Funded Trader Accounts – Trading Software Tutorials

FUNDED TRADING

This is an alphabetic list of proprietary trading firms that offer funded trading accounts. Please note that some websites provide inadequate information for the creation of a comprehensive summary. All prices quoted were correct at the time of logging, but may have since changed, plus there may be time-based discounts subsequently made available.

Alpha Capital

Group

Alpha Capital Group provides no information on its website other than a signup form. However, information found elsewhere states that the Group is a proprietary trading fund established by traders for traders, and that the firm is looking for profitable traders who can demonstrate an ability to react to the markets, manage risk and be consistent with their trading strategy. The program offers a funded account of up to $200,000 for traders with talent and allows traders to keep up to 80% of their profits when they scale their trading success. There are 5 different account levels: Alpha Pro 10K, Alpha Pro 25K, Alpha Pro 50K, Alpha Pro 100K and Alpha Pro 200K. Fees range from US$97 for a US$10,000 account to US$997 for a US$200,000 account. There is a free trial and unlimited, free, evaluation retries. Account scaling is available with leverage at 1:000. Overnight and weekend holding, and news trading, is allowed. Evaluation phase one requires a trader to reach a profit target of 8% while not surpassing their 5% maximum daily loss or 10% maximum loss rules. They are required to hit their profit target in 35 calendar days from the day their first trade is placed. There is a five minimum trading days requirement before proceeding to phase two. Evaluation phase two requires a trader to reach a profit target of 5% while not surpassing their 5% maximum daily loss or 10% maximum loss rules. They are required to hit their profit target in 60 calendar days from the day they place their first position. There is also a requirement of five minimum trading days in order to proceed to a funded account. Traders us an in-house trading platform. Alpha Capital Group was founded in 2021 and is based in London, UK. [Logged: April 2023]

Apex Trader

Funding

Apex Trader Funding is a community of some 25,000 traders that believes in helping traders trade well. It offers one of the easiest to pass, lowest cost, highest contract plans with the fewest rules in the funded-trading business. Activities are strictly day trading with traders able to be in the markets for 23 hours a day, between 6pm ET one day to closing all positions and orders by 4:59pm ET the next day. There are no rules in relation to daily drawdowns, trading during holidays, markets that can be traded, or strategies that can be used. Apex plans cap contracts at the max and traders can open full-size contracts. Traders start with a full-size account, with no size restrictions, such as scaling. Multiple accounts, up to 20, are facilitated to spread risk and increase profits via Ninja Trader’s Trade Copier (at a discounted cost of US$150). The main objective of Apex Trader is to: ‘hit your profit target without hitting your drawdown’ each day. To qualify for an account, traders must first go through a simple, one-step evaluation over a period of at least 10 trading days (the process is explained in a 32 minute video). Once they have passed, traders make it to a paid performance account. The smallest account has US$25,000 starting capital, a profit goal of US$1,500 in Step 1 of the evaluation and a trailing threshold of US$1,500. During the evaluation process, the funded accounts cost between $147 and $657 per month, depending on the chosen starting capital. Traders keep 100% of their first $25,000 profit, then 90% of profits thereafter. An evaluation reset costs $80. The monthly fee for the accounts, once funded, is $85. Payments to Apex Trader Funding via credit card. Payouts are available via Deel. There are two payout per month. Apex Trader recommends traders use the Ninja Trader brokerage platform (both NT7 and NT8 Toolkits and instructions are available; NT8 includes a suite of auto trading bots and indicators at a cost of US$1300 per month). It also recommends the broker Tradeovate. It also recommends trades obtain a data feed from Rithmic RTrader Pro (although other vendors such as WealthCharts, Bookmap and Finamark are also supported). The monthly fee for trading is US$85, but the trading platforms include a free Ninja license and free real-time data. Tick data is provided through Tick Strike and automated trading is facilitated with Markers Plus. The educational Sniper Bootcamp is accessible for free for 30 days (no credit card required) which gives traders access to the Live Trading Room that allows them to see strategies applied and trades called each day, trading indicators and the Silver Sniper. Less-desirable features include: no capital growth and limits on withdrawals for the first three months. Apex Trader Funding Inc was founded by Darrell Martin, a rancher and day trader who has built a thriving community of traders into over 30,000 members in over 150 countries since 2008. Apex Trader Funding is available globally where allowed by law. It is headquartered in Austin (TX) USA. [Logged: April 2023]

See the Charting N–Z page for information about Rithmic RTrader Pro.

