Last verified: July 13–14, 2026. Every cell comes from the firm’s official documentation — click any firm for its full sourced profile. We re-verify weekly and log every change. Prices are what checkout actually charged at verification, not marketing schema (which we found stale at two firms).
Forex / CFD firms
| Rule | FTMO (2-step) | FundedNext (2-step) | The5ers (High Stakes) | FundingPips (Standard) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US residents | Yes (FTMO US via OANDA) | Yes (Match-Trader only; no 15% reward) | Not restricted (no explicit statement) | NO (checkout attestation) |
| 50K price | €345 | $202 (promo) | $278 | $285 |
| Targets | 10% / 5% | 8% / 5% | 10% / 5% | 8–10% / 5% |
| Daily loss | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Max loss | 10% static | 10% static | 10% static | 10% static |
| Min days | 4 + 4 | 5 + 5 (0.01 lot counts) | 3 + 3 profitable (≥0.5%) | 3 + 3 |
| Fee refund | With 1st payout | With 1st reward | Split 10/20/70% across stages | At 4th reward |
| Split | 80→90% | 80→90% (95% paid add-on) | 80→100% + fixed salary at scale | 60–100% by payout cycle (locked choice) |
| First payout | On demand, day 14 | 21 days, then 14-day cycle | Day 14, bi-weekly, $150 min, 3.5% fee | Cycle-dependent, min 1% |
| Weekend holding (funded) | Standard: no / Swing: yes | Yes | Yes | Currently banned |
| EAs/algos | Yes (limits) | Yes (no HFT/grid) | Yes (visible SL required) | Own EAs only, with proof |
| Scaling ceiling | $2M | $4M (+40%/4mo) | $500K (+ $10K/mo salary at top) | $2M Prime (mechanics in flux) |
Futures firms
| Rule | Topstep | Apex (intraday) | FundedNext Futures (Flex) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50K cost | $49/month until passed + $149 activation | $249 one-time (deep coupons) + $59 activation | $69.99 promo + resets from $78 |
| Target | $3,000 | $3,000 | $2,500 |
| Drawdown | $2,000 EOD-trailing, locks at breakeven | $2,000 intraday-trailing on unrealized peaks | $1,500 EOD-trailing |
| Time limit | None (subscription) | 30 days, no resets | None stated |
| Consistency | Best day ≤50% (raises target) | 50% gates payouts (funded) | 40% challenge only |
| Split | 90% | 100% (capped per payout) | Up to 95% |
| Payout ceiling | XFA caps per request; LFA uncapped | ~$15K lifetime per account, then closes | Per-cycle caps |
| Automation | Allowed | Prohibited | EAs within rules |
| Real capital stage | Yes (LFA) | Invite-only (Apex Live) | No |
Which structure fits which trader
- US traders: your realistic forex list is FTMO (via OANDA) and FundedNext (Match-Trader only) — FundingPips is out, The5ers is a gray zone. Futures: Topstep, Apex, and FundedNext Futures all serve the US.
- Swing/news traders: FTMO Swing (no news/weekend limits) or FundedNext (unrestricted challenge, 40%-profit news haircut when funded).
- Cheapest credible entry: FundedNext Lite ($172 at 50K, softer 8% drawdown) and FundingPips Pro ($224, 1 min day/phase) — if you’re outside the US for the latter.
- Long-horizon compounding: The5ers’ $10K/month fixed salary at $500K scale and FundedNext’s $4M ceiling are the deepest scaling structures; FTMO is the decade-old track record.
- Run the numbers before buying: the true-cost calculator computes expected cost to funded from your realistic pass rate.
For dated records of every rule change we detect, see the Rule Changes log. This site may earn affiliate commissions — independence policy.