Disclosure: This post discusses four US futures prop firms. The Earn2Trade affiliate link below pays us a commission if you fund an account through it — at no extra cost to you (and currently with 60% OFF until May 31, 2026, locked for all rebills through 2026). We've tried to keep the comparison factual; you can verify every number on each firm's public site.
If you trade ES, NQ, CL, GC, or any other CME/CBOT/NYMEX futures and don't have $25K+ sitting idle to deposit at a retail broker, a prop firm evaluation is the cheapest path to scale. You pay $50–$500 for a one-time evaluation, prove you can manage risk under realistic rules, and the firm hands you a funded account ($25K–$300K).
The catch: pass rates are brutal. Earn2Trade publicly disclosed an 8.89% pass rate for 2025. Other firms don't publish the number but the industry baseline is 5–15%. Choose the wrong firm and you waste $300 on a setup that doesn't match how you actually trade.
Below: the four firms most worth your time in May 2026, ranked by total cost of getting funded and staying funded, not by marketing.
Quick verdict (TL;DR)
| Firm | Best for | Entry cost | Profit split | Payout speed | Reset cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earn2Trade (Trader Career Path) | Disciplined traders who want a clear progression $25K→$200K | $99–$499 (currently 60% OFF) | 80/20 → 90/10 | Bi-weekly | $55–$150 |
| Apex Trader Funding | High-frequency scalpers, multiple accounts | $147–$300 | 100% first $25K → 90/10 | Bi-weekly | $80–$300 |
| Topstep | Beginners with steady discipline | $49–$149 | 100% first $5K → 90/10 | Weekly | $49–$149 |
| MyFundedFutures | Established traders who want simple rules | $90–$520 | 90/10 | Daily | $80–$300 |
If we had to pick ONE for May 2026: Earn2Trade — purely because of the 60% promo lock through 2026. That single discount turns a $299 Trader Career Path evaluation into ~$120, and applies to every rebill if you reset.
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1. Earn2Trade — Trader Career Path
What you actually buy
A staged evaluation: pass a $25K simulated account → graduate to $50K → eventually $200K live. Each stage has a profit target and a max drawdown. The "Career Path" framing isn't marketing fluff — there are real measurable graduation milestones.
Numbers that matter
- Entry price: $299/month (Trader Career Path Starter, $25K virtual)
- 60% OFF until May 31, 2026: brings starter to ~$120, locked for all rebills through 2026 ← largest discount in the industry right now
- Profit split: 80/20 → 90/10 as you graduate
- Payouts: Bi-weekly via Rise, PayPal, or bank
- Reset cost: $55 (lowest in industry right now during promo)
- Platform: Tradovate now integrated (huge win — fast execution)
- Trustpilot: 4.7★ across 4,800+ reviews (highest of the four)
Where it shines
- Progression is clear — you know exactly which milestone unlocks the next account size.
- Bi-weekly payouts beat the monthly schedule of older firms.
- The Beginner Crash Course included free in Trader Career Path is genuinely useful for someone with <12 months of futures experience.
Where it doesn't
- Daily loss limits feel tight compared to Apex or MFF (those allow trailing drawdown).
- No same-day payouts. If you need cash flow weekly, look at Topstep or MFF.
Who should pick this
Anyone who wants the clearest "if I do X, I get Y" path — especially during May 2026 with the 60% lock.
→ Start Trader Career Path with 60% OFF (auto-applied · expires May 31)
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2. Apex Trader Funding
What you actually buy
A 1-step evaluation with trailing drawdown. No daily loss limit (just the trailing max), no minimum days, no consistency rule on most plans. You can pass in 24 hours if you're hot.
Numbers that matter
- Entry price: $147/month for $25K account, up to $300/month for $300K
- Profit split: 100% of first $25K profits, then 90/10
- Payouts: Bi-weekly via Plane/Riseworks (8 days minimum between payouts)
- Reset cost: $80–$300 (matches plan size)
- Promo: Permanent discount codes available (use APEX50 for ~50% off, runs most months)
Where it shines
- No daily loss limit = freedom for scalpers/aggressive traders
- Multiple accounts allowed — you can run 20+ in parallel (literally)
- 100% of first $25K is yours — best take-home for small-to-medium profits
Where it doesn't
- Trailing drawdown is unforgiving — one bad trade can blow you out even if you were up significantly
- "Pass in 24 hours" only matters if you don't care about long-term sustainability — the rules don't enforce discipline
- Customer support reputation is mixed (especially on Trustpilot for the funded account stage)
Who should pick this
Scalpers and high-frequency traders who want flexibility and don't need hand-holding. Avoid if you tend to revenge-trade — the trailing drawdown will catch you.
