Select 2 or more firms to compare evaluation costs, drawdown rules, profit splits, payout structures, and trading restrictions across all 14 CME futures prop trading firms.
Specific tiers and funded paths from the selected firms, ranked with public-rule fit and blockers visible.
Why this plan/path
This is a partial fit: the needed public economics are not available yet.
33 public evidence blockers still reduce confidence. Missing values are not treated as favorable.
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Why this plan/path
This is a partial fit: payout access 65/100.
26 public evidence blockers still reduce confidence. Missing values are not treated as favorable.
Why this plan/path
This is a partial fit: the needed public economics are not available yet.
33 public evidence blockers still reduce confidence. Missing values are not treated as favorable.
| Category | E8 Futures ✓ Verified Apr 19, 2026 | Topstep ✓ Verified Apr 11, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $50K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 72/100Good | 69/100Good |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | — | $49/mo |
| Total to Start | $0 | $198(first mo + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | — | $149 |
| Reset Fee | — | $49 |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $3,000 (6%) | $3,000 (6%) |
| Min Trading Days | 1 day | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 1 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | 17.7% | 12.4% |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | EOD Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(4%) | $2,000(4%) |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | $1,000 |
| DLL Breach Type | Soft | Soft |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $25,000 after $1,000 profit | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit |
| Strictness | Moderate | Moderate |
| Trading Restrictions | ||
| News Trading | E8 One Challenge: no news restrictions. E8 One Performance (funded): 5 min before and 5 min after high-impact news, no new orders, no closing trades, no SL/TP triggers, no pending orders. Profits within 10-min window are stripped (no account violation). Speeches: 5 min before until 5 min after end. Non-targeted instruments unaffected. | No explicit news trading restriction. CBOT commodity market pause 7:45-8:30 AM CST on TopstepX (exchange-level, no orders accepted during pause). No swing trading allowed — all positions must close by 3:10 PM CT daily. |
| Automation | Banned | Banned |
| Hedging | Banned | Banned |
| Scalping Rules | 50% of profits from trades held 10+ seconds(min 10s) | None |
| Overnight Holds | ||
| Must Be Flat By | 15:10 CT | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | 7 days | — |
| Weekend Holding | Allowed | Must Flat |
| Account Rolling | No Restriction | No Restriction |
| Min Payout | $125 | $125 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 78/100 | 78/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 35% max/dayModerate | None |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | 35% max/day | None |
| Funded DLL | $500(soft) | $1,000(soft) |
| Buffer Requirement | $1,000 | None |
| Activation Fee | $0 | $149 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 80% | 90% |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | Daily |
| Max Payout | — | $5,000 |
| Winning Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Days Between Payouts | — | 5 trading days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $75/day | $150/day |
| Best Day Cap | 35% max | — |
| Max Payout % | — | 50% of profit |
| Min Payout | $125 | $125 |
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | $30 |
| Processing Time | 2-5 business days | 1-3 business days |
| Payout Methods | Rise | Wire/ACH ($30), Wise (Free) |
| Max Contracts | 2 full / 20 micro | 5 full / 50 micro |
| Max Accounts | 5 accounts | 5 accounts |
| Platforms | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView | TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Buffer Required | Yes — must clear buffer before payouts | No buffer |
| Buffer Amount | $1,000 | — |
| Min Payout | $125 | $125 |
| Max Per Request | — | $5,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | $30 |
| Payout Caps | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,250 → $1,250 → $1,500 | No cap |
| Post-Payout DD | — | Converts to Static ($0) |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Inactivity Limit | 7 days | None |
| Quick Math | ||
| True Cost to Start | $0 Free | $198 $49/mo eval + $149 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | $3,000/day over 1 day | $1,500/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | ~11 days 1d eval + 5d winning + 5d processing | ~10 days 2d eval + 5d winning + 3d processing |
| Best Profit Split | 80% | 90% |