The Top 4 Best Futures Prop Firms - Cheapest, Easiest, & Safest!
I use prop firms for ALL of my trading, so I ONLY use and recommend the best ones. Simple as that.
#1) Best evaluation prop firm - MyFundedFutures
Cheapest and easiest path to payouts
3 different plans to choose from
No activation fees
#2) Best instant funding prop firm - Purdia
More firms will be discussed below, but these two are simply the best at what they do. Using coupon code Iman at those firms means you’ll get the highest possible discount!
Using my links on this page with code Iman may support me with a commission at no extra cost to you! Thank you.
#1) Overall Best Futures Prop Firm: MyFundedFutures
HIGHEST DISCOUNT CODE = IMAN (15% off ALL new accounts until 7/31, 50% off one-time-use for old accounts, then 15% off Starter+ and Expert ends 7/31)
The complete MyFundedFutures (MFFU) guide is now updated with all 3 new accounts (July 22nd update) which you can visit by clicking here. If I thought there were a better firm for you as well as myself, then I would recommending them instead. It’s that simple. MFFU has 3 different accounts for 3 different styles of traders.
50k EVALUATION Policies
50k Core | 50k Scale | 50k Pro | |
---|---|---|---|
Profit target | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Max drawdown | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
Price before discount | $77 | $127 | $227 |
Best discount code | IMAN | IMAN | IMAN |
Consistency rule | 50% | 50% | 50% |
Minimum trading days | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Max position | 3 minis / 30 micros | 3 minis / 30 micros | 3 minis / 30 micros |
Daily loss limit | NONE | NONE | NONE |
News trading | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
Payout Policies and Rules for the Funded Accounts
Core (50k) | Scale (50k) | Pro (50k) | |
---|---|---|---|
Profit split | 80% | 80% | 80% |
Consistency | NONE | NONE | NONE |
Daily loss limit | NONE | NONE | NONE |
News trading | Allowed | Allowed | Not allowed |
Scaling plan | Yes | Yes | NONE (immediate access to 5 minis / 50 micros once funded) |
Buffer? | None | None | $52,100 |
Max payout per request | $1,000 | $1,000 to $3,500 (scales) | $100,000 max per user |
Requirements | Just need 5 profitable days of at least +$100. Max drawdown moves to $50,100 after your first payout (and stays there). | 5 days of +$100. Max request on 1st payout is $1,500, which scales to a max payout of $3,500 by your 5th payout. Max drawdown moves to $50,100 after 1st payout. | Just clear the buffer, and anything you make after that is yours. Maximum earnings allowed before the live account is $100,000! |
Minimum payout | $250 | $250 | $1,000 |
I have not included the policy differences for the live account you earn after several consecutive payouts. This “best firms” page is meant to be just a fast overview of the basics for who you should trade through, so you’ll find ALL other relevant information for MFFU in the dedicated guide here.
So, which account should you get?
Go with Core if you:
Want to pay the least amount possible (undisputed cheapest path to funding in the entire industry)
Are fine with your sim profit being capped at $5,000
Remember, you’re then given a “free” $2,500 live account! It’s not risk-free to the firm, but it is for you!
Want no buffer rule for getting payouts, or previously traded the Starter plan
Go with Scale if you:
Want a much bigger sim profit cap and max payout per request compared to Core
Want to trade 100k or 150k accounts without necessarily caring about the Pro account’s advantages (at a higher price)
Want no buffer rule for getting payouts, or previously traded the Starter Plus plan
Go with Pro if you:
Want the highest return potential and value out of all prop firms before moving to a live account
Want immediate access to 5 minis or 50 micros on the 50k account, 10/100 for 100k, and 15/150 for 150k
Previously traded the Expert plan
#2) Instant live funding with Purdia Capital
MFFU is #1 when it comes to evaluations, but this is a bit different.
Purdia Capital does instant funding with 1 profit target. After you hit that target, you are put on a LIVE account and can withdraw as much money as you’d like. Then, enjoy daily payouts without ANY ridiculous trading restrictions used by other firms. For a full review and guide on them, click here. They also offer regular evaluations with live funding as the target, and it’s all covered. For some general information, let’s say you’re trading the 100k instant funding account (which code Iman gets an exclusive extra $50 off compared to the code on their website).
Once you reach the “profit target for first payout” (making +$3,000), have traded for at least 10 days, and 5 of those days were at least +$200, stop.
Purdia contacts you, and you start the onboarding process to be put on the live account.
The profit target you hit ($3,000) becomes the starting balance on the live account.
Once your live account is ready, you can continue trading and/or withdraw as much as you’d like.
Enjoy daily payouts and no annoying rules!
Clicking here and using code Iman gets you an exclusively high discount on that 100k account, but click here for the full guide on Purdia. You’ll find unique discount codes (including some that aren’t mine) to ensure that you get the best deal. Purdia is a newer firm, so that always comes with risks. Do not choose them before reading the entire review. If safety is a priority, then only trade with established names. Previous instant funding firms have failed because they kept their “funded” traders on sim accounts, and their payouts were exclusively paid for by purchases of new accounts. Purdia actually funds you, so the money you make is real.
Join the Prop Firm Center Discord!