See the Brokers N–Z page for information about Ninja Trader and Tradeovate.

Audacity Capital

Audacity Capital trades all major asset classes on multiple exchanges with its own capital. They do not handle any client funds, nor have any customers. It uses institutional liquidity providers and not retail brokers. Its Funded Trader Program is for profitable traders with a successful strategy. Applicants need to have at least 3 months experience managing a live account and be ready to start managing live capital from day one. This program provides maximum value for experienced traders where Audacity Capital only requires traders to pass a short interview with a member of its talent acquisition team. The benefits of this program include: no demo or challenge required; get approved for live funding within 24 hours; funding starts from US$15,000 live capital with a fast scaling plan of six stages up to US$480,000 with lot size increasing from 0.5 to 16; 10% drawdown tolerance; account growth every 10% profit target made; access to premium liquidity with zero commission and swap fees; flexible trading conditions with no time restrictions or deadlines; and zero loss liability. The Ability Challenge is for all traders coming from different trading backgrounds. Traders can start the Challenge with any level of experience trading in the financial markets. The challenge is a two-step process where traders demonstrate their trading ability and, once completed, gain access to a live account of their pre chosen size. The two-step evaluation is designed to fairly test a trader’s ability. There is an option to start with a larger initial capital (no account scaling), no monthly fees, a monthly profit share of 75/25; increased leverage 1:100 in the challenge phase, flexible trading conditions (traders can hold positions over the weekend, trade the news and no lot size limitations). The application fee of $US129 is refundable fee when traders complete all stages of the challenge. Audacity Capital also offers a Hidden Talents Program that is designed to help guide and nurture curiosity in trading through intensive one-to-one training with a fully qualified trading mentor. The program is not based upon previous experience or academic qualifications, but on the natural intellect and willingness to become a profitable trader. With a careful selection process, the Hidden Talents Program is designed to help identify, recruit and develop the next generation of raw talent, who are eager to demonstrate their capability in investing and trading the financial markets. Extensive educational material is offered to support funded traders, and its platforms are PC, iOS and Android capable. With more than 70% of its traders successful, Audacity Capital is currently looking for traders with live experience managing risk and who have shown profitability. For traders to join the program they must be able to demonstrate at least 3 months trading a live account, consistency when managing risk and profitability during this timeframe and consistency by following a trading plan or strategy. Established in 2012, Audacity Capital has backed and funded traders in over 140 countries with over US$2.4 billion in volume. It is headquartered in London, UK. [Logged: April 2023]

Blue Guardian

Summary currently being prepared.

Blufx

Summary currently being prepared.

City Traders Imperium

While City Traders Imperium was originally a forex specialist pro trading firm, traders can now also be funded to trade a variety of CFD instruments, including shares, commodities and indices. City Traders Imperium offers four funding programs: Challenge, Standard, Classic and Direct Funding. The Challenge program involves the 2-Step Challenge and is considered ideal for high-risk attitude traders looking to have a bigger drawdown on their challenge. The Standard program involves the 1-Step Instant Funding Evaluation and is considered ideal for all types of traders with medium-risk profiles looking for balanced and flexible rules. The Classic program also involves the 1-Step Instant Funding Evaluation and is considered ideal for traders looking for the longest time limits for their evaluation with relatively lower risk. The Direct Funding program has no evaluation and is considered ideal for professional traders looking for instant funding to save time and skip the evaluation process. With the funding evaluations, traders have 45 days to pass the Funding Program Challenge Phase 1 using a demo account with a 10% profit target, then another 45 days to pass Phase 2 with half the profit target. Once accepted, traders can earn between 80% and 100% of profit share and receive a monthly salary as soon as the they qualify for weekly withdrawals. With the Direct Funding program, traders have up to 100% profit share, weekly payouts, and withdraw at any time without restrictions, although there is a strong emphasis on good risk management. Amounts funded vary from US$20,000 up to US$70,000, with 10% profit target, a maximum absolute drawdown of 5% from initial balance; 1:10 leverage, and a one-time payment varying from US$1,199 to US$4,199, and with weekend, overnight and news trading allowed. One-off fees for funded account challenge plans are: US$99, US$159, US$329 and US$509 for US$10,000, US$25,000, US$50,000 and US$100,000 funding amounts, respectively. In terms of trading platforms, City Traders Imperium only offers MetaTrader 5. Payments are made through credit/debit cards or crypto payments (USDC – Polygon / Matic Network). For educational purposes, City Traders Imperium sponsors a prop trading community and the company offers mentorship and training programs to help traders succeed. Founded in 2018, City Traders Imperium is headquartered in London, UK. [Logged: April 2023]

