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.
| Category | FundedNext Futures· Rapid Checked Jun 30, 2026 · fundednext.com(84%)· Verified Jun 17, 2026 · fundednext.com· 105 changes pending review since Jul 8, 2026May be out of date | Alpha Futures· Zero Checked Jun 16, 2026 · help.alpha-futures.com(91%)· 84 changes pending review since Apr 6, 2026May be out of date | Apex Trader Funding· Intraday Trail Checked Jul 10, 2026 · apextraderfunding.com(76%)· 77 changes pending review since Sep 30, 2026May be out of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $25K | $25K |
| Overall Score | |||
| Trader Friendliness | 54/100Fair | 70/100Good | 72/100Good |
| Cost Summary | |||
| Eval Cost | $100StaleFirm-level: verified Jun 17, 2026 · fundednext.com · this field not individually reviewed · firm review over 14 days old | $79/moUnknownNot independently verified | $20(Regular price $199; current public one-time price $19.9.)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Total to Start | Incomplete: activation fee unknown | $79(first mo + activation) | $89(eval + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — | — |
| Activation Fee | — | $0 | $69 |
| Reset Fee | $92 | $69 | — |
| Evaluation Rules | |||
| Profit Target | $1,500 (6%)StaleFirm-level: verified Jun 17, 2026 · fundednext.com · this field not individually reviewed · firm review over 14 days old | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Min Trading Days | — | 1 day | 1 day |
| Min Days to Funded | Not stated | 1 day | 1 day |
| Pass Rate | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Drawdown Rules | |||
| Type | EOD Trailing | EOD Trailing | Intraday Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(4%)StaleFirm-level: verified Jun 17, 2026 · fundednext.com · this field not individually reviewed · firm review over 14 days old | $1,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | $500 | None |
| Daily Loss Limit Breach | N/A | Soft | Soft |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $25,000 after $1,000 profit | Locks at $25,000 after $1,000 profit | Trails indefinitely |
| Strictness | Moderate | Moderate | Strict |
| Trading Restrictions | |||
| News Trading | No news trading restrictions. Traders are allowed to trade during news events on both the Challenge and the FundedNext Account. However, traders should be mindful of high volatility and liquidity risks during scheduled economic releases (NFP, CPI, FOMC) and unscheduled market events. | Evaluations have no news trading restrictions. Premium and Advanced Qualified accounts have no news restriction. Standard legacy and Zero Qualified accounts may hold through news but cannot execute orders within 2 minutes before or after high-impact news. All paths still prohibit all-or-nothing gambling behavior. | News trading is allowed for your normal trading strategy. Using news trading strategies that chase the market or place orders on both sides to gamble the outcome of news is not allowed. Non-directional bracket trading (orders left open on both sides) to catch windfall moves is also prohibited. |
| Automation | Allowed | Semi-Auto Only | Banned |
| Hedging | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| Scalping Rules | None | Trades under 10 ticks AND under 2 minutes flagged as microscalping(min 2min) | None |
| Overnight Holds | |||
| Must Be Flat By | 3:10 PM CT | 4:20 PM ET | 4:59 PM ET |
| Inactivity Limit | 7 days | 10 days | — |
| Weekend Holding | Must Flat | Unknown | Must Flat |
| Account Rolling | Account rolling strictly prohibited. Purchasing multiple challenge accounts in quick succession with intent to sacrifice some while focusing on passing others is banned. Violations may result in restrictions on purchasing new accounts or adjustments to the lifetime allocation limit. | Prohibited. Account Rolling (max leverage with no plan, hitting MLL, then buying more accounts) and Account Stacking (excessive evaluations and storing multiple passed accounts) are both banned. | Stockpiling evaluation accounts prohibited. Purchasing multiple discounted evaluations to cycle through and intentionally blow up accounts in pursuit of windfall profits is not permitted. |
| Min Payout | $250 | $200 | $500 |
| Funded Account | |||
| Payout Accessibility | 73/100 | 74/100 | 59/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 40% max/dayModerate | 40% max/dayModerate | 50% max/dayFavorable |
| Funded Rules | |||
| Funded Consistency | 40% max/day | 40% max/day | 50% max/day |
| Funded Daily Loss Limit | None | $500(soft) | $1,250(soft) |
| Buffer Requirement | None | None | $1,100 |
| Activation Fee | Unknown | $0 | $69 |
| Min Profitable Days | 3 days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 80% StaleFirm-level: verified Jun 17, 2026 · fundednext.com · this field not individually reviewed · firm review over 14 days old | 90% UnknownNot independently verified | 100% UnknownNot independently verified |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | On Demand | Weekly |
| Max Payout | — | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Winning Days | 3 days | 5 days | 5 days($100+) |
| Days Between Payouts | 3 calendar days | — | 5 trading days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $200/day | $200/day | $100/day |
| Best Day Cap | 40% max | — | — |
| Max Payout % | — | 50% of profit | — |
| Min Balance for Payout | — | — | $26,600 |
| Min Balance After Payout | — | — | $26,100 |
| Max Payouts | 5 total | — | 6 total |
| Account Closure | — | — | total_payouts: 6 (closes) |
| Min Payout | $250 | $200 | $500 |
| Withdrawal Fee | 3.5% | — | — |
| Processing Time | Within 24 hours | 48 business hours | 5-11 business days |
| Payout Methods | ACH, Crypto, PayPal, Wire | Rise | ACH direct deposit (US), Plane (international) |
| Max Contracts | 2 full / 10 micro | 1 full / 10 micro | 4 full / 40 micro |
| Max Accounts | — | 5 accounts | 20 accounts |
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, TradingView, NinjaTrader | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts |
| Live Transition | — | +$40K payable balance or 5 payouts per account; Alpha may move the trader to LIVE earlier after review | — |
| Buffer Amount | — | — | $1,100 |
| Min Payout | $250 | $200 | $500 |
| Max Per Request | $800 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | 3.5% | — | — |
| Funded Fee | — | — | $0/mo |
| Payout Caps | No cap | No cap | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 |
| Post-Payout DD | Converts to Static, floor $25,000 (start) | — | — |
| Account Lifecycle | |||
| Max Funded Accounts | — | 5 | 20 |
| Inactivity Limit | 7 days | 10 days | — |
| Quick Math | |||
| Eval + Activation | — $100 eval + activation fee unknown | $79 $79/mo eval | $89 $20 eval + $69 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | — | $1,500/day over 1 day | $1,500/day over 1 day |
| First Payout Timeline | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. |
| Best Profit Split | 80% | 90% | 100% |
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