Welcome to Part 1 of this series, in which I will be breaking down all the details of every prop firm. In this part, I will cover the cost of each funded futures program. After all, you can’t worry about getting funding if you aren’t prepared to pay the cost of the evaluation.
Like some of you, I know how it feels to be undercapitalized in the beginning. By the end of this article, you will hopefully know which program is right for you and your budget.
Most firms offer similar funded futures accounts at a competitive cost. They even have many of the same rules, but they are still all a little different and not equally suited for every type of trader. I have covered the rules and withdrawal process in separate parts.
With that said, let’s check out what it costs to become a funded trader. At the end, I’ll summarize with my best choice of company for each type of account/trader, based on the total costs. You can skip ahead to that section by clicking here.
If you are looking for a more concise comparison filter tool, try Funded Filter.
- Apex Trader
- BluSky Trading
- Bulenox
- DayTraders
- E8Markets
- Earn2Trade
- EliteTrader Funding
- FundedFutures Network
- FuturesElite
- Goat Funded Futures
- Leeloo Trading
- Lucid Trading
- MyFunded Futures
- OneUp Trader
- Phoenix Trader Funding
- Purdia Capital
- TakeProfit Trader
- TickTick Trader
- TopOne Futures
- TopStep
- TradeDay
- Tradeify
- UProfit Trader
- The Best Funded Futures Option for Each Trader (by Cost)
- Conclusion
Before I get into the actual firms, I’ll explain the subscription model and how accounts typically scale.
The Monthly Subscription
This is something you’ll encounter at just about every firm. When you sign up for an evaluation, you will typically be subscribing to a monthly fee. When you pass, the subscription is canceled.
If you do not pass your evaluation in the first month, expect to pay again each new month, until you cancel your subscription or meet the requirements for funding.
I recommend that you check the calendar before you start, and make sure you will be able to meet these requirements within the month. You will still pay the full cost even if you pass one day late, so plan appropriately.
Reset Fee
Did you mess up on an evaluation? Some firms offer a flat fee to completely reset your account, including trading days.
However, this does not reset the monthly subscription date. If you have only 7 business days left in the month when you screw up, and the evaluation requires 10 or 15 days, it’s a waste of money to reset the account. Start over with a new subscription instead. You can see this fact spelled out for you at ApexTrader.
On the other hand, if you fail in the first few days, it can be cheaper to reset than buy a fresh account. Consult your calendar before deciding.
You do not need to register a new account to start a new subscription – each new evaluation is usually added to the same login.
Uneven costs and drawdowns
The cost per month (among other characteristics) does not scale evenly with most of these funded futures accounts. I’ll use OneUp Trader as an example.
If you want a $25,000 account to trade 3 contracts with OneUp Trader, it costs $125 for the evaluation per month. But if you go for the $50,000 account and trade twice as many contracts, it costs $150. Thus, there is simply no reason to use the $25,000 account in this case. You will find this kind of hierarchy at most firms, where some of the smallest/largest accounts are priced poorly relatively to the others.
You will also notice that the profit targets scale mostly uniformly, but the drawdown does not. Going from a $50,000 account to $100,000 at OneUp Trader doubles the contracts allowed, profit target, and even monthly cost, but the drawdown is only increased by 40%.
This means the $100,000 account is less forgiving than $50,000. Then, when you compare the $150,000 drawdown to $250,000, it’s even worse – you get almost no extra breathing room despite paying almost double the cost. You’d better know what you’re doing with 25 e-mini contracts and a $5,500 maximum drawdown!
Take all of this into consideration when deciding which account you want. If you have the extra money, you can accomplish a lot with a larger account. If not, I recommend the $50,000 account for most traders. It gives you the best value and it’s usually the cheapest or second cheapest account available at any firm. If you are a good trader, you can do quite well with the leverage provided there.
Account Activation/Assignment Fee
A few companies on this list feature an “Activation” or “Assignment” Fee. I won’t sugar coat it; this fee is bullshit. But some kind of fee upon funding is the norm at many firms, so you might as well get familiar with it.
Once you pay for your evaluation and pass, the monthly subscription cancels, but you are charged a one-time fee before you start using your funded account. This comes out of your credit card or bank account, and not the funded account balance.
Why is this fee bullshit? Well, the fact that not everyone charges you to activate your account is one reason – some companies even have this process automated. I found it a bit annoying that firms will advertise a hard-to-beat evaluation price, only to add an extra $100 or $150 in fees after you pass. I don’t agree with it, but as I mentioned earlier, this is quite common now in the industry.
Apex Trader
Apex Trader is a firm that offers a maximum of 20 concurrent funded accounts, more than anyone else. For this reason, they are quite popular; however, the expenses on 20 accounts can add up quickly if you’re not prepared.
On their home page, they advertise three sets of accounts. There’s 8 separate accounts in each set, for a total of 24 options. The types are based on the platform you will be using: Rithmic, Tradovate, or WealthCharts.
These accounts are shown in the table below, with the costs associated with each. Tradovate users will be charged $20 more for whichever account size they choose.
| Apex Trader | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (* if Trailing) | Cost (Rithmic/WC) | Cost (Tradovate) | Reset Fee (Rithmic/WC) | Reset Fee (Tradovate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 4 (40 micros) | $1,500 | $1,500* | $147/mo | $167/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $50,000 | 10 (100 micros) | $3,000 | $2,500* | $167/mo | $187/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $75,000 | 12 (120 micros) | $4,250 | $2,750* | $187/mo | $207/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $100,000 | 14 (140 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000* | $207/mo | $227/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $150,000 | 17 (170 micros) | $9,000 | $5,000* | $297/mo | $317/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $250,000 | 27 (270 micros) | $15,000 | $6,500* | $517/mo | $537/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $300,000 | 35 (350 micros) | $20,000 | $7,500* | $657/mo | $677/mo | $80 | $100 |
| $100,000 (Static) | 2 (20 micros) | $2,000 | $625 (Static) | $137/mo | $157/mo | $80 | $100 |
The $100k account here is almost $100 cheaper than what you’ll find at most other firms, which makes it quite competitive for that size.
