There’s a current market surge of companies offering funded trader programs. This is basically due to the high number of traders who are looking to earn a living, yet they have limited capital to invest in trading platforms. If you are one of those traders who is overwhelmed by the many available options, don’t worry. In this article, we comprehensively cover the best funded trader programs the market has to offer.
What Are Trader Funded Programs
These are programs that allow traders to trade without using their capital. In essence, traders use the capital offered by trading proprietary firms. The proceeds from the trading are then shared between the third-party firm or entity and the trader in an agreed-upon ratio.
Who Needs Funded Trader Programs and Why?
Funded trader programs are mainly for individuals who want to partake and succeed in trading but have limited capital. Likewise, funded trader programs are for those traders who want to trade without risking their money.
Here are reasons why a trader needs a funded program:
- Access to extra trading capital
- Lower investment & trading risk
- An opportunity to earn better trading skills
- To enjoy the freedom and opportunities that come with being a trader
Beginner traders are particularly known to benefit from funded trader programs since these programs provide them with a launch pad upon which they can catapult their skills.
Topstep
Topstep is a fintech company that provides traders with the opportunity to earn funded trading accounts by demonstrating their skills and passing simulated evaluations in futures and forex markets.
Funded Trading Plus
Funded Trading Plus offers traders the opportunity to manage and profit from trading accounts funded by the firm, allowing them to trade various financial instruments without risking their own capital.
FTMO
FTMO is a prop trading firm that offers funded trading accounts to qualified traders, enabling them to trade various financial markets with the firm's capital while sharing in the profits.
Earn2Trade
Earn2Trade is a financial education and funded trading program that offers aspiring traders the opportunity to learn professional trading skills and potentially secure funding through its evaluation process.
SurgeTrader
SurgeTrader is a prop trading firm that offers traders the chance to secure funded accounts by passing a straightforward evaluation process, enabling them to trade with firm capital and retain a portion of the profits.
FundedNext
FundedNext is a proprietary trading firm that grants traders access to funded accounts by successfully completing a trading evaluation, allowing them to trade with firm capital and earn a share of the profits.
OneUp Trader
OneUpTrader is a trading firm that offers traders the opportunity to secure funded accounts by successfully completing a trading evaluation, enabling them to trade with firm capital and realize a share of the profits.
E8 Markets
E8 Markets is a proprietary trading firm that offers traders the chance to access funded accounts by passing an evaluation process, allowing them to trade with company capital and share in the profits.
Top 8 Best Funded Trader Programs in 2024
This list details some of the best funded trader programs on the market today. In summary the top names in our selection are as follows:
1. TopStep
TopStep has gained the trust of many investors thanks to its reputation as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest growing and innovative companies. The company is based in Chicago and provides traders with a chance to showcase their trading skills through various funding levels.
The best part about TopStep is that they enable you to get started with as little as $19 per month. There are three account options available ranging from $50,000, $100,000 all the way to $150,000.
Once a trader passes the Trading Combine evaluation by displaying consistent risk management and profitability, they earn themselves a TopStep-funded trading account.
The amount of funding a trader will get is calculated depending on the amount they invested in the Trading Combine account. For instance, a $19 per month investment will get you a $50,000 account while an investment of $69 per month gets you a $10,000 – and so on.
On profit sharing, TopStep gives traders 100% from their first $5,000 and 80% onwards.
TopStep supports trading platforms like TradingView, TsTrader, NinjaTrader, MultiCharts, Sierra Chart, and so on for convenient trading. What’s more, TopStep has an easy-to-use Meta Trader 4 interface with everything displayed on the dashboard.
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2. Funded Trading Plus
Funded Trading Plus is an innovative funded trading program in the UK that allows traders to participate in simulated live trading. It deals with various financial markets like crypto, forex, indices, and commodities thus doesn’t confine traders to specific niches. Additionally, it has a robust evaluation program uniquely designed to filter the best-talented traders.
