Research, not advice. This is what I found in public sources about prop trading firms. It is not financial advice or a recommendation to buy any challenge. A challenge is a paid evaluation: most people who try one do not get funded, and the fee is usually not returned. Rules, prices and ratings change often, so confirm everything on the firm’s official site. Some links here are affiliate links, explained in the affiliate disclosure. See the full disclaimer.
Which are the best futures prop firms in 2026?
If you trade index, oil or gold futures, this is your ranking. I scored ten futures prop firms on reputation first and marketing last. Topstep leads on track record, MyFundedFutures follows on the size and score of its review base, and Tradeify and Take Profit Trader come next. Each card links to a full review and the official site. For forex and CFDs see the Top 10 CFD prop firms; for coins, the Top 10 crypto prop firms.
- 1
Topstep review
The oldest name in futures prop trading: deep track record, mixed recent public sentiment.
4.1/5Official site - 2
MyFundedFutures review
The biggest and highest-rated futures review base I found, with plan and rule details that vary by source.
3.7/5Official site - 3
Tradeify review
A fast-growing futures firm with good ratings and a payout-cap ladder you must understand first.
3.7/5Official site - 4
Take Profit Trader review
Easy to pass and quick to pay, but the PRO drawdown is where many accounts end.
3.6/5Official site - 5
Lucid Trading review
The newest of the established futures names: strong early ratings and fast payouts, but a short history and closure complaints.
3.4/5Official site - 6
Apex Trader Funding review
Huge and popular, but a March 2026 rule overhaul means the evidence for the new system is still thin.
3.3/5Official site - 7
TradeDay review
A simple, subtraction-style ruleset that was relaunched as TradeDay 2.0 in May 2026.
3.3/5Official site - 8
Bulenox review
Low prices and many happy payouts, but reviewers describe denials tied to rules that were unclear.
3.3/5Official site - 9
Elite Trader Funding review
Large payout history, but strict rules and a Trustpilot record that includes serious payout disputes.
3.1/5Official site - 10
Alpha Futures review
A very high Trustpilot score sits next to July 2026 reports of plan closures and comparison-site delistings.
2.8/5Official site
Where two scores look the same after rounding, the order follows the unrounded score.
Scores are out of 5 and are my editorial judgement from public sources, not a measurement.
How I ranked these futures prop firms
- 25%Track record and stability. How long the company has operated, whether it has paused or closed, who is behind it.
- 25%Public rating and review volume. Trustpilot-style scores weighted by how many reviews sit behind them, and how consistent the sources are.
- 20%Payout evidence. Published payout totals, reported payout speed, and the volume of payout complaints.
- 15%Rule stability and transparency. Retroactive rule changes, clarity of the rules, how hard it is to see what blocks a withdrawal.
- 10%Conditions and value. Fees, profit split, drawdown style and platform choice.
- 5%Support and verification. How support and identity checks are described by traders.
- Ratings are secondhand and often affiliate-sourced. Trustpilot figures differ between roundups; for example Topstep was quoted anywhere from about 3.4 to 4.6.
- I could not read Reddit directly. Please read futures-trading subreddits and recent Trustpilot reviews yourself.
- This is desk research with no funded accounts traded for the ranking, and commissions do not change a score.
