price action alone.

What it's not:

This isn't NinjaTrader or TradingView. Jigsaw has charting capabilities, but they're secondary. Charting is a bonus feature. The platform is built around the DOM, Reconstructed Tape (enhanced time & sales), and Auction Vista (order flow heatmap). If you never use the DOM for decision-making, Jigsaw won't help you. If you scalp based on DOM reads, it's transformative.

The user base:

Used by 6,000+ traders including institutional scalpers, prop firm traders, and bond/treasury scalpers. About 23% of Jigsaw users trade full-time, which suggests the platform isn't just educational fluff — serious traders rely on it daily.

Why Jigsaw Works With TradeDay (The Technical Part)

TradeDay uses Tradovate as its trading platform. Tradovate runs on CQG data feed infrastructure.

Jigsaw Daytradr connects directly to:

• CQG Continuum (what TradeDay/Tradovate uses)
• Rithmic
• StoneX
• IQFeed
• Tradovate directly
• Interactive Brokers

For TradeDay specifically:

You can connect Jigsaw to your TradeDay account through Tradovate since Tradovate is natively supported. When you log into Tradovate with your TradeDay credentials, Jigsaw can piggyback on that connection and use the same CQG data feed.

The setup is straightforward:

1. You already have TradeDay/Tradovate credentials
2. Install Jigsaw Daytradr
3. Configure Jigsaw to connect via Tradovate
4. Trade through Jigsaw's DOM while Tradovate handles order routing

This means you're using Jigsaw's superior DOM interface and order flow tools while still trading your TradeDay funded account. Orders placed in Jigsaw route through Tradovate to the exchange. Your TradeDay rules still apply, metrics still track normally, nothing changes on TradeDay's end.

Connection Setup: TradeDay to Jigsaw

Step 1: Get your TradeDay/Tradovate credentials

Log into your TradeDay dashboard, navigate to your account details. You'll see your Tradovate username and password. Write these down.

Step 2: Download and install Jigsaw Daytradr

Go to jigsawtrading.com, purchase Jigsaw Daytradr ($579 one-time + $500/year or $50/month subscription for live trading). Download the installer, run setup. Jigsaw works on Windows natively or Mac via Bootcamp/Parallels.

Step 3: Configure Tradovate connection in Jigsaw

Open Jigsaw Daytradr. Go to File > Connections > Add New Connection. Select "Tradovate" from the connection type dropdown.

Enter your Tradovate credentials:

• Username: [your TradeDay Tradovate username]
• Password: [your TradeDay Tradovate password]
• Environment: Live (even during evaluation phase, since TradeDay's Funded Sim operates as "live" within Tradovate)

Click Connect. Jigsaw should authenticate with Tradovate and pull your account details.

Step 4: Load workspace and instruments

Open a Depth & Sales (DOM) window. Select your instrument (ES, NQ, YM, RTY). The DOM should populate with real-time market data from CQG feed. Place a test limit order well away from current price to verify connectivity. Cancel it. If order appears in both Jigsaw and Tradovate, you're connected properly.

Common connection issues:

• "Authentication failed": Double-check username/password, ensure you're using Tradovate credentials, not TradeDay login credentials (they're different)
• "No market data": Verify Tradovate subscription is active through TradeDay, check that market data permissions are enabled
• Orders not routing: Confirm you've selected correct account in Jigsaw if you have multiple TradeDay accounts

Most traders keep Tradovate open in a separate window as backup. If Jigsaw connection drops during trading, you can immediately switch to Tradovate native DOM without losing position data.

The Four Core Tools You Actually Use

1. Depth & Sales (The Advanced DOM)

This is Jigsaw's interpretation of the DOM. It shows:

What Tradovate's DOM shows:

• Current bid/ask spread
• Volume at each price level (10-20 levels deep)
• Basic one-click trading

What Jigsaw's DOM adds:

• Impact visualization: When aggressive market orders hit, you see exactly how much volume was absorbed at each level
• Pull tracking: Orders that disappear (get canceled) before being filled show differently than orders that actually get filled — this reveals where traders are faking interest
• Iceberg detection: Large hidden orders reveal themselves over time as they keep refilling at same price level
• Queue position: Shows your place in line if you have resting limit order
• P&L per price: If you're in position, DOM shows profit/loss at each price level for instant exit decision-making

Practical use for TradeDay:

When trading with TradeDay's trailing drawdown, you need precise entries and exits. Jigsaw's DOM lets you see absorption patterns that signal when a level will hold versus when it's about to break. Example: NQ shows 500 contracts bid at 16,250. Jigsaw shows whether those 500 are from multiple small orders (weak support, likely to pull) or one large participant (strong support, more likely to hold).