License/Data Fees
None. A NinjaTrader license is included, as well as a Tradovate license for Tradovate accounts.
Funded Account Fees
Regardless of which account you choose, there is a $85/month fee, per account, once you are funded. And if you choose to go with Tradovate, this fee jumps to $105/month, again per account.
You can still come out way ahead when trading futures across multiple accounts, which is one of Apex’s main advantages. But with 10 accounts you’re looking at $850 or $1050 per month just to operate your bundle of accounts.
This monthly fee can be waived, at a variable cost per account.
| Apex Trader | Monthly Fee (Rithmic/WC) | Waiving Monthly Fee (Rithmic/WC) | Monthly Fee (Tradovate) | Waiving Monthly Fee (Tradovate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $85 | $130 | $105 | $150 |
| $50,000 | $85 | $140 | $105 | $160 |
| $75,000 | $85 | $180 | $105 | $200 |
| $100,000 | $85 | $220 | $105 | $240 |
| $100,000 (Static) | $85 | $220 | $105 | $240 |
| $150,000 | $85 | $260 | $105 | $280 |
| $250,000 | $85 | $300 | $105 | $320 |
| $300,000 | $85 | $340 | $105 | $360 |
For example, if you want to operate 5 x $100,000 accounts, you can pay 5 x $85 (or $105 for Tradovate) per month ($425 – $525 per month), or a single payment of 5 x $240 ($1200 as a one-time payment).
I always opt for the one-time payment to waive the monthly cost, and the savings really add up when you’re planning on doing this long-term.
Apex occasionally has sales that reduce this waive funded subscription fee, so take advantage of those when you can.
BluSky Trading
BluSky Trading no longer uses AI-generated photos on their website to depict their idea of successful day traders. I choose to believe that they made the change after reading this portion of my blog.
| BluSky Trading | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (* if Trailing) | Daily Loss Limit^ | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 (Advanced) | 4 (40 micros) | $1,500 | $1,200* | $600 | $150/mo | $65 |
| $50,000 (Premium) | 10 (100 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000* | $1,000 | $160/mo | $65 |
| $75,000 (Premium Blu+) | 2 (20 micros) | $4,500 | $3,000* | $1,500 | $190/mo | $65 |
| $100,000 (Premium+) | 14 mini (140 micros) | $6,000 | $2,500* | $2,000 | $210/mo | $65 |
| $150,000 (Static Growth) | 10 micros -> 1 mini | $3,000 | $800 (Static) | None | $170/mo | $65 |
| $200,000 (Static Growth) | 20 micros -> 2 minis | $6,000 | $2,000 (Static) | None | $220/mo | $65 |
| $300,000 (Static Growth) | 50 micros -> 5 minis | $20,000 | $5,000 (Static) | $2,500 | $320/mo | $65 |
License/Data Fees
BluSky offers a 50% discount on Tradervue Gold for 6 months with any evaluation account. They say this is a $147 value, and it comes with no “setup fees”, but they do have a data fee when you get funded.
Funded Account Fees
Upon passing the evaluation, you are placed in a sort of secondary evaluation, called BluLive. If you fail during the BluLive phase, you can reset your account for $250, up to 3 times in 30 days.
During this phase, there are no account fees, but you are considered funded. Then, when you reach the threshold to request payments, you are placed in a “Live Brokerage Account”. This account, unlike most prop firm accounts, is a real brokerage account.
This Brokerage Account requires that you are labeled a Professional, which means you will have to pay $140 per month, per exchange.
I will also mention that this data fee is not charged until you are eligible for withdrawing (in the Brokerage Account), and it comes out of your Brokerage Account’s balance. So when you get upgraded from BluLive, and have a certain profit from the BluLive stage, this is what is used to pay your data fees.
Bulenox
Bulenox is a firm that occasionally offers some steep sales, so it’s good to check in on them once in a while. For all current sales information, check this page.
| Bulenox | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (Not available) | 5 (micros) | $1,000 | $1,000 | $115/mo | $78 |
| $25,000 | 3 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $145/mo | $78 |
| $50,000 | 7 | $3,000 | $2,500 | $175/mo | $78 |
| $100,000 | 12 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $215/mo | $78 |
| $150,000 | 15 | $9,000 | $4,500 | $325/mo | $78 |
| $250,000 | 25 | $15,000 | $5,500 | $535/mo | $78 |
EOD Accounts
With the same prices and specifications as above, Bulenox also offers EOD accounts. These accounts come with an EOD trailing drawdown instead of the unrealized trailing drawdown. The daily loss limit above is only applied to these EOD accounts.
| Bulenox EOD Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit (soft) | Drawdown (Static) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | 5 (micros) | $1,000 | $400 | $1,000 | $115/mo | $78 |
| $25,000 | 3 | $1,500 | $500 | $2,500 | $145/mo | $78 |
| $50,000 | 7 | $3,000 | $1,100 | $2,500 | $175/mo | $78 |
| $100,000 | 12 | $6,000 | $2,200 | $3,000 | $215/mo | $78 |
| $150,000 | 15 | $9,000 | $3,300 | $4,500 | $325/mo | $78 |
| $250,000 | 25 | $15,000 | $4,500 | $5,500 | $535/mo | $78 |
However, note that these EOD accounts are scaling accounts, which means you cannot utilize all of the contracts at the beginning. The normal accounts allow you to trade the full size from day 1. Bulenox scaling specifications are on the rules page, linked here.
License/Data Fees
The free NinjaTrader license is offered, like with every other firm, and there are no data fees for non-professionals. If you are a professional, there is a $128/mo charge, per exchange, once you are funded.
Funded Account Fees
Once funded, there’s an account activation fee, shown below.
| Bulenox Funded Accounts | Activation Fee (non-recurring) |
|---|---|
| $10,000 | $98 |
| $25,000 | $143 |
| $50,000 | $148 |
| $100,000 | $248 |
| $150,000 | $498 |
| $250,000 | $898 |
DayTraders
DayTraders is a newer firm that offers both Trailing and Static Drawdown accounts, under a one-time fee system. The static accounts offer much less size in exchange for not trailing your unrealized profits.
Note that they do not offer resets during either the evaluation or funded phase.
