Funded trading accounts are like a win-win situation. You can earn money by doing what you enjoy without risking your own money. The funded trader program is great for beginners. But which one is the best? Let’s look at all the providers, what’s good about them, and what’s not.
What Makes a Good Funded Trader Program?
A good funded trader program helps you start trading by giving you lessons, online seminars, and support. It’s also important to have high-quality trading platforms and trustworthy partners for your funded trader account.
Are Funded Trader Accounts Worth It?
Funded trader accounts are useful because they limit the risk. You have to pay a small monthly fee for getting real-time data and using the trading platform. In return, you can access a funded account when you prove you have the skills to succeed. If you get funded, you can keep up to 90% of your profits and request a payout to your bank account.
10 Best Funded Trader Programs
1. Topstep
Topstep is a well-respected company in the trading industry. They are known for their excellent reputation and being one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, according to Inc. 5000. To join their funded account program, traders begin with something called the Trading Combine. In this, you get to use a fake trading account with different levels of buying power, like $50,000, $100,000, or $150,000.
Suppose you do well in the 1-Step Trading Combine by consistently making money and managing risks wisely. In that case, you’ll earn a funded trading account. Topstep will provide you with their money to trade with, and you won’t have to risk your money.
- Traders can get a funded account in just four trading days, and the amount you get can be as high as the plan you chose for the Trading Combine.
- Traders can take out all the profits they make up to the first $10,000; after that, they can keep 90% of the profits they make, which is really good compared to other options in the industry.
- Topstep handles payouts every day, and if you request a payout before 10 AM CT, you’ll get your money on the same day.
- They offer support for traders with coaches, useful tools, and daily live videos, and they also provide personalized feedback on how well you’re doing. You might even get bonuses as a trader.
Trading Platforms
You can use various trading platforms like TSTrader, TradingView, NinjaTrader, Sierra Chart, MultiCharts, R|Trader Pro, and more.
Credibility Check
Topstep is one of the oldest companies offering funded trader programs. They started back in 2012. If you want to know their official name and address, you can find it on their website. They are called Topstep, L.L.C., and their address is 130 South Jefferson Suite 200, Chicago, Illinois 60661, U.S.A. You can also contact them by calling 888-407-1611 or using the contact form on their online help center. On Trustpilot, a website where people give reviews, Topstep has a high score of 4.7 out of 5 based on 1,724 reviews.
Costs
Topstep offers different account options. The $50,000 account costs $165 each month. The $100,000 account is $325 per month, and the $150,000 account is $375 per month. But you can get a big discount of 70% with a special offer. Plus, they give you a 14-day free trial to try it out.
Payments
You can pay Topstep using a credit card, debit card, or PayPal. And when you want to get the money you’ve made (your profits), they can send it to you through a service called Deel. Deel can help you get your money through bank transfer, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Wise, Binance, Coinbase, and a Deel Card
2. Earn2Trade
Earn2Trade offers two funded trading programs: the Gauntlet Mini and the Trader Career Path. In the Gauntlet Mini, traders pay a monthly fee and follow specific trading rules. They get access to trading lessons, webinars, and Journalytix. Once they complete the program, they get a chance to have a funded trading account.
The Trader Career Path is a different program. Traders begin with a fake money account and can earn a real money account after passing an evaluation. The unique part is that they can grow their trading careers and handle accounts with up to $400,000 without needing to pay a monthly fee after the evaluation.
In all these programs, traders keep 80% of the profits from the funded account, and 20% goes to the program.
Trading Platforms
You can use around 20 different trading platforms. Some well-liked ones include NinjaTrader, Finamark, R|Trader, and Overcharts. They also support other platforms like Agena Trader and MultiCharts.
Credibility Check
Earn2Trade was started in 2016, and their company, Earn2Trade L.L.C., is based in Sheridan, Wyoming, U.S.A., with an office at 30 N Gould St. STE 4000. You can contact them through email at support@earn2trade.com. Earn2Trade has a good rating of 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot, based on 1,573 reviews, which is a sign that people trust them.
