5 Best Futures Prop Firms of 2026

Futures prop firms have become the default path for serious traders who want real capital behind them without risking their own savings. The model is simple: pass a one-step evaluation, get funded, keep the majority of your profits. What separates the good firms from the rest comes down to drawdown mechanics, payout reliability, platform choice, and whether the company is actually transparent about who and where it is.

This list covers the five best futures prop firms currently operating. Each has been evaluated on drawdown type, profit split structure, pricing, payout minimums and frequency, platform compatibility, and Trustpilot standing.

Transparency: We may get compensated when you click on links in this article.

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Best Prop Firms for Futures Trading — Quick Comparison

Firm	Min Account	Max Account	Drawdown Type	Profit Split	Min Payout	Payout Frequency	Trustpilot
TradeDay	$50K	$150K	Static / Intraday / EOD (your choice)	80-95%	$250	Daily	4.6/5 (1,307 reviews)
Earn2Trade	$25K	$400K	EOD	80%	$100	Weekly	4.5/5 (3,134 reviews)
Topstep	$50K	$150K	EOD	100% first $10K, then 90%	$125	Daily	4.3/5 (13,676 reviews)
Apex Trader Funding	$25K	$300K	Intraday (trailing)	100% first $25K, then 90%	$500	Twice monthly	4.4/5 (17,715 reviews)
Take Profit Trader	$25K	$150K	EOD (evaluation) / Intraday (funded PRO)	80% (PRO), 90% (PRO+)	$0 minimum	Daily	4.4/5 (8,584 reviews)

Trustpilot data collected March 2026.

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1. TradeDay

Credibility Check

• Legal name: TradeDay LLC
• Registered address: 2nd Floor, 412 S. Wells, Chicago, Illinois 60607
• Contact: support@tradeday.com, phone and live chat available
• Trustpilot: 4.6/5 based on 1,307 reviews (March 2026)

Account Specs

• Account sizes: $50K, $100K, $150K
• Drawdown options per account: Static (fixed floor, never trails), Intraday (recalculates in real time throughout the session), End-of-Day (recalculates once at session close)
• Minimum trading days: 7
• Profit split: 80% to 95%
• Payout frequency: Daily
• Minimum payout: $250
• Platforms: Tradovate (recommended), NinjaTrader, TradingView, Jigsaw, TradeDayX (in-house)
• Multi-account trading: up to 6 accounts simultaneously

Costs (with 30% discount applied)

Account Size 💰	Drawdown Type 🚀	Regular Price 👛	Discounted Price 💸
50K	Intraday	$125	30% off: Only $87
50K	Static	$165	30% off: Only $115
50K	End of Day	$175	30% off: Only $122
100K	Intraday	$200	30% off: Only $140
100K	Static	$250	30% off: Only $175
100K	End of Day	$275	30% off: Only $192
150K	Intraday	$300	30% off: Only $210
150K	Static	$350	30% off: Only $245
150K	End of Day	$375	30% off: Only $26

Note: Using the discount link also waives the $139 activation fee once funded, making the effective saving considerably higher than 30%.

Pros

• Only prop firm offering all three drawdown types on the same account size. Traders who understand their own risk tolerance can select the structure that actually fits how they trade.
• Daily payouts with a $250 minimum. That is the lowest payout threshold and the highest frequency on this list.
• 80-95% profit split depending on account. The upper end is the best split available across all five firms.
• Transparent company details including address and phone contact.
• Up to 6 simultaneous accounts, which matters for traders who want to scale risk across strategies.

Cons

• Account sizes cap at $150K. Traders who want $200K+ in buying power need to look at Earn2Trade or Apex Trader Funding.
• The intraday drawdown option, while useful for certain traders, carries the same real-time trailing risk as Apex. Choosing Static or EOD is advisable for anyone not trading with extremely tight stops.

See Also: TradeDay Review

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2. Earn2Trade

Credibility Check

• Legal name: Earn2Trade LLC
• Registered address: 30 N Gould St. STE 4000, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA
• Contact: support@earn2trade.com
• Trustpilot: 4.5/5 based on 3,134 reviews (March 2026)

The firm offers two programs: the Trader Career Path and the Gauntlet Mini. Both are single-step evaluations. The Trader Career Path starts at $25K and scales funded accounts up to $400K, making it the better option for traders who intend to grow over time. The Gauntlet Mini runs from $50K to $200K and suits traders who want to skip the lower rungs.