Trailing Drawdown Accounts
| DayTraders Trailing Evaluations | Contracts | Profit Target | Trailing Drawdown | Cost (one-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 3 (30 micros) | $1,500 | $1,500 | $249 |
| $50,000 | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $2,500 | $379 |
| $75,000 | 7 (70 micros) | $4,250 | $2,750 | $449 |
| $100,000 | 9 (90 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $569 |
| $150,000 | 12 (120 micros) | $8,500 | $4,500 | $699 |
| $250,000 | 15 (150 micros) | $10,000 | $5,500 | $729 |
| $300,000 | 20 (200 micros) | $15,000 | $7,000 | $879 |
Static Drawdown Accounts
| DayTraders Static Evaluations | Contracts | Profit Target | Static Drawdown | Cost (one-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 2 (20 micros) | $2,500 | $750 | $150 |
| $50,000 | 3 (30 micros) | $3,750 | $1,000 | $200 |
| $75,000 | 3 (30 micros) | $4,500 | $1,250 | $250 |
| $100,000 | 4 (40 micros) | $5,750 | $1,500 | $325 |
| $150,000 | 4 (40 micros) | $6,750 | $1,750 | $400 |
| $250,000 | 5 (50 micros) | $8,500 | $2,000 | $475 |
| $300,000 | 6 (60 micros) | $12,000 | $3,500 | $575 |
License/Data Fees
There are no license fees, but there is a $10/month (per exchange) fee upon getting funded. You can also opt for data from all exchanges at $30/month.
Funded Account Fees
Upon passing the funded account, there is a $130 activation fee regardless of the account size.
E8Markets
E8 Markets is a Prop Firm that offers both Forex and Futures. There are 3 types of accounts that each come with a different set of requirements.
Contract Sizing
Unlike most prop firms, these accounts have a max position based on contract margin requirements, but they are arbitrarily set by E8. For every full/e-mini contract, it requires $10,000 balance ($1,000 for micros). You are able to take on larger position sizes, as long as you have the extra balance to cover the new contracts.
The only exception I saw was for Silver, where the full contract is just $2,000 (micros are still $1,000). This means you can take a position of 25 full /SI contracts on the $50k account. I don’t know how many prop firm traders use silver, but this could be a huge advantage for some.
See the table below for all costs. Type 3 accounts are a 4-step Evaluation, during which you have no fees outside of the initial cost.
| E8 Markets | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (EOD Trailing) | Daily Loss Limit | Cost | Activation Fee | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 (Type 1) | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $98/mo | $0 | $94 |
| $100,000 (Type 1) | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $178/mo | $0 | $170 |
| $150,000 (Type 1) | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $278/mo | $0 | $265 |
| $50,000 (Type 2) | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $1,500 | N/A | $68/mo | $148 | $65 |
| $100,000 (Type 2) | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | N/A | $118/mo | $148 | $113 |
| $150,000 (Type 2) | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $4,500 | N/A | $178/mo | $148 | $170 |
| $50,000 (Type 3) | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $1,500 | N/A | $448 | $140 | N/A |
| $100,000 (Type 3) | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | N/A | $558 | $140 | |
| $150,000 (Type 3) | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $4,500 | N/A | $668 | $140 |
You also have the option to build a custom account, by selecting your desired drawdown %. Changing the drawdown % also changes the Daily Loss Limit (only applies to Account Type 1) and the Profit Target for that account.
This means you are not able to get a traditional 6% profit target with a wider drawdown.
On Account Type 1 however, you are able to reduce the profit target slightly to 4.5% if you opt for a lower EOD drawdown of 3%. This also reduces the cost of the evaluation to $77. For the other account types, the standard drawdown is the lowest available.
License/Data Fees
E8Markets offers TradeLocker, Virtual Markets, cTrader, and MatchTrader for platforms, all of which are free. For US residents, your options are only TradeLocker and MatchTrader.
Funded Account Fees
Upon passing, there is an activation fee, listed in the same table above. Besides this, there are no fees in the funded accounts.
Earn2Trade
Earn2Trade has been around for some time, and recently made improvements to their evaluation.
The four standard evaluation accounts are part of something Earn2Trade calls the “Mini Gauntlet.”
| Earn2Trade Mini Gauntlet | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | EOD Trailing Drawdown | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 6 | $3,000 | $1,100 | $2,000 | $170/mo |
| $100,000 | 12 | $6,000 | $2,200 | $3,500 | $315/mo |
| $150,000 | 15 | $9,000 | $3,300 | $4,500 | $350/mo |
| $200,000 | 16 | $11,000 | $4,400 | $6,000 | $550/mo |
Trader Career Path Evaluation
In addition to their four standard evaluation accounts, they offer something called the “Trader Career Path Evaluation.” During this process, Traders are not locked into one account, but rather progress to bigger accounts as they cross certain thresholds. I won’t be comparing this career path to other firms, because Earn2Trade is the only one that offers it.
As you hit your profit target in the $25,000 (or $50,000) account, you withdraw your profits and get upgraded to the next tier account. This continues until you achieve the “Senior Live Account”, which can be worth as much as $400,000 in funding. The $25,000 account only goes up to $200,000,
The main costs are shown below. If you progress higher in accounts, there isn’t an additional monthly fee. But if you fail, you have to start over with one of these two.
| Earn2Trade Trader Career Path | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | Drawdown (EOD) | Cost | Reset Fee^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 (TCP 25) | 3 | $1,750 | $550 | $1,500 | $150/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 (TCP 50) | 6 | $3,000 | $1,100 | $2,000 | $190/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 (TCP 100) | 12 | $6,000 | $2,200 | $3,500 | $350/mo |
License/Data Fees
The free NinjaTrader license is offered, like with every other firm, and there are no data fees for Non-Professionals. Professional traders are charged $135 per month per exchange.
Funded Account Fees
There is a single $139 activation/setup fee for Non-Professional traders, which is deducted from your first successful withdrawal. This means that there is no longer a monthly funded fee or other setup fees, and it does not have to be paid out of pocket. After this change, Earn2Trade is a little more competitive relative to their peers.
