Futures trading can be quite expensive, and when our account is small, it’s difficult to cover the costs and even make a profit on top of that.
The solution that a lot of traders find is to apply to a futures funded account from a proprietary firm.
In this article, you’ll learn what are the top best futures trading prop firms and you’ll be able to compare them to choose the best one for your personal situation.
The Top 3 Best Futures Prop Firms
Let’s start with the list of the 3 best futures proprietary trading firms.
Topstep
Rating: 4.9
REVIEW
Topstep is a Futures prop firm, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 2010. Read the full Topstep review
FEATURES
Instruments: Equity Futures, Foreign Exchange Futures, Agricultural Futures, Energy, Interest Rates Futures, Metals Futures.
Max balance: $150,000
Profit split: 90%
Cost: from $165/month
Platforms: TSTrader, NinjaTrader, Quantower, TradingView, Sierra Chart, T4, Jigsaw Daytradr, Multicharts, R|Trader Pro, VolFix, Trade Navigator, ATAS OrderFlow Trading, MotiveWave, Bookmap, Investor/RT
Apex Trader Funding
Rating: 4.9
REVIEW
Apex Trader Funding is a Futures prop firm, located in Austin, Texas, USA. It was founded in 2021. Read the full Apex Trader Funding review
FEATURES
Instruments: Equity Futures, Foreign Exchange Futures, Agricultural Futures, Energy, Interest Rates Futures, Metals Futures, Crypto Futures.
Max balance: $300,000
Profit split: 90%
Cost: from $137/month
Platforms: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Wealthcharts (web platform), Trader, ATAS, Bookmap, Edgeclear, Finamark, Jigsaw Trading, Motivewave, Quantower, Rithmic, Sierra Chart, Volfix, and Rithmic
The Trading Pit
REVIEW
The Trading Pit is a Futures, and Forex prop firm, located in Liechtenstein. It was founded in 2021. Read the full The Trading Pit review
FEATURES
Instruments: Forex, Indices, Metals, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto, Equity Futures, Foreign Exchange Futures, Agricultural Futures, Energy, Interest Rates Futures, Metals Futures, Crypto Futures.
Max balance: $5,000,000
Profit split: up to 80%
Cost: from €99/month
Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, ATAS, Quantower, R/Trader, Bookmap, Sierra Charts, Jigsaw, and Volfix
Other Interesting Futures Prop Trading Firms
These futures prop firms are not at the top 3, but are also interesting, and generally not really far away from the previous ones in terms of quality and services provided.
How Should I Choose A Futures Prop Firm
If you are undecided between two or more futures prop trading firms, you can use our prop firm comparison tool. Just choose the firms that you want to compare and immediately check the results with a detailed comparison.
Compare Any Prop Firm
How Were These Futures Prop Trading Firms Chosen And Rated
The futures prop firms that appear here were rated based on different factors, which include:
- Difficulty: How easy it is to pass the prop firm challenges or evaluations.
- Futures platforms: The range of futures trading platforms available.
- Customer support: How fast and reliable the prop firm’s customer support is in solving your problems and answering your questions.
- Profit split: How much of the profits the prop firm shares with you.
- Instruments: How vast the range of futures instruments available to trade is.
- Cost: How much does a futures funded account cost to apply and maintain.
- User Rating: How good the futures prop firm is rated by other users.
What Can You Trade On A Futures Prop Firm
Typically, you can trade CME Futures Assets with futures prop trading firms. That includes CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX.
The instruments available in the vast majority of the futures proprietary trading firms are:
- Equity Futures
- Foreign Exchange Futures
- Agricultural Futures
- Energy Futures
- Interest Rate Futures
- Metals Futures
- Crypto Futures
How Big Are The Funded Accounts
The maximum futures prop firm’s funded accounts typically go from $150,00 to $400,000.
These accounts are not limited by margin but by the maximum number of contracts that you can trade based on the account size. This is a typical characteristic of futures trading funding.
How Much Is The Profit Split
For instant funded accounts, the profit split is not big, usually around 50%.
For funded accounts after a challenge, the payout is between 80% and 90%. This means that the futures proprietary firm only keeps 10% to 20% of the profits that you made.
Besides that, it’s also normal that the trader gets 100% of the first profits. This ranges between the first $5,000 and $10,000 in profits.
What Trading Platforms Are Available?
The vast majority of the most popular futures trading platforms are supported by futures prop firms.
Just to mention some: Ninjatrader, Rithmic, Bookmap, Agena Trader, Motive Wave, Photon, Collective2, InsideEdge Trader, Optimus Flow, ScalpTool, Medved Trader, Quantower, Trade Navigator, Overcharts, Sierra Chart, Volfix, TigerTrade, MultiCharts, QScalp, QST, TSLAB, and more.
Are Futures Prop Firms Legit?
Yes, Futures prop trading firms are legit and exist as real companies. The vast majority is registered in the US.
If you read the individual review for each prop firm you’ll find more details about the company and how to contact them.
Advantages Of Futures Prop Firms
- When trading Futures, you are trading a “real market”
- You don’t need to risk your own capital to trade.
- You can get funded with big-sized accounts, so you don’t need to overleverage and gamble your small account to potentially make decent profits.
- You are forced to follow proper risk management rules.
Disadvantages Of Futures Prop Firms
- A lot of futures trading platforms are paid, although some futures prop firms may offer them for free, during the challenge phase and also after you get a funded account.