Pass rates are published on Earn2Trade’s own website: 8.89% of candidates passed the Trader Career Path or Gauntlet Mini in 2025. That number is honest and worth reading carefully before purchasing. 91% of evaluation subscribers do not pass. The evaluation fee is the cost of entry and most traders pay it more than once.

Account Specs

• Account sizes (Trader Career Path): $25K, $50K, $100K (funded accounts scale to $400K)
• Account sizes (Gauntlet Mini): $50K, $100K, $150K, $200K
• Drawdown type: EOD on all accounts
• Minimum trading days: 10
• Profit split: 80%
• Payout frequency: Weekly
• Minimum payout: $100
• Platforms: NinjaTrader, R|Trader, MultiCharts, Finamark, Overcharts, Agena Trade, plus approximately 15 additional options
• Education included: Journalytix access, webinars, and trading lessons bundled with all subscriptions

Costs (with 60% discount applied)

Program 🚀	Account Size 💰	Regular Price 👛	Discounted Price 💸
Trader Career Path	25K	$150	60% off: Only $60
Trader Career Path	50K	$190	60% off: Only $76
Trader Career Path	100K	$350	60% off: Only $140
Gauntlet Mini	50K	$170	60% off: Only $68
Gauntlet Mini	100K	$315	60% off: Only $126
Gauntlet Mini	150K	$375	60% off: Only $150
Gauntlet Mini	200K	$550	60% off: Only $220

Pros

• The longest operating firm on this list alongside Topstep. Eight years of consistent funded account payouts is not something most newer firms can replicate.
• $100 minimum withdrawal is the lowest on this list. Weekly payouts make cash flow more predictable than firms that pay twice monthly.
• Scaling path to $400K is the highest funded account ceiling among all five firms.
• Platform breadth is exceptional. 15+ platforms supported, including NinjaTrader, MultiCharts, and Finamark, which covers virtually every serious futures trader’s preference.
• Education resources are included in the subscription price, not upsold separately.

Cons

• The 80% profit split is fixed. There is no path to 90% or 95% within Earn2Trade’s structure, unlike TradeDay (up to 95%) or Topstep (90% after the first $10K).
• The 10-day minimum trading requirement is the highest among these five firms. Traders who hit their profit target quickly still have to wait out the clock.
• 8.89% pass rate means the cost of earning a funded account is almost always higher than the advertised evaluation fee. Factor in 2-3 attempts at the discounted rate to arrive at a realistic total cost.

See Also: Earn2Trade Review

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3. Topstep

Credibility Check

• Legal name: Topstep LLC
• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Listed on Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies
• Trustpilot: 4.3/5 based on 13,676 reviews (March 2026)

The 4.3 Trustpilot score with nearly 14,000 reviews carries more weight than a 4.8 score from 300 reviews. Scale matters. Negative reviews from early 2026 are worth acknowledging: some traders report payout delays, platform stability issues with TopstepX, and frustration about instrument restrictions during high-volatility periods. These are not minor complaints and they reflect a firm going through growing pains following platform changes. The criticism is worth factoring into the decision.

Account Specs

• Account sizes: $50K, $100K, $150K
• Evaluation: Trading Combine (1-step, no time limit minimum beyond 2 trading days)
• Drawdown type: EOD
• Minimum trading days to qualify for payout: 5 winning days
• Profit split: 100% of first $10K in profits, then 90%
• Consistency rule: Best single day cannot exceed 30% of total profits
• Payout frequency: Daily processing
• Minimum payout: $125
• Platform: TopstepX (mandatory for all new accounts as of 2026). NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Quantower, and 30+ others supported for funded accounts.
• Pass rate: 12.4% (2024 published data); 46.6% among traders who made a genuine attempt

Costs

Account Size	Monthly Fee
50K	$49/month
100K	$99/month
150K	$149/month

Activation fee for funded account: $149 one-time.