Onboarding Funded Trading Plus is a straightforward process; traders choose either of the given evaluation accounts, which vary according to size. There are two evaluation phases: preliminary assessment and simulated trading assessment. After successful evaluation, traders can access the simulated trading environment.
The assessment phase is further subdivided into three. First, the Experienced Trader Program (priced at $499) has a single-phase evaluation; its account size ranges from $12,500 up to $200,000. Next, the Advanced Trader Program (priced at $547) has two evaluation phases and supports account sizes of $25,000 to $200,000. Lastly, the Master Trader Program (priced at $1,125) has instant approval without evaluation, and its account size ranges from $5,000 to $100,000.
For withdrawals, traders can start with their initial deposit in their simulated trading account. At first, the profits are shared under the 80/20 split. Once traders attain a 20% profit, Funded Trading Plus adjusts the profit-sharing ratio to 90/10 split.
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3. FTMO
FTMO is a Czech Republic-based proprietary trading firm specializing in forex trading. Other than forex, FTMO also deals with different asset classes like crypto, indices, bonds, and stocks. The company offers traders access to the best trading platforms like MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, and cTrader.
They also have a comprehensive evaluation process that acts as a guarantee to getting superb trading talents. Working with experienced traders means more profits, which is in line with FTMO’s business model, which focuses on the success of its funded traders.
The evaluation process involves an FTMO challenge in which traders pay a certain amount, and once they pass the test, they are awarded the initial capital. The challenges are priced from €155 to €1080. The trading capital you’ll get is relative to the price of the challenge you took and can range from €10,000 to €160,000.
After evaluation, you go to the verification stage, whereby some parameters like profit target, minimum trading days, and maximum loss limit are availed. From there, you are approved to be an FTMO trader responsible for managing an account of up to $400,000 remotely.
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4. Earn2Trade
Earn2Trade is a US-based proprietary firm founded in 2017 that aims at empowering traders to be successful in the futures market. It does so by providing them with education resources plus tools to learn, grow, and be equipped to navigate market challenges.
The platform provides you with two funding pathways – the Gauntlet Mini and the Trader Career Path. For all these pathways, the challenge duration is a minimum of 10 trading days (for subscriptions made after 1 April 2024), and there's no fixed timeline until you meet the target or opt to terminate your account.
This means you can take your time to finish the challenge, and once done, you’ll qualify for funding.
The Trader Career Path is an excellent option for novice traders who would like to get a starter plan with no stringent time restraints. Traders get access to a virtual capital of $25,000 or $50,000 and pay monthly subscription charges of $150 or $190, respectively.
The Gauntlet Mini gives you access to either a $50,000 or $200,000 account. You simply pay a price of $170 for the smaller account and $550 for the larger account. In both pathways, once you meet the set targets, you are eligible to upgrade to an Earn2Trade-funded account, where you get a profit payout of 80/20.
The amount of funding a trader gets is calculated on a scaling program depending on your profit percentage.
Last but not least, Earn2Trade is compatible with popular trading platforms like NinjaTrader, R|Trader, Finamark, MultiCharts, and Motive Wave, to give traders a convenient trading experience.
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5. SurgeTrader
SurgeTrader is ranked among the best funded trader programs in the US. With SurgeTrader, you can trade various assets, including metals, crypto, indices, and forex. SurgeTrader helps traders maximize their skillset and still get profits through its funded virtual trader account.
There’s an evaluation process for you to get a funded SurgeTrader account that comprises phases 1 and 2. For phase 1, the rules are: once you reach a set target, you get a 10% profit and maintain a drawdown of not more than 8%. The other rule is that you should encounter losses of not more than 5% in a day. The phase 2 audition has the same requirements as phase 1 except for getting a 5% profit.
For phase-1, the profit share is 75%/25%, and phase-2 is 80%/20% profit share. The SurgeTrader account sizes range from $25,000 to $1,000,000 and are determined based on the audition price you paid for. After evaluation and gaining the SurgeTrader funded account, the profit share increases up to 90%.
