The best futures prop firms
Topstep is our top futures prop firm: it is a futures specialist based in Chicago, publishes its own pass rates, pays a 90% split and has an NFA-registered brokerage affiliate. Apex Trader Funding is the better fit if you want to run several accounts and use Rithmic, Tradovate or TradingView. FundedNext and Blue Guardian offer futures alongside forex, on Tradovate and NinjaTrader. All figures were verified November 2026.
Our picks
- Topstep: futures-only, 6% target, end-of-day trailing drawdown, 90% split, unusually transparent about pass rates.
- Apex Trader Funding: up to 20 Performance Accounts, 100% of the first $25k, wide futures platform support.
- FundedNext: futures challenges on Tradovate and NinjaTrader from a firm with a 4.5 Trustpilot rating across 81,087 reviews.
- Blue Guardian: futures challenges on NinjaTrader and Tradovate with a 90% split, but notable review concerns.
Futures prop firm comparison
| Topstep | Apex Trader Funding | FundedNext | Blue Guardian | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 74/100 | 85/100 | 70/100 |
| Market | Futures | Futures | Forex and futures | Forex and futures |
| Price from | $49/month (50k) + $149 activation | Sources conflict | $59.99 (6k, Stellar 2-Step)* | $56 (10k, 2-Step)* |
| Profit target | 6% ($3k on 50k) | $1.5k–$9k by account size | 8% then 5%* | 8% then 4%* |
| Daily loss | Optional, set at checkout | EOD accounts only ($500–$2k) | 5%* | 4% (hard breach)* |
| Max drawdown | $2k / $3k / $4.5k, end-of-day trailing | $1k–$4k trailing | 10% static* | 8% trailing, locks at initial balance* |
| Min days | None for Combine | None for evaluation | Sources conflict (5 vs none) | Not verified |
| Profit split | 90% | 100% of first $25k, then 90% | 80% default, up to 95% with add-on | 90% |
| Payouts | After 5 winning days | Up to 6 payouts per account | First after 21 days, then every 14 days | Bi-weekly |
| Futures platforms | TopstepX | Rithmic (NinjaTrader, Quantower and more), Tradovate, TradingView, WealthCharts | Tradovate, NinjaTrader | NinjaTrader, Tradovate |
| Refundable fee | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 3.7 (15,035 reviews, Nov 2026) | 4.2 (21,435 reviews, Oct 2026, via PropFirmMap) | 4.5 (81,087 reviews, Nov 2026) | Futures 3.8; CFD around 3.6–4.1 (secondary sources) |
*Our verified price and rule figures for FundedNext and Blue Guardian are for their forex 2-Step challenges. Their futures-specific pricing and rules are not in our verified data, so check them on each firm's site.
1. Topstep: best for futures traders who value transparency
Topstep's Trading Combine is a one-step futures evaluation sold as a monthly subscription, from $49 a month for a 50k account plus a $149 activation fee. The profit target is 6% ($3,000 on 50k), there is no minimum number of trading days, and drawdown is end-of-day trailing at $2,000, $3,000 or $4,500 depending on the account. The split is 90%, payouts are available after five winning days, and Live accounts start at up to $150k. It scores 26/30 for track record and 78/100 overall.
Topstep is also open about how hard this is. By its own 2025 figures, 16.8% of Combines were passed and 0.71% of Express traders reached a Live account.
Drawback: the subscription keeps charging until you pass, it runs on a single platform (TopstepX), and its Trustpilot score is 3.7. Its rules on news trading, EAs and overnight holding are not verified in our data.
2. Apex Trader Funding: best for running multiple futures accounts
Apex lets you hold up to 20 Performance Accounts, pays 100% of the first $25k of profit and 90% after that, and supports a wide set of futures platforms through Rithmic (including NinjaTrader and Quantower), Tradovate, TradingView and WealthCharts. Evaluations have no minimum days, targets run from $1,500 to $9,000 by account size, and drawdown is $1,000 to $4,000, either end-of-day or intraday trailing. News trading is allowed; bots and overnight holding are not. Trustpilot shows 4.2 from 21,435 reviews (Oct 2026, via PropFirmMap). It scores 74/100.