Constant giveaways with MyFundedFutures every month! 65 50k accounts given away so far 😵
Free community for all prop traders regardless of which firm you use
Discuss firms, trading strategies, and anything else
Verified funded and payout roles
MyFundedFutures and Purdia cover everything:
The cheapest path to funding in the entire industry
Aggressive accounts with high leverage
Beginner-friendly accounts
An instant funding model that gets you straight to a live account with no rules (Purdia)
So, after them come what I call the “second place” firms. Perhaps their payout policies cater more to you, maybe they keep you in the funded sim environment longer, maybe you’re looking to diversify the firms you use, or perhaps something else. Either way, these are the next best options.
#3) Tradeify (great pricing and the only good simulation instant funding account)
Tradeify is one of the cheapest firms in the industry, and they’re known for never denying a payout. The evaluations are slightly more difficult and the payout policy is far worse than MyFundedFutures, but they’re probably the best second-place firm out there. They offer two different types of evaluations as well as instant funding accounts (harder than Purdia, but it does allow you to avoid a live account). Go to my dedicated review of them (extremely in-depth) for more info and to get the best discount codes.
#4) TradeDay (only when there is a big sale)
Tradeday has been around for a long time now, and there have been quite a few changes (like their new platform TradeDayX as well as static and intraday account options). Use code Iman to automatically get the highest discount. They’re a relatively smaller firm but very highly rated and reviewed, and they’ve been around for a long time.
Prop Firms I’m keeping my eye on?
I’m waiting for TakeProfitTrader (TPT) to remove the intraday drawdown entirely from the funding process (most of it is on EOD, which is good). They’re still a great pick, but I despise the predatory intraday drawdown. Code Iman works there. The Trading Desk has great reviews, but they’re pricier and more difficult. Topstep just pulled an interesting move by getting rid of their partnership with every trading platform except their own. Hmmm.
How to Choose a Prop Trading Firm
Choosing a prop trading firm can be tricky due to how many there are, but going with an established firm is good for many reasons. There are more important factors than just the funding process and costs, so let’s get into what those are. This will ensure you pick a firm that suits your needs.
Company Reputation
There’s a reason Apex isn’t a company I recommend, and I even made a video that made them shut down their entire Discord server (still down months later). You can learn a lot about a firm based on their reviews, and Trustpilot is probably the best resource for this. With financial regulations coming soon from the CME, it’s more important than ever to be careful when picking a firm. Personally, I recommend avoiding new firms until they get more established, because many of the new ones that pop up are just scams.
Customer Support and Reliability
As with anything related to trading and your money, customer support being reliable is essential. The top firms have dedicated support channels, like emails and Discord servers. MyFundedFutures even has a built-in feature to quickly access the support team, and they boast some of (if not the) quickest response times for helping. This is the opposite of Apex, where emails are often ignored for multiple days to weeks. TradeDay is another firm with an extremely great reputation for support. Of course, no firm is perfect, and there will always be a small percentage of complaints. It just becomes a red flag when the volume and severity of those complaints starts increasing.
Flexibility in Trading Platforms and Tools
Many new firms don’t offer the tools and platforms that you’re used to trading with. Traders don’t want to deal with having to learn a new platform, so be sure that the firm you’re looking at has the right tools for you. Firms differ significantly in their available data connections and platforms, especially when it comes to more specific trading strategies (like order flow). More recently, we’ve seen NinjaTrader and Tradovate stop pairing with newer firms. So, make sure you check for this. Some companies have even been creating their own trading software like Topstep and MyFundedFutures. All the firms on this page offer access to the top trading platforms like NinjaTrader (my personal favorite), Tradovate, and TradingView.
Withdrawal and Payout Policies
There are some firms that appear excellent on the surface, but, when you look further into their FAQ and policies, you might find many ridiculous rules. These are typically designed to make it harder for you to get your money, and so those firms should be avoided. The speed at which you can get your money out of your trading account is important, and MyFundedFutures is the industry’s leader when it comes to withdrawal times. One of my payouts was approved 3 minutes after my request, and it was sent to me through Rise just 1 minute later. Nobody else is treating their funded traders like that. Make sure to pay attention to withdrawal limits as well. TradeDay is another company with extremely fast payouts, which is one of the benefits of using a small firm like them. Once you’re live with Purdia, you can request payouts every day!
Funding Costs and Fees
Pay attention to all of the associated costs with becoming a funded trader. Review the evaluation policies and whether the firm has an activation fee or additional further steps to funding. Commissions for trading among firms are mostly identical, but there can be small variations. MyFundedFutures is the only top firm without huge activation fees, which saves traders a significant amount of money. This fee at Topstep is $149, so be sure to factor that into your costs when analyzing which firm to choose!
Do not start trying to get funded until you’re truly ready.
You can always do some “trial runs” of an evaluation by using a sim account and following the position-size rules, drawdown rules, consistency objectives, and minimum trading day rules for the firm you want to use. You’ve heard that you should never risk money you can’t afford to lose, and that extends to trading with firms. Set a budget for yourself for the month, and NEVER get caught in the loop of doing resets one after the other because of going on tilt. Seriously, follow a budget.
Best of luck to you in your trading, and join my free Discord server just for prop-firm traders! https://discord.gg/dX8WEwUrvS