EliteTrader Funding
Update (4/23/2025): Coincidentally, immediately after we released our FundedFilter tool, EliteTrader dropped their activation fees by more than 50%!
EliteTrader has 5 different sets of evaluations. These accounts are in separate categories called 1 Step, EOD Drawdown, Fast Track, Static, and Diamond Hands.
| EliteTrader 1 Step | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 8 (80 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $165/mo | $75 |
| $100,000 | 14 (140 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $205/mo | $75 |
| $150,000 | 18 (180 micros) | $9,000 | $5,000 | $295/mo | $75 |
| $250,000 | 24 (240 micros) | $15,000 | $6,500 | $515/mo | $75 |
| $300,000 | 30 (300 micros) | $20,000 | $7,500 | $655/mo | $75 |
EOD Drawdown Accounts
The EOD Drawdown Accounts feature the EOD Trailing Drawdown, and a Daily Loss Limit which will fail you if breached.
| EliteTrader EOD Drawdown | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | EOD Trailing Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 8 (80 micros) | $3,000 | $1,100 | $2,000 | $295/mo | $75 |
| $100,000 | 14 (140 micros) | $6,000 | $2,200 | $3,500 | $430/mo | $75 |
| $150,000 | 18 (180 micros) | $9,000 | $3,300 | $4,500 | $605/mo | $75 |
Fast Track Accounts
In the fast track accounts, the cost is a little cheaper, and there is no monthly subscription. The drawdown is a standard trailing drawdown. Upon passing the evaluation, you get the first monthly fee waived (the funded account costs $80/month after that).
The challenge is that these accounts must be passed in 14 days maximum. Also, these accounts cannot be reset.
| EliteTrader Fast Track | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Trailing) | Cost (non-recurring) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | 14 (140 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $75 |
| $250,000 | 24 (240 micros) | $15,000 | $6,500 | $175 |
Static Accounts
Static accounts have no scaling rule and no trailing drawdown.
| EliteTrader Static Drawdown | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Static) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | 2 (20 micros) | $2,000 | $625 | $135/mo | $75 |
| $150,000 | 4 (40 micros) | $4,000 | $1,250 | $300/mo | $75 |
Diamond Hands Account
Finally, EliteTrader offers the “Diamond Hands” account, which permits holding overnight and over the weekend. This account has a daily loss limit which will again fail you if breached.
| EliteTrader Diamond Hands | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | Drawdown (Static) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | 2 (20 micros) | $5,000 | $1,500 | $3,500 | $365/mo | $75 |
License/Data Fees
The free NinjaTrader license is offered, like with almost every other firm, and there are no data fees for non-professionals. If you are a professional, there is a $116/mo charge, per exchange, once you are funded.
Funded Account Fees
Once funded, there’s an account activation fee. Depending on the account size and account type, there is a different fee, and these are shown below. If you would like to go for a monthly account fee, it’s $80 across all accounts.
To waive the fee, you can see the different tiers below. Waiving the monthly fee is not available for the Fast Track accounts.
| EliteTrader Funding Activation Fees | 1 Step | EOD Drawdown | Static | Diamond Hands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts $75,000 and under | $150 | $175 | – | – |
| Accounts $100,000 and above | $225 | $250 | $175 | $300 |
Funded Account Reset
EliteTrader also offers a one-time Elite Sim-Funded account reset, for an unknown cost. This requires you to contact support, which may reject you in certain situations. All I know is that the cost will likely be more than the activation fee of the funded account.
FundedFutures Network
FundedFutures Network has recently changed their structure. See the table below for their new account types.
| FundedFutures Network Evaluation Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Trailing Realized) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 Standard | 3 (30 micros) | $2,000 | $1,500 | $125/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 Standard | 4 (40 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $150/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 Standard | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $3,600 | $305/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 Standard | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $5,000 | $350/mo | $100 |
| $250,000 Standard | 20 (200 micros) | $15,000 | $6,000 | $580/mo | $100 |
| $25,000 Express | 30 (30 micros) | $20,00 | $1,500 | $155/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 Express | 4 (40 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $175/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 Express | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $3,600 | $330/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 Express | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $5,000 | $380/mo | $100 |
| $250,000 Express | 20 (200 micros) | $15,000 | $6,000 | $690/mo | $100 |
License/Data Fees
While there are no data fees initially, you are required to pay for data once you get funded. These fees are $126/mo per exchange, as all traders are required to self-designate as Professional subscribers. Level 2 Data is included.
Funded Account Fees
Upon passing the evaluation, you must pay an activation fee, which is $120 regardless of the account size.
Check out FundedFutures Network here.
FuturesElite
FuturesElite offers two types of trading accounts, including a few direct funded accounts which can be found here.
They also offer a “Build your own” custom account plan. You can choose between a variety of loss limits, profit targets, and even profit split. Due to the magnitude of combinations available, I am only including the standard account categories below. Try their custom account builder here.
| FuturesElite Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (EOD) | Daily Loss Limit (soft) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 Starter | 4 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,100 | $99/mo | $56 |
| $100,000 Starter | 7 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $189/mo | $89 |
| $150,000 Starter | 10 | $9,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $299/mo | $139 |
| $50,000 Pro | 5 | $4,000 | $2,000 | N/A | $189/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 Pro | 10 | $8,000 | $3,000 | N/A | $230/mo | $159 |
| $150,000 Pro | 15 | $12,000 | $5,000 | N/A | $429/mo | $239 |
License/Data Fees
Level 1 Data is free, and Level 2 Data is available for $39/month per account.
Funded Account Fees
There are no funded account fees upon passing the evaluation.
Goat Funded Futures
Goat Funded Futures is a Forex Prop Firm that recently pivoted to Futures. They offer both EOD and Static drawdowns on their evaluation accounts.
| Goat Funded Futures Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 EOD | 5 | $4,500 | $2,000 (EOD) | $99/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 EOD | 9 | $9,000 | $3,000 (EOD) | $149/mo | $99 |
| $150,000 EOD | 12 | $12,000 | $5,000 (EOD) | $249/mo | $99 |
| $30,000 Static | 2 | $2,500 | $2,000 (Static) | $199/mo | $229 |
| $75,000 Static | 5 | $4,000 | $3,000 (Static) | $349/mo | $349 |
Note that the profit target on these accounts is substantially higher than traditional prop firm accounts. However, the cost is also much lower than the average competition. A typical $100,000 evaluation is usually between $250 and $350, and Goat Funded Futures offers it for $149, with no funded account fees.
