Rules · 8 min read

Prop firm hidden rules: the ten that are not on the sales page, and which firms have the fewest

Which prop firms have no hidden rules? None has zero rules, but on the cards we track only FTMO documents zero switches between the evaluation and the funded account, and Bulenox, FundingPips and Topstep publish every switch they have upfront. The ten rules below are the ones that are never on the comparison page you bought from; nine of them share one shape: the rule governing the evaluation is not the rule governing the funded account. All 16 firms are scored further down.

Update, 1 November 2026: the catalogue now has 11 strategy families and 36 tracks, and the ranking moved to the 2026-11 edition. Current figures: the strategies page.

Ten rules that are not on the sales page

The rule	Where it appears	Why it catches people	What to check
The drawdown model changes when you get funded	MyFundedFutures standard Rapid: end-of-day limit in the evaluation, intraday trailing once simulated-funded. Take Profit Trader: forgiving floor in the evaluation, intraday on funded PRO.	The strategy passes under one rule and then trades under a stricter one. A scale-out strategy is most exposed.	Read the funded-stage row, not the evaluation row, on the comparison table
Consistency applies at payout, not at the evaluation	Apex: none in the evaluation, 50% at every PA payout. Tradeify: none in the evaluation, 20/25/30% ladder on Lightning payouts. Lucid Pro: none in evaluation, ~40% per payout window.	You pass easily, then cannot withdraw. A strategy with occasional large winners hits this months after funding.	Check the payout-stage consistency figure before buying
The consistency window resets after every payout	Apex measures the 50% ratio against profit since the last approved payout, not lifetime. Funded Futures Family tightens the cap with each payout: 40% for the first three, 45% for the next two, 50% from the sixth.	The days immediately after each withdrawal are the tightest on the account, because the base is small.	Run the ratio on the consistency calculator before requesting
A qualifying day is not a trading day	Most firms count only days closing with net profit above a threshold. Funded Futures Family requires $200 or more; Topstep requires $150+ for a winning day. The count resets after each payout at several firms.	A trader can be active for weeks, be profitable overall, and still have too few qualifying days to withdraw.	Count winning days, not calendar days
There is no reset on the funded account	Bulenox: resets available during Qualification, none on the Master Account. Take Profit Trader PRO+: no reset at all.	A funded breach costs a full new evaluation rather than a reset fee — often five to ten times more.	Check the reset column on reset vs new evaluation
The drawdown floor may never lock	Most firms freeze the floor at starting balance plus a margin (Apex: start + $100). Phidias does not — the end-of-day floor follows the highest closing balance for the life of the account.	Accumulated profit never becomes permanent cushion. A steadily grinding strategy is always near its floor.	Look for the lock threshold, not just the drawdown amount
Automation allowed in the evaluation, prohibited once funded	Apex: EAs permitted in the evaluation, fully automated execution prohibited on the Performance Account since March 2026. Take Profit Trader restricts bots on funded PRO.	A bridge that runs unattended through the evaluation becomes a violation the day the account converts.	Read the funded-stage automation clause on the rules cards
The platform can disappear without notice	ProjectX went exclusive to Topstep at the end of February 2026 — six firms rebuilt their execution layer within weeks. NinjaTrader ended its partnership with Alpha Futures on 12 July, closing Premium accounts and stalling payouts.	No rulebook changed in either case. A supplier relationship did, and traders carried it.	Check which platform the firm runs on: platforms and bridges
Contract caps shrink on the funded stage	Apex: up to 6 in the evaluation, the PA opens at 2 and reaches 4 only after the balance clears start + drawdown + $100.	A strategy sized to the advertised cap is inoperable on day one of funding.	The cap is a ceiling; the buffer sets the size
Inactivity closes the account	Top One Futures: sim-funded accounts must place at least one trade every 14 calendar days. Several firms close accounts after 30 days without a qualifying day.	A low-frequency strategy that sits out a quiet month can lose the account for doing exactly what it was designed to do.	Check the inactivity clause if the strategy trades rarely

Source: Puravida Edge rules cards, 40 futures and CFD prop firms, verified 29 September 2026.

