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Top 7 · Updated

Best Futures Prop Firms in 2026

A futures prop firm gives you a simulated account on CME futures and pays you a share of the profit once you pass its evaluation. We compared seven firms on what they really cost, how their drawdown works and how fast they pay.

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Written by SafeTrading Editorial
Research and editing
Fact-checked by SafeTrading Editorial
Updated 6 min read

The 7 best futures prop firms in 2026

1. Topstep

Best overall

4.5
Combine from
$49/mo ($50K)
Profit split
90%
Running since
2012
Futures

Topstep LLC, based in Chicago, has run its Trading Combine since 2012. You pay $49 to $199 a month until you pass, for example a $3,000 target with a $2,000 end-of-day trailing loss limit on $50K, then trade an Express Funded Account on its TopstepX platform. The loss limit is set to $0 after your first payout.

Read our full Topstep review

Why it ranks here

  • Longest track record of the US futures firms
  • Keep 90% of every payout
  • Instant payouts to US banks via Aeropay
  • No Activation Fee path if you prefer

Watch out for

  • Combine rebills monthly until you pass or cancel
  • $149 activation fee on the Standard path
  • 55% consistency target in the Combine
  • Flat by 3:10 PM CT, TopstepX only
Visit Topstep

XDiscord

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

2. MyFundedFutures

Best one-time fee

4.3
$50K evaluation
From $153, one time
Profit split
80% to 90%
Payouts
Every 24 hours to 14 days
Futures

MyFunded Futures, LLC charges a single fee with no rebill and no activation fee. Rapid and Rapid EOD pay 90% with payouts every 24 hours; Builder and Pro pay 80% with an end-of-day drawdown. It supports NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Quantower and more.

Read our full MyFundedFutures review

Why it ranks here

  • One-time fee, no activation fee
  • Rapid EOD: 90%, daily payouts, end-of-day drawdown
  • Builder can be passed in one day
  • Wide choice of platforms

Watch out for

  • Builder and Pro split is 80%
  • Rapid trails intraday once funded
  • Tier 1 news banned on Rapid and Pro funded accounts
Visit MyFundedFutures

X

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

3. Lucid Trading

Best for automated traders

4.2
Evaluations from
$65 ($25K)
Profit split
90%
Fee
One time
Futures

Lucid Trading Group LLC sells one-time LucidFlex, LucidPro and LucidDaily evaluations and an instant LucidDirect account, all with an end-of-day drawdown, no activation fee and a 90% split. It allows bots and trade copiers, and works with CQG and Rithmic platforms.

Read our full Lucid Trading review

Why it ranks here

  • Lowest list prices we found
  • Bots and trade copiers allowed
  • No consistency rule on LucidFlex funded accounts
  • Payouts on any day once criteria are met

Watch out for

  • No founders, founding date or office address published
  • LucidFlex payouts capped at $1,000 to $3,000 each
  • Microscalping ban on trades of 5 seconds or less
Visit Lucid Trading

X

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

4. Take Profit Trader

Best for day-one withdrawals

4.1
Test from
$150/mo ($25K)
Profit split
80% PRO, 90% PRO+
Withdrawals
From day one
Futures

TakeProfitTrader LLC of Windermere, Florida sells a monthly Test, from $150 for $25K to $360 for $150K, with an end-of-day drawdown. Pass and pay a one-time $130 fee for a PRO account, where you can withdraw from day one at 80%. Live PRO+ accounts pay 90% with an end-of-day drawdown.

Why it ranks here

  • Withdrawals from day one on PRO
  • Pays to US banks, PayPal or Wise
  • More than 15 platforms on CQG or Rithmic data

Watch out for

  • Monthly subscription for the Test
  • $130 PRO activation fee
  • PRO uses an intraday drawdown with a buffer
  • Trading bots not allowed
Visit Take Profit Trader

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

5. Apex Trader Funding

Best for 100% payouts

4.0
Evaluations from
$167 list ($25K)
Payout split
100%
Up to
20 accounts
Futures

Apex Trader Funding Inc., an Austin, Texas corporation founded in 2021, moved to one-time 30-day evaluations on March 1, 2026, with an end-of-day or intraday trailing drawdown. You can pass in one day and keep 100% of approved payouts, up to six per account. List prices are high, but large coupons run most of the time.

Read our full Apex Trader Funding review

Why it ranks here

  • Keep 100% of approved payouts
  • No minimum days and no evaluation consistency rule
  • EOD or intraday drawdown
  • Up to 20 funded accounts

Watch out for

  • Evaluations expire after 30 days with no resets
  • Six payouts per account, then it closes
  • Automation banned
  • $89 to $159 activation fee on Standard plans
Visit Apex Trader Funding

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

6. Tradeify

Best end-of-day drawdown

4.0
Evaluations from
$99 ($25K)
Profit split
90%
Drawdown
End of day
Futures

Tradeify Holdings, Corp. of Boca Raton, Florida sells one-time Growth and Select evaluations and instant Lightning accounts. Every plan uses an end-of-day trailing drawdown, there are no activation fees, and you keep 90%. Select accounts can choose daily payouts. It trades on Tradovate, Rithmic, Tradesea and WealthCharts.

Why it ranks here

  • End-of-day drawdown on every plan
  • No activation fees
  • Daily payout option on Select
  • Non-professional CME data free

Watch out for

  • 35% consistency rule on Growth funded payouts
  • 40% consistency rule in the Select evaluation
  • Lightning instant accounts cannot be reset
Visit Tradeify

X

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

7. Alpha Futures

Best UK-registered futures firm

3.8
Standard from
$129/mo ($50K)
Profit split
90%
Registered
UK, 2024
Futures

Alpha Futures Limited, a UK company incorporated in April 2024 and part of Alpha Group, sells monthly Zero, Standard and Advanced evaluations and a one-time Direct account. All plans use an end-of-day trailing loss limit that stops at the starting balance, pay 90% and charge no activation fee on the evaluation plans.

