Select 2 or more firms to compare evaluation costs, drawdown rules, profit splits, payout structures, and trading restrictions across the CME futures prop firms we track.
Specific tiers and funded paths from the selected firms, ranked with public-rule fit and blockers visible.
Not a like-for-like comparison
| Category | E8 Markets· E8 Signature Checked Jun 21, 2026 · e8markets.com· 76 changes pending review since Apr 6, 2026May be out of date | Topstep Checked Jun 16, 2026 · topstep.com(83%)· 47 changes pending review since Jun 14, 2026May be out of date |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $50K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 50/100Fair | 68/100Good |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | $110UnknownNot independently verified | $49/moUnknownNot independently verified |
| Total to Start | Incomplete: activation fee unknown | $198(first mo + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | — | $149 |
| Reset Fee | — | $49 |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $3,000 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Min Trading Days | 1 day | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 1 day | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | 17.7% | 16.8% |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | EOD Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified | $2,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Daily Loss Limit Breach | Soft | N/A |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Hedging | Banned | Cross-Acct Banned |
| Scalping Rules | 50% of profits from trades held 10+ seconds(min 10s) | None |
| Overnight Holds | ||
| Must Be Flat By | 3:10 PM CT | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | Temporarily unavailable | — |
| Weekend Holding | Allowed | Must Flat |
| Account Rolling | No Restriction | No Restriction |
| Min Payout | $100 | $125 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 76/100 | 78/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 35% max/dayModerate | None |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | 35% max/day | None |
| Funded Daily Loss Limit | $500(soft) | None |
| Buffer Requirement | $1,000 | None |
| Activation Fee | Unknown | $149 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | Split temporarily unavailable | Held for review |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | Daily |
| Max Payout | — | $2,000 |
| 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 | $100 | $125 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | Free |
| Processing Time | 2-5 business days | 1-3 business days |
| Payout Methods | Rise | Prop Payout to Brokerage (Free), Aeropay (Free), Wise (Free), ACH ($30), Wire/SWIFT ($30) |
| 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 | $100 | $125 |
| Max Per Request | — | $2,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | Free |
| Payout Caps | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,250 → $1,250 → $1,500 | No cap |
| Post-Payout DD | — | Converts to Static, floor $50,000 (start) |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | — | 5 |
| Reactivation | — | Yes ($599) |
| Max Reactivations | — | 2 |
| Reactivation Window | — | 7 days |
| Inactivity Limit | Temporarily unavailable | 30 days |
| Reactivation Eligibility | — | Before first payout only |
| Quick Math | ||
| Eval + Activation | — $110 eval + activation fee unknown | $198 $49/mo eval + $149 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | $1,500/day over 1 day | $1,500/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. |
| Best Profit Split | Split temporarily unavailable | Held for review |
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