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.
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| Category | Lucid Trading· LucidFlex ✓ Verified 7 days ago | Apex Trader Funding· Intraday Trail ✓ Verified 7 days ago | DayTraders· Full ✓ Verified 7 days ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $25K | $25K |
| Overall Score | |||
| Trader Friendliness | 79/100Excellent | 72/100Good | 74/100Good |
| Cost Summary | |||
| Eval Cost | $100VAULT | $199$20(Regular price $199; current public one-time price $19.9.)90% offSAVENOW | $249$2590% offDT |
| Total to Start | $100(eval + activation) | $268$89(eval + activation) | $379$155(eval + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — | — |
| Activation Fee | — | $69 | $130 |
| Reset Fee | $60 | — | — |
| Evaluation Rules | |||
| Profit Target | $1,250 (5%) | $1,500 (6%) | $1,500 (6%) |
| Min Trading Days | 2 days | 1 day | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 2 days | 1 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Drawdown Rules | |||
| Type | EOD Trailing | Intraday Trailing | Intraday Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(4%) | $1,000(4%) | $1,500(6%) |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None | None |
| DLL Breach Type | N/A | Soft | N/A |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $25,100 after $1,100 profit | Trails indefinitely | Locks at $25,000 after $1,500 profit |
| Strictness | Moderate | Strict | Moderate |
| Trading Restrictions | |||
| News Trading | 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. | News trading allowed on all accounts (eval + funded). Not recommended due to volatility/liquidity risks. No flat window, no prohibited events. Exercise caution during high-impact releases. | |
| Automation | Bots Allowed | Banned | Banned |
| Hedging | Allowed | Banned | Cross-Acct Banned |
| Overnight Holds | |||
| Must Be Flat By | 4:45 PM EST | 4:59 PM ET | — |
| Inactivity Limit | 30 days | — | — |
| Weekend Holding | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Account Rolling | No Restriction | No Restriction | No Restriction |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 | $500 |
| Funded Account | |||
| Payout Accessibility | 81/100 | 59/100 | 58/100 |
| Consistency Rule | None | 50% max/dayFavorable | 30% max/dayModerate |
| Funded Rules | |||
| Funded Consistency | None | 50% max/day | 30% max/day |
| Funded DLL | None | $1,250(soft) | None |
| Buffer Requirement | $1,000 | $1,100 | None |
| Activation Fee | $0 | $69 | $130 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days | 8 days |
| Profit Split | 90% | 100% | 100% |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | Weekly | On Demand |
| Max Payout | $1,000 | $1,000 | — |
| Winning Days | 5 days | 5 days($100+) | 8 days($100+) |
| Days Between Payouts | — | 5 trading days | 8 qualifying days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $100/day | $100/day | $100/day |
| Max Payout % | 50% of profit | — | — |
| Min Balance for Payout | — | $26,600 | $26,600 |
| Min Balance After Payout | — | $26,100 | $26,000 |
| Max Payouts | 5 total | 6 total | — |
| Account Closure | — | total_payouts: 6 (closes) | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 | $500 |
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | Free | Free |
| Processing Time | within 2 business days | 5-11 business days | average approval time 32 minutes; same-day reflection if approved before 5:00 PM ET |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer (WorkMarket), PayPal, Plaid ACH | ACH direct deposit (US), Plane (international) | Plane |
| Max Contracts | 2 full / 20 micro | 4 full / 40 micro | 6 full / 60 micro |
| Max Accounts | 5 accounts | 20 accounts | 15 accounts |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Rithmic, MotiveWave, Quantower, Sierra Chart | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts | ONYX, Quantower |
| Buffer Required | No buffer | No buffer | Yes, must clear buffer before payouts |
| Buffer Amount | $1,000 | $1,100 | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 | $500 |
| Max Per Request | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Funded Fee | — | $0/mo | $0/mo |
| Payout Caps | $1,000 | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 | No cap |
| Account Lifecycle | |||
| Max Funded Accounts | 5 | 20 | 15 |
| Inactivity Limit | 30 days | None | None |
| Quick Math | |||
| True Cost to Start | $100 $100 eval | $268$89 $20 eval + $69 activation (SAVENOW) | $379$155 $25 eval + $130 activation (DT) |
| Daily Profit Target | $625/day over 2 days | $1,500/day over 1 day | $750/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | ~9 days 2d eval + 5d winning + 2d processing | ~17 days 1d eval + 5d winning + 11d processing | ~13 days 2d eval + 8d winning + 3d processing |
| Best Profit Split | 90% | 100% | 100% |