Compare fees, profit splits, drawdown rules, and more across every major US prop trading firm. Data-driven recommendations for your trading style.
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| FIRM ↑↓ | US | TRUST ↕ | SPLIT | DRAWDOWN | PHASES | INSTRUMENTS | RATING ↑↓ | ACTION |
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| # | FIRM | US | ACCOUNT | FEE | SPLIT | MAX SPLIT | DRAWDOWN | PAYOUT | TRUST | COST/VALUE |
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Micro contracts are 1/10th the size of E-minis. For a $50K prop firm account, micros let you manage risk precisely and stay within drawdown limits.
Example: If ES moves 10 points against you, that's a $500 loss per E-mini contract. With MES, that same move is only $50.
Rule of thumb: If your account is under $100K, start with micros. Use E-minis only when your account size and profit buffer justify the larger tick value.
Tick value is the dollar amount you gain or lose per minimum price movement. This is THE most important number to know for each contract.
ES: Each 0.25-point tick = $12.50. A 4-point move = 16 ticks = $200 per contract.
NQ: Each 0.25-point tick = $5.00. A 10-point move = 40 ticks = $200 per contract.
Always calculate your max loss BEFORE entering a trade: (stop distance in ticks) × (tick value) × (number of contracts) = total risk.
Trailing Drawdown: Follows your account high-water mark. If your $50K account peaks at $53K, your trailing drawdown of $2,500 means you're stopped at $50,500.
EOD (End-of-Day) Trailing: Only updates at market close. You can have intraday swings without the drawdown floor moving. Much more forgiving for active traders.
Static Drawdown: Fixed floor that never moves. If max drawdown is $3K on a $50K account, your floor is always $47K regardless of profits.
Most US prop firms use trailing or EOD trailing. Static drawdown is mainly found at FTMO and some international firms.
Most prop firms limit how many contracts you can trade based on your account size. This prevents over-leveraging.
Typical scaling for a $50K account: 5-10 ES contracts max, or 50-100 MES contracts.
Start with 1-2 contracts and scale up only after consistent profitability. Many traders blow accounts by maxing out contract limits immediately.
Check your specific firm's scaling rules — they vary significantly between Topstep, Apex, MFF, etc.
FOMC (Federal Reserve): Rate decisions 8x/year. Causes massive moves in all markets. Many prop firms restrict trading during these.
CPI (Consumer Price Index): Monthly inflation report. Released 8:30am ET. Moves ES, NQ, bonds significantly.
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP): First Friday each month, 8:30am ET. Employment data causes high volatility across all markets.
EIA Oil Report: Every Wednesday 10:30am ET. Directly impacts CL (crude oil) futures.
Tip: Check your prop firm's news trading rules. Some ban trading 2 minutes before/after major reports.
1. Practice on a sim account first. Most platforms offer free paper trading. Don't spend money until you have a proven strategy.
2. Know the exact rules — drawdown type, daily loss limit, consistency rules, minimum trading days, time limit.
3. Calculate total cost: evaluation fee + potential re-tries + platform fees + data fees. Budget for 2-3 attempts minimum.
4. Start with the smallest account size. A $25K account with $150 fee is much less risky than a $150K account with $350+ fee.
5. Trade only 1-2 instruments you understand well. Don't spread yourself across ES, NQ, CL, and GC simultaneously.