Which prop firms have no hidden rules? 40 firms scored

No prop firm has no rules. The useful question is how many rules change between the evaluation and the funded account, because that is where the ten surprises above come from. The table scores the 40 firms (22 futures, 18 CFD) on the rules cards against the seven stage switches every card documents. Yes means the switch is documented, No means the card documents that the rule is the same at both stages or is published upfront, and n/p means the firm does not publish it clearly enough for us to state it, which is a reason to ask before paying, not a pass.

Fully documented with zero stage switches: FTMO, The5ers, BrightFunded. FundedNext CFD and Funded Trading Plus have no documented switch in the drawdown or daily rules but carry an unresolved or new consistency question. Fully documented with the fewest switches: Bulenox (2), FundingPips (2). The most stage switches on the cards: Apex Trader Funding (4), Take Profit Trader (4), Topstep (3), Lucid Trading (3). Firms with three or more n/p cells (FundedNext Futures) are not clean, they are under-documented, and the card for each says which rows to confirm.

Firm	Drawdown model switches when funded	Consistency rule appears only at payout	Payout gated by winning or qualifying days	Daily loss limit changes when funded	Contract cap or scaling plan tightens when funded	Automation restricted once funded	Drawdown floor never locks	Documented switches	Not published
BrightFunded The only stage switch is the funded news window, a soft breach the first time.	No carries over unchanged	No no consistency rule at any stage	No 5 calendar-style trading days in the evaluation only	No same daily rule	No leverage identical at both stages	No allowed at both stages	No static (1-Step locks at +6%)	0 of 7	0
FTMO MetriX review applies on funded accounts; the 1-Step Challenge carries a 50% Best Day rule at both stages.	No static in both stages	No none on the challenge	No 4 trading days per phase; payout on demand after the first	No 5% daily throughout	No $400,000 exposure cap throughout	No EAs allowed, own logic	No static, no trailing floor	0 of 7	0
FunderPro Funded accounts need the Swing add-on for weekends and news.	No static carries over	No published per plan	No bi-weekly cadence, no day gate stated	No same	No lot-based	No allowed	No static	0 of 7	0
Ment Funding 10% target against 6% room.	No static	No no consistency rule	No no minimum days	No same	No lot-based	No custom EAs allowed	No static	0 of 7	0
PipFarm US restricted; cTrader only.	No carries over	No published per mode	No published	No same	No lot-based	No cBots at both stages	No static or trailing as bought	0 of 7	0
TickTick Trader Site unreachable to reviewers 16 Sep 2026; verify status.	No EOD to static	No published	No none	No same	No by tier	No banned at both stages	No static once funded	0 of 7	0
Earn2Trade Approved hours; no overnight.	No EOD	No 30% in evaluation only, published	No 10 days published	No same	No by size	n/p verify	No EOD	0 of 7	1
FXIFY EAs not permitted on Lightning or Instant.	No static or trailing carries over	n/p consistency disputed between trackers	No 4 days per phase, published	No same	No lot-based	No allowed on standard evaluations at both stages	No Classic locks on first payout	0 of 7	1
FundedNext (CFD) Instant model trails on equity; news window counts 40% of profit once funded.	No static carries over	n/p trackers disagree on a payout-stage check	No 5 / 2 calendar minimum days, no qualifying-day gate stated	No carries over unchanged	No lot-based, no cap change stated	No EAs allowed at both stages on MT4/MT5	No static	0 of 7	1
TradeDay	No EOD in both stages	No 30% (Quick Pay) / 45% (Fast Pass) in the evaluation; funded none on Quick Pay, 45% on Fast Pass from 26 Jul 2026	No Quick Pay: 5 evaluation days, day-one funded payouts; Fast Pass: 3 days then five profitable days	No no daily loss limit at any stage (TradeDay 2.0)	No 5 / 10 / 15 contracts unchanged; Funded Sim opens at 3 and scales	No allowed, anti-HFT	n/p	0 of 7	1
OneUp Trader Funded operational rules come from the funding partner.	n/p funded rules come from the partner	No evaluation-only rule, published	No 10 days published	No none	No by size	n/p verify	No locks at start	0 of 7	2
Elite Trader Funding Live Elite: real CME capital after review.	No carries over	No 40% on Fast Track published	n/p not published	No same	n/p not published	n/p verify	No as bought	0 of 7	3