Costs
To join the Earn2Trade Trader Career Path with $25,000, it costs $150 per month. If you want to start with $50,000, it’s $190 monthly.
The Gauntlet Mini program offers four account sizes: $50,000 for $170, $100,000 for $315, $150,000 for $350, and the biggest one with $200,000 for $550 per month. You can’t try Earn2Trade for free, but you can get a big 70% discount on these costs.
Payments
You can pay Earn2Trade using credit cards, debit cards, or PayPal. And when you want to take out the money you’ve earned, you can use a service called Deel. Deel lets you get your profits through things like bank transfers, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Wise, Binance, Coinbase, and the Deel Card.
3. The5ers
The5ers do things differently from other trading programs. They offer instantly funded accounts for trading in the forex market.
Usually, you have to pass a test or evaluation phase before you can start trading. But with The5ers’ Hyper Growth Program, you can trade for real right from the start and earn money when you reach a certain target. They offer accounts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, and there’s no rush to reach your goal, no rule about losing money every day, and your account size grows as you make profits (up to $4 million).
While the fees might seem high compared to the account size initially, you start earning a share of your profits right from day one. Plus, you can get bonuses, and you can use a leverage of 1:30 in these accounts.
For those who prefer a more step-by-step process where you prove your trading skills before getting funded, The5ers also have 2-step High Stakes and 3-step Bootcamp Programs. In these, you pay a small fee to start and the rest when you succeed.
In all these accounts, you can trade various forex pairs, like EUR/USD, USD/CHF, and others.
Trading Platform
MetaTrader 5
Credibility Check
The5ers was started in 2016. They openly share their main location in Israel and another office address in London, UK. You can reach them by phone at 929-955-5595 or via email at help@the5ers.com. They have a good reputation, with an average Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on 1,154 reviews.
Costs
The The5ers Hyper Growth Program offers three different account sizes. For a $5,000 account, it costs $260. A $10,000 account is $450, and a $20,000 account is $850.
The High Stakes Program has a 2-step evaluation process and provides four account sizes. A $5,000 account costs $39, a $20,000 account is $165, a $60,000 account is $300, and a $100,000 account is $495.
They also have a Bootcamp Program with a 3-step evaluation. A $100,000 account in this program is $95, and a $250,000 account is $225. You can get discounts on these costs.
Payments
Payments to The5ers via credit card, debit card, and bank wire. Payouts of profits from The5ers via Deel.
4. Trade The Pool
Trade The Pool is introducing something new and important for traders. They’re offering funded trader programs for stock trading, which hasn’t been widely available before.
With Trade The Pool, you can trade over 12,000 U.S.-listed stocks, including penny stocks and exchange-traded funds. You can trade stocks on the same day you buy them (day trading) or hold onto them for a few days (swing trading).
Here’s how it works: First, pick the Mini Buying Power, Super B.P., Extra B.P., or Ultimate B.P. trading program. Then, you need to do well in an evaluation phase to get your funded account.
The amount of money you can use for trading, the profit you aim for, and how you split the profit with Trade The Pool depends on the program you choose. They also give you a free TraderSync trading journal license with all their programs. Plus, if you pick the Super Buying Power program or a higher one, you get a free subscription to Trade Ideas, TrendSpider, or Bookmap while trading in the evaluation account.
Trading Platform
Trade The Pool uses the Trader Evolution platform, which has various features like market depth, scanners, a super dom (an advanced trading tool), a scalper tool (for quick trading), hotkey trading for fast orders, and charges commissions ranging from $0.005 to $0.0075 per share traded.
Credibility Check
Trade The Pool is a part of The5ers, a company started in 2016. Their main office is in Raanana, Israel, and they have an office in London, United Kingdom, with contact details provided: U.S. phone number 1-331-444 0024 and email at help@tradethepool.com. They have received 30 review ratings on Trustpilot, and on average, they have a rating of 4.3 out of 5.