Drawback: Apex restructured in 2026. Subscriptions became one-time fees, the consistency rule reportedly rose from 30% to 50%, and metals futures were suspended. Sources conflict on current prices, accounts retire after six payouts, and the fee is not refundable.
3. FundedNext: best for futures from a broad, well-reviewed firm
FundedNext offers Futures challenges next to its forex range, and its platform list includes Tradovate and NinjaTrader, as well as MT4, MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader and TradingView. It has the strongest review base of our picks (4.5 from 81,087 reviews, Nov 2026), a default 80% split rising to 95% with an add-on, and payouts every 14 days after the first at 21 days. It scores 85/100, the highest of the firms on this page.
Drawback: we rank it third rather than first because our verified rules and prices are for its Stellar forex challenge, not its futures accounts. Rules change often, and some pricing differs between its help center and checkout.
4. Blue Guardian: low-cost futures option, with caveats
Blue Guardian lists a Futures challenge among Instant, 1-Step, 2-Step and 3-Step options, supports NinjaTrader and Tradovate, and pays a 90% split with bi-weekly payouts. Its fee is refundable, and its futures Trustpilot page shows 3.8. It scores 70/100.
Drawback: reviews mention payout denials over copy trading or shared devices, and an auto-close feature that closes trades at a floating loss. Its verified forex rules use a trailing drawdown and a 4% hard daily limit, and its futures rules are not in our data.
A worked example: Topstep's cost and drawdown
If it takes you three months to pass a 50k Combine, you pay 3 × $49 = $147 in subscriptions plus the $149 activation fee, $296 in total, to try for a $3,000 target.
Drawdown matters more than price. As an illustration, take a $2,000 end-of-day trailing drawdown on a $50,000 balance: your floor starts at $48,000. If you close a day at $51,000, the floor moves up to $49,000. If you were up to $51,500 during that day but closed at $51,000, an end-of-day rule uses the $51,000 close, so the floor is $49,000. Under an intraday trailing drawdown of the same size, which Apex offers on some accounts, the floor would follow the $51,500 peak to $49,500, leaving you $1,500 of room instead of $2,000. See trailing vs static drawdown and the drawdown calculator.
How we chose
We included firms whose market is futures (Topstep and Apex) or whose challenge types and platforms show futures (FundedNext and Blue Guardian list Futures challenges plus Tradovate and NinjaTrader). We ordered them by fit for a futures trader, favouring firms whose futures rules we could verify, then by WizardTrader score. Prop firm scores weigh track record (30), rules (25), cost (15), payouts and reviews (20) and platforms (10); see the methodology.
FTMO (91/100) lists Futures among its challenge types, but its verified platforms are MT4, MT5 and cTrader and its futures rules are not in our data, so we left it out. E8 Markets offers an E8 Zero futures plan on Tradovate and NinjaTrader, but Trustpilot has withheld its rating and recent reviews allege denied or delayed payouts. The5ers is tagged forex and futures, but its listed challenges and platforms show no futures product, so we excluded it until that is confirmed.
What to check before you buy a challenge
- The futures-specific rules. Many firms publish forex rules more clearly than futures rules. Confirm target, daily loss and drawdown for the exact futures account.
- Drawdown type. End-of-day and intraday trailing behave very differently on winning days.
- Total cost. Monthly subscriptions and activation fees add up; one-time fees may not be refundable.
- Payout conditions. Winning-day requirements, consistency rules and payout caps decide when you actually get paid.
- Recent rule changes. Apex restructured its rules in 2026, and FundedNext's rules change often.
New to futures? Read futures trading for beginners, what a prop firm is and how to pass a prop firm challenge.
Sources
Provider data on this page was verified November 2026 against these sources:
Topstep
Apex Trader Funding
FundedNext
Blue Guardian
Trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. A challenge fee is money at risk, and passing an evaluation does not guarantee payouts. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This page is general information, not financial advice. Rankings are editorial and not paid. Read our risk disclaimer and advertiser disclosure.