License/Data Fees
Traders are not responsible for any license/data fees.
Funded Account Fees
There are no funded account fees upon passing the evaluation.
Leeloo Trading
Leeloo Trading has one of my favorites, the express account. But there’s quite a lot of different accounts here, so take your time to go through each one if you’re considering them. I’ve broken them down into 4 categories.
Foundation Accounts
| Leeloo Foundation Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (* if Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 (Aspire) | 3 (30 micros) | $1,500 | $1,500* | $150/mo | $85 |
| $50,000 (Launch) | 8 (80 micros) | $3,000 | $2,500* | $180/mo | $85 |
| $75,000 (Kickstart) | 10 (100 micros) | $4,500 | $2,750* | $75/mo | $85 |
| $100,000 (Climb) | 12 (120 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000* | $220/mo | $85 |
| $150,000 (Cruise) | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $5,000* | $305/mo | $85 |
| $250,000 (Burst) | 25 (250 micros) | $15,000 | $6,500* | $525/mo | $85 |
| $300,000 (Explode) | 30 (30 micros) | $20,000 | $7,500* | $675/mo | $85 |
| $100,000 (Glide Micro) | 2 (20 micros) | $2,000 | $625 (static) | $145/mo | $85 |
| $100,000 (Express) | 12 (120 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000* | $77 | Not allowed |
The express account is unique, in that you are permitted only 14 days to work with. You have to trade on 10 separate trading days, which means there is no option to take a day off. But if you are able to meet the profit target and also place trades on these 10 days, you get a full refund of your $77. No other account here offers such a deal, but continue reading about the account fees later. It’s not a completely free account in the end, though it is still a solid discount when compared to the traditional evaluations.
Account Bundles
In addition to its foundation accounts, Leeloo offers account bundles. In these bundles, traders get access to multiple evaluations at the same time under one cost, but only one account can qualify for funding.
While I don’t recommend going with this approach as a beginner, there may be those of you who are trying multiple strategies. You may find a way to take advantage of this setup, by trading each account simultaneously but separately. These bundles reflect the same accounts in the table above, so view the above table for the other details.
Entry Accounts
Next, Leeloo offers what they call Leeloo Entry Accounts (LE). These accounts are significantly cheaper, but have a limited payout structure. I will be covering payouts in another article, but the costs of these accounts is listed below. Again, they follow the same structure as the first table when it comes to contracts, profit targets, and drawdowns.
| Leeloo Entry Accounts (LE) | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 (Aspire) | 3 (30 micros) | $1,500 | $1,500 | $26/mo | $85 |
| $50,000 (Launch) | 8 (80 micros) | $3,000 | $2,500 | $38/mo | $85 |
| $100,000 (Climb) | 12 (120 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $58/mo | $85 |
| $150,000 (Cruise) | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $5,000 | $70/mo | $85 |
| $250,000 (Burst) | 25 (250 micros) | $15,000 | $6,500 | $126/mo | $85 |
| $300,000 (Explode) | 30 (30 micros) | $20,000 | $7,500 | $169/mo | $85 |
Weekly Accounts
Leeloo offers one more set of accounts, called Weekly Accounts. They come in only two sizes – $25k (Aspire) and $50k (Launch).
These two accounts offer weekly payouts, subject to trader performance. Costing $250/mo and $295/mo respectively, they have the same contracts, profit targets, and drawdowns as the Aspire and Launch foundation accounts. The main difference is that these offer faster payouts (weekly) than any other accounts. If you’re in a rush to get your first payout and don’t mind paying a bit extra up front, this can be a great option.
License/Data Fees
A free NinjaTrader license is included, and there are no data fees. But this is what they say about this license:
“The license we provide is a SIM license key. It does not include a few of Ninja’s premium indicators such as their OrderFlow Suite. It is also a single broker key that will only connect to your Leeloo™/Rithmic account. You wont be able to connect to a second account you may operate at the same time. That would require a multibroker key.”
Funded Account Fees
Leeloo has an additional “Account fee”, which is a $88 per month subscription, per account (regardless of size). If you want to waive the monthly fee, you can pay $250 up front at activation.
If you qualify with the Express account, for example, you get refunded your initial evaluation cost ($77), and then choose to either pay $88 per month, or $250 to waive it.
Additional Fees
There are two separate additional fees that you may be charged for depending on location and payment method. In my case, there is a sales tax of 7.25%. You will have to check at the sign-up page if this applies to you.
There is also a 5.85% convenience fee, which is charged on all payments made through Paypal, Paypal Express, or Stripe (ApplePay is the other payment option available, and has no fees). Since the sales tax will vary, you will have to check at sign-up for what you will be charged for. For me, the $77 express account comes out to about $87.
Check out Leeloo Trading here.
Lucid Trading
Lucid Trading offers 3 types of evaluation accounts. Unlike most firms, these are given on a one-time fee basis. If you fail, the reduced reset fee is the best way to start a new evaluation. See the table below.
| Lucid Trading Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (Trailing) | Cost (One-Time) | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 4 (40 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $155 | $90 |
| $100,000 | 6 (60 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $275 | $165 |
| $150,000 | 10 (10 micros) | $9,000 | $4,500 | $375 | $210 |
License/Data Fees
No license is provided, and there are no data fees.
Funded Account Fees
There are no fees with the funded account.
MyFunded Futures
MyFunded Futures offers a total of 10 funded futures account types, split between 4 categories. There’s a “Starter Plus”, “Expert”, “Starter” and even “Eval to Live” accounts.
The main difference between the two is that starter accounts cost less due to having some extra restrictions, while expert accounts have more freedom, but also have more requirements for passing.