Costs
The fees for Trade The Pool are not charged monthly; you pay them only once. They offer four different account sizes with different levels of exposure. The Mini Buying Power account with a 20k exposure is $97. The Super Buying Power with an 80k exposure costs $300. The Extra Buying Power with a 160k exposure is $475, and the Ultimate Buying Power account with a 260k exposure is $1,240. They also have discounts available.
Payments
You can pay Trade The Pool using a credit card, debit card, or bank wire. When you want to get the money you’ve earned, they will send it to you through a service called Deel.
5. SurgeTrader
SurgeTrader is a company in Florida, United States, specializing in forex trading. They make it simple to get a real money-funded account. Here’s how it works:
- You start by trying out for the account size you want to manage with SurgeTrader.
- When you make a profit of at least 10%, they’ll give you access to a fully funded account.
There’s no rush, so you can take your time. They set a profit target of 10%, and if you lose in a day, it shouldn’t be more than 5%. Also, they watch for how much your losses add up over time, and that shouldn’t go beyond 6%.
By default, you get to keep 75% of the profits you make in the funded account, and SurgeTrader receives 25%. If you want, you can pay an extra fee to change this to 90% for you and 10% for SurgeTrader.
Trading Platforms
You can use the popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms for forex trading with SurgeTrader.
Credibility Check
SurgeTrader started in 2021 and shares its address on the website: 405 5th Ave South, Naples, Florida, 34102. You can reach them toll-free at (001) 866-998-0883 or directly at (001) 239-944-5317. You can also contact them by email at info@surgetrader.com or use their live chat on their website. They have a good Trustpilot score of 4.6 out of 5, based on 605 reviews.
Costs
To start trading with SurgeTrader, you need to pay an audition fee, a one-time payment. They offer six different account sizes:
- A $25,000 account costs $250.
- A $50,000 account costs $400.
- $100,000 account costs $700.
- $250,000 account costs $1,800.
- $500,000 account costs $3,500.
- The biggest account with $1 million costs $6,500.
If you choose to sign up, you can get a 10% discount on these fees.
Payments
You can pay SurgeTrader in different ways, like using credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, cryptocurrencies, and direct bank transfers. When you make profits, you can get your money through a service called Deel, which allows you to use bank transfers, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Wise, Binance, Coinbase, and the Deel Card.
6. FTMO
FTMO is a company that deals with forex trading and is based in Prague, Czech Republic.
To join FTMO, you have to complete a 3-step program to become a funded trader:
- First, you need to pass the FTMO Challenge, where you must reach specific profit goals in 30 days.
- Next, there’s a 60-day Verification phase, where you prove you can repeat your success from the FTMO Challenge.
- If you successfully complete both of these steps, FTMO will offer you the opportunity to trade with their money. You can get accounts ranging from $10,000 to $400,000, and you get to keep 80% of your profits, which you can withdraw.
You can trade 44 different currency pairs and 10 of the most well-known cryptocurrencies. They also offer some cash indices, commodities, and stock C.F.D.s for trading.
Trading Platforms
You can use three popular platforms for forex trading with FTMO: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader. But it’s important to note that cTrader is unavailable for people in the United States due to specific rules.
Credibility Check
FTMO’s website shows their address in Prague, Czech Republic, and their registration I.D. and V.A.T. information. They have a really good Trustpilot rating of 4.9 out of 5, based on 5,313 reviews.
Costs
Traders pay a fee when they enter the FTMO Challenge. Even though you can have a funded account in different currencies, the challenge fee is only in Euros. The cost to participate starts at 155 Euros for a 10,000 Euro account. For a 25,000 Euro account, it’s 250 Euros; for a 50,000 Euro account, it’s 345 Euros; for a 100,000 Euro account, it’s 540 Euros; and for a 200,000 Euro account, it’s 1,080 Euros. Compared to Topstep and Earn2Trade, the cost for a 50,000 Euro account is more than double.
Payments
You can pay FTMO using different methods like credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, Google Pay, and Skrill. When you make profits, you can get your money through regular bank transfers, Skrill, or cryptocurrencies.
