Best Futures Prop Firms in 2026: Ranked After 12 Evaluations
Updated 28 September 2026. Figures checked against each firm’s official website. Finding the best futures prop firms in 2026 depends on payout reliability, drawdown rules, platform stability and evaluation difficulty. This guide compares top futures prop firms based on real trader experience, pricing structures and funded account conditions. How We Ranked the Best Futures Prop […]
Updated 28 September 2026. Figures checked against each firm’s official website.
Finding the best futures prop firms in 2026 depends on payout reliability, drawdown rules, platform stability and evaluation difficulty. This guide compares top futures prop firms based on real trader experience, pricing structures and funded account conditions.
How We Ranked the Best Futures Prop Firms
We tracked 12 funded evaluations across eight futures prop firms from January through April 2026, reviewing payout records, Trustpilot data, and rule changes documented over that period. Four criteria drive the ranking in order of weight: payout reliability, drawdown type, news trading permissions, and the ratio of monthly fee to profit target.
Two firms we initially tracked did not make this list. One delayed payouts past 30 business days on funded accounts. The other changed its drawdown calculation mid-cycle with 48 hours’ notice. Reliability outranks pricing every time.
Quick Comparison: The 8 Best Futures Prop Firms in 2026
| Firm | $100K Monthly Fee | Profit Target | Drawdown Type | Profit Split | News Trading |
|—|—|—|—|—|—|
| Apex Trader Funding | $790 one-time | $6,000 | Static (funded) | 100% of approved payouts | Restricted |
| Topstep | $99 + $149 activation | $6,000 | Trailing | 100% of first $10K, then 90% | Allowed |
| TradeDay | $240 | $6,000 | Trailing | 80% (50% below $4K on Quick Pay) | Not allowed over tier 1 releases |
| Earn2Trade (Gauntlet) | ~$315 | $6,000 | Trailing (eval) | 80% | Allowed |
| Take Profit Trader | ~$170 | $6,000 | Static (funded) | 80% | Allowed |
| Leeloo Trading | ~$320 | $6,000 | Trailing | 90% (consistency plan) | Allowed |
| Bulenox | $215 one-time | $6,000 | Static (funded) | 100% of first $10K, then 90% | Allowed |
| MyFundedFutures | $282 one-time | $6,000 | Trailing | 80% to 90% | Restricted (60-min window) |
Fees are approximate rates for the $100K, updated September 2026. Apex, Bulenox and MyFundedFutures now sell one-time evaluations rather than monthly subscriptions. All firms run promotional discounts that change the effective cost. Confirm current pricing directly before purchasing.
The Firms, Ranked
1. Apex Trader Funding
Apex is the most-discussed futures prop firm in trader communities in 2026, and that attention is earned. Their funded accounts use a static drawdown of $2,500 on the $100K account. That structural choice, static over trailing, keeps more traders alive through a difficult week because a profitable day never moves the floor against you.
The 100% payout is the headline number, and it holds up on scrutiny. On Performance Accounts bought from 1 March 2026, Apex pays 100% of approved payouts with no split, which is above most competitors on this list. Payouts processed within 7 business days in our sample of 14 verified withdrawals between January and April 2026 (Trustpilot, April 2026).
The weakness is the news trading restriction. Update, September 2026: Apex now allows trading through news as part of a normal strategy, but news straddles and similar chasing strategies are prohibited. Scalpers and news traders lose a significant portion of their edge under this rule and need to look at TradeDay or Take Profit Trader instead.
Read our full [Apex Trader Funding review](/reviews/apex-trader-funding) for the exact drawdown and contract specifications across each account size.
2. Topstep
Topstep has operated longer than almost every competitor on this list. That history shows in two concrete ways: platform diversity and payout consistency. They support NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Sierra Chart, and Quantower. No other firm we reviewed in 2026 clears four platforms.
The trailing drawdown in the evaluation is the biggest friction point. On the $100K account, the $3,000 trailing max loss rises every time equity hits a new high. A trader who runs up $3,500 in profit and then pulls back $3,001 fails the evaluation even with a positive net P&L from the starting balance. This structure is punishing for swing traders who hold winning positions.