Why it ranks here

  • Listed on the UK Companies House register
  • No activation fee on Zero, Standard or Advanced
  • End-of-day loss limit that stops trailing at the starting balance
  • Up to four payouts a month

Watch out for

  • Monthly subscription evaluations
  • Newest firm on this list
  • 50% consistency in the Standard evaluation, 40% once funded
  • We could not confirm US eligibility on its own pages
Visit Alpha Futures

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026 · Trading involves risk

Futures prop firms vs forex prop firms

Futures prop firms trade exchange-listed contracts on CME Group markets: E-mini and Micro index futures, crude oil, gold, Treasuries and grains. Forex prop firms trade CFDs on MetaTrader or cTrader. Futures firms usually size accounts in contracts, not lots, and most require you to be flat before the daily close.

Futures firms also price differently. Many charge a monthly subscription or a one-time fee plus an activation fee, and most use a trailing drawdown rather than the fixed 10% maximum loss common at forex firms.

Futures prop firmsForex prop firms
MarketsCME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX futuresForex, index and metal CFDs
PlatformsNinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic, own platformsMT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView
DrawdownUsually trailing, EOD or intradayOften fixed from the starting balance
HoldingUsually flat by the daily closeOvernight often allowed

End-of-day vs intraday trailing drawdown

Both move your loss limit up as your account makes new highs, and neither moves it down. The difference is when the high is measured.

An end-of-day (EOD) drawdown uses your closing balance. If you are up $1,500 at noon and close up $500, the limit moves up by $500. An intraday trailing drawdown uses your highest balance during the session, open profit included, so the same day moves the limit up $1,500 even though you kept only $500.

In both cases the limit is enforced in real time: touch it at any moment and the account fails. Most firms stop trailing once the limit reaches the starting balance, often plus $100. Topstep, Tradeify, Lucid and Alpha Futures use EOD on every plan. Apex and MyFundedFutures offer both, and Take Profit Trader's PRO account trails intraday.

The total cost of a subscription evaluation

A low monthly price can cost more than a one-time fee if you take a few months to pass. Add the monthly fee for every month you expect to need, then add any activation fee and resets.

Examples from list prices on 25 Oct 2026, for a $50K account passed in the third month:

  • Topstep Standard: 3 x $49 + $149 activation = $296
  • Topstep No Activation Fee: 3 x $95 = $285
  • Take Profit Trader: 3 x $170 + $130 PRO fee = $640
  • Alpha Futures Standard: 3 x $129 = $387
  • MyFundedFutures Builder, one time: $153
  • Tradeify Growth, one time: $145

Payout rules to check before you buy

The profit split matters less than the conditions around it. Look for:

  • A buffer or safety net you must build before the first payout
  • A minimum number of winning days, and the minimum profit that counts as a winning day
  • A consistency rule that limits how much of your profit can come from one day
  • A cap per payout, and a limit on how many payouts one account can take
  • Whether the loss limit moves after a payout

CME market data fees

CME charges for real-time data, and firms handle it differently. Most include non-professional Level 1 data in the price. Topstep includes Level 1 and charges $38 a month for Level 2 depth of market. Tradeify includes non-professional data but warns that if you do not sign the non-professional agreement on Tradovate you may pay a $300 a month professional fee.

Professional data fees can also apply once you reach a live account. Topstep says Live Funded traders pay professional data fees.

  • Sign the non-professional data agreement on your first platform login
  • Check whether Level 2 and EUREX data cost extra
  • Ask what data costs once you move to a live account

How we rank futures prop firms

Every firm is scored on the same weighted areas, using what it publishes on its own site and channels. Facts are dated when we check them.

  1. 30%Rules Drawdown type, consistency rules, daily loss limits, news and automation rules.
  2. 25%Payouts Profit split, how soon and how often you can withdraw, and caps per payout.
  3. 20%Cost Evaluation price, monthly or one-time billing, activation, reset and data fees.
  4. 15%Trust Who owns the firm, where it is registered and how long it has operated.
  5. 10%Platforms NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Rithmic platforms and the firm's own.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best futures prop firm?

Topstep ranks first for its track record, 90% split and clear rules. MyFundedFutures and Lucid Trading are the stronger picks if you want a one-time fee instead of a monthly subscription.

Which futures prop firm has no monthly fee?

MyFundedFutures, Lucid Trading, Tradeify and Apex Trader Funding all sell one-time evaluations for new accounts. Topstep, Take Profit Trader and Alpha Futures' evaluation plans bill monthly.

Which futures prop firms use an end-of-day drawdown?

Topstep, Tradeify, Lucid Trading and Alpha Futures use an end-of-day trailing drawdown on every plan. Apex and MyFundedFutures offer EOD plans alongside intraday ones.

Do futures prop firms allow trading bots?

It varies. Lucid Trading allows automated systems and trade copiers. MyFundedFutures allows automation that does not exploit simulated fills. Apex and Take Profit Trader ban bots.

Are futures prop firms regulated?

No. The evaluation and most funded accounts are simulated, and the firms are not regulated brokers. Your protection is the firm's terms, so check who owns it and where it is registered.

Can I hold futures overnight at a prop firm?

Usually not. Topstep requires you to be flat by 3:10 PM CT and Apex before the market close. Check your firm's trading hours article before you trade.

What is an activation fee?

A one-time charge to open your funded account after you pass. Topstep charges $149 on its Standard path, Apex $89 to $159 and Take Profit Trader $130. MyFundedFutures, Lucid and Tradeify charge none.