7. OneUp Trader
Whether you’re just starting or have experience, OneUp Trader offers funded accounts where you can use your trading skills and earn money.
Here are the two steps to begin:
- First, you go through an evaluation process. It starts with the Trading Evaluation program. Then, you use a real-time day trading simulator to showcase your trading abilities.
- After you successfully complete the evaluation, you’ll get to meet OneUp’s funding partners. When you start trading with them, you keep the first $8,000 in profits, and after that, you get to keep 80% of all the money you make.
There are some other good things about OneUp Trader:
- You can choose funding options from $25,000 to $250,000.
- They provide advanced analytics and data to help you succeed.
- You can talk, work together, and share ideas with the OneUp Trader community members.
Trading Platforms
OneUp Trader supports various trading platforms, including Ninjatrader, R|Trader, Agena Trader, Photon, eSignal, and more.
Credibility Check
OneUp Trader doesn’t provide any information about their company, address, or contact details on their website. They also don’t say which company will fund your account or how many traders they’ve funded. Trustpilot has 679 reviews with an average score of 4.7, which is a good rating.
Costs
The least expensive account with a 50% profit split costs $105 every month. The most expensive option is $650 per month, and it comes with an 80% profit split, but it’s for the $250,000 account.
Payments
You can pay OneUp Trader using a credit card. If you make money, they can send it to you through a bank transfer or cryptocurrency. The smallest amount you can transfer is $1,000.
8. Apex Trader Funding
Apex Trader Funding is a trading group created by Darrell Martin in 2008. Now, there are over 30,000 members from more than 150 countries in this community.
Apex Trader Funding lets people trade futures contracts for most of the day, 23 hours, without certain daily restrictions. However, there is a permanent limit that’s based on the highest account balance. If the account value drops below this limit, the participant doesn’t pass the competition.
To become a trader with them, you first need to go through an evaluation that lasts at least 10 trading days. If you succeed, you move on to a paid account where you get to keep the first $10,000 in profits and then 90% of the profits you make.
The smallest account available is the 25k account, which starts with $25,000. In the first part of the evaluation, you aim to make $1,500 in profit, and there’s a limit of $1,500 that your account balance shouldn’t fall below.
Trading Platforms
Apex Trader Funding suggests using NinjaTrader along with data from Rithmic RTrader Pro. They also support vendors like WealthCharts, Bookmap, Finamark, and more.
Credibility Check
The company provides contact information for Apex Trader Funding Inc., located at 2028 E. Ben White Blvd Ste 240-9873, Austin, TX 78741. You can contact them through email at support@apextraderfunding.com or through their chat service. On Trustpilot, they have a good rating of 4.8 out of 5, with 3,572 reviews. However, there are also some 1-star reviews each month with different complaints.
Costs
While you’re being evaluated, the funded accounts cost between $147 and $657 monthly, depending on how much you start with. If you need to reset your evaluation, that costs $80. Once you get a funded account, you’ll pay a monthly fee of $85.
Payments
You can pay Apex Trader Funding using a credit card. When you make money, they can send it to you through Deel.
9. The Funded Trader
The Funded Trader was created by Blake Olson, Angelo Ciaramello, and Nick D’Arcangelo, who founded Forex League and V.V.S. Academy. It’s a relatively new service that’s become popular quickly, especially on YouTube and various social media platforms.
They offer different options, and it might be a bit confusing for beginners. You can choose from a Standard Challenge or Rapid Challenge, and you can have a Swing Trading or Regular Account. You can also start with the Royal Challenge.
Each of these challenges has different account sizes, ranging from $25,000 to $400,000, and the share of profits you get ranges from 80% to 90%. Each challenge has three steps: the evaluation stage, the verification stage, and finally, the funded trader status.
Trading Platforms
Funded accounts can be used with Eightcap’s MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. The standard commission fee is $5 for each standard lot, which applies to Forex, Metals, Indices, and Crypto C.F.D.s.
