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 17 days ago | Topstep ✓ Verified 17 days ago |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $50K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 79/100Excellent | 75/100Excellent |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | $100VAULT | $49/mo |
| Total to Start | $100(eval + activation) | $198(first mo + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | — | $149 |
| Reset Fee | $60 | $49 |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $1,250 (5%) | $3,000 (6%) |
| Min Trading Days | 2 days | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 2 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | N/A | 16.8% |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | EOD Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(4%) | $2,000(4%) |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $25,100 after $1,100 profit | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit |
| Strictness | Moderate | Moderate |
| Trading Restrictions | ||
| News Trading | 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 | Bots Allowed | Conditional |
| Hedging | Allowed | Cross-Acct Banned |
| Overnight Holds | ||
| Must Be Flat By | 4:45 PM EST | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | 30 days | — |
| Weekend Holding | Unknown | Unknown |
| Account Rolling | No Restriction | No Restriction |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 81/100 | 78/100 |
| Consistency Rule | None | None |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | None | None |
| Funded DLL | None | None |
| Buffer Requirement | $1,000 | None |
| Activation Fee | $0 | $149 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 90% | 90% |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | Daily |
| Max Payout | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Winning Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Days Between Payouts | — | 5 trading days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $100/day | $150/day |
| Max Payout % | 50% of profit | 50% of profit |
| Max Payouts | 5 total | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | $0 |
| Processing Time | within 2 business days | 1-3 business days |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer (WorkMarket), PayPal, Plaid ACH | 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 | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Rithmic, MotiveWave, Quantower, Sierra Chart | TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Buffer Amount | $1,000 | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Max Per Request | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | $0 |
| Payout Caps | $1,000 | No cap |
| Post-Payout DD | — | Converts to Static |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | 5 | 5 |
| Reactivation | — | Yes ($599) |
| Max Reactivations | — | 2 |
| Reactivation Window | — | 7 days |
| Inactivity Limit | 30 days | 30 days |
| Reactivation Eligibility | — | Before first payout only |
| Quick Math | ||
| True Cost to Start | $100 $100 eval | $198 $49/mo eval + $149 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | $625/day over 2 days | $1,500/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | ~9 days 2d eval + 5d winning + 2d processing | ~10 days 2d eval + 5d winning + 3d processing |
| Best Profit Split | 90% | 90% |