Best Prop Firms for Futures Traders (2026)

Dozens of futures prop firms now chase the same retail trader, and their terms shift constantly. Drawdown rules tighten, profit splits change, and monthly fees move from one month to the next, so a figure that was accurate in spring can be wrong by summer. Several well-advertised firms also restrict or exclude US residents, which narrows the real choice further than the marketing suggests. This page ranks the futures prop firms that are legal for US retail traders and scores each against a fixed set of criteria. Traders newer to the model can start with what a prop trading firm is and how it works and the mechanics of the prop firm challenge before comparing offers below. Every figure here was verified against each firm’s official terms as of June 2026.

How these prop firms were evaluated

The review scores each firm on six criteria that decide whether a funded account is worth the money over a full trading cycle, not just at signup.

Pricing and value covers the cost to start an evaluation, the cost of a reset, and any recurring fees that hit a funded account. A cheap challenge that carries an $135 monthly data fee on the funded side is not actually cheap, so the review weighs the full cost path, not the headline number.

Payout reliability and speed measures how quickly a trader can withdraw real profit, the minimum payout amount, and the firm’s record of paying without friction. A firm that lets a trader withdraw from day one is treated differently from one that requires a string of qualifying winning days first.

Rule fairness centers on the drawdown model, since that single mechanic decides most blown accounts. Intraday trailing drawdown is the strictest, end-of-day trailing is moderate, and static drawdown is the most forgiving. The difference between trailing vs static drawdown is the most important thing a trader can understand before paying for any challenge. Daily loss limits, consistency requirements, and scaling restrictions also count here.

Platform and data looks at which trading platforms each firm supports and whether market data is included or billed separately. Scaling rewards firms that let a trader grow into larger size or run multiple accounts. Reputation and support weighs track record, the volume of independent trader feedback, and how the firm handles disputes.

Each firm receives a rating from 1 to 5 on every criterion, where 5 marks a clear category leader and 3 marks an average offer for the space. The ratings are editorial judgments grounded in the verified terms and the firm’s record, not precise measurements, and the payouts and profit split structure carries heavy weight because it determines what a trader actually keeps.

The best prop trading firms at a glance

All figures verified as of June 2026.

Firm	Account sizes	Challenge cost	Drawdown type	Profit split	Payout	Best for
TradeDay	$50K to $150K	$125 to $350/mo	Choice of intraday, end-of-day trailing, or static	80% scaling to 95%	Daily, $250 min	Rule flexibility, no data fees
Topstep	$50K to $150K	$85 to $199/mo	End-of-day trailing	90/10	After winning-day requirement, $125 min	Track record and support
Apex Trader Funding	$25K to $150K and larger	Low monthly fee	Intraday trailing threshold	100% of first $25K, then 90/10	Up to 2x per month early, $500 min	Cheap entry and account stacking
Take Profit Trader	$25K to $150K	$150 to $360/mo	End-of-day trailing	80/20, 90/10 on PRO+	Daily from day one, $250 min	Withdrawing profit from day one
My Funded Futures	$25K to $150K	$125 to $347/mo	End-of-day trailing	90/10	Daily, $500 min	Choice of account tracks
Tradeify	$25K to $150K	$99 to $369 one-time	End-of-day trailing	90/10	Daily or 5-day, $250 min	One-time fees and instant funding
Earn2Trade	$25K to $200K	$150 to $170/mo	End-of-day and trailing by program	80/20	Weekly, $100 min	Education and guided scaling
Lucid Trading	$25K to $150K	$135 to $370/mo	End-of-day trailing	90/10	Daily, $500 min	Multiple account styles

TradeDay

TradeDay is a Chicago-based futures prop firm that built its model around a flexibility most competitors have not matched. The standout feature is choice. A trader can run an evaluation under an intraday trailing drawdown, an end-of-day trailing drawdown, or a static drawdown, depending on how aggressively they trade and how much room they want. Most firms force one model on everyone; TradeDay lets the trader pick the rule that fits the strategy. That single design decision is why it sits at the top of this list.