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3. Topstep
What you actually buy
A 2-step evaluation (Trading Combine → Funded Account) with weekly payouts. Strong educational content, very community-driven. The oldest brand in the space (founded 2012).
Numbers that matter
- Entry price: $49/month for $50K account (lowest entry in industry), up to $149 for $150K
- Profit split: 100% of first $5K → 90/10
- Payouts: Weekly via Riseworks (fastest of the four)
- Reset cost: $49–$149 (matches plan)
- Promo: Frequent 25–50% off (usually weekend promos)
Where it shines
- Lowest barrier to entry — $49 to try $50K is unbeatable
- Weekly payouts for established funded traders
- Best educational ecosystem — Topstep TV, daily mentorship sessions
- Most beginner-friendly rules (no trailing drawdown by default)
Where it doesn't
- First $5K profit only at 100% is small compared to Apex's $25K
- Drawdown limits are restrictive for swing-style traders
- Plan sizes cap at $150K — no $200K or $300K option for graduates
Who should pick this
First-time prop firm traders, especially those with <6 months futures experience. The combination of low entry cost + educational content + weekly payouts makes it the safest "try it and see" option.
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4. MyFundedFutures
What you actually buy
Newer firm (founded 2023, Fort Worth TX) with daily payouts — a genuine industry first — and scaling up to $300K. 1-step evaluations are the default.
Numbers that matter
- Entry price: $90/month for $25K, up to $520 for $300K (Star plan)
- Profit split: 90/10 (no first-X-dollars 100% bonus)
- Payouts: Daily (transformative if you live on trading income)
- Reset cost: $80–$300
- Promo: Regular 40–60% off on weekends
Where it shines
- Daily payouts — nobody else does this
- No time limits on evaluation (unlike some Apex plans)
- Simple, transparent rules — no consistency requirement on most plans
- Up to $300K accounts — highest scaling ceiling
Where it doesn't
- No 100% first-profits split — flat 90/10 from day one means worse take-home on small profits
- Newer firm — only ~3 years of track record (industry standard is 5+)
- Customer support is responsive but smaller team than Topstep/Apex
Who should pick this
Established funded traders who already pass evaluations consistently and want the fastest possible cash flow. Daily payouts matter when trading is your income.
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Side-by-side scorecard (May 2026)
| Criterion | Earn2Trade | Apex | Topstep | MFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest entry | 🥈 $120 (w/ promo) | $147 | 🥇 $49 | $90 |
| Highest profit split | 80/20→90/10 | 🥇 100%→90/10 | 100% (first $5K)→90/10 | 90/10 flat |
| Payout speed | Bi-weekly | Bi-weekly | Weekly | 🥇 Daily |
| Max funded account | $200K | $300K | $150K | 🥇 $300K |
| Reset cost (lowest) | 🥇 $55 (promo) | $80+ | $49 | $80+ |
| Trustpilot rating | 🥇 4.7★ (4,800+) | 4.4★ (2,100+) | 4.6★ (1,800+) | 4.3★ (650+) |
| Years in business | 🥈 8 | 4 | 🥇 13 | 3 |
| Tradovate support | 🥇 Yes (new) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discount this month | 🥇 60% OFF (until May 31) | ~30-50% | ~25-50% | ~40-60% |
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How to actually choose
You probably overthink this. Here's the 60-second framework:
- You have <12 months futures experience: Topstep ($49 to try). Cheapest mistake to make.
- You scalp aggressively and want flexibility: Apex (no daily loss limit).
- You want fastest cash flow and you're already profitable: MyFundedFutures (daily payouts).
- You want the best deal on the table right now: Earn2Trade with the 60% OFF promo. Locked for all rebills through 2026 = $$$ savings if you reset.
For May 2026 specifically, the math heavily favors Earn2Trade because the 60% lock applies to every future rebill until Jan 2027. If you typically reset 3-4 times during evaluation, you save $400+ over the year versus any non-promo competitor.
→ Claim Earn2Trade's 60% OFF (auto-applied at checkout · expires May 31)
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Risk reminder
Futures trading is risky. 8.89% of Earn2Trade candidates passed in 2025 — the other firms don't publish but industry baselines are 5–15%. Pass rates are brutal because the rules are designed to filter out gambling behavior, not because the firms are scamming you.
Don't fund an evaluation with money you can't afford to lose. Don't trade live until you've passed at least one full evaluation cycle. And read every rule of the firm you pick — daily loss limits, trailing drawdowns, and consistency requirements vary wildly.
Good luck. Trade small, trade with a plan, and let the math work.