See the Charting page for information about MetaTrader 5.

E8Funding

Summary currently being prepared.

Earn2Trade

Earn2Trade has a large selection of financial products, including those from all CME exchanges, including CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX, partnered with a three-phase career path to becoming a funded trader: (1) test trading skills using either a $25,000 or $50,000 virtual account and pass the exam; (2) join a prop trading firm, receive a trading account, and grow that account by meeting fixed objectives through a series of live accounts by hitting profit targets and withdrawing profit at each step; (3) work up to the US$400,000 live account with a drawdown fixed to $380,000. To become funded as an intra-day trader, prospects need to pass the Gauntlet Mini™ test. The Gauntlet Mini™ is an intraday futures trading exam that guarantees trader funding by our proprietary trading firm partner upon successful completion. Our goal is to offer an opportunity for futures traders who have the skill but lack the capital to become professional traders by bringing them together with a proprietary trading firm. The Gauntlet Mini™ evaluates trading performance using a set of rules which must be followed for at least 15 days, until the student trader reaches the account profit target. The Gauntlet Mini™ works on a paid subscription basis, and the examination lasts until the target is met without breaking the rules. Earn2Trade’s rules for trading are: trade at least 15 days, follow the progression ladder, do not reach or dip below the daily loss, do not reach of dip below the minimum account balance (EOD drawdown) and maintain consistency. Earn2Trade has two plans, TCP25 and TCP50, each of which has six steps: Evaluation, Junior Livesim Account, Junior Live Account, Intermediate Live Account Advanced Live Account and Senior Live Account. TCP25 has US$25,00 in virtual starting capital, a profit goal of US$1,750, an EOD drawdown of US$1,500, a daily loss limit of US$550, up to 3 contracts tradeable, and a free reset when rebilled. For TCP50, these figures are US$50,000, a profit goal of US$3,000, an EOD drawdown of US$2,000, a daily loss limit of US$1,100, up to 6 contracts tradeable, and a free reset when rebilled. When traders reach the Intermediate level their starting capital doubles, then doubles again at the next two levels. The monthly subscription fees for becoming a prop trader with Earn2Trade are US$150 for TCP25 and US$190 for TCP50. In April 2023, Earn2Trade had an offer of a 50% reduction in those monthly fees. Contract commissions are also charge each way on trades which range from US$1-2 per side. Once funded, traders can withdraw 80% of their profits after meeting the profit target of each step. They don’t have to wait to accumulate the full profit target, and can withdraw any amount over $100. The withdrawals have a cost of $10 per payment/ withdrawal. However, the proprietary trading firms will waive this charge in its entirety for withdrawals above $500. Withdrawals are processed through Deel. Earn2Trade connects with some 20 trading platforms, but recommends either Finamark or Ninja Trader, both which are available free on the Evaluation and the LiveSim accounts. Traders also get a 60-day Journalytix license, plus access to a full catalogue of educational materials during the evaluation phase. In 2022, 19.4% of candidates passed either the Trader Career Path or Gauntlet Mini™ examinations (calculated as accounts passed against new accounts). Earn2Trade states that the ‘Trader Career Path and Gauntlet Mini™ examinations are realistic simulations of trading in actual market conditions and are difficult for any experienced trader to pass. Neither the Trader Career Path nor Gauntlet Mini™ examinations are suggested for individuals with little trading experience.’ Earn2Trade LLC was founded in 2016 and is based in Sheridan (WY) USA. [Logged: April 2023]

See the Charting page for information about Finamark.

