When is the COT report released?

Every Friday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, with positions as of the previous Tuesday; US holidays shift the date. In October 2026 the CFTC announced a plan to publish twice a week by the end of 2026 (release 9316-26).

What is the COT index?

It places a trader group’s current net position within its range over a past window, usually 52 weeks: 0 means the lowest net position of the period, 100 the highest. Readings near the extremes show crowded positioning.

What is the difference between the Legacy, Disaggregated and TFF reports?

Legacy splits traders into commercials and non-commercials. Disaggregated, used for commodities, separates producers, swap dealers, managed money and others. Traders in Financial Futures, used for financial contracts, separates dealers, asset managers, leveraged funds and others.

Guide · checked November 2026

Best websites for the COT report in 2026

The CFTC publishes the Commitments of Traders report every Friday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, with positions as of the previous Tuesday. The raw tables are free but hard to read; the sites below turn them into charts and indicators such as the COT index, which shows where current positioning sits within its recent range.

Published by MEDGE Capital, which is one of the tools listed. Details of the other tools come from their public pages, checked in November 2026, with a link to each source below. Prices are list prices for one user, before tax; check with the vendor before you buy. The order is not a ranking.

Tool	COT data	Price
MEDGE Capital	Free pages for 52 futures markets with the 52-week COT index for each trader group, crowded longs and shorts and the biggest 4-week shifts. In the app, the positioning overview is free and the full COT module starts with Plus.	Free pages and free plan; full COT module from Plus (€39.99 a month, 7-day trial)
CFTC.gov	Weekly futures-only and combined reports in Legacy, Disaggregated and Traders in Financial Futures formats, plus historical files.	Free
Barchart	Net positions for the Legacy, Disaggregated and TFF reports over 52 weeks and a COT index study, next to futures quotes.	COT charts free; detailed reports with paid memberships
Tradingster	Pages for the Legacy, Disaggregated and TFF reports with charts; COT analysis and signals in a free preview with an account.	Free; the site says some tools may require a subscription later
COTbase	Free net positions with one year of history; Premium covers 60 futures markets and 11 market complexes.	Free; Premium from $12 to $19.99 a month depending on term; Pro $99 a month
InsiderWeek	A price chart, net-position chart and COT index chart for each market.	Free with limited features; paid plans on the vendor’s site

MEDGE CapitalOur tool

Portfolio analytics app with free COT pages for futures markets.

COT data: Free pages for 52 futures markets with the 52-week COT index for each trader group, crowded longs and shorts and the biggest 4-week shifts. In the app, the positioning overview is free and the full COT module starts with Plus.
Price: Free pages and free plan; full COT module from Plus (€39.99 a month, 7-day trial)
Fits if: you want positioning extremes next to your own portfolio.

All COT reports

CFTC.gov

The official publisher of the report.

COT data: Weekly futures-only and combined reports in Legacy, Disaggregated and Traders in Financial Futures formats, plus historical files.
Price: Free
Fits if: you want the primary source and the release calendar.

Source: About the COT reports · Release 9316-26

Barchart

Market data site for futures and other markets.

COT data: Net positions for the Legacy, Disaggregated and TFF reports over 52 weeks and a COT index study, next to futures quotes.
Price: COT charts free; detailed reports with paid memberships
Fits if: you trade futures and want COT next to quotes and charts.

Source: Commitment of Traders

Tradingster

Free site for COT tables and charts.

COT data: Pages for the Legacy, Disaggregated and TFF reports with charts; COT analysis and signals in a free preview with an account.
Price: Free; the site says some tools may require a subscription later
Fits if: you want free per-report tables without an account.

Source: About · COT tools preview

COTbase

Subscription service for COT charts.

COT data: Free net positions with one year of history; Premium covers 60 futures markets and 11 market complexes.
Price: Free; Premium from $12 to $19.99 a month depending on term; Pro $99 a month
Fits if: you want long chart history across many markets on a subscription.

Source: Pricing · Premium

InsiderWeek

COT data and trading education site.

COT data: A price chart, net-position chart and COT index chart for each market.
Price: Free with limited features; paid plans on the vendor’s site
Fits if: you want COT index charts together with trading education.

Source: COT data

Frequently asked questions

When is the COT report released?: Every Friday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, with positions as of the previous Tuesday; US holidays shift the date. In October 2026 the CFTC announced a plan to publish twice a week by the end of 2026 (release 9316-26).
What is the COT index?: It places a trader group’s current net position within its range over a past window, usually 52 weeks: 0 means the lowest net position of the period, 100 the highest. Readings near the extremes show crowded positioning.
What is the difference between the Legacy, Disaggregated and TFF reports?: Legacy splits traders into commercials and non-commercials. Disaggregated, used for commodities, separates producers, swap dealers, managed money and others. Traders in Financial Futures, used for financial contracts, separates dealers, asset managers, leveraged funds and others.

More comparisons

See this week’s positioning for 52 futures markets.

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