The 9 best funding programs for traders

Apex Trader Funding is a Prop Firm from Texas USA, run by traders helping traders, possibly the best Funder for scalpers. They give you trading education, trading tools and strategies: real, solid, applicable strategies! Together with a Semi-Automatic trading tool. They developed the famous Trade Copier for NinjaTrader in the sister company Apex Investing, and invite you to trade very small, yet replicate your success on up to 10 different accounts! Not to mention the Live Trading Room, where you can see their strategies applied and trades are called daily. Since May 2023 also available on Tradovate: you can trade Futures on mobile app and web browsers. Read the in-depth review about APEX Trader Funding here.

• very open and honest about their business model (read the review).
• from 0 to scalper with their training and tools.
• 25K$ at 100% to you.
• 90% profit split.
• Trade Copier built in-house: trade 10 funded accounts at once!
• no max daily drawdown.
• live trading room where trades are called daily (by Darrell as well).
• Bootcamp is accessible FOR FREE for 30 days: learn their strategy and see it in action, 1$ for following 30 days.
• No live data to pay, only 85$ monthly fee (save hundreds a month!).
• 100K$ Trading Challenge with STATIC Drawdown available.

• no capital growth.
• limits on withdrawals for the first 3 months.
• trailing drawdown includes unrealized losses and profits, during the challenge (not when funded).
• AI, Auto Bots, Algos, Fully Automated Trading Bots or software are not permitted on the PA or Prop Accounts.
• News trading is stricly prohibited on PA: results from such trades will be removed from your PA balance.

We have been familiar with Apex Investing Trade Copier for quite some time now, and we are glad that with Apex Trader Funding they have branched out into funding, becoming a power house in the sector in less than a year! But they remain a boutique firm: a true One Stop Shop for the novice trader but also the more experience. Oh yes, first 25K$ go for 100% to the trader, and 90% of profit split afterwards.

FTMO is a Czech company and yet it’s so solid and well run that it’s probably the most popular forex funder worldwide. This is the only funder offering a static max loss (instead of trailing), and as much risk allowed as profit required (other funders allow less risk than profit required). A generous capital increase is offered to the funded trader, all the way up to 400K$: you are in safe hands with FTMO. Read the in-depth review about FTMO here.

• STATIC max drawdown.
• the risk allowed is as large as the profit target (not less)
• high quality applications for journaling, account analysis and more.
• multiple accounts allowed and capital increase available.
• SWING program allows trading overnight, weekend and news.
• profit share goes from 80% to 90% when capital is increased.

• must pass 2 phases to obtain funding.
• limited time to pass.

All the evaluation programs by FTMO are very good, just pick based on your budget and strategy: I recommend practicing in SIM for as long as necessary, be patient, prove that your strategy is profitable, then enroll in a program with a large account and keep trading as you did, don’t change anything. FTMO supports you to be very patient by offering a “free repeat”: if you don’t reach the profit target in time you are entitled to start again for free.

Earn2trade is a very solid company, with great customer support, and plenty of educational material, now also available in spanish, portuguese and arabic. They started back in 2017 with The Gauntlet, which remains to this day my favourite of all the evaluation programs; this was followed later on by The Gauntlet Mini: the traders must pass just 1 phase to obtain funding. Read the in-depth review about Earn2trade here.

• perfect customer support, in multiple languages.
• plenty of free stuff when you enroll: video course, NinjaTrader, Journalytix etc.
• no restrictions on trading over economic releases.
• micro futures are available in all the programs.
• up to 5 funded accounts per trader.
• capital increase from 25K to 200K with the Trader’s Career Path.

• only 1 funded account per trader
• no “trade copier” allowed: they won’t fund you if you win multiple challenges using the same strategy.
• no capital increase
• the max drawdown is calculated in different ways for each phase of various challenges: contact E2T support directly to make sure it’s clear to you how it works.

The Gauntlet because is the closest it can get to real life trading: 10% of static max drawdown allowed, 60 days to pass, swing trading allowed, I wish it was available with a larger account. You are allowed to trade Micro futures contracts in all of the Gauntlet Mini, and very few rules apply: I recommend to get prepared very well, be patient, take your time, and work to obtain a large account.

I like to define TOPSTEP “the original funder”: offering funding to retail traders since 2012, this is the company that served as the model for all the others that came out since.

In March 2021 they funded 1178 traders, and in these first 3 months of the year they paid out over 1.2 Million $: very impressive!

It’s great to see them sharing this information, you are in good hands with TOPSTEP’s challenge.

Read the in-depth review about Topstep here.

• the equivalent of the last subscription’s fee paid is given to you with the first withdrawal.
• Max loss is calculated at the end of day: so the drawdown doesn’t take in consideration the unrealized losses.
• great amount of educational material: from coaching to podcast.
• highly trustworthy.
• same day payout.

• the rule about max weekly loss seems unnecessary to me.
• the traders must pass 2 phases to obtain funding.
• restriction on trading over economic releases.
• only 1 funded account per trader.
• Max loss in funded account takes in consideration also the unrealized losses.

The 10K Swing program allows the Futures trader to hold positions open when the market is closed, and to trade with Micro Futures contract, it’s affordable and a great way to train yourself from simulated trading to real with all the time in the world (monthly subscription). I believe you should enrol in an evaluation program only when you feel truly ready: practice for as long as need in SIM, save more money, I recommend enrolling in programs with larger accounts so to have the largest risk allowance, and the highest potential gains.

The5%ers is the kind of company that gives me a strong feeling of being run by traders for traders, I love that: they offer a trading course, trading ideas, an accurate weekly market analysis, even a trading room. But I love even more the fact they fund traders in real right away! The only phase you have to pass you are forced to use a smaller account but the profits are yours to take already, once you reach the profit target then you are fully funded with the large account. What more can you ask? Read the in-depth review about The5%ers here.

• in real right away.
• up to 180 days to pass the only 1 phase.
• capital increase up to 1.28M$.
• strong community of traders and an open live trading room.
• you get paid your profits even if you break a rule.

• low profit share at 50%.
• a bit expensive.

As for other funders: be patient, take your time, trade for as long as needed in SIM and when ready to trade with The5%ers pick a larger account for more risk allowance and higher potential profits, from phase 1, remember: you are funded in real right away!

I don’t have any personal experience with Trader2B but I have a very good impression from their online presence; they offer a free video course of 20 hours, and unlimited time to reach the 6% profit target in their evaluation program. Read the in-depth review about Trader2B here.

• a well established funder for Stocks traders.
• just 1 phase with unlimited time (monthly subscription).
• fee refundable.
• capital increase available.
• no need to enrol in the evaluation program if you can provide a solid trading record.

• must use the Haywood Trader App.

I don’t have personal experience trading stocks but 6% profit target with unlimited time doesn’t seem hard to reach to me. Beware of the max trailing drawdown, as per usual, and having to use the one trading platform might be an obstacle.