2. Reconstructed Tape (Time & Sales on Steroids)

Standard time & sales shows every trade that prints: timestamp, price, volume. Jigsaw's Reconstructed Tape rebundles that data to show you:

Trade aggregation:

Instead of seeing fifty 1-lot trades at 16,250, you see one line showing "50 contracts traded at 16,250 within 2 seconds." This reduces noise, highlights genuine momentum.

Buy/sell pressure:

Trades are categorized as aggressive buy (hitting the ask) or aggressive sell (hitting the bid). Jigsaw uses shading or color to show balance. When you see heavy green (aggressive buying) but price isn't moving up, that's absorption — sellers are defending the level.

Separate buy/sell tapes:

You can configure two tape windows side-by-side: one showing only aggressive buys, other showing only aggressive sells. This makes momentum shifts instantly visible. When buy tape goes quiet but sell tape accelerates, you know direction is about to flip.

Practical use for TradeDay:

Consistency rule means you can't have one massive win that's 30%+ of your total profits. Tape reading helps you take multiple smaller scalps instead of swinging for home runs. When you see tape momentum shift, you exit quickly for +2-4 ticks rather than hoping for +8-10 ticks that might reverse and violate drawdown.

3. Auction Vista (Order Flow Heatmap)

Auction Vista is Jigsaw's proprietary visualization tool. Think of it as thermal imaging for the market.

What it shows:

• Shaded background on DOM indicating where liquidity clusters exist
• Large Trade Circles: Proprietary algorithm reveals when significant volume trades repeatedly at specific price level over time — often signals institutional iceberg orders or turning points
• Historical order flow: You can scroll back to see how order flow looked 5 minutes ago, 30 minutes ago, compare to current state

GPU-accelerated rendering:

Jigsaw uses GPU acceleration for Auction Vista, meaning it doesn't lag even during fast markets (FOMC, NFP, market opens). Many competing order flow tools (like Bookmap) can fall behind during high-volume periods. Jigsaw stays current.

Practical use for TradeDay:

When you're near your trailing drawdown floor, you can't afford to enter marginal trades. Auction Vista shows you where genuine institutional interest exists. If you see Large Trade Circles forming at 16,240, that's a high-probability support level. Your risk/reward improves dramatically when you're trading at levels where big money is actively engaged.

4. Pace of Tape (Smart Gauge)

Pace of Tape comes in 50+ visual styles (gauges, bars, numerical displays). It shows current trading pace relative to recent historical average.

How it works:

Jigsaw calculates average trades-per-minute over recent period (typically 10-15 minutes). The gauge shows whether current pace is accelerating (market getting active) or decelerating (market going quiet).

Why it matters:

• At support/resistance levels, if pace accelerates significantly, breakout is more likely
• If pace decelerates at support/resistance, level is more likely to hold
• Monitoring correlated markets: If ES, NQ, YM all show elevated pace simultaneously, moves have better follow-through. If only your market is hot while others are quiet, move likely fades quickly

Practical use for TradeDay:

TradeDay's evaluation phase doesn't have time limits, but many traders still want to pass in 5-10 trading days. Pace of Tape helps you identify high-probability trading windows. When pace is elevated, your trades execute better (less slippage, tighter spreads), drawdown risk decreases. When pace is dead, you're better off staying flat rather than forcing trades in choppy, low-conviction conditions.

One-Click Trading and Order Management

Jigsaw's DOM is built for speed. Every feature assumes you're scalping or making rapid decisions.

Order entry:

• Left-click on DOM price level = place buy limit order at that price
• Right-click on DOM price level = place sell limit order at that price
• Shift+left-click = place market buy order
• Shift+right-click = place market sell order

Automated exit strategies:

• OCO brackets: Set profit target and stop loss simultaneously, one fills the other cancels
• Trailing stops: Server-side trailing stops that follow your position without requiring your platform to be open
• Volume-based stops: Exit after X contracts trade against your position (useful for momentum trades)

Flatten hotkey:

Configure keyboard shortcut to instantly close all positions. Critical for TradeDay violations. If you're approaching drawdown floor and market moves against you violently, one keypress closes everything.

Position management window:

Separate panel shows all open positions with real-time P&L, entry price, quantity. You can modify stops/targets directly from this window without touching DOM. If you're trading multiple TradeDay accounts simultaneously, position window keeps everything organized.

The Realistic Simulator (For Evaluation Preparation)

Jigsaw's simulator is unique because it's pessimistic, not optimistic.