The other reason is what TradeDay does not charge. There are no activation fees and no monthly data fees on a funded account, so the evaluation price is close to the true cost. Payouts run daily with a $250 minimum, and the profit split escalates as a trader’s lifetime profit grows, starting at 80% and reaching 95% past $100,000 in payouts.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $50,000, $100,000, $150,000
Evaluation cost: $125, $230, and $350 per month by size
Profit targets: $3,000, $6,000, $9,000
Maximum drawdown: $2,000, $3,000, $4,500
Drawdown options: intraday trailing, end-of-day trailing, or static
Profit split: 80% up to $50,000 in profit, 90% from $50,000 to $100,000, 95% above $100,000
Payouts: daily, $250 minimum, no separate data fees
Platforms: Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Jigsaw Daytradr

Pros

Three drawdown models on the same account, a level of choice no other firm here offers.
No activation fee and no monthly data fee on funded accounts, so total cost stays predictable.
Profit split that climbs to 95%, among the most generous in the category for consistent traders.
Daily payouts at a reasonable $250 minimum.

Cons

Monthly evaluation fees at the $100,000 and $150,000 sizes run higher than the cheapest firms, so cost-focused traders pay a premium for the flexibility.
Smaller account ceiling than Apex for traders who want to stack many accounts at once.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 4 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 4.5 / 5
Rule fairness: 5 / 5
Platform and data: 4.5 / 5
Scaling: 4 / 5
Reputation and support: 4.5 / 5
Overall: 4.5 / 5

TradeDay: 50% Off & No Activation Fee

Topstep

Topstep is the most established name on this list, operating since 2012, and that longevity is the core of the case for it. A trader who values a documented, multi-year record of paying out over the lowest possible price will find the most reassurance here. The Trading Combine runs on an end-of-day trailing drawdown and a daily loss limit, and the rules are spelled out clearly enough that few traders are surprised by them.

The friction sits in two places. Topstep now routes trading through its own TopstepX platform, which streamlines the experience but narrows the choice of third-party software a trader can use. Funding also requires accumulating qualifying winning days before the first withdrawal, so capital comes out more slowly than at a day-one payout firm. For a disciplined trader building toward steady withdrawals, those are acceptable trade-offs against a reputation that few rivals can claim.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $50,000, $100,000, $150,000
Evaluation cost: $85, $129, and $199 per month by size
Profit targets: $3,000, $6,000, $9,000
Maximum loss: $2,000, $3,000, $4,500
Daily loss limits: $1,000, $2,000, $3,000
Drawdown type: end-of-day trailing
Profit split: 90/10
Payouts: $125 minimum, released after meeting winning-day requirements
Platform: TopstepX

Pros

The longest operating history of any firm here, with a well-documented payout record.
Daily loss limit is clearly defined, which keeps risk rules transparent.
Strong educational material and customer support, useful for traders learning the funded model.

Cons

The move to a proprietary TopstepX platform removes the third-party charting and execution options some active traders rely on.
A daily loss limit on top of the trailing drawdown can end a trading day on a single oversized loss, a stricter setup than firms with no daily cap.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 3.5 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 4.5 / 5
Rule fairness: 3.5 / 5
Platform and data: 3.5 / 5
Scaling: 3.5 / 5
Reputation and support: 5 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5

Apex Trader Funding

Apex Trader Funding wins on two fronts: the lowest cost of entry in the category and the ability to stack many accounts at once. Its evaluation fees are among the cheapest anywhere, and the firm regularly funds traders running a large number of accounts in parallel, which is why it appeals to traders who want to scale size quickly rather than nurse a single account. The profit split is generous too, with a trader keeping 100% of the first $25,000 in profit before the 90/10 split begins. For a fuller view of low-cost options, the breakdown of the cheapest prop firms puts Apex in context against its rivals.

The catch is the structure underneath the cheap headline. Apex uses an intraday trailing threshold, the strictest common drawdown model, which trails the account’s highest balance during the session and ends many accounts that a softer end-of-day rule would have survived. The low evaluation price is also partly offset by a recurring fee on funded accounts, so the real monthly cost arrives after a trader passes, not before. Apex makes the most sense for a trader who understands the trailing threshold and plans to use the scaling rather than treat the cheap challenge as the whole story.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $25,000 to $150,000, with larger tiers also offered
Profit targets: $1,500, $3,000, $6,000, $9,000 by size
Maximum trailing drawdown: $1,500, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000
Drawdown type: intraday trailing threshold
Profit split: 100% of the first $25,000, then 90/10
Funded account fee: a recurring data fee in the range of roughly $89 to $159, with a one-time option available
Minimum payout: $500
Platforms: NinjaTrader, Rithmic, Tradovate, WealthCharts

Pros

Among the lowest evaluation costs in the category, by a wide margin at the smaller sizes.
Account stacking allows a trader to run many funded accounts at once, the strongest scaling path here.
A trader keeps 100% of the first $25,000 in profit, a real edge on early withdrawals.