A notable fact about SurgeTrader is the ability to trade with no limitations. This means you can trade anytime, during the week, overnight, or on weekends. What’s more, you can hold trades over your preferred periods to suit your trading style. Finally, SurgeTrader is compatible with platforms like SterlingTrader Pro and MetaTrader 4 for efficient Trading.
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6. FundedNext
FundedNext was founded in 2022 and has branches in the UAE, UK, USA, and Bangladesh. It has gained popularity in the retail and digital trading markets as a funding company that offers traders high initial capital of up to $4 million. FundedNext prioritizes inclusivity and performance as it endeavors to cater to different levels of traders.
To achieve this, the company offers a streamlined selection process; express and evaluation modes for traders to access significant trading capital. The evaluation model uses a structured approach that provides traders a chance to prove their skills by trading in a controlled environment before getting larger funds. This model has two-phase challenges spanning over 60 days.
The express model is ideal for experienced traders looking for a more direct way of accessing funded accounts. Traders should have a minimum of 10 trading days per month and be consistent to pass this stage. After completion of either selection process, traders get a FundedNext funded account with a profit-sharing ratio of 60% to 90%.
FundedNext offers exemplary customer support through email support and live chats. The firm further encourages its traders to use risk management strategies to help them succeed. That’s not all; traders can gain knowledge through the platform’s active discord channel.
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7. OneUp Trader
OneUp Trader is a US-based firm that aims to fund traders worldwide and help them fulfill their dream of earning profits from trading. The best thing traders love about OneUp Trader is its 1-step evaluations. Moreover, the evaluations are split into novice, beginner, advanced, professional, and expert to suit traders with different experience levels.
The account size for the above evaluations varies from $25,000 to $250,000, while the monthly prices are from $125 to $650. A trader has 15 days to meet the profit targets and complete the 1-step evaluation process. This is, of course, the easiest evaluation process on this list.
OneUp Trader is compatible with 19 trading platforms like NinjaTrader, R-Trader, Sierra Chart, Order Flow Trading, etc. Its interactive community allows traders to share, post, follow, and ask for information from other traders.
Traders also receive real-time news and data on market movers/shakers or the latest economic trends. Finally, traders using this platform have a high potential of maximizing their profits thanks to the 90% to 10% profit ratio.
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8. E8 Markets
E8 Markets is a top-notch funding company that specializes in CFD and forex. Their Drawdown Scaling plan is a feature that sets them aside from other trader-funded programs. Therefore, for every profit withdrawn, there’s an increase in the overall drawdown limit and account balance. Besides, E8 Markets embraces technology by having an intuitive interface that incorporates useful trading insights.
The E8 Funding firm has a two-stage evaluation process. For phase 1 (Kickoff Evaluation), traders should demonstrate their trading prowess and risk management ability. They should work within the specified drawdown limits and reach the set profit target within 30 days. The pricing for phase 1 is $228 for a $25,000 account. Luckily, upon passing phase 1, you won’t pay for phase 2.
If traders pass phase 1, they then proceed to phase 2 to get a further evaluation of their trading skills. During this phase, traders have 60 days to meet certain profit targets. In both phase 1 and 2, traders are given an extra chance for free should they fail to meet their targets. Upon passing the evaluation tests, traders are eligible to open E8 Market accounts and will be awarded a starting capital of $25,000 to $250,000.
E8 Markets has a profit-sharing ratio of 80/20, which is quite favorable to the trader. The platform’s customer support is reachable via email or live chat. Unfortunately, their customer support isn’t available 24/7 as they are only reachable between 4 am to 4 pm (CST) on weekdays and half a day (8 am to 1 pm) on weekends.
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What are the features to look for when choosing a funded trader program?
Conclusion
The above companies have made it to our list of the best funded trader programs since they have a solid reputation in providing capital to traders. However, they have different rules, capital options, terms, and profit-sharing ratios.
Take your time to peruse through each program and determine the one that suits your budget or trading strategy. Remember, having a reliable funded trader program can be a stepping stone to improving your trading ability and unlocking new earning opportunities.