- The real-time data is frequently paid as an extra. Some prop firms may offer it for free though.
- There’s a monthly cost associated, even after you pass the challenge and get a futures funded account.
- They keep a small part of the profits for them.
Learn More
- What is prop trading
- Prop firms comparison tool
- List of thebest prop trading firms
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I can provide information on the concepts mentioned in this article. Let's go through each concept one by one:
Futures Trading Prop Firms
Futures trading prop firms are companies that provide funding to traders who want to trade futures contracts. These firms typically offer funded accounts to traders, allowing them to trade with the firm's capital instead of their own. In return, the trader shares a portion of the profits with the firm. This arrangement can be beneficial for traders with small accounts who may find it difficult to cover the costs of futures trading on their own.
Top Futures Prop Firms
The article mentions three top futures proprietary trading firms:
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Topstep: Topstep is a futures prop firm based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 2010. Some of its features include a wide range of instruments such as equity futures, foreign exchange futures, agricultural futures, energy, interest rates futures, and metals futures. The maximum balance for funded accounts is $150,000, and the profit split is 90%. The cost starts from $165 per month, and it offers various trading platforms.
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Apex Trader Funding: Apex Trader Funding is a futures prop firm located in Austin, Texas, USA. It was founded in 2021. It offers instruments such as equity futures, foreign exchange futures, agricultural futures, energy, interest rates futures, metals futures, and crypto futures. The maximum balance for funded accounts is $300,000, and the profit split is 90%. The cost starts from $137 per month, and it supports multiple trading platforms.
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The Trading Pit: The Trading Pit is a futures and forex prop firm located in Liechtenstein. It was founded in 2021. It offers instruments such as forex, indices, metals, commodities, stocks, crypto, equity futures, foreign exchange futures, agricultural futures, energy, interest rates futures, metals futures, and crypto futures. The maximum balance for funded accounts is $5,000,000, and the profit split can go up to 80%. The cost starts from €99 per month, and it supports various trading platforms.
Other Interesting Futures Prop Trading Firms
The article also mentions several other futures prop trading firms that are not in the top 3 but are still considered interesting. These firms offer different profit splits, costs, and maximum balances. Some of the mentioned firms include:
- Futures Firm 1: Profit split of 80%, cost starting from $150 per month, and a maximum balance of $150,000.
- Futures Firm 2: Profit split of 90%, cost starting from $145 per month, and a maximum balance of $100,000.
- Futures Firm 3: Profit split of 90%, cost starting from $125 per month, and a maximum balance of $250,000.
Please note that the specific details and ratings of these firms may change over time, so it's always a good idea to research and compare different prop firms based on your personal situation and requirements.
Choosing a Futures Prop Firm
If you are undecided between two or more futures prop trading firms, the article suggests using a prop firm comparison tool provided by the website. This tool allows you to choose the firms you want to compare and provides a detailed comparison of their features, costs, and other factors to help you make an informed decision.
Instruments Traded in Futures Prop Firms
Futures prop trading firms typically allow traders to trade a variety of instruments. Some of the common instruments available in these firms include:
- Equity Futures
- Foreign Exchange Futures
- Agricultural Futures
- Energy Futures
- Interest Rate Futures
- Metals Futures
- Crypto Futures
These instruments provide traders with a diverse range of options to trade in the futures market.
Funded Account Sizes
The maximum funded accounts offered by futures prop firms typically range from $150,000 to $400,000. The size of the funded account is not limited by margin but by the maximum number of contracts that can be traded based on the account size. This characteristic is specific to futures trading funding.
Profit Split in Futures Prop Firms
The profit split in futures prop firms can vary depending on the type of account and the trading performance of the trader. For instant funded accounts, the profit split is usually around 50%. However, for funded accounts after a challenge, the profit split can range from 80% to 90%. This means that the futures proprietary firm keeps only 10% to 20% of the profits made by the trader. Additionally, it is common for the trader to receive 100% of the first profits, typically ranging between the first $5,000 and $10,000 in profits.
Trading Platforms Supported by Futures Prop Firms
Most futures prop trading firms support a wide range of popular futures trading platforms. Some of the commonly supported platforms include:
- NinjaTrader
- Rithmic
- Bookmap
- Agena Trader
- Motive Wave
- Photon
- Collective2
- InsideEdge Trader
- Optimus Flow
- ScalpTool
- Medved Trader
- Quantower
- Trade Navigator
- Overcharts
- Sierra Chart
- Volfix
- TigerTrade
- MultiCharts
- QScalp
- QST
- TSLAB
These platforms provide traders with the necessary tools and features to execute their trading strategies effectively.
Legitimacy of Futures Prop Firms
Futures prop trading firms are legitimate companies that exist as real entities. The majority of these firms are registered in the United States. Each prop firm has its own details and contact information, which can be found in the individual reviews provided in the article.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Futures Prop Firms
The article also mentions some advantages and disadvantages of trading with futures prop firms:
Advantages:
- Trading a "real market" without risking your own capital.
- Access to larger-sized accounts, reducing the need for overleveraging.
- Forced adherence to proper risk management rules.
Disadvantages:
- Some futures trading platforms may have associated costs.
- Real-time data may require additional payment.
- Monthly costs may be associated with maintaining a futures funded account.
- The firm retains a portion of the profits made by the trader.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