The 100% profit split on the first $10,000 in lifetime profits, followed by 90%, is competitive. Express Funded payouts can be requested after 5 winning days of $150 or more, or after 3 trading days on the Consistency path, rather than on fixed monthly dates. At $99/month plus a $149 activation fee for the $100K, or $149/month with no activation fee, Topstep is no longer the most expensive option on this list. That cost makes sense if you need multi-platform flexibility or run automated strategies across different front-ends.
3. TradeDay
TradeDay is the clearest choice for traders who need to be in the market during economic releases. Update, September 2026: TradeDay no longer allows trading over its tier 1 economic releases, and positions are liquidated 2 minutes before and trading reopens 2 minutes after.
The $6,000 profit target on the $100K now matches Topstep and Apex, both at $6,000. With the same target and an equivalent $3,000 trailing drawdown, the path to funded is now comparable to those firms. The 80% profit split on funded sim accounts (50% below $4,000 of profit on Quick Pay) is the trade-off. At $3,000 per month in net profit, the difference between 80% and 100% is $600 per month. At scale, that gap is material.
Their $240/month fee for the $100K Quick Pay plan sits mid-market, with no standout discount program but also no documented history of abrupt rule changes since founding. For news traders, the combination of policy clarity and a lower profit target makes TradeDay the most practical option on this list.
4. Earn2Trade
Earn2Trade is different from every other firm on this list because of the educational component. Their Trader Career Path and Gauntlet Mini programs include structured curriculum content built into the evaluation. For traders still developing their edge, that structure has real value. For traders with three or more years of live trading experience and a defined rule set, you are paying for a feature you will not use.
The Trader Career Path starts at $150/month for the $25K account, one of the lowest entry points in the futures category. Earn2Trade allows news trading, and the trailing drawdown in the evaluation sits at $3,500 on the $100K account, slightly wider than Apex or Topstep. The 80% split is below the ceiling on this list.
One structural advantage Earn2Trade holds over most competitors: they publish financials and operate through a registered entity, giving traders more transparency about the counter-party structure of their funded accounts. Few other firms on this list offer that level of disclosure.
5. Take Profit Trader
Take Profit Trader runs the most aggressive discount program of any firm we tracked in 2026. The $100K evaluation dropped to $85 during four separate promotional periods between January and April 2026. The base price of ~$170/month already ranks among the cheapest 1-step evaluations in the futures category.
News trading is allowed. The $3,000 static drawdown on funded accounts is reasonable for the account size. The 80% split is at the lower end of the market, but at an $85 promotional fee, the cost of multiple reset attempts becomes more manageable than at firms charging $300 or more per cycle.
Take Profit Trader suits traders who are confident in their edge and accept variance in their pass rate. Cheap resets change the psychology of failed evaluations in ways that have real performance consequences.
6. Leeloo Trading
Leeloo uses a consistency-based payout structure. Their consistency rule limits how much of your total monthly profit can come from a single trading day, typically capped at 30%. One large winning day cannot account for more than 30% of monthly profit. For traders who build income through sporadic large winners, this rule delays payouts or requires additional trading days to qualify.
For disciplined, consistent traders who post steady daily results, the 90% split on Leeloo’s consistency plan is among the best on this list. News trading is allowed on Leeloo accounts. Fees run around $320/month for the $100K, competitive but not cheap.
Leeloo is the right pick for swing traders who build profit steadily across many trading days. It is the wrong pick for traders whose monthly income arrives in one or two concentrated bursts.
7. Bulenox
Bulenox entered the market with competitive pricing at $215 one-time for the $100K Qualification account and a 90% profit split after the first $10,000 that beats several longer-established firms on both metrics. They allow news trading. Platform support covers NinjaTrader, R|Trader Pro, Quantower, Sierra Chart and other Rithmic platforms.
The concern is track record length. Bulenox has operated for under three years. Their Trustpilot score sits at 4.7 (September 2026), up from 3.8 in April 2026. Their rule set changed twice in the past 12 months, including a modification to the drawdown calculation method that affected traders mid-evaluation without adequate notice.
Bulenox earns a place on this list because the pricing and split are genuinely competitive. They do not earn a top-three position because the payout reliability data is insufficient
