The expense of joining prop trading firms is one factor that frequently presents a problem, particularly for traders starting with $100,000 accounts. The top five futures prop trading companies are included in this article which includes the financial layers and emphasizes affordability for managing $100,000 accounts with two-step obstacles. While discounts can change over time, regular pricing provides a more reliable baseline for assessing cost, hence these rankings are based on standard pricing without any temporary reductions.
The Crucial Role of Cost Layout in Futures Prop Trading Firms
In the realm of trading, a company’s pricing policy dictates which traders may access the platform. Affordability in futures prop trading firms helps traders focus more on strategy and performance by lowering the entrance hurdle for newcomers, facilitating access to bigger money, and maybe reducing financial stress. Additionally, budgeting for prop traders goes beyond personal money to include trading fees, possible profit splits, and other service costs, particularly for those overseeing 100K accounts. As a result, a trader’s decision-making process heavily weighs a firm’s affordability, which has a direct bearing on their chances of generating money and surviving.
The top five futures prop trading firms for traders looking for an account size of 100K and 2-step challenges are described below:
Elite Trader Funding: $75 per Month
First, let’s start with the least expensive choice. US-based prop trading company Elite Trader Funding charges $75 a month for a 100K account, plus an additional $80 for an activation fee. Professional trading platforms such as Rithmic, NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and TradingView are advantageous to members. The firm also facilitates trading on exchanges like CBOT, COMEX, CME Group, and NYMEX. After the initial $12,500 is achieved, prop traders get to keep 90% of all revenues and are provided with a number of assessment alternatives. Their evaluations vary in terms of maximum holdings, profit objectives, and trailing drawdowns, ranging from a 10K to a 300K evaluation. Additionally, ETF provide a large selection of trading instruments for a number of asset classes, such as metals, agricultural, futures cryptocurrencies, stock, and interest rate futures, among others.
Apex Trader Funding: $137 per Month
The US-based company Apex Trader Funding provides traders with a platform through Tradovate and Rithmic. With a $137 monthly cost, Apex Trader Funding places itself in the affordable range. Nevertheless, there is an activation cost of $220 for a one-time activation or $85 every month thereafter. Through the funded trader program offered by Apex Trader Funding, participants can get two payments every month totaling 90% of the amount over $25,000 and 100% of the first $25,000. The software offers real-time data, straightforward risk management guidelines, and the opportunity to trade full-sized contracts in evaluations or funded accounts. It also permits qualifying in as short as seven days. Trades may be made on holidays and during news releases, and there are no daily drawdowns. With beginning capital ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, they provide a number of funding schemes, each with a distinct contract size, profit target, and trailing threshold.
My Funded Futures: $200 per Month
Based in the US, My Funded Futures is a proprietary trading firm that opened for business in 2023. My Funded Futures offers a mid-range option for $200 per month, plus a $149 one-time activation cost. The company uses systems such as Tradovate and Rithmic. They provide a large selection of trading instruments for a number of asset types, including micro, metal, stock, interest rate, currency, agricultural, energy, and cryptocurrency futures. The company offers traders the opportunity to showcase their trading abilities and receive funding in a matter of days, sometimes even less.
It provides a profit-sharing mechanism in which the trader keeps all gains up to $10,000 and then shares 90% of the remaining profits. With an emphasis on futures trading, this company, together with its sibling company My Funded FX, has amassed a community of more than 50,000 active traders and paid out more than $10,000,000.
TradeDay: $275 per Month
TradeDay is a 2020-founded US-based proprietary trading company established in Illinois, USA, led by CEO James Thorpe. The business is also still active in the United Kingdom. TradeDay is on the more expensive end of the budget range, with a $275 monthly charge and no activation. They work with broker CME Group to do business on platforms including Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, and Jigsaw.
They feature a one-step challenge priced for a 150K account size, providing a 90% profit share, in addition to their 100K account. TradeDay doesn’t charge setup costs and lets traders join live markets right away after a successful review. The firm does not place any limitations or criteria on withdrawals, and it bases its trailing drawdown limit computation on end-of-day balances rather than intraday values. Furthermore, TradeDay offers a wide range of materials, such as free coursework, live market commentary, daily morning meetings, and institutional-grade research.
Earn2Trade: $315 per Month
Earn2Trade, a USA-based proprietary trading firm. It offers a $100K trading account for $315 per month plus a $139 one-time activation cost.
The company was founded in 2017 and specializes in financing futures traders for a range of CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) assets, including Micros. Advantage Futures, EdgeClear, and Phillip Capital serve as the brokers for Earn2Trade. Equity futures, foreign exchange futures, agricultural futures, energy futures, interest rate futures, and metals futures are among the products that may be traded on Earn2Trade. For full-size contracts, commissions are set at a maximum of $0.54 each side, and for microcontracts, the maximum is $0.46 per side. In addition, there are platform-dependent trading platform costs, an NFA charge of $0.02 per side, and a $0.10 per side Ritihmic platform fee. Furthermore, Earn2Trade adopts a one-to-one (1:1) model in which the trading account balance is the only source of purchasing power. As a result, it does not provide leverage.
Additional Note
Topstep is a US-based powerhouse in the futures prop trading industry as it sets the record for stellar feedback and profitability consistency. The usual monthly cost for Topstep sits at 325$ per month for a 100k account size, however, they are currently offering an irresistible discount that brings the price down to a mere 99$ per month for the 100k account that offers 10 contracts and a profit target of 6000$. Seize the offer while available and optimize your futures prop trading career with Topstep.
The Bottom Line
Affordability is a key consideration when choosing a futures prop trading firm. Based on our analysis of the affordability of several futures prop trading companies for traders with $100,000 accounts, we have identified five companies that provide competitive pricing. At $75 per month, Elite Trader Funding turns out to be the most affordable option. With monthly fees of $275 and $315, respectively, TradeDay and Earn2Trade are at the higher end of the affordability spectrum. Choosing a trading business should ultimately be in line with personal financial plans, trading objectives, and targeted degrees of market participation. Traders carefully connect themselves with cost-effective platforms by considering these businesses. A successful trading profession requires a precise balance between cost and value.
