Is the $0.09 per contract clearing fee actually a commission with a different label?

No, the clearing fee is not a relabeled commission. Since Tradovate is an introducing broker and not a clearing firm, we pay to clear the trade and there is a real cost associated to that transaction. Some other non-clearing firms charge clearing fees (in addition to the commissions they charge) at a much higher rate, using that as a profit center, which is not the approach we are taking at Tradovate.