If you’re lost with MFF, I understand your pain. The new account structure as of 2025 is confusing, and I am waiting on them to clarify some things for me too.
| MyFunded Futures | Max Contracts | Profit Target | EOD Trailing Drawdown | Daily Loss Limit | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 (Starter Plus) | 3 (30 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | N/A | $127/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 (Starter Plus) | 6 (60 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | N/A | $267/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 (Starter Plus) | 9 (90 micros) | $9,000 | $4,500 | N/A | $377/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 (Expert) | 3 | $4,000 | $2,000 | N/A | $227/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 (Expert) | 6 | $8,000 | $3,000 | N/A | $344/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 (Expert) | 9 | $12,000 | $4,500 | N/A | $477/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 (Starter) | 3 (30 micros) | $3,000 | $2,500 | $1,200 | $97/mo | $97 |
| $50,000 (Eval to Live 1 Step) | 3 | $3,000 | $1,500 | N/A | $444/mo | $265 |
| $100,000 (Eval to Live 2 Steps) | 3 | $3,000 | $1,500 | N/A | $197/mo | $375 |
License/Data Fees
Level 1 data is free, while Level 2 costs $39/mo. If you are a professional, you will be charged $124/mo for data once funded.
Funded Account Fees
As of July 3, 2024, there is no longer an activation fee at MyFundedFutures.
Check out MyFundedFutures here.
NexGen Futures Trader
NexGen Futures Trader is a firm that offers two types of accounts: Audition-To-Live (ATL) and Instant Funded Accounts (IFA). I will cover the ATL below, while IFA accounts can be found in the Direct Funding article here.
There are no resets available.
| NexGen Futures Trader | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (EOD Trailing) | Daily Loss Limit (Hard) | Cost (one-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | 2 (20 micros) | $2,400 | $1,800 | 3% Start of Day Balance | $279 |
| $50,000 | 5 (50 micros) | $4,000 | $3,000 | 3% Start of Day Balance | $379 |
| $100,000 | 7 (70 micros) | $8,000 | $6,000 | 3% Start of Day Balance | $499 |
License/Data Fees
If you are a professional, you will be charged $130/mo for data once funded on either account type.
Funded Account Fees
There are no funded activation fees or subscription fees upon passing.
Check out NexGen Futures Trader here.
OneUp Trader
At OneUp Trader, they offer 5 separate funded futures account sizes, mostly at a competitive cost. You can view a table of the core details below.
As of April 2025, OneUp has modified the subscription structure as well. Now, accounts are charged at 50% upon sign-up, with the remaining 50% charged as an activation fee upon passing. This means the price of the account hasn’t really changed, but traders get the benefit of saving 50% in case they don’t make it on the first try.
| OneUp Trader | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (* if Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 3 | $1,500 | $1,500* | $65/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 | 6 | $3,000 | $2,500* | $75/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 | 12 | $6,000 | $3,500* | $150/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 | 15 | $9,000 | $5,000* | $175/mo | $100 |
| $250,000 | 25 | $15,000 | $5,500* | $325/mo | $100 |
As mentioned earlier, there’s no reason to use the $25,000 account at OneUp Trader. It’s simply not efficient compared to the other options.
OneUp Trader also offers a second set of these same account sizes, for a slightly higher cost. They call this “Express Funding”, because these accounts require only 5 days to pass, instead of 10. The catch is that only previously funded traders are eligible for an Express Funded account. It’s meant to be a quicker path to getting your funded account back, at a slightly higher cost.
| OneUp Trader Express Funding | Contracts | Profit Target | Drawdown (* if Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 3 | $1,500 | $1,500* | $225/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 | 6 | $3,000 | $2,500* | $250/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 | 12 | $6,000 | $3,500* | $400/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 | 15 | $9,000 | $5,000* | $550/mo | $100 |
| $250,000 | 25 | $15,000 | $5,500* | $850/mo | $100 |
License/Data Fees
None, with NinjaTrader license included.
Funded Account Fees
As mentioned above, there is an activation fee, but it is just the 50% deducted from your subscription up front. So while this fee counts as an “activation fee”, their price and no-fee approach is still essentially the same.
This is their biggest selling point, in my eyes. Every other firm seems to have some kind of extra activation fee or subscription system upon getting funded. For the undercapitalized trader, who wants to keep expenses as close to $0 when starting out, OneUp provides some relief.
Keep in mind that there is a $30 fee with each successful withdrawal, which may depend on your bank, because the only withdrawal method available is wire transfer.
Phoenix Trader Funding
PhoenixTrader Funding is a firm that features one of the most unique and cost-effective account types available in the funded futures space. But first, let’s take a look at their main evaluation plans.
There are three types: Classic, Ascension, and Merit accounts.
| Phoenix Trader Funding Classic Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Max Drawdown (EOD Trailing) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 (Limited Edition) | 3 (30 micros) | $3,000 | $2,500 | $137/mo | N/A |
| $50,000 | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $89/mo | $69 |
| $100,000 | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $178/mo | $129 |
| $150,000 | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $6,000 | $284/mo | $199 |
On the Ascension accounts, traders get a static drawdown instead of the EOD Trailing.
| Phoenix Trader Funding Classic Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Max Drawdown (Static) | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 1 to 2 | $2,500 | $750 | $160/mo | $160 |
| $100,000 | 2 to 3 | $3,500 | $1,000 | $310/mo | $310 |
Merit Accounts
The Merit Account deserves its own category, because it’s unlike any other type of account I’ve seen offered by prop firms. With this account, traders pay a significantly lower fee, and trade for a minimum of 30 days, with no profit targets or rules. There is no guarantee of ‘passing’ this evaluation, but Phoenix Trader Funding offers a comprehensive trading report at the end of the evaluation, regardless of how you did.
The account balance is fully available, meaning a $50,000 account comes with a $50,000 drawdown. If you hit $0, you fail. But besides this extreme loss limit, you are allowed to do just about anything to display your trading capabilities and consistency.
If you do end up passing, you are moved directly to a live account with a static drawdown. This offers a powerful opportunity for traders who are reluctant to pay for a traditional evaluation but feel they are skilled enough to pass a Merit account.
| Phoenix Trader Funding Merit Accounts | Contracts | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | 5 micros | $5 |
| $10,000 | 1 (10 micros) | $10 |
| $50,000 | 2 (20 micros) | $20 |
| $100,000 | 3 (30 micros) | $40 |
I recently tried the Merit Account, and posted a full review here.