Most platform simulators:

Assume every limit order fills. If you place buy limit at 16,250 and market touches 16,250, you're filled. But in reality, thousands of contracts might need to trade at 16,250 before your order gets filled (queue position matters).

Jigsaw's simulator:

Gives you realistic limit order fills based on volume that actually traded at your price. Gives you realistic slippage on market orders based on current spread and volume. This prepares you for live trading instead of giving false confidence.

Why this matters for TradeDay:

Many traders pass evaluation in Tradovate's optimistic simulator, then fail immediately in Funded Sim because their limit order scalp strategy doesn't work with realistic fills. If you practice with Jigsaw's simulator during evaluation, your strategy is battle-tested before you risk real drawdown.

Cost Analysis: Is $500/Year Worth It?

Jigsaw pricing:

• Software purchase: $579 one-time (includes full training)
• Live trading subscription: $500/year or $50/month

TradeDay account costs for comparison:

• $50K account: $105/month
• $100K account: $225/month
• $150K account: $375/month

Break-even calculation:

If Jigsaw helps you pass evaluation 2 weeks faster, you save 2 weeks × subscription cost. If Jigsaw prevents one $50K account violation ($99 reset fee + time lost), it paid for itself.

If you're trading one TradeDay $50K account, $500/year Jigsaw subscription adds ~10% to your annual costs ($105/month = $1,260/year; Jigsaw adds $500). But if it improves your edge even 1-2%, it's profitable.

Who should pay for Jigsaw:

• Scalpers who make 5-15+ trades per day
• Traders who primarily use DOM for entries/exits
• Anyone trading based on order flow, absorption, tape reading
• Traders managing multiple funded accounts simultaneously

Who should skip Jigsaw:

• Pure chart traders who never look at DOM
• Swing traders holding positions hours/days
• Beginners still learning basic price action (learn charts first, add DOM later)
• Traders already comfortable with Tradovate's native DOM

The Performance Dashboard

Jigsaw includes web-based performance tracking that syncs automatically.

What it tracks:

• Total trades, win rate, P&L per trading session
• Performance broken down by 30-minute intervals (shows if you're profitable during specific times)
• Weekly/monthly consistency ratings (same type of metric prop firms use to evaluate funded traders)
• Mistakes log: Trades that violated your own rules (overtrading, revenge trading)

Leaderboard:

Optional (you can use alias for anonymity). Shows how you rank against other Jigsaw users globally. Monthly cash prizes for top performers. More importantly, it shows you consistency ratings — the same metrics TradeDay uses for milestone reviews.

If your consistency rating is low on Jigsaw leaderboard, you'll probably struggle with TradeDay's milestone reviews. The performance dashboard acts as early warning system before you're deep into funded phase.

Alternatives to Jigsaw for TradeDay

Bookmap: Similar order flow visualization, also connects to CQG/Tradovate. Costs ~$349-$449/year. More visual heatmap focus, less emphasis on tape. Some traders prefer it, others find it too busy.

Quantower: Free platform with advanced DOM and order flow tools. Connects to CQG. Major downside: steeper learning curve, more configuration required. If you have time to learn it, Quantower gives 80% of Jigsaw's functionality for free.

NinjaTrader with SuperDOM: NinjaTrader's advanced DOM is solid. However, connecting NinjaTrader to TradeDay requires using CQG connection through Tradovate, which adds complexity. Jigsaw's Tradovate integration is cleaner.

Staying with Tradovate: Completely viable. Thousands of traders pass TradeDay evaluation and stay funded using only Tradovate's native DOM and charts. Jigsaw is enhancement, not requirement.

The Bottom Line

Jigsaw Daytradr is professional-grade DOM software built by a trader for traders. If you scalp ES/NQ, trade based on order flow, or make decisions by reading tape and depth, it's probably worth $500/year. The DOM alone provides 3-5x more information than Tradovate's native interface.

For TradeDay specifically, Jigsaw's benefits are:

1. Better entry/exit precision reduces slippage and improves profit per trade
2. Seeing absorption and iceberg activity helps avoid false breakouts that violate drawdown
3. Reconstructed Tape helps you take multiple small wins (consistency rule compliance)
4. Performance dashboard prepares you for milestone reviews
5. Realistic simulator prevents over-optimistic evaluation strategies that fail in funded phase

But if you're trading 0-2 times per day off 15-minute charts, you don't need this. Jigsaw solves problems that scalpers and DOM traders have. It doesn't solve problems that swing traders or chart-based traders have.

Try the free simulation version first (Jigsaw offers free forever for sim trading, no payment required). Connect it to Tradovate's demo environment. If the additional information actually changes your decisions, buy it. If you still just look at charts and ignore the DOM, save your $500.