See the Brokers N–Z page for information about NinjaTrader.

See the Journaling page for information about Journalytix.

Elite Trader

Funding

Elite Trader Funding provide traders with an opportunity to earn live funding based on their trading performance in simulated accounts on CBOT, COMEX, CME Group and NYMEX exchanges. The evaluation process is straightforward: trade a minimum of 5 days, hit the profit target; don’t hit the trailing drawdown; don’t trade more than allowed contracts; close all trades 1 minute before market close. If prospects can do that, they are assigned an Elite account within 72 hours. Traders can operate at any time including during holidays, special events and market-moving news. They are allowed to trade multiple accounts (up to 20) under one login, and keep 80% of profits after the first $12,500. There are five evaluation options: 1 Step, Fast Track, Static Drawdown, End of Day Drawdown and Diamond Hands. The fees for 1 Step evaluations vary from US$80 for a US$10,000 account up to US$655 for a US$300,000 account. The fees for Fast Track evaluations vary from US$45 for a US$25,000 account up to US$150 for a US$250,000 account. The fees for Static Drawdown evaluations are US$135 for a US$100,000 account and US$300 for a US$150,000 account. The fees for End of Day Drawdown evaluations vary from US$150 for a US$25,000 account up to US$590 for a US$2500,000 account. The fees for Diamond Hand evaluations are US$365 for a US$100,000 account. The reset fee is US$75 and, once qualified, all accounts have monthly fees of US$80. Conditions such as drawdown and reset rules may vary between accounts, though all have free real-time data feeds and NinjaTrader licences. Elite Trader Funding offers the choice of four trading platforms: NinjaTrader, Rithmic, Trading View and Tradovate. Elite Trader Funding is based in Orlando (FL) USA. [Logged: April 2023]

See the Charting N–Z page for information about Rithmic, TradingView and Tradovate.

See the Brokers N–Z page for information about NinjaTrader.

Fidelcrest

Fidelcrest states on its website home page ‘We are looking for talented traders! Complete the Trading Challenge and manage accounts up to 2M – Receive 80% to 90% of profits – No Scaling plan required!’ There are three phases for both the Pro Trader and the Micro Trader programs: Step 1 Trading Challenge; Step 2 Verification; and Step 3 Fidelcrest Trader. During Step 1 Trading Challenge, applicants choose an account size and risk level to meet their skills and profit targets, and trade all available instruments and prove they are a skilled trader who can reach the profit target, with a trading style of their choice. The trading period is 30 days, profit target is 10%/20%, the maximum daily loss is 5%/10%, and the total maximum loss is 10%/20%. During Step 2 Verification, applicants continue trading with a Verification account and prove they ‘weren’t just lucky’ in the challenge phase. They can get up to $30.000 signup commission with their first profit split. The trading period is 60 days, with the same profit targets, daily and maximum loss figures. At Step 3 Fidelcrest Trader, applicants can now start trading Fidelcrest proprietary trading firm capital without profit targets as long as they don’t reach maximum loss limits. The commission is up to 90% of all profits made after each trading period. The trading period is 30 days, profit target is unstated, the maximum daily loss is 5%/10%, and the total maximum loss is 10%/20%. There are four Pro Trader account types: Pro Trader Normal and Pro Trader Aggressive. For Pro Trader Normal there are two start capital amounts: US$150,000 and US$250,000. For Pro Trader Aggressive the two start capital amounts are US$500,000 and US$1,000,000. There are also four Micro Trader accounts: Normal (US$10,000 and US$25,000 start capital); and Aggressive (US$50,000 start capital and unlimited free retries). For Pro Traders, the first profit split comes after 11 days of trading with a US$3,000 bonus with the first payout; for Micro traders, the first profit split comes after 11 days of trading with a US$200 bonus with the first payout. There is a one-off Challenge fee to cover the cost of administrative and platform expenses which is €649 for a Pro Trader account application and €99 for the Micro Trader account. There are no monthly fees. Traders use the proprietary Fidelcrest trading platform and can trade 175+ financial instruments in stocks, forex, indices and commodities. Fidelcrest was founded in 2018 and is based in London, UK. It has offices in Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia. [Logged: April 2023]

TST comment: It is not clear what the figure $30.000 means, or whether it is an error as it is not a standard currency unit.