Cons

The intraday trailing threshold is the harshest drawdown model in this group and ends accounts that an end-of-day rule would not.
The cheap evaluation is partly clawed back by a recurring fee on funded accounts, so total cost is higher than the signup price implies.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 4.5 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 3.5 / 5
Rule fairness: 3 / 5
Platform and data: 4 / 5
Scaling: 5 / 5
Reputation and support: 3.5 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5

Take Profit Trader

Take Profit Trader is built around one idea that sets it apart: a funded trader can withdraw profit from day one. There is no minimum number of trading days and no waiting period stacked in front of the first payout. Any profit above the starting balance can be requested, and payouts run daily with a $250 minimum. For a trader who wants the funded account to feel like real money rather than a delayed bonus, that mechanic is the entire pitch, and it works.

The drawdown is end-of-day trailing, which is moderate rather than punishing, and the firm is transparent about how it locks. The weaker spots are the split and the price. The base PRO account runs an 80/20 split, below the 90/10 that several rivals offer by default, and a trader only reaches 90/10 by moving to PRO+. Monthly evaluation fees on the mid-size accounts also sit on the higher side. The day-one payout model is strong enough to justify the premium for many traders, but it is a premium.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $25,000, $50,000, $75,000, $100,000, $150,000
Evaluation cost: $150, $170, $245, $330, and $360 per month by size
Profit targets: $1,500, $3,000, $4,500, $6,000, $9,000
Maximum drawdown: $1,500, $2,000, $2,500, $3,000, $4,500
Drawdown type: end-of-day trailing
Profit split: 80/20 on PRO, 90/10 on PRO+
Payouts: daily from day one, $250 minimum, no minimum trading days
Platforms: Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView

Pros

Withdrawals available from day one with no minimum trading days, the most flexible payout timing here.
End-of-day trailing drawdown is more forgiving than an intraday model.
A one-time activation fee on the funded account rather than a recurring monthly data charge.

Cons

The base PRO split of 80/20 trails the 90/10 default at several competitors, and reaching 90/10 requires the PRO+ tier.
Monthly evaluation fees on the $100,000 and $150,000 accounts are among the higher ones in this comparison.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 3.5 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 5 / 5
Rule fairness: 4 / 5
Platform and data: 4 / 5
Scaling: 3.5 / 5
Reputation and support: 4 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5

My Funded Futures

My Funded Futures earns its place through account flexibility. Rather than one evaluation, the firm runs several plan tracks at different price points, including a lower-cost track for traders willing to accept tighter restrictions and a faster track that reaches payouts with fewer hurdles. A trader who knows their own style can pick the track that fits, which is a real advantage over firms that sell a single template. Payouts run daily with a 90/10 split, and the firm has grown quickly on the strength of fast withdrawals.

The flexibility cuts both ways. The cheaper plans carry restrictions on drawdown behavior and scaling that the marketing does not foreground, so a trader who picks on price alone can end up with rules that work against their strategy. Reading the plan differences before buying matters more here than at firms with one set of terms.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $150,000
Plan tracks: a lower-cost track, a faster-payout track, and a flat-rate plan, priced from roughly $125 to $347 per month depending on track and size
Profit targets: $1,500, $3,000, $6,000, $9,000 by size
Maximum drawdown: $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,500
Drawdown type: end-of-day trailing
Profit split: 90/10
Payouts: daily, $500 minimum

Pros

Multiple plan tracks let a trader match the account to a specific risk and payout profile.
Daily payouts with a 90/10 split on a modern platform stack.
A faster track reaches withdrawals with fewer restrictions than a standard evaluation.