Pros

• The 100% profit split on the first $10K is the best initial payout structure in the industry. No other firm on this list offers full retention of early profits.
• Lowest monthly evaluation fees of any firm at this account tier.
• 46.6% pass rate among committed traders means a serious trader has roughly even odds of getting funded.
• Deepest education resources and coaching in the industry, consistently cited in Trustpilot reviews as a genuine differentiator.
• $102 million paid out is a verifiable number backed by a decade of operations.

Cons

• TopstepX is now mandatory for all new Trading Combines. Traders with years of experience on NinjaTrader or Tradovate are locked into a proprietary platform they may not prefer. Several Trustpilot reviews specifically cite platform freezes, stop execution failures, and missed fills.
• The 30% consistency rule is a real constraint. Natural trading tends to concentrate profits in a small number of high-conviction trades. This rule works directly against that pattern by forcing traders to cut winners early or risk violating the daily profit cap.
• Topstep has been capping payouts to 50% of account balance for the first 4 payouts in Express funded accounts as of January 2026. The 100% first $10K headline figure does not tell the full story.
• Recent Trustpilot reviews from early 2026 include multiple reports of delayed payouts and account restrictions, a pattern that warrants close attention before committing.

See Also: Topstep Review

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4. Apex Trader Funding

Credibility Check

• Legal name: Apex Trader Funding Inc.
• Registered address: 2028 E. Ben White Blvd Ste 240-9873, Austin, TX 78741
• Trustpilot: 4.4/5 based on 17,715 reviews (March 2026)

Account Specs

• Account sizes: $25K to $300K
• Data feed options: Rithmic or Tradovate (trader selects at signup)
• Drawdown type: Trailing intraday (this is the critical detail)
• Minimum trading days: 7
• Profit split: 100% of first $25K in profits, then 90%
• Consistency rule: No single day can exceed 30% of total profits; no single day can exceed 30% of negative P&L
• Maximum simultaneous funded accounts: 20
• Payout frequency: Twice per month
• Minimum payout: $500
• Platforms: NinjaTrader 8, Sierra Chart, Quantower, Finamark, and others via Rithmic or Tradovate

The trailing intraday drawdown is the most significant structural issue with Apex and the main reason it ranks fourth despite its size and payout volume. Here is how it works: the drawdown floor follows the account’s highest intraday profit in real time. If an ES trade runs $1,200 in profit and then reverses before exit, the drawdown limit has already moved up. A trader sitting on an unrealized gain who stays in the trade can find themselves stopped out on the same day if the market consolidates back. EOD drawdown, by contrast, only recalculates once the session closes, giving positions room to breathe intraday.

This is not a hypothetical risk. It is the primary cause of evaluation failures at Apex, and it is how Apex’s evaluation structure generates the volume of reset fees that fund the business.

Costs

Apex runs frequent discount promotions, often 80-90% off. Regular retail pricing on a 50K full account starts at approximately $167/month. Checking the Apex website for current promotions before purchasing is advised, as the effective price can vary significantly from week to week.

Pros

• 100% of the first $25K in profits is the best first-payout figure on this list, beating Topstep’s $10K threshold by $15K.
• Account sizes up to $300K and up to 20 simultaneous funded accounts give serious traders more capital deployment options than any other firm here.
• $378 million in reported payouts demonstrates the firm is paying out at scale.
• Frequent promotional pricing can make Apex evaluations among the cheapest available when sales run.
• News trading is permitted, which is not the case at all firms.

Cons

• Intraday trailing drawdown is a structural disadvantage for most trading styles. A trade that shows a profit mid-session and then reverses can fail an account that would have survived under EOD rules. This is not disclosed prominently in Apex’s marketing.
• The dual 30% rules (daily profit cap and daily loss cap) are among the most restrictive consistency requirements in the industry. Traders who have a naturally variable daily P&L distribution will encounter violations.
• $500 minimum payout and twice-monthly processing is the most restrictive payout structure on this list.
• Multiple Trustpilot reports describe payout denials linked to automated rule-flagging, vague “erratic trading” terminations, and retroactive rule changes. These are recurring complaints, not isolated incidents.