License/Data Fees
There are no license or data fees associated with the Classic or Ascension accounts.
For the Merit account, there is a mandatory data fee once you are moved to the live brokerage account. This comes out to $135/month per exchange, and it is deducted from your account balance each month.
Funded Account Fees
Upon getting funded, there is a $149 activation fee across both Classic and Ascension Accounts (excluding the $50,000 Classic Limited Edition account).
On the Ascension accounts, this fee is deducted at the first payout, rather than at the beginning.
Check out PhoenixTrader Funding here.
Purdia Capital is a newer firm that offers three types of accounts: the beginner evaluation, a traditional evaluation, and an instant funding option.
| Purdia Capital | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | Max Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (Beginner) | 5 micros | $1,000 (per step) | $250* | $1,000^ | $79/mo | Free (once per day) |
| $25,000 (Beginner) | 10 micros | $2,000 (per step) | $500* | $2,000^ | $119/mo | Free (once per day) |
| $50,000 (EOD Eval) | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $1,000* | $2,000^ | $179/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 (EOD Eval) | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | $2,000* | $3,000^ | $299/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 (PRO) | 10 (100 micros) | $6,000 | N/A | $3,000 | $199/mo | $99 |
| $50,000 (Instant Funding) | 5 (50 micros) | $2,000 (to first payout) | N/A | $1,500^ | $649 | N/A |
| $100,000 (Instant Funding) | 10 (100 micros) | $3,000 (to first payout) | N/A | $3,000^ | $999 | N/A |
^EOD Trailing Drawdown
Reset Discount?
While most accounts have a $99 reset fee, there is an interesting free daily reset for both of the Beginner Evaluation accounts. If you’re a new trader, take advantage of this as much as needed. Make sure you put together a strong sequence of trades and feel confident that you can replicate it during the funded account.
License/Data Fees
There are no license or data fees associated with any Funded account.
Funded Account Fees
Upon getting funded, there is a $130 activation fee across all accounts.
Check out Purdia Capital here.
TakeProfit Trader
TakeProfit Trader is a lesser known firm that looks to be quite straightforward with the evaluation and funded accounts. See their account options below.
| TakeProfit Trader | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | EOD Trailing Drawdown^ | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 3 (30 micros) | $1,500 | $500 | $1,500 | $150/mo | $100 |
| $50,000 | 6 (60 micros) | $3,000 | $1,100 | $2,000 | $170/mo | $100 |
| $75,000 | 9 (90 micros) | $4,500 | $1,600 | $2,500 | $245/mo | $100 |
| $100,000 | 12 (120 micros) | $6,000 | $2,200 | $3,000 | $330/mo | $100 |
| $150,000 | 15 (150 micros) | $9,000 | $3,300 | $4,500 | $360/mo | $100 |
License/Data Fees
As far as I can tell, there is no free NinjaTrader (or other) license provided with a funded account.
Funded Account Fees
Upon getting funded, there’s an activation fee of $130, regardless of the account size.
In addition, if you blow your funded account, TakeProfitTrader permits traders to reset the funded account up to 3 times, before permanently losing access to the account. However, the fee for this reset is calculated based on some factors they don’t share, and it comes out to a much higher cost than just doing a new evaluation. If time is an issue, this is still an option for some.
In addition, traders who trade multiple markets can expect a data fee of $122/mo per additional exchange. While you can trade without any fees on the PRO and PRO+ accounts, you are designated as a professional, with the first exchange covered by TakeProfit Trader.
Check out TakeProfit Trader here.
TickTick Trader
TickTick Trader has an interesting AI-generated futuristic theme on their main site, which sets them apart visually. But what do they offer? Besides a few traditional evaluations, they have an funded futures “express account” (similar to Leeloo Trading). The cost for this account is a one-time fee, which is refunded upon successfully passing the evaluation. You get 15 calendar days to finish the express account.
| TickTick Trader | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | Trailing EOD Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 (Starter) | 4 | $1,500 | $500 | $1,500 | $145/mo | $85 |
| $50,000 (Advanced) | 10 | $3,000 | $1,250 | $2,500 | $160/mo | $85 |
| $100,000 (Express) | 14 | $6,000 | None | $3,500 | $99 | Not allowed |
| $100,000 (Professional) | 14 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,500 | $285/mo | $85 |
Direct Accounts
In addition to the few evaluation accounts, TickTick Trader also offers what they call “Direct Accounts.” These accounts completely bypass the evaluation phase, allowing traders to get funded immediately and begin trading live. These accounts go up to $250,000, and are much more pricy. This sheds light on what the average evaluation account (and its pass rate) is worth to these firms.
Users are allowed to have only one active direct account per tier at a time. So you can have a maximum of three direct accounts, one of each of the following. These accounts cannot be reset.
In addition, you cannot have both direct and evaluation accounts at the same time. This is a new change as of December 2024.
| TickTick Direct Accounts | Contracts | Daily Loss Limit | Drawdown (Static) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 (Base) | 5 | $1,250 | $2,500 | $569 |
| $100,000 (Core) | 10 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $629 |
| $150,000 (Prime) | 15 | $3,750 | $7,500 | $699 |
| $250,000 (Zenith) | 25 | $6,250 | $12,500 | $999 |
License/Data Fees
TickTick Trader offers a free license of one of the following, traders choice:
- Bookmap
- NinjaTrader Pro
- Jigsaw DayTrader
An extra license can also be purchased separately, but is not required.
There’s no monthly account or data fee, but some traders may want additional market data.
To add this on the funded account, it is available for $12/month per exchange (puts that $122/month from earlier into perspective, doesn’t it?).
Funded Account Fees
TickTick Trader slaps on an activation fee upon getting the funded account. This is $149 for each of the $25,000 and $50,000 accounts, and $249 for the $100,000 pro or express accounts.
When passing the express account, the initial subscription cost is deducted from the $249 activation fee. This comes out to $150 total.
Check out TickTick Trader here.
TopOne Futures
Coming soon.