Cons

The cheaper plans carry drawdown and scaling restrictions that are easy to miss when comparing only the monthly price.
The number of plan variations adds complexity, and choosing the wrong one changes the economics significantly.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 4 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 4.5 / 5
Rule fairness: 3.5 / 5
Platform and data: 4 / 5
Scaling: 4 / 5
Reputation and support: 4 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5

Tradeify

Tradeify takes a different approach to cost that some traders strongly prefer: its evaluation accounts charge a one-time fee rather than a recurring monthly subscription. A trader pays once for the challenge and is not billed again every month while working through it, which removes the pressure of a fee clock ticking against the profit target. On top of the evaluation tracks, Tradeify offers a Lightning option that skips the challenge entirely and funds a trader immediately for a larger one-time fee, an approach covered alongside its peers in the guide to instant funding prop firms.

All accounts run an end-of-day trailing drawdown with a 90/10 split, and payouts can be taken on a daily or 5-day schedule with a $250 minimum. The main drawback is age. Tradeify is newer than Topstep or Apex, so its payout track record covers a shorter period, and the instant-funding Lightning accounts are expensive enough at the larger sizes that they only suit traders confident in their edge.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $150,000
Evaluation cost: one-time fees from $99 to $369 on the Growth track and from $109 to $369 on the Select track
Instant funding: Lightning accounts from $345 to $796 one-time, no evaluation
Profit targets: $1,500, $3,000, $6,000, $9,000 by size
Drawdown type: end-of-day trailing
Profit split: 90/10
Payouts: daily or 5-day, $250 minimum
Platforms: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic

Pros

One-time evaluation fees remove the monthly subscription pressure that defines most rivals.
An instant-funding Lightning option for traders who want to skip the challenge.
90/10 split with daily payout availability at a low $250 minimum.

Cons

A shorter operating history than the established firms, so less long-run payout data exists.
The instant-funding Lightning accounts carry high upfront fees at the larger account sizes.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 4.5 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 4 / 5
Rule fairness: 4 / 5
Platform and data: 4 / 5
Scaling: 3.5 / 5
Reputation and support: 3.5 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5

Earn2Trade

Earn2Trade is the choice for a trader who wants structure and guided scaling rather than the cheapest possible challenge. Its Trader Career Path starts at $25,000 and scales a trader up toward $200,000 and beyond as profit targets are met, and the firm pairs that with a heavier education component than most rivals bother with. The minimum payout is the lowest here at $100, which helps a trader take small early withdrawals while building.

The trade-offs are concrete. The profit split sits at 80%, below the 90% that has become the category norm, and funded traders face a $139 activation fee plus roughly $135 per month in professional CME data fees, which is a meaningful recurring cost that erodes the split further. Payouts also run weekly rather than daily. Earn2Trade suits a trader who values the education and the structured scaling enough to accept a lower net take than the leaner firms offer.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Programs: Trader Career Path scaling from $25,000 toward $200,000, plus the Gauntlet Mini
Cost: $150 per month for the Trader Career Path, $170 per month for the Gauntlet Mini
Profit split: 80/20
Funded account fees: $139 activation deducted from the first withdrawal, plus about $135 per month in professional data fees
Minimum payout: $100
Payouts: weekly
Platforms: NinjaTrader, Finamark, R Trader and R Trader Pro, Overcharts

Pros

A structured Trader Career Path that scales capital toward $200,000 as targets are met.
The lowest minimum payout in this comparison at $100.
Stronger built-in education than most competitors, useful for traders still developing a process.

Cons

The 80/20 split is below the 90/10 standard now common across the category.
A roughly $135 monthly professional data fee plus a $139 activation fee on funded accounts adds recurring cost that cuts into net profit.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 3 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 3.5 / 5
Rule fairness: 4 / 5
Platform and data: 4 / 5
Scaling: 4.5 / 5
Reputation and support: 4.5 / 5
Overall: 3.5 / 5

Lucid Trading

Lucid Trading is the newest challenger on this list, and it competes by offering several account styles under one roof. A trader can choose a standard evaluation, a more flexible evaluation variant, or a direct-funding route, all running an end-of-day trailing drawdown with a 90/10 split and daily payouts. The terms are clean and the pricing is mid-range, sitting between the cheapest firms and the premium options.

What holds Lucid back is simply time in market. As the youngest firm here, it has the shortest public record on payout reliability and the smallest body of independent trader feedback, which matters more for a prop firm than for most products because the entire value depends on the firm actually paying. The terms are competitive, but a cautious trader may want to size in gradually until the track record lengthens.