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5. Take Profit Trader

Credibility Check

• Legal name: TakeProfitTrader LLC
• Registered address: 1317 Edgewater Drive #3797, Orlando, FL 32804
• Contact: Live support available via website
• Trustpilot: 4.4/5 based on 8,584 reviews (March 2026)

The evaluation structure at TPT is called the “Test” phase, a single-step process that traders can technically pass in 5 days. Once funded, traders enter a PRO account, which is a simulated funded account. The PRO account pays out 80%. To reach live capital and a 90% split, traders must graduate to PRO+, which requires generating $5,000 in PRO account profits. TPT publishes a 20.37% pass rate for the Test phase, the highest on this list.

The daily withdrawal capability is the headline feature. No payout windows, no minimum winning days required after the buffer is met. That buffer rule is the key condition: funded traders must first accrue profits equal to the drawdown limit before withdrawals open. On a $50K account with a $2,000 drawdown, the first $2,000 in profits is locked as a buffer, not withdrawable. After that, daily withdrawals are available.

Account Specs

• Account sizes: $25K, $50K, $75K, $100K, $150K
• Drawdown type: EOD during evaluation; intraday in funded PRO accounts (the drawdown stops trailing once it reaches the initial account balance)
• Daily loss limit: Removed permanently in January 2025
• Minimum trading days: 5
• Profit split: 80% (PRO), 90% (PRO+)
• Maximum simultaneous funded accounts: 5
• Payout frequency: Daily
• Minimum payout: No stated minimum above buffer
• Platforms: NinjaTrader, TradingView, Tradovate, Quantower, R|Trader Pro, MultiCharts, and 10+ others

Costs

Pricing is based on a one-time activation fee of $130 for funded accounts at any size, plus monthly subscription for the evaluation. Regular promotions offer 40% off with promo codes. Checking the TPT website for current discount codes before subscribing is recommended.

Pros

• Daily withdrawals with no minimum payout amount (beyond the buffer) is a genuine differentiator. No other firm on this list matches this flexibility once funded.
• The daily loss limit was removed in January 2025, a meaningful change that gives PRO traders more room to manage drawdowns within a session.
• 20.37% pass rate is the highest published pass rate among all five firms, more than double Earn2Trade’s 8.89%.
• Company address, founding story, and live support availability are all clearly disclosed. Transparency here is above average for the industry.
• One-time $130 activation fee for funded accounts is lower than Topstep’s $149.

Cons

• PRO accounts are simulated, not live capital. Traders who pass the Test phase are trading in a sim environment at the 80% split. Reaching actual live funded trading (PRO+) requires generating $5,000 in PRO profits first, a threshold that most traders do not reach. TPT does not publish how many PRO traders successfully convert to PRO+.
• Intraday drawdown in funded PRO accounts means the same trailing drawdown risk as Apex applies once funded, even though the evaluation itself uses EOD mechanics. Traders can pass using one set of rules and get caught by a stricter rule set after funding.
• Maximum 5 funded accounts is the most restrictive multi-account cap on this list. Traders who want to run 10 or 20 accounts to scale need to look elsewhere.
• Payout delays appear in Trustpilot reviews from early 2026 with enough frequency to suggest support capacity has been stretched.

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Bottom Line

TradeDay is the top pick for most futures traders in 2026. The drawdown choice feature is unique and meaningful. Selecting Static or EOD drawdown removes the intraday trailing risk that kills accounts at Apex and at TPT’s funded level. Daily payouts with a $250 minimum are the most trader-friendly payout terms on this list. The 30% discount combined with the waived activation fee makes the effective cost lower than it initially appears. For traders who know their risk tolerance and want to select their structure accordingly, there is no better option.

Earn2Trade is the runner-up for traders focused on scaling. The path to $400K in funded capital is unmatched, the EOD drawdown structure is clean, the $100 minimum weekly payout keeps cash flow accessible, and eight years of operation puts it in the same credibility tier as Topstep. The fixed 80% profit split is the trade-off, and it is a real one.

Topstep remains the market leader by reputation and history, but early 2026 has introduced legitimate concerns about payout reliability and the mandatory TopstepX platform. Traders who value institutional history and educational support over flexibility should still consider it. Traders who want simplicity and control over their drawdown structure should start with TradeDay.