TopStep
TopStep was the first of these companies to get established. Over the years, they have vastly improved their system, and have recently reduced their evaluation fees dramatically due to the competition. However, they still have an activation fee, so they remain in the middle of the pack in terms of cost.
| TopStep | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit | EOD Trailing Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 5 | $3,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $49/mo | $49 |
| $100,000 | 10 | $6,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $99/mo | $99 |
| $150,000 | 15 | $9,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $149/mo | $149 |
License/Data Fees
NinjaTrader is provided at a discount, but not free like at most firms. There are no Level 1 Data Fees. In addition, you can use Tradovate, TradingView (basic version), Quantower (free version), T4, and Rithmic Trader free of charge. Traders can upgrade to Level 2 data for $39/month for all exchanges.
Funded Account Fees
Once you pass the evaluation, you are placed in an Express Funded Account, which comes with a $149 activation fee. The monthly costs are suspended, and there are no other fees while you trade on this account. However, once you meet the requirements (5 trading days with a minimum of $200 profit each day), you will be transferred to a Live Funded Account.
In this final stage, TopStep expects traders to subscribe to Professional Data, at a cost of $116 per month per exchange. There is no option to trade as a non-professional here, which does nothing for you but drain your wallet if you are an independent trader. If you are actually a professional, or are trading under an LLC, you will likely be used to this charge by now.
In addition, depending on the platform you choose, there may be subscription fees. TopStep offers several platforms, but in my experience with Quantower, they are providing no added value compared to downloading the platform from Quantower directly. I did not try other platforms, so the additional benefits provided may prove to be better with others.
TradeDay
As of 2025, TradeDay now offers both Intraday and EOD accounts. On the Intraday account, the trailing drawdown is calculated with unrealized profits in real time, while the EOD accounts update the drawdown only at the end of the day.
| TradeDay Intraday Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | Intraday Trailing Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $125/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 | 10 (50 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $220/mo | $99 |
| $150,000 | 15 (50 micros) | $9,000 | $4,000 | $300/mo | $99 |
| TradeDay EOD Accounts | Contracts | Profit Target | EOD Trailing Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 5 (50 micros) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $165/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 | 10 (50 micros) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $275/mo | $99 |
| $150,000 | 15 (50 micros) | $9,000 | $4,000 | $375/mo | $99 |
They also offer access to all of their webinars and content for $24/month. I have not tried this, but if you have, please reach out to me and let me know about your experience!
License/Data Fees
A NinjaTrader license is provided free of charge. But there are market data fees on funded accounts.
Funded Account Fees
Once funded, there is an activation fee of $139 (this fee was introduced on November 27, 2023).
TradeDay offers traders a Funded SIM account or Funded Live Account upon passing the evaluation. In the SIM account, you can earn up to $5,000, before your account is automatically switched to Funded Live. During the Funded SIM phase, there is no market data fee.
However, once you go live, there is a requirement to use Tradovate and to designate yourself as a Professional, which means Market Data fees of $135/mo per exchange traded.
Tradeify
Tradeify is a newer funding company that offers one-step funding as well as the standard evaluation accounts.
Coming soon.
UProfit Trader
UProfit Trader offers a few straightforward funded futures accounts, but added some extra fees to their cost. Otherwise, they would be near the top in affordability. They interestingly feature a micro account for the smaller traders looking to get their feet wet before trading full futures contracts.
UProfit has been modifying their account names and sizes frequently, so this following table may be outdated from time to time. I will be updating it whenever I see a change on their site. Notably, the limited edition accounts seem to be available at random.
In the past, UProfit added a $150,000 “Freedom Program” account, requiring $2,500 extra profit at $400/mo more than their previous $150,000 account. This was an insane increase in cost unlike what you’d usually see at funding companies, so I will leave the old accounts up for reference. These accounts are not active as of September 2024.
| UProfit Trader | Contracts | Profit Target | Daily Loss Limit (Hard) | EOD (“Pro”) Trailing Drawdown | Cost | Reset Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (micros) | $900 | $350 | $800 | $89/mo | $59 | |
| 2 | $2,000 | None | $1,000 (static) | $62/mo | $99 | |
| 2 | $1,500 | None | $1,000 | $196/mo | $99 | |
| $50,000 | 3 | $3,000 | $1,100 | $2,000 | $78/mo | $99 |
| $100,000 | 6 | $6,000 | $2,200 | $3,000 | $116/mo | $99 |
| $150,000 | 9 | $9,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $196/mo | $175 |
| 8 | $5,000 | None | $5,000 | $350/mo | $175 | |
| 20 | $10,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 | $580/mo | $99 |
Hopefully you’re starting to see the advantages and disadvantages with some of these costs. The UProfit drawdown is only evaluated EOD (end-of-day) and does not trail open positions. This makes passing significantly easier for the amateur trader. However, the daily loss limit is strict, and you’ll learn more about those in the rules part of this series.
Uneven Costs and Drawdown
While the Micro Futures account is interesting, it doesn’t scale consistently. To earn $900 by trading one micro is equivalent to earning $9,000 on a regular e-mini contract. This would be like expecting a $9,000 profit target on the $100,000 account, which traditionally requires only about $6,000. However, the drawdown is quite lenient, which is a plus for the newer trader.
License/Data Fees
UProfit offers NinjaTrader and doesn’t charge data fees. However, they say that they are covering the data fees by charging you an “activation fee”.
Funded Account Fees
At UProfit, there’s an assignment fee that varies per account, shown below. With this fee, the cost of the $100,000 account is no longer comparable to most firms. In addition, as of September 2024, the $200,000 account fees have gone up.
| UProfit Funded Accounts | Activation Fee |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | $149 |
| $100,000 | $149 |
| $150,000 | $149 |
Check out UProfit Trader here.
Conclusion
This guide continues to grow as more firms come out and changes are made. It exceeded the memory limit for a single post, so I moved the comparison section to this page. If you see anything inaccurate or unclear, feel free to reach out and notify me, so I can keep this up to date.
In part 2, I’ve covered the second most important part of becoming a funded futures trader, the rules.
If you’d like to skip ahead to seeing how to get your money, you can do that too. Part 3 is all about withdrawing profits.
Part 4 talks about the Instant Funding system that a select few companies are offering.
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