Credibility Check
The company provides contact details for The Funded Trader L.L.C., located at 14001 W H.W.Y. 29, Suite 102, Liberty Hill, Texas, United States, 78642. You can contact them through email at support@thefundedtraderprogram.com, chat in four different languages, and by phone. On Trustpilot, they have a rating of 4.5 out of 5, based on 9,375 reviews. However, it’s worth noting that there are many 1-star reviews each month with various complaints.
Costs
For the Standard Challenge, it begins at $189 for the 25k account and can go up to $1,898 for the 400k account.
Payments
You can pay The Funded Trader using a credit card or the ERC 20 crypto network. If you make money, they can send it to you through cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, L.T.C., USDC, or Deel.
10. FundedNext
FundedNext is a new brand that started in March 2022. It’s run by Incenteco Trading Ltd and GrowthNext – F.Z.C. This brand has quickly grown and is now helping customers in 193 countries.
They have three different funded programs: Stellar, Evaluation, and Express.
In these programs, you can choose account sizes that range from $6,000 to $200,000.
The share of profits you get can be from 80% to 90% in the Stellar and Evaluation accounts, and it ranges from 60% to 90% in the Express program.
Trading Platforms
FundedNext offers two trading platforms: MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.
Credibility Check
The company shares their contact information with an address in Ajman, U.A.E. You can contact them through email at support@fundednext.com or chat. On Trustpilot, they have a good rating of 4.7 out of 5, based on 6,558 reviews.
Costs
The cost for signing up for Stellar accounts, the Evaluation program, and Express accounts ranges from $49 to $999.
Payouts
You can pay FundedNext using a credit card, debit card, cryptocurrency, or bank transfer. If you make money, they can send it to you through Perfect Money, cryptocurrencies like USDT (Tether), or Deel.
Funded Trader Program Summary
Funded trader programs offer many benefits. They provide excellent services and can be a valuable addition to your trading tools. These programs give you access to advanced software and the opportunity to trade with someone else’s money, which is a low-risk way to compete against skilled traders.
What’s even better is that you gain valuable knowledge. Since the program provider’s money is on the line, they work hard to help you succeed. They don’t want you to lose their money.
This means you get:
- More guidance
- Mentorship
- Coaching compared to other services.
Additionally, you’ll be trading alongside other experienced traders in this environment. This can help you improve your trading skills and move up the ranks quickly.
When you have to choose between these options, you’ll likely make a good choice with most of them.
Topstep is a top choice, as they are the leader in the market, with a high number of funded accounts every month and significant payouts to traders since 2020. Earn2Trade, Maverick Trading, Fidelcrest, The5ers, and City Traders Imperium provide all the important company information on their websites, which is a good sign.
On the other hand, OneUp Trader doesn’t share any details about their company, so they could be more transparent.
If you’re mainly looking for a funded trader account, Topstep and Earn2Trade are great options. However, Maverick Trading is interesting if you want to work for an investment firm that manages large accounts.
If you’re considering expensive funded trader programs, it’s a good idea to read detailed reviews first to make an informed decision.
F.A.Q.
What is the best funded trader program?
Topstep has an excellent funded trader program that’s affordable and even comes with a free trial. You can trade future contracts with them, and the amount of money you get to keep is quite good, ranging from 90% to 100%. They have a decade of experience in funding traders and have paid nearly $8 million since 2020, with a quick payout process that takes about 7 hours on average.
How much do funded traders make?
Funded traders can earn as much money as they want, but they have to follow the rules of their funded trader program. The more money they have in their trading account, the more they can make.
Can I become a funded trader?
Many companies want traders to show they’re good at trading by passing an evaluation phase. If they can reach a certain profit target, they can get funded accounts. Some companies let traders get funded accounts right away, but they have to pay higher fees to do that.
What is funded trading?
Funded trading allows traders to use another company’s money for trading, so they don’t risk their brokerage account. But to do well over time, you need to be really skilled and know a lot about financial markets.
How do funded trading accounts work?
Funded trading accounts involve two steps. First, new traders show they can make money over a longer time. Second, when they pass the evaluation, they get full access to a funded account and can keep up to 100% of their profits.