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Comparison Table

Feature	TradeDay	Earn2Trade	Topstep	Apex	Take Profit Trader
Founded	2020	2016	2012	2021	2021
Min Account	$50K	$25K	$50K	$25K	$25K
Max Account	$150K	$400K	$150K	$300K	$150K
Drawdown Type	Choice: Static / Intraday / EOD	EOD	EOD	Intraday trailing	EOD (eval) / Intraday (funded)
Min Trading Days	7	10	2	7	5
Max Profit Split	95%	80%	90% (100% first $10K)	90% (100% first $25K)	90% (PRO+)
Min Payout	$250	$100	$125	$500	None above buffer
Payout Frequency	Daily	Weekly	Daily	Twice monthly	Daily
Max Simultaneous Accounts	6	Not stated	Multiple	20	5
Trustpilot (March 2026)	4.6/5 (1,307)	4.5/5 (3,134)	4.3/5 (13,676)	4.4/5 (17,715)	4.4/5 (8,584)

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FAQs

What is the difference between static, intraday, and EOD drawdown?

Static drawdown means the maximum loss floor never moves. If an account starts with a $3,000 drawdown limit, that limit stays at the same price level regardless of profits made. Intraday drawdown recalculates in real time throughout the trading session, meaning any unrealized profit immediately moves the floor up, creating risk if the position reverses before exit. EOD drawdown recalculates once at the close of each trading day, locking in the new floor based on the closing balance. This gives intraday positions room to fluctuate without risk of being stopped out mid-session. For most traders, EOD is the most manageable structure.

What is a consistency rule and why does it matter?

A consistency rule caps how much profit can come from any single trading day as a percentage of total profits. Topstep caps it at 30%, Apex enforces the same. The practical effect is that if a trader makes 40% of their total profit on one strong day, they violate the rule and forfeit the payout. This directly conflicts with how trading actually works in practice, where a small number of high-conviction setups generate the bulk of returns. Traders should factor this rule into their strategy before selecting a firm.

Why do futures prop firms have better payout reliability than forex prop firms?

Futures contracts trade on centralized exchanges like the CME with official timestamps and standardized pricing. Every participant sees the same price at the same moment. Forex pricing, by contrast, runs through liquidity providers whose prices can diverge, especially in simulated environments. This creates ambiguity that has led to disputes and firm closures. The futures market’s verifiable price record makes it far harder for a firm to dispute a trade outcome, which reduces the category of complaints specific to simulation manipulation.

How many attempts should a trader budget for before getting funded?

Pass rates across these five firms range from 8.89% (Earn2Trade) to 20.37% (Take Profit Trader). At an average pass rate of around 12-15%, a realistic budget assumes 5-8 evaluation attempts before funding. At discounted prices, that typically means $300-700 in total evaluation fees before the first funded account. Traders who do not model their own pass rate based on their historical trading performance tend to underestimate this cost significantly.

What is the buffer rule at Take Profit Trader?

TPT’s PRO accounts require traders to accumulate profits equal to the account’s drawdown limit before any withdrawal is available. On a $50K PRO account with a $1,500 drawdown limit, the first $1,500 in profits stays locked as the working buffer. Profits above that threshold are withdrawable daily. This is not the same as “day one withdrawals” in the unconditional sense. The buffer must be built first.

Is Topstep still the best prop firm in 2026?

Topstep is the most established firm in the industry and has paid out more than any other company on this list. The concerns about payout delays, mandatory platform changes, and restrictive funded account terms that emerged in early 2026 are real and documented. For traders who prioritize history, community, and education, Topstep is still a strong option. For traders who prioritize drawdown flexibility, higher profit splits, or smoother payout mechanics, TradeDay is the better choice in 2026.

Can prop firm profits be traded tax-free?

Prop firm payouts are generally treated as ordinary income in most jurisdictions, not capital gains. Futures trading within a prop firm evaluation or funded account may qualify for the 60/40 tax treatment in the US (60% long-term gains, 40% short-term) depending on account structure and how the firm classifies the arrangement. Consulting a tax professional who works with traders is strongly recommended before drawing conclusions from general guidance.

See Also: Cheapest Prop Firm