How to Use Bookmap on a Prop Firm Account (2026)

Bookmap is one of the most popular order flow tools among futures prop traders, and one of the most misunderstood when it comes to setup. It does not connect to a prop firm. It connects to the data and order-routing service the firm uses - usually Rithmic - and it needs depth-of-market data the firm may charge for separately. This guide covers what you need before you start, how to connect, which firms it works with, and what the whole setup costs per month.

Short answer: you can use Bookmap on most futures prop firm accounts that run on Rithmic. You need a paid Bookmap plan for real-time futures (Global, from $39 a month billed yearly), your firm's Rithmic login, and usually the firm's Level 2 data add-on. Topstep is the main exception - new accounts trade only on TopstepX.

What You Need Before You Start

Your Bookmap prop firm checklist

A prop firm account on Rithmic. If your firm offers Tradovate and Rithmic, pick Rithmic at checkout - at several firms the choice is permanent.

A paid Bookmap plan. The free Digital plan shows futures on a delay; Global is the entry point for real-time futures.

Level 2 (depth of market) data from the firm. Bookmap's heatmap is built from the order book, and with Level 1 alone there is almost nothing to draw.

The non-professional data agreement signed in Rithmic. Signing it wrongly can move you onto professional data rates.

Confirmation from the firm's support that third-party Rithmic platforms are allowed on your account type.

How to Connect Bookmap to Your Prop Firm (Rithmic)

Install Bookmap and sign in with your Bookmap account so your paid plan is active.
Open the connections menu and add a new Rithmic connection.
Choose your firm's system name from the list - each firm has its own, and picking another firm's will fail to log in.
Select the Chicago Area gateway, unless your firm tells you otherwise.
Enter the Rithmic username and password from your firm's welcome email - not your firm dashboard login.
Open your instrument, such as ES or NQ. If the heatmap is empty beyond the best bid and offer, your Level 2 subscription is missing or not yet active.

Bookmap can also connect through Tradovate, but Tradovate's CME data is not full depth, so the heatmap shows less of the book. For a tool whose whole value is the book, Rithmic is the better route whenever your firm offers it.

Not sure Bookmap is worth the money?

Our Bookmap review covers every plan, what the heatmap actually shows, and who should skip it.

Read the Bookmap review

Which Prop Firms Work With Bookmap?

Firm	Connection	Bookmap status
Bulenox	Rithmic only	Listed as supported
Nexgen ProTrader Funding	Multiple incl. CQG	Listed as supported
Apex Trader Funding	Rithmic or Tradovate	Works on Rithmic accounts
Take Profit Trader	Rithmic or Tradovate	Works on Rithmic accounts
Lucid Trading	Rithmic, Tradovate and others	Works on Rithmic accounts
Alpha Futures	Rithmic or Tradovate	Works on Rithmic accounts
Topstep	TopstepX only (new accounts)	Not available

"Listed as supported" means the firm names Bookmap among its platforms. "Works on Rithmic accounts" means Bookmap is a standard Rithmic front end and the firm offers Rithmic - which is how most traders run it - but the firm does not advertise it by name, so confirm with support before you pay for a plan. Platform policies change, and a firm can move its accounts to a different connection with little notice, as Topstep did.

What Bookmap Costs on a Prop Firm Account

Cost	Monthly	Notes
Bookmap Global	$39-$49	$39 billed yearly; $990 lifetime
Level 2 data from the firm	~$36-$38	Per firm's add-on; varies
Bookmap Global Plus (optional)	$79-$99	Adds tools such as the Large Lot Tracker
Typical total	~$75-$87	Global plus Level 2, non-professional

That is on top of any monthly or activation fee the firm itself charges. Because the prop firm's Rithmic login carries the market data, you do not also buy data from Bookmap - a common double payment for traders who subscribe to Bookmap's data bundle before connecting their funded account.

Using Bookmap Without Breaking Prop Firm Rules

Bookmap does not change the firm's rules, but it changes how you trade, and that is where accounts get lost. Scalping into a thick liquidity band invites many small trades, which can trip consistency rules at firms that cap your best day as a share of total profit. Watching orders get pulled and replaced tempts traders to size up on a single read. And the daily loss limit or trailing drawdown still applies to every tick - a heatmap that looks like support is not a stop loss.

Common Bookmap mistakes on funded accounts

Paying for Bookmap's own data feed when the firm's Rithmic login already supplies it.

Running on Level 1 only and assuming the empty heatmap is a thin market.

Trusting large resting orders that are pulled the moment price approaches.

Buying a lifetime licence before learning whether the heatmap fits your trading.

Leaving another platform logged in on the same Rithmic credentials and getting disconnected mid-trade - check your firm's limit on simultaneous sessions.

Bookmap and Prop Firms: FAQ

Can I use Bookmap's free plan on a prop firm account?

Not usefully for futures. The free Digital plan shows US futures on a delay, which is no use for live trading. Use it with free real-time crypto data to learn the heatmap, then move to Global for your funded account.

Does Bookmap work with Topstep?

Not for new accounts. Topstep moved new traders onto TopstepX, which does not connect to third-party platforms such as Bookmap. If you hold an older account, ask Topstep support what your account can connect to.

Do I need Rithmic to use Bookmap with a prop firm?

Rithmic is the best route because it carries full depth of market. Bookmap also connects through Tradovate and CQG, but Tradovate's CME data is not full depth, which weakens the heatmap.

See what Bookmap shows before you pay

Start on the free plan with live crypto data, then upgrade when you are ready to run it on your funded account.

Read our Bookmap review