Finotiv funding

Summary currently being prepared.

FTMO

While based in the Czech Republic, FTMO has a strong global presence with traders from 180 countries registered to use the prop trading services and 16+ million trades opened every month. The platform supports activity in all the usual financial instruments, including crypto, indices, commodities, stocks and bonds. FTMO has a unique 2-step evaluation process for traders which consists of the FTMO Challenge and Verification. The process is specifically tailored to discovering trading talents in emerging traders. There are no limits on style, instruments or position size, other than that applicants prove they can manage risk. There are two alternative levels of risk for the evaluation process, Normal and Aggressive, and there are five levels of possible account balance: US$10,000, US$25,000, US$50,000, US$100,000 and US$200,000. As there is no Aggressive account available at US$200,000 balance, this makes 9 possible account/risk combinations. For example, for a Normal account with a US$10,000 balance, the Step 1 FTMO Challenge lasts for 30 days, plus there is a 14-day extension under certain conditions. The minimum number of trading days is 10 and the maximum daily loss is US$500, with a maximum overall loss of US$1,000, and a profit target of $1,000. There is a refundable fee of €155 and a free repeat. The Step 2 Verification process lasts for 60 days, with the same conditions except that the profit target is reduced to US$500. For a Normal account with a US$200,000 balance, the refundable fee is €1080. Applicants are encouraged to choose the account combination that suits their style of trading. If they are unable to choose, applicants also have the option to try with a Free Trial account that is a shortened version of the FTMO Challenge, though with the same trading conditions. For consistently profitable traders, FTMO has a Scaling Plan that increases account balance by 25% every 4 months. Upon successful completion of the evaluation process, traders are offered a placement in the FTMO Proprietary Trading firm where they can remotely manage a FTMO account with a maximum balance of US$400,000 and a leverage of 1:100 and low spreads. There are no recurrent charges, membership fees, or hidden fees. Unlike many other pro trading firms, FTMO allows traders to hold positions overnight, or even longer with its Swing Account that has no restrictions on holding positions over the weekend or trading during macroeconomic releases. Applicants can trade their trading strategies with no limits or restrictions. The default payout ratio for all FTMO traders is set at 80:20. However, for traders who meet the conditions of the Scaling Plan, not only is the balance of their FTMO account increased by 25%, the payout ratio automatically increases to 90:10. Payments to FTMO via credit card, debit card, bank wire, crypto, Google Pay and Skrill. Payout of profits via regular bank account wire, Skrill and crypto. All FTMO Traders can request payout on-demand. The payout can be processed after 14 days, but traders also have the ability to choose their own Profit Split Day, which can be changed up to three times. FTMO offers all its clients MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5 and cTrader accounts powered by data feed directly from its pool of prime liquidity providers, with closely simulated market conditions that have super-raw spreads, very low commission and no markup to all demo trading accounts with virtual funds. FTMO supports its traders with webinars, workshops, trade analysis and performance coaching, especially in the area of managing risk. Founded in 2014, FTMO has its headquarters in Praha, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Republic. [Logged: April 2023]

See the Charting A–M page for information about cTrader, MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5.

