6A tick value and contract specs

A futures prop firm is a company that lets traders qualify for a funded or simulated-funded account by passing an evaluation on futures contracts such as the E-mini S&P 500 or Nasdaq. You pay an evaluation fee instead of posting your own margin, then keep a share of the profits while following the firm's drawdown, contract and payout rules.

Futures prop firms sell an evaluation in which you trade a simulated account to a profit target without breaching a maximum loss limit. If you pass, you move to a funded or simulated-funded account and can request payouts once the firm's conditions are met. Firms earn revenue from evaluation fees, activation fees and resets, and rules differ by firm.

The futures prop firms traders compare most are Topstep, Apex Trader Funding, Tradeify, Lucid Trading, Take Profit Trader, My Funded Futures and Alpha Futures, but the best one depends on how you trade. Compare end-of-day against intraday drawdown, total cost with activation and resets, consistency and payout rules. Our futures comparison ranks firms on verified data, reviews and traffic, and labels featured placement separately.

A funded futures account is an account a prop firm gives you after you pass its evaluation, or sells directly on a straight-to-funded plan. Many funded futures accounts are simulated, with payouts made by the firm from its own funds, and a few firms later move consistent traders to a live account. The firm's terms state which applies.

Many futures prop firms are legitimate businesses, but they are not regulated as brokers and quality varies widely. Warning signs include vague payout rules, frequent unexplained denials, rules changed after purchase and no track record. Before paying, read the full payout policy, check independent reviews and payout reports, and see how long the firm has operated. Treat the evaluation fee as money spent, not a deposit.