Key terms (as of June 2026)

Account sizes: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $150,000
Account styles: LucidPro and LucidFlex evaluations, plus LucidDirect funding
Evaluation cost: $135, $185, $285, and $370 by size
Profit targets: from $1,250 at the $25,000 size up to $9,000 at $150,000
Drawdown type: end-of-day trailing
Profit split: 90/10
Payouts: daily, $500 minimum
Reset cost: $90 to $245 by size
Platforms: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic

Pros

Three account styles, including a direct-funding route, give traders a choice of path.
A 90/10 split and daily payouts at competitive mid-range pricing.
Clean, clearly stated end-of-day trailing rules.

Cons

The shortest track record of any firm here, so payout reliability is less proven over time.
A $500 minimum payout is higher than the $100 to $250 minimums at several rivals.

Ratings

Pricing and value: 4 / 5
Payout reliability and speed: 4 / 5
Rule fairness: 4 / 5
Platform and data: 4 / 5
Scaling: 3.5 / 5
Reputation and support: 3 / 5
Overall: 3.5 / 5

How to choose the right prop firm

The right firm depends on what a trader needs most, and the firms above each lead in a different lane.

A trader who wants flexibility in how the account is governed should look first at TradeDay, because the choice of intraday, end-of-day, or static drawdown lets the rule set match the strategy instead of forcing the strategy to bend around one rule. A trader who prizes a long, documented payout record over price should weigh Topstep, whose history since 2012 is the deepest here.

For the lowest cost of entry and the ability to run many accounts at once, Apex Trader Funding is the clear pick, provided the trader respects the intraday trailing threshold and budgets for the funded-account fee. A trader who wants profit in hand as fast as possible should favor Take Profit Trader, where withdrawals begin on day one with no minimum trading days.

A trader who dislikes recurring monthly fees should consider Tradeify, whose one-time evaluation pricing and instant-funding option remove the subscription clock entirely. Those who want structure and a path to larger capital fit Earn2Trade and its Trader Career Path, as long as the 80% split and the data fees are acceptable. My Funded Futures rewards a trader who will read the plan differences and pick the right track, and Lucid Trading suits a trader comfortable being early with a newer firm in exchange for competitive terms.

The drawdown model deserves the most attention of any single factor. An aggressive scalper who takes heat intraday will fail an intraday trailing account that an end-of-day rule would have carried, so matching the drawdown type to the strategy prevents more blown accounts than any other decision.

Are these prop firms available to US traders?

Every firm on this page offers exchange-listed futures accounts on CME products and accepts US retail traders, which is the reason the list looks different from a general roundup of prop firms. Futures prop trading operates under a different framework than the forex and CFD prop model, and many of the largest forex-focused firms either bar US residents outright or cannot legally offer their products to them. A trader who searches broadly for prop firms will find plenty of names that look attractive and then turn out to be closed to US accounts.

Funded Trading Plus is one common example. It is a capable firm, but it runs a forex and CFD model with no dedicated US-retail futures product, so it does not belong on a US futures list despite often appearing in wider comparisons. The distinction between futures vs forex prop firms is the single most useful filter for a US-based trader, because it removes the firms that cannot actually fund a US futures account before any time is spent comparing terms.

Bottom line

TradeDay is the strongest overall futures prop firm for US traders right now. The choice of three drawdown models, the absence of activation and data fees, the daily payouts, and a profit split that climbs to 95% combine into the best total value in the category for a trader who plans to hold a funded account over time. No single rule is forced on the trader, and the cost stays close to the headline price.

Two firms follow closely for specific needs. Topstep is the safer pick for a trader who weighs a proven, long-run payout record above all else, and accepts the proprietary platform and winning-day payout requirement as the price of that reliability. Apex Trader Funding is the answer for the cost-sensitive trader who wants to stack accounts and scale fast, as long as the intraday trailing threshold and the funded-account fee are understood going in. Take Profit Trader rounds out the short list for anyone who values pulling real profit from day one over every other consideration.

A trader’s own style decides the final call. Match the drawdown model to the strategy first, confirm the firm funds US futures accounts, and only then compare price.

Last Updated: June 28, 2026