Compare Futures Prop Firms

Updated September 27, 2026

Choosing a futures prop firm comes down to the details that decide whether you actually get funded and paid: evaluation targets and drawdown rules, profit splits, payout speed, contract limits, and the platforms each firm supports (NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic and similar). Use the finder below to open a full, side-by-side breakdown of an available pair of firms offering futures programs; firms themselves are not CME-listed contracts.

Popular futures prop firm comparisons

The finder below covers the 17 firms listed in its selector and their available head-to-head comparisons, including Topstep, Apex Trader Funding, TradeDay, Take Profit Trader, Tradeify, OneUp Trader, Elite Trader Funding, Earn2Trade, My Funded Futures, Alpha Futures, Lucid Trading, Ment Funding, FuturesElite, E8 Markets, The5ers, Goat Funded Futures and Top One Futures. Pick an available pair to open a full side-by-side breakdown of their evaluation rules, drawdown, fees and payouts.

Futures comparison examples

Here are some futures comparison items as examples of what the finder opens. These 20 examples link to published comparisons. Use the finder above to check another pairing.

• Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep
• Topstep vs TradeDay
• Apex Trader Funding vs TradeDay
• Take Profit Trader vs Topstep
• Apex Trader Funding vs Take Profit Trader
• Take Profit Trader vs TradeDay
• Elite Trader Funding vs My Funded Futures
• Earn2Trade vs My Funded Futures
• Earn2Trade vs Elite Trader Funding
• My Funded Futures vs Tradeify
• Elite Trader Funding vs Tradeify
• Earn2Trade vs Tradeify
• Alpha Futures vs OneUp Trader
• OneUp Trader vs Top One Futures
• Alpha Futures vs Top One Futures
• Lucid Trading vs OneUp Trader
• Alpha Futures vs Lucid Trading
• Lucid Trading vs Top One Futures
• E8 Markets vs FuturesElite
• E8 Markets vs Ment Funding

What a futures prop firm actually does

These programs let traders demonstrate performance using futures instruments such as equity-index, energy or metal contracts. The evaluation is usually simulated, and passing may lead to a simulated funded account with conditional rewards. A live account is separate and may require further review. Nominal account size is not the amount available to lose or withdraw; the usable risk allowance comes from the loss rules. Evaluation and related fees remain real costs.

Company location and trader eligibility

Futures products, platform providers and prop firms are separate businesses. Trading a US exchange product does not establish the prop firm’s domicile or your eligibility. Check the contracting entity, restricted-country list and payout-method availability for the specific program before purchasing.

How a futures evaluation works

Most futures prop firms run a one-step evaluation, sometimes called a combine or a challenge. You get a simulated account of a set size, commonly between $25,000 and $150,000, and you have to reach a profit target without breaking the drawdown limit. The detail that catches people out is the trailing drawdown. An end-of-day floor may still be enforced intraday, including unrealised losses. An intraday trailing floor can also move upward with unrealised gains. Neither method grants overnight or weekend holding permission. Consistency rules are common as well, so a single big day usually cannot account for too large a slice of your total profit. Evaluation consistency and funded payout consistency are separate: current Apex evaluations do not impose the PA payout consistency rule, while Topstep’s Combine has a 55% target.

Fees, payouts and platforms

Check recurring evaluation charges, one-time access periods, activation fees, resets, data and commissions. Current Apex EOD/Intraday evaluations have 30 calendar days and no resets; a failed or expired attempt requires a new evaluation. Payout shares also vary: Topstep generally pays 90%, while current Apex simulated PAs pay 100% of approved requests under their caps and safety-net rules. TradeDay Quick Pay uses different rates for withdrawal portions around its current-profit threshold. Platform support is account-specific: TopstepX and its supported Quantower connection should not be confused with another firm’s Tradovate or Rithmic setup.

Choosing the right futures prop firm

The best futures prop firm is simply the one whose rules fit how you actually trade. A scalper who is flat before the close will care most about a cheap evaluation and room on the intraday drawdown, while someone holding trades for days needs explicit permission to hold through the relevant market closes. Drawdown type alone does not establish that permission. It is also worth checking whether the funded account is simulated or routed to live execution, since that shapes both your payouts and how the firm makes its money. Use the finder above to put any two of these firms side by side, read the full breakdown of fees, rules and payouts, and pick the one that suits your strategy rather than the one running the loudest discount.

Rules and program descriptions checked on 27 September 2026 using Topstep Combine parameters, loss-limit rules, Apex evaluation access terms, Apex payouts and TradeDay Quick Pay payouts.

Frequently asked questions