r/OrderFlow_Trading

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Hi everyone,

I've been trading since 2020 and finally achieved consistency in December 2025. Since then, my goal has been to keep improving, refining my strategies, and finding better tools to support my trading.

I'm also a Linux user. In fact, Linux is my main operating system, and the only reason I still use Windows is for trading.

And honestly, that's incredibly frustrating.

The professional trading software ecosystem on Linux is extremely limited. As far as I know, there are only two relatively complete desktop platforms available:

- Bookmap: It supports Linux, but the Linux version has significant limitations compared to Windows.

- MotiveWave: It offers Linux compatibility, but I'm not particularly happy with its licensing model and ongoing costs.

I currently use Quantower and ATAS, two excellent platforms for order flow analysis, volume, delta, footprint charts, volume profiles, and market depth.

Unfortunately, neither offers a native Linux version.

The same applies to NinjaTrader and many other professional trading platforms.

Are these companies missing a business opportunity?

I completely understand that Linux represents a relatively small percentage of desktop operating system users. I also understand that developing, maintaining, and supporting another operating system requires time, money, and resources.

But I genuinely believe these companies might be overlooking an interesting business opportunity.

Being one of the first major professional trading platforms to offer full native Linux support could provide a significant competitive advantage.

Here's why:

1. An underserved market: Linux traders have very few professional alternatives. A company that properly addresses this demand could attract users who currently have no choice but to run Windows.

2. Customer loyalty: When a company provides something that almost nobody else offers, it has a great opportunity to build a loyal customer base. Personally, I'd strongly prefer a professional trading platform that allowed me to completely abandon Windows.

3. Linux adoption is growing: Linux is still a minority desktop operating system, but its user base has been growing. It's reasonable to assume that at least some of those users are traders or potential traders.

4. The Linux user profile: Many Linux users value performance, stability, control over their systems, and customization. These are also highly desirable characteristics in a professional trading environment.

5. First-mover advantage: I'm not suggesting that the first company to support Linux would automatically establish a monopoly. However, becoming the go-to professional trading platform for Linux users before competitors enter the market could be a powerful long-term advantage.

Think about how early adoption and network effects helped platforms like WhatsApp establish a dominant position. Obviously, messaging apps and professional trading software are completely different markets, but being early and building a loyal user base can make a huge difference.

What if the problem isn't a lack of demand, but a lack of supply?

This is what I find particularly interesting.

How many traders would actually switch to Linux if they could run Quantower, ATAS, or NinjaTrader natively?

How many people are currently maintaining a Windows installation exclusively because their trading software doesn't support Linux?

And how many potential Linux users have never even considered switching because they know their professional tools wouldn't work?

Perhaps the potential market is larger than these companies realize.

I'm not claiming that developing a native Linux application would be easy, cheap, or immediately profitable.

But surely it would be worth investigating?

These companies could start by surveying their existing customers, measuring actual demand, or launching a limited beta program before committing significant development resources.

Even an official Linux roadmap would be a step in the right direction.

I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

Are there any other traders here who use Linux as their primary operating system?

Are you also forced to keep Windows installed just for trading?

Do you know of any serious Linux-compatible alternatives for professional order flow trading, including footprint charts, delta, volume profiles, and DOM analysis?

And most importantly:

Do you think there's a genuine business opportunity for the first major trading platform that fully embraces Linux, or are we simply too small a niche to justify the investment?

I'd be particularly interested in hearing from both professional traders and software developers.

Maybe it's time companies like Quantower, ATAS, and NinjaTrader started taking Linux users a little more seriously.

Hi all, got into order flow recently instead of ICT.

-What do you all use for daily bias?
- When anchoring the VP, do you anchor it from 1800 to 9:29am? Or just the whole daily session for the POC, VAH, and VAL?

Hi all im looking to get my lucid or alphafutures prop firm account for my first time using orderflow but im hearing mixed reviews on motivewave and quantower. i hear atas is the way but should i pay the extra and make the investment now for better and reliable OF tools or stick to quantower/motivewave. looking to use the fp for spotting abs and imbalances, the vp, delta. i would appreciate the suggestions thanks

What concept really turned you into a profitable trader? Tools, setups, risk management, or something else?

Hi everyone,
I just recently joined Topstep and I am using their TopstepX platform. I am coming from a CFD trading background, and my strategy heavily relies on the Volume Profile—specifically, I strictly need the VAH (Value Area High), VAL (Value Area Low), and POC from the previous day.
Since TopstepX doesn't have a standard built-in fixed-range volume profile tool, I've been trying to plot the previous day's profile manually. I then discovered the built-in "Topstep Levels" indicator on the platform.
Here is my issue: When I compare the VAH, VAL, and POC from the Topstep Levels indicator on TopstepX to my TradingView chart, I get noticeable discrepancies between the values.
For context, I trade the 15-minute chart and look closely at the regular trading hours (RTH) / US market session.
I have two questions for anyone who has run into this on TopstepX:
Why is there a difference? Is it due to different data feeds, or does the TopstepX indicator calculate the volume profile differently (e.g., forcing the full 23-hour ETH/overnight session instead of just RTH)?
How do you solve this? Do you just manually draw the levels from TradingView onto your TopstepX chart, or is there a way to tweak the TopstepX indicator settings so they match up perfectly with an RTH session?
Has anyone dealt with this on TopstepX before? Any advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance and green days to everyone!