The Trading Pit Trust record: suspended Trustpilot, blacklist placements 2025-26.	No static	n/p consistency disputed	n/p 2026 first-payout thresholds not published in full	No pause, not breach	No lot-based	n/p verify per program	No static	0 of 7	3
FundedNext Futures Futures product launched in 2026; several rows are still thin.	n/p trailing; stage split not published	No Flex: 40% in the challenge, none once funded	n/p	n/p	n/p	No EAs on MT4/MT5 with fee, not cTrader	n/p	0 of 7	5
Funded Trading Plus Instant Funding bans news and weekend holding that the evaluations allow.	No carries over	Yes 1-Step: 35% in the evaluation, 50% once funded	No no minimum days on any program	No same rule	No no cap change	No allowed at both stages	No static on 2-Step; Smart lock on Instant	1 of 7	0
TX3 Funding (ex-TopTier) News on funded accounts requires an add-on.	No same	Yes 40% applies at payout	No 14-day cycles	No same	No lot-based	No EA add-on at both stages	No static	1 of 7	0
The5ers Split starts at 50% on Hyper Growth and Bootcamp and climbs a milestone ladder.	No static at both stages	No no consistency rule on any program	Yes 3 profitable days of 0.5% per step on High Stakes and Pro Growth	No same daily rule	No no cap change	No allowed at both stages	No static	1 of 7	0
MyFundedFutures Rapid EOD (Aug 2026) removes the drawdown switch; Core, Pro and Rapid EOD stay EOD in both stages.	Yes standard Rapid: EOD eval, intraday funded	No 50% in the evaluation on Rapid and Pro, none once funded (the reverse switch)	No Pro: 14 calendar days; Rapid: daily with a buffer, no winning-day gate	No no daily loss limit on any current plan	n/p	No permitted across plans	No standard Rapid locks $100 above start	1 of 7	1
Phidias	No EOD trailing in both stages	Yes none in eval; 30% on Fundamental and Premium Cash accounts; Express to Live exempt	n/p	No none on any account	n/p	Yes fully automated trading not allowed at any stage; semi-automated only	No Fundamental and Premium Cash accounts stop at start + $100 (Phidias 2.0); Express to Live is static	1 of 7	3
Alpha Capital Group Funded Alpha Pro accounts may not hold over the weekend; the evaluation may.	No conditions carry over	Yes 40% Best Day only if On-Demand payouts are chosen	Yes Bi-Weekly path needs 5 trading days on one strategy before the first payout	No same rule	No no cap change	No allowed at both stages	No static (One trails until it locks at start)	2 of 7	0
Blue Guardian Guardian Shield liquidates every open position at 2% floating loss at both stages.	No EOD trailing at both stages	Yes 25-30% on Two Step Pro and Guardian funded accounts, none in the evaluation	Yes 5 profitable days at 0.5% before withdrawal	No same daily rule	No no cap change	No allowed	No locks at start + $100 at 6% profit	2 of 7	0
Bulenox No reset on the Master Account: a breach there is permanent.	No same model as purchased	Yes none in Qualification; 40% at Master payout	No Quick Pay: 5 evaluation days, day-one funded payouts; Fast Pass: 3 days then five profitable days	No Option 2 DLL is removed on the Master Account	Yes Option 2: dynamic scaling plan	No EAs, bots and copiers permitted in writing	No locks at start + $100	2 of 7	0
E8 Markets Funded stage adds a 5-minute news lockout that the evaluation does not have.	No model carries over (widens on E8 One)	Yes Best Day 40% / 35% appears only at payout	Yes 5 profitable days at 0.3% before a payout	No set at purchase, unchanged	No lot-based, leverage unchanged	No allowed at both stages	No E8 One: expands per payout; Signature: locks static at buffer	2 of 7	0
FTUK 2% floating-loss protector on Instant Funding.	No carries over	Yes consistency score at payout while a page advertises none	Yes 5 qualifying days per Instant SIM payout	No same	No contract caps published	No allowed	No trailing as bought	2 of 7	0
GOAT Funded Trader Floating-loss rule closes the account at 1% open loss on challenges bought from 2 September 2026.	No static carries over on evaluations	Yes 15% (standard) to 30% appears only once funded	Yes 3 or 5 profitable days per payout period	No same daily rule	No no cap change	No allowed at both stages	No static; Instant trails	2 of 7	0
Instant Funding Add-ons priced as a percentage of the fee.	Yes Smart Drawdown halves from 10% to 5% once 5% in profit	No 40% Best Day at both Evolve stages, published	Yes 5 qualifying days per payout on Evolve	No same	No lot-based	No owned EAs at both stages	No trailing until locked	2 of 7	0