Futures prop firm comparison table
| # | Firm | Market | Founded | Public rating (reported) | Profit split | My score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topstep | Futures | 2012 | reported 3.4–4.6 varies | 90/10 on Express funded accounts | 4.1 |
| 2 | MyFundedFutures | Futures | see official site | ≈4.9 (rose from 4.5) 15,000–17,500 | 80–90% by plan | 3.7 |
| 3 | Tradeify | Futures | c. 2024 | 4.3–4.7 sources conflict | 90/10 on simulated funded accounts | 3.7 |
| 4 | Take Profit Trader | Futures | 2021–2022 (sources conflict) | 4.4–4.5 ≈9,000 | 80% (PRO), 90% (PRO+) | 3.6 |
| 5 | Lucid Trading | Futures | 2025 | ≈4.5 3,700+ | 90/10 | 3.4 |
| 6 | Apex Trader Funding | Futures | 2021 | ≈4.4 18,000+ | varies by plan; check official site | 3.3 |
| 7 | TradeDay | Futures | see official site | 4.5–4.6 1,000–1,400 | 50–90% (Quick Pay pays 50% early) | 3.3 |
| 8 | Bulenox | Futures | see official site | mixed ≈1,600 | 90/10 (reported) | 3.3 |
| 9 | Elite Trader Funding | Futures | see official site | ≈4.0 ≈1,100 | 90/10 simulated, 80/20 live | 3.1 |
| 10 | Alpha Futures | Futures | c. 2024–25 (see official site) | reported 4.9 (see complaints) ≈4,200 | 90% from the first payout | 2.8 |
Ratings are the figures reported in 2026 roundups unless a “checked” date is shown on the firm’s review. Scroll sideways on a phone.
What should you know about futures prop firms?
Futures evaluations are built around one rule above all: the trailing drawdown. It follows your profit upward, so a good day raises the floor and a sharp pullback can end the account. Reviewers describe it as the rule that catches most traders at Topstep and on Take Profit Trader PRO accounts. Some firms use an end-of-day version that is easier to live with, which is part of what Alpha Futures advertises.
- Consistency rules differ widely. Tradeify, Lucid, MyFundedFutures and Elite Trader Funding each have their own thresholds, and sources I read disagreed on several of them.
- Payout caps matter. Tradeify and Lucid meter withdrawals through caps and buffers; Elite caps simulated payouts.
- Fees show up after you pass. Apex reportedly charges an activation fee under its 2026 system, and TradeDay reviewers mention data and platform costs.
- Rules changed in 2026. Apex relaunched as 4.0, TradeDay as 2.0, and Topstep’s payout caps were reported cut, so check dates on every review you read.
Why do futures prop firm payouts get denied?
- Trailing-drawdown breaches that end the account before a payout.
- Consistency rules that delay or block a withdrawal.
- Rules that are not written down. Recent Bulenox reviewers describe denials tied to unwritten expectations.
- Identity verification failures at payout time, a dispute reported at Elite Trader Funding.
- Account or plan changes, such as the July 2026 closures reported at Alpha Futures.
How many futures prop traders actually get funded?
Few. One 2026 review of Topstep reported that roughly 16.8% of Trading Combines were passed in 2025 and well under 1% of Express traders reached the live stage. That is a single secondary figure for one firm, so do not generalise it, but it fits the pattern: the evaluation fee is the price of an attempt. Read the disclaimer and only spend what you can afford to lose.
10 questions to ask before buying a futures challenge
- Is the drawdown end-of-day or intraday, and how does it lock?
- Is there a consistency rule, and what is the percentage?
- What are the payout caps and minimums for my plan?
- Is there an activation, data, platform or reset fee?
- Does “funded” mean simulated or live?
- Which platform and data feed are included?
- Have rules changed for existing accounts recently?
- What do recent low-star Trustpilot reviews say about payouts?
- Are all rules written in the public documentation?
- Can I afford to lose the fee?
Futures prop firm discount codes and offers
Verified codes and affiliate offers for the futures firms appear below with a copy button. I only list what I have entered and checked. Please read the affiliate disclosure.
I have no verified discount codes to list at the moment. Each review links to the official site, where you can see current pricing.
My verdict: how I would shortlist
I would start with Topstep for the record, then compare payout caps and consistency rules on MyFundedFutures, Tradeify and Take Profit Trader. I would give younger names such as Lucid a small test first. For the whole picture, start at the prop firm overview.
Reminder: I do not claim that any firm here is safe, that you will pass a challenge, get funded or be paid, or that trading will be profitable. Ratings are my editorial judgement from public sources, which are often affiliate-funded and sometimes disagree. Commissions never change a score. Only pay what you can afford to lose.