TL;DR — the four futures specialists at a glance
Futures prop firms evaluate traders on CME products and fund the ones who pass. While most of the prop industry is built around FX and CFDs, only a handful of firms specialize in futures.
| Topstep | Apex Trader Funding | MyFundedFutures | Earn2Trade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 | 2021 | 2023 | 2016 |
| Base | Chicago, USA | USA | USA | USA |
| Model | Subscription, $49–$149/mo | Subscription, $137/mo+ (lump-sum plans too) | Subscription, $80–$385/mo | Subscription, $130/mo+ |
| Profit split | 100% on first $5,000, then 90% | 100% on first $25,000, then 90% | 90% (after conditions) | 80% |
| Payout cycle | Weekly to monthly | 8 days | 14 days | Monthly |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader / Tradovate / TradingView | Rithmic / Tradovate / NinjaTrader / TradingView | NinjaTrader / Tradovate / TradingView | Helix / Rithmic / Finamark |
If you only remember one thing: Topstep is the reference point — the oldest futures evaluation in the industry. Apex competes on payout speed and multiple accounts, and Earn2Trade is the education-first veteran.
How futures props differ from FX props
Coming from the FX prop world, four things change.
1. You trade CME products
The instruments are CME-listed futures: E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), crude oil (CL), gold (GC), interest rates, and currency futures. Beginners generally start with the micro contracts (MES, MNQ), one tenth the size of the E-minis. There are no FX pairs or CFDs.
2. Rules are dollar-based, not percentage-based
An FX prop says “10% max loss.” A futures prop says “$2,000 max loss.” On top of that, Topstep and Apex use a trailing drawdown: the loss threshold trails your account’s high water mark, so a winning streak that you partially give back can still breach the rule. Read the rules first — see the Topstep rules breakdown and Apex rules breakdown.
3. Platforms are NinjaTrader / Tradovate, not MT4/MT5
None of the four supports MT4/MT5. You will be working in NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic connections, TradingView integrations, or Earn2Trade’s own Helix. If you are migrating from MT4/MT5, budget real time for the switch.
4. The US session is the main event
CME liquidity concentrates in US market hours, and overnight sessions trade with much lower liquidity. More on what this means by region below.
If your edge is in stocks rather than futures, Trade The Pool, the stock-trading sister brand of The5%ers, is the specialist option.
The four firms, one by one
Topstep — the original, since 2012
Topstep was founded in 2012 in Chicago and has been running its Trading Combine longer than any other futures evaluation — 14 years as of 2026, with no regulatory enforcement actions on record. If operating record is your first filter, start here.
- Trading Combine subscription: $49–$149 per month depending on account size
- 100% of the first $5,000 in profits, 90% after that
- $50K plan reference figures: $3,000 target, $2,000 max loss, $1,000 daily loss
- No minimum trading days; unlimited time while the subscription is active
- No monthly fee on the funded account; sustained performance can lead to Live Funded
The signature rule is the Trailing Maximum Drawdown — in the $50K Combine it locks at $50,000 once the account reaches +$2,500.
Apex Trader Funding — payout speed and multiple accounts
Apex Trader Funding, founded in 2021 in the US, is the other household name in futures funding, built around cash-flow-friendly mechanics.
- Subscriptions from $137 per month, with lump-sum plans available
- 100% of the first $25,000 in profits, 90% after that
- 8-day payout cycle — shorter than the 14 days common elsewhere
- Multiple accounts allowed, which enables running separate strategies in parallel
Two cautions: hedging the same instrument in opposite directions across accounts is prohibited, and the subscription accumulates each month you do not pass. Read the Apex rules breakdown before scaling up.
MyFundedFutures — the newcomer with a 90% split
MyFundedFutures, founded in 2023 in the US, is the youngest of the four and differentiates on its profit split.
- Subscriptions from $80 to $385 per month
- 90% profit split (after conditions are met)
- 14-day payout cycle, accounts up to $150,000
The short operating record is the trade-off. If you want longevity, Topstep and Apex come first; if you try it, keep the account small while the track record matures.
Earn2Trade — the education-first veteran, since 2016
Earn2Trade, founded in 2016 in the US, is one of the longest-running firms in the entire prop industry and the only one of the four that pairs evaluation with a structured curriculum.
- Three programs: Gauntlet Mini (15 days), the classic Gauntlet (60 days), and the Trader Career Path (education plus evaluation)
- 80% profit split, monthly payouts
- Accounts scale up to $400,000
- Education content is in English
For traders who want to build skills systematically while working toward funding, this is the distinctive option.
Time zones: can you actually trade this?
This decides more outcomes than profit splits do. The CME main session is a US-daytime market.
- US traders: no conflict; this is your trading day.
- India and Pakistan: the session runs through your evening — workable on top of a day job.
- East Asia (Japan, Korea): the session is late night to early morning. It is doable, but simulate the lifestyle before paying for an evaluation.
Three criteria for choosing
1. Operating record first
Topstep (2012) and Earn2Trade (2016) have decade-plus records; Apex (2021) has built a strong base since launch; MyFundedFutures (2023) is still proving longevity. The longer the record, the lower the platform risk you are taking alongside your trading risk.
2. Model your cumulative subscription cost
All four are subscriptions. At $149 per month, six months without passing costs $894 — and resets or reactivation fees can add to that. Estimate honestly how long you need, multiply, and set a hard ceiling before you start.
3. Read payout terms together with the rules
The headline splits — Apex’s 100% on the first $25,000, Topstep’s 100% on the first $5,000 — are useful for early cash flow. But a generous split is worthless if the trailing drawdown catches you first. Evaluate split, payout cycle, and drawdown mechanics as one package.
No prop firm, and no article, can guarantee profits. Final investment decisions are your own; this site does not provide investment advice.
Recommended prop firms
The four firms above are the futures shortlist. If the US session does not fit your schedule, or you want to stay on MT4/MT5, the FX side is the practical alternative — and there, two firms anchor the industry.
The5%ers — start without an evaluation
Operating for 10 years (since 2016). The Instant Funding model starts immediately, with no evaluation pressure, and the profit split scales up to 100%.
→ See The5%ers official site (coupon code “HZZS4” for a discount)
FTMO — the industry standard
Operating for 11 years (since 2014). The orthodox Challenge-then-funding model, with one of the largest published payout track records in the industry.