Alpha Futures Platform risk, not a rule: NinjaTrader and Tradovate access ended 12 July 2026.	No EOD on all plans	Yes Zero: none in the evaluation, 40% on the Qualified account; Advanced the reverse (40% eval, none funded)	No 5 winning days of $200 per payout on Zero, Standard, Advanced (published upfront)	No Daily Loss Guard on Zero and Standard at both stages; none on Advanced	Yes scaling on Qualified accounts, all plans except Advanced	n/p	No Advanced Qualified: locked floor	2 of 7	1
City Traders Imperium Stop loss mandatory on every position.	No static or trailing carries over	n/p not published clearly	Yes profitable-day gates before first payout	No same	No lot-based	Yes source code must be submitted once funded	No static	2 of 7	1
FundingPips Reward cycle is chosen before the first trade.	No same as evaluation	Yes none in eval; 35% on the On Demand and (from 15 Aug 2026) Monthly cycles of 2 Step Standard, 15% on Zero	Yes Zero: 7 profitable days of 0.25% per 30-day cycle before a reward	No 3 to 5% by program throughout	n/p	No EAs on all programs	No static	2 of 7	1
Leeloo Trading Payouts manually reviewed; flipping rule.	No carries over	Yes 30% rule and manual review on the PA	Yes 30 active days before the first payout	No same	No cap does not expand	n/p verify	No as bought	2 of 7	1
Funded Futures Family Prime accounts hold a non-withdrawable buffer of drawdown + $100.	No same model as the plan	Yes Prime: none in eval, 40% per cycle once funded; Premier+ bought from 9 Sep 2026: 40% funded	Yes 3 to 7 qualifying days at $200+ before payout	No none on most plans	n/p	No prohibited at every stage	n/p	2 of 7	2
Funded Trader Markets 1-step trailing tightens as the balance grows.	No carries over	Yes consistency on every funded account	n/p not published	No same	No lot-based	n/p verify	Yes 1-step trail tightens as balance grows	2 of 7	2
Tradeify	No EOD on Select; per plan otherwise	Yes Growth: none in eval, 35% once funded; Lightning 20 / 25 / 30% by payout; Select is the reverse (40% eval, none funded)	Yes Growth funded: 5 profitable days of $150+; Select Flex: 5 winning days per request	No soft DLL, no hard cap	n/p	No allowed, anti-HFT	n/p	2 of 7	2
Top One Futures Inactivity: one trade every 14 calendar days on sim-funded accounts. 10-second minimum hold.	No by program; Elite Daily and Access breach on closing balance	Yes Elite Challenge: 25% applies once funded	n/p	Yes none on Elite Access challenge; $500 to $1,250 reinstated once funded	n/p	No EAs not permitted at any stage	n/p	2 of 7	3
Topstep 0.71% of accounts reached Live in 2025.	No EOD in Combine, XFA and Live	No 50% target in the Combine, upfront; Consistency payout path is optional	Yes 5 winning days of $150+ per Express payout	Yes none universal in Combine; Live runs a DLL	Yes Combine 5 minis; XFA starts at 2 lots on a $0 balance	No allowed at every stage, no HFT	No MLL locks at $0	3 of 7	0
UProfit Trustpilot flagged May 2026.	No same	No 30% in evaluation only	Yes 4 profitable days and $100 before payout	No same	Yes funded contract limits start below evaluation maximums	n/p verify	Yes floor resets to $0 after the first payout	3 of 7	1
Lucid Trading LucidFlex is the reverse: 50% in evaluation, none once funded.	Yes LucidDaily trails intraday once funded	Yes LucidPro: none in eval, ~40% per payout window	Yes 5 profitable days per payout cycle on Flex	n/p	n/p	No allowed	No locks above Initial Trail Balance	3 of 7	2
Maven Trading	Yes static eval; 8% trailing from highest equity once funded	Yes none on standard challenges; 20% on funded, checked before each withdrawal	No payouts every 10 business days, no day gate	Yes 4% daily EOD limit activates once funded	n/p	No EAs prohibited at every stage	n/p	3 of 7	2
Apex Trader Funding No reset on a breached PA. Since 4.0, Rithmic and Tradovate reject orders without a stop and target.	No same model as purchased	Yes 50% at every PA payout	Yes 5 qualifying days per payout	n/p	Yes eval 6, PA opens at 2	Yes fully automated banned on PA	No locks at start + $100	4 of 7	1
Take Profit Trader Four rules appear only at PRO: no bots, weekly trading requirement, limit-up/down obligation, news blackout.	Yes EOD on the Test; intraday trailing on funded PRO	No 50% on the Test, none on PRO and PRO+	Yes 5 winning days per payout	Yes none on the Test since Jan 2025; DLL applies on PRO	n/p	Yes bots prohibited under the PRO Account Rules	n/p	4 of 7	2