FTUK

FTUK is a foreign exchange specialist prop firm that supports traders from all over the world, in all phases of their careers with a program that is designed for fast, profitable scaling up to a maximum account size of US$2,880,000 with no risk and an 80% profit take. It offers UK, EU and US funding accounts for forex, commodities, and indices. All trading styles are welcome, including scalping, day trading, swing trading, and news trading. Leverage is 1:100 on aggressive programs and 1:50 on low-risk programs. There is a one-time sign-up for free. FTUK has two different programs to become a funded trader: Evaluation, which uses a demo account, and Instant Funding which uses a live account. There are two different categories of accounts: Low Risk and Aggressive. The Low-Risk programs are created for disciplined traders who prefer a relaxed program with less variance. They require funded accounts to see at least a 10% profit in order to scale up, with an absolute drawdown of 5% and the use of leverage up to 1:50. The Aggressive program is for traders who can handle higher-risk pressure. There are rules common to both programs, but the Aggressive program allows more freedom. Leverage is up to 1:100. As FTUK is more flexible with Aggressive traders, they are required to achieve at least a 25% net profit for their funded account. There are 8 levels in the scaling plan which, for a Low Risk US$90,000 account for example, range in terms of funding balance (between US$22,500 and US$5,760,000), milestone target (US$2,250 to N/A), maximum loss (US$1,125 to US$288,000), leverage (1:10 to 1:50), profit split (50/50 to 80/20) and maximum stop loss (US$338 to US$86,400). Traders who sign up for the Evaluation program will start earning on their level 2 funded account. Once a trader has been active for a minimum of 10 trading days on their level 2 will be eligible for a payout. The FTUK Instant Funding program is offered to traders who don’t wish to go through an evaluation and, instead, receive instant funding on a live account. The program is made for profitable traders who want to take their trading profits to the next level much faster and start earning from level 1. Traders on the Instant funding program start on a live account, earn from day one, hold trades overnight and over the weekend, have no minimum trading days and have a rapid scaling plan. Payout Methods include bank transfer, debit card, Coinbase, Paypal, Payoneer, Revolt and Wise. FTUK provides a dashboard for traders to track and monitor their performance, plus inhouse trader support, with courses and online coaching. FTUK was established in 2021 and is based in London, UK. [Logged: April 2023]

Funded Academy

Summary currently being prepared.

FundedNext

FudedNext has a strong global presence with 26,000+ traders from 190+ countries, and US$30+ million already paid out to registered traders of its prop trading services. Traders who remain consistent and profitable, are eligible for a 40% increase in account balance every 4 months, all the way up to US$4 million. Applicants choose from two different funding models: Evaluation and Express. While Evaluation and Express have different amounts of funding and other criteria, they both provide 15% profit from the beginning. The goal of the Evaluation model is for traders to prove their ability in two trial phases using a demo account. Initial funding accounts for the Evaluation model range from US$15,000 up to US$200,000. At the lowest level, the maximum daily loss is US$750, maximum overall loss is USA$1,500, minimum number of trading days is 5 over one month, leverage is 1:100, and the one-time fee is $US99. At the highest level, the maximum daily loss is US$10,000 maximum overall loss is USA$20,000, minimum number of trading days is 5, leverage is 1:100, and the one-time fee is $US990. Pricing can be seen in USD or Euro and there is an unlimited free retake. The Express model has two different categories: Consistency and Non-Consistency. Both start at an account level of US$15,000 with similar requirements to the Evaluation model. While the Consistency account goes up to US$200,000, the Non-Consistency account only goes to US$100,000 and has a one-time fee of US$699. There is a comprehensive set of trading rules for the Evaluation and Express models. There are no limits on instruments or position sizes, and traders can use whichever style of trading they prefer, and hold over the weekend and holidays. There is a scaling-up plan for traders who are consistent and do not violate any of the rules. The plan is reviewed every 4 months. Traders must meet at least 10% account growth accumulatively in four consecutive months in a real account, plus in these 4 consecutive months, they must make a minimum of two payouts, and the last month should end in a profit. EA and indicators are allowed, including trade copiers, tools for managing risk, auto-trading bots, and third-party EA. However, EAs need to be verified first through a demo account, before using it on a real account. A free trial account isn’t offered because traders receive a share of the profits, even during the demo phase. FundedNext uses the broker Eightcap which is regulated by ASIC and offers low spreads and low commissions through the MetaTrader 4 trading platform. While FundedNext has a focus on forex, clients can trade whichever financial instruments are offered by Eightcap. For journaling purposes, there is also the capacity to use Myfxbook. FundedNext designates an account manager for each trader to support them in their trading activities. The firm is a subsidiary of fintech company Next Ventures which was founded in 2016 and has offices in multiple countries, including the US, UK, UAE and Bangladesh, with headquarters in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. [Logged: April 2023]