Let’s be honest. If you’re trading NQ, ES or any other futures markets, you’ve probably wrestled with the algo vs manual debate more than once. I know I have. But its a very shady business you wouldn’t know who is legit or not. The very few ones that do look legit are mad expensive they seem almost pro scammers. In trying to avoid all of these headaches, I’ve used my data science background to build algos in C#, deployed them to NinjaTrader, and I’ve also sat there manually clicking through trades, sweating every tick while to make my algos work. Both styles have their place, but they come with very different vibes. I definitely vibe with algo based trading. I am way too emotional to manually trade and barely have time given other family and work commitments.
So here’s the real experience manual traders resonate as do I.
Manual trading feels raw. You’re in the zone, watching price action, reacting to order flow, maybe even whispering sweet nothings to your DOM. It’s personal. You learn a lot about yourself, your discipline, your patience, your ability to not chase a candle just because it looks juicy. But it’s exhausting. I’ve had days where I crushed it manually, only to realize I spent six hours glued to the screen, mentally fried. And then there are days where I missed the move because I was second-guessing myself or got distracted by a Slack ping.
That’s where algos shine. They don’t care if you’re tired. They don’t care if Powell is speaking or if your cat just knocked over your coffee. They execute. Fast. Clean. Emotionless.
I’ve built algos that scalp NQ and ES off VWAP rejections, fade opening range breakouts, and even trade around FOMC volatility. Some of them worked beautifully. Others? Total disasters. One time I let an overfitted backtest run live and watched it blow through my drawdown limit in under 30 minutes. Lesson learned.
Algos are only as good as the logic behind them and the market regime they’re built for. In my experience, ES can be a chameleon. NQ tends to sink your heart at every tick it moves with its quirky sudden moves. What works in a low-vol chop might get wrecked in a trending day. Manual traders can adapt on the fly. Algos need to be re-coded, re-optimized, re-tested but not over do them all to keep it simple and workable in the long run.
And now, with prop firms everywhere offering funding challenges, the stakes are higher while the rules are tighter. You’ve got firms like Apex, TopStep, and others giving traders access to serious capital but they want consistency, risk control, and discipline. Algos can help with that but manual trading gives you flexibility, especially when the rules are tight or automation is restricted.
Personally, I think the sweet spot is hybrid. Learn to trade manually first. Understand the rhythm of the market you are interested in. Know what a fake breakout looks like. Then automate the parts that are repeatable. Build an algo that trades your edge not someone else’s.
At DayTrader360, we’re here for both camps. We’ve got free and premium indicators for NinjaTrader, algo strategies for different styles, and even discounts on prop firm challenges to help you get funded faster.
If you want help building your first algo or tightening up your manual strategy for prop firm success, hit me up and have a chat on how I can help. We’ve got free and premium tools, and a community that actually trades not just talks.