Sorted by documented switches, then by unpublished cells. Rules 3 (consistency window resets), 5 (no reset on the funded account), 8 (platform withdrawal) and 10 (inactivity) from the list above are firm-specific rather than stage switches; where a card documents them they appear in the firm note. Every cell is taken from the firm’s rules card, verified September 2026.

The pattern underneath all ten

The mechanical version of this argument, with the drop-off between passing and payout, is in which prop firm rules change after you pass.

Nine of these ten share one shape: the rule that governs the evaluation is not the rule that governs the funded account. Firms compete on how easy the evaluation looks, because that is what is being sold. The funded stage is where the economics actually happen, and that is where the tighter rule usually lives.

That is not deception in most cases — every rule above is published somewhere in the firm's documentation. It is a question of which rule appears on the comparison page and which one appears on page four of the help centre.

How to read a rule set before buying

Three questions eliminate most of the surprises, and none of them is the profit target:

Consistency is the rule most often discovered after the fact; the firm-by-firm list with the stage where it applies is on prop firms without a consistency rule; the rule itself, with the formula, is on the consistency rule explained.

1. Which drawdown model runs on the funded stage? Not the evaluation. Several firms switch, and the switch is the single most common reason a passed account fails later.

2. Does consistency apply at the evaluation, at payout, or both? A rule that only bites at withdrawal will not show up until real money is involved.

3. What counts as a qualifying day, and does the count reset? Winning days and trading days are different units, and at several firms the counter restarts after every payout.

All three are on the comparison table as filterable columns, and per firm on the rules cards.

FAQ

Which prop firms have no hidden rules?

No firm has none, but on the seven rules that can change between the evaluation and the funded account, FTMO, The5ers and BrightFunded are the firms on our cards with zero documented switches. Bulenox and FundingPips have two each and publish both upfront; Topstep has three; Apex Trader Funding and Take Profit Trader have four. A firm with several unpublished cells, such as TradeDay or Alpha Futures, is not clean, it is under-documented.

Do prop firms have hidden rules?

Not hidden in the legal sense — every rule is published somewhere in the firm's documentation. The issue is placement: the rules that decide whether a funded account survives often sit deeper in the help centre than the rules that decide whether an evaluation looks easy.

What is the most common rule that catches funded traders?

The drawdown model changing between the evaluation and the funded account. MyFundedFutures standard Rapid and Take Profit Trader both run a friendlier floor during the evaluation and a stricter one once funded.

Which prop firm has the fewest surprises?

On the scored table above, FTMO has zero documented switches, Bulenox and FundingPips two each, all published upfront. Among futures firms with the drawdown model unchanged between stages: Bulenox, Topstep, TradeDay, Phidias and the MyFundedFutures Rapid EOD plan, which removes the switch the standard Rapid plan has.

Can a prop firm close my account for not trading?

Yes. Top One Futures requires a trade every 14 calendar days on sim-funded accounts, and several firms close accounts after 30 days without a qualifying day.

Firm rules cross-checked September 2026 against firm documentation and current rule trackers; per-firm sources on the rules cards. Rules change quarterly.

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