Prop firm comparison

Firms do not differ in the drawdown percentage: they differ in where it is measured from. A static floor never moves; an end-of-day trailing floor rises with the close; an intraday trailing floor rises with the peak, including unrealized profit. That choice decides which account dies first.

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This comparison covers only the firms that have their own page here, and every statement comes from the firm's official documentation, with the verification date recorded on its page.

To go deeper into each part of this calculation: Drawdown calculator · Apex Trader Funding rules · How trailing drawdown works

The three floor types, and why the percentage misleads

Two firms advertising a 10% maximum loss can carry opposite risks. On a static floor, those 10% are counted from the starting balance and stay there: all accumulated profit becomes headroom. On an end-of-day trailing floor, they are recounted from the highest closing balance, so yesterday's profit became today's new ground. On an intraday trailing floor, the peak that counts may be profit you never realized.

The second axis is the lock. Almost every futures firm stops raising the floor at some point — usually at the starting balance, sometimes at the starting balance plus a hundred dollars. Knowing where that happens is knowing when profit actually starts protecting the account. Before the lock, profit is a loan; after it, a cushion.

Floor and lock, firm by firm

Each item below summarizes what that firm's page explains in detail, with the official source cited there.

  • FTMO 1-Step: trailing on the highest balance at 00:00 CE(S)T; no lock.
  • FTMO 2-Step: static, fixed at the initial capital.
  • The5ers High Stakes: static 10% total; it is the daily limit that changes base every day.
  • Topstep Trading Combine: trailing on the closing balance, but breaches checked in real time; locks at the starting balance.
  • FundedNext Futures: trailing on the highest end-of-day balance; locks at the starting balance.
  • Apex: intraday trailing that counts unrealized profit; the funded account locks at the starting balance plus US$ 100 (on Tradovate the firm says it does not lock).
  • MyFundedFutures Rapid: end-of-day in the evaluation and intraday in the funded account; locks at the starting balance plus US$ 100.
  • Tradeify Growth: end-of-day trailing enforced in real time; the evaluation does not lock, the funded account locks at the starting balance plus US$ 100.
  • LucidFlex: end-of-day; locks at the starting balance plus US$ 100 — and requesting a payout already moves the floor there.
  • FundingPips 1 Step Flex: static, 12% below the starting balance.
  • Alpha Capital One: trailing on the highest balance; locks at the starting balance.
  • Blue Guardian 1 Step: trailing on the highest closing trade; locks at the starting balance once profit reaches 6%.
  • E8 One: dynamic, rising only when you close a profit; locks at the starting balance.

Minimum days and consistency, firm by firm

Two rules decide the calendar and the payout. Notice how often the correct answer is 'the official source does not say' — and that this is written down rather than filled in with an estimate.

  • FTMO 1-Step: minimum days not stated in the source; Best Day of 50% of profit from positive days.
  • FTMO 2-Step: 4 trading days per phase.
  • The5ers High Stakes: 3 profitable days per phase; consistency not stated.
  • Topstep Trading Combine: 2 days; best day below 55% of the target.
  • FundedNext Futures: minimum days and consistency are not on the terms page.
  • Apex: no minimum days in the evaluation; 50% on accumulated profit in the funded account; 5 days with minimum profit to withdraw.
  • MyFundedFutures Rapid: 2 days; 50% consistency in the evaluation only.
  • Tradeify Growth: 1 day; no consistency in the evaluation and 35% in the funded account.
  • LucidFlex: minimum days not stated; 50% in the evaluation; 5 profitable days to withdraw.
  • FundingPips 1 Step Flex: no minimum days and no consistency in the model; the 100% monthly cycle requires 35%.
  • Alpha Capital One: 1 day; 40% consistency on total generated profit.
  • Blue Guardian 1 Step: 3 days with at least 0.5% profit each; consistency not stated.
  • E8 One: minimum days not stated for the challenge; 40% on the performance account.

How to use this before buying

Start from how you trade, not from the price. If you often watch a trade run in your favour and come back, intraday trailing is the format that will cost you the most accounts — the peak you never realized has already become the floor. If you scale out, look at E8 One: there it is closing profit that raises the ground. If you trade a few times a week, your calendar is set by the day count, and at Blue Guardian only a day closing with half a percent counts.

Then check the daily limit, which is what ends accounts on a bad day: 5% on yesterday's close is not the same as 4% on the starting balance, and an optional daily limit is no limit at all. The drawdown calculator does that arithmetic in currency, and every page here carries the official source for you to check before deciding.

FAQ

Which firm has the easiest drawdown?

There is no single answer: it depends on your pattern. A static floor forgives someone who profits and then errs; end-of-day trailing forgives intraday swings; intraday trailing is hardest on anyone holding positions. That is why the comparison is by floor type, not by percentage.

Why are some large firms missing here?

Because their documentation does not close: either it does not open in full, or the firm itself publishes different values on two of its own pages. They are named on the firms index, without figures, until that is resolved.

How often is this updated?

Every firm page carries the date its official source was checked, and that date is what counts. Rules change without notice: if the firm says something different, the firm wins, and the error can be reported for correction.

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