Elite Trader Funding Review
100% Profit Split
Daily Payouts (Live)
Account Sizes
Free Platforms
📊 Elite Trader Funding at a Glance — Brand Profile & Stats
🏢 Who is Elite Trader Funding?
Elite Trader Funding (ETF)
US futures prop firm · Sim-funded with live graduation
Headquarters
🇺🇸 United States
Founded
February 2022
Years Operational
4+ years
Total Paid Out
$13M+
Funded Traders
13,000+
Customers
59,000+
Why it matters: ETF is one of the few prop firms with a clearly defined live-account graduation path. The mission is to move skilled sim traders into real capital — not to keep them in simulation forever.
★ Payout Proof & Trader Stats
$13M+
Total paid since Feb 2022
$31K+ paid last week (live homepage ticker)
Bruno G. — Paid $1,250 in May 2026
Public payout receipt on ETF homepage
13,000+ Elite Sim-Funded Traders
Active funded community on Discord (17K members)
$5M+ invested in Live Elite traders
Real capital backing top performers — not just sim
The takeaway: Payout proof is published on ETF's homepage and in the Discord #payout-success channel — independently verifiable, not just marketing claims.
💰 The Cheapest Path to Sim-Funded
Cheapest verified path to an ETF Sim-Funded Account
| Plan | Eval Fee | With Promo |
|---|---|---|
| $10K 1-Step | $80 | ~$32 |
| $50K 1-Step | $175 | ~$70 |
| $100K Diamond Hands | $305 | ~$122 |
Why it matters: ETF's $200 activation fee on the new structure is well below Topstep's $349. Cost-per-$1K of funded capital lands around $2.00 after 60% promo on Diamond Hands $100K — competitive with Apex.
🖥️ Platform Stack
Multi-vendor platform stack
NinjaTrader
Free lifetime license · Best for ATM strategies and automated traders.
Tradovate
Cloud-based · No install · Fast onboarding · EUREX access.
Rithmic
Industry-standard data feed for serious futures traders.
Quantower
Multi-broker professional charting + execution.
Pro tip: Choose your platform at activation. NinjaTrader users save $1,099 on the lifetime license that ETF covers.
📈 Markets & Why Micros Matter for $10K
Full CME, CBOT, NYMEX & COMEX coverage
📈 Equity (ES/NQ/YM)
🥇 Metals (GC/SI)
🛢 Energy (CL/NG)
💱 Currency (6E/6B)
🌾 Ags (ZC/ZS)
🔍 Micros (MES/MNQ)
Why micros matter for $10K: Smallest ETF account is $10K — micros let you scale risk down to ~$0.50/tick while still trading the full futures universe. Mandatory for beginners.
⚖️ The 3 Rules That Actually Fail Traders
The 3 rules that actually fail ETF traders
1. Trailing or EOD Drawdown
ETF offers Diamond Hands (intraday trail), EOD, and Static modes — pick your drawdown logic at checkout. Intraday is harshest for swing traders.
2. $150K Sim Lifetime Profit Cap
You keep 100% of sim profits up to a lifetime cap of $150K. Beyond that, you're expected to graduate to Live Elite — or stop.
3. Discretionary Sim Reviews
ETF can transition you to live before/during/after a payout request based on risk metrics. This is the firm's biggest source of trader complaints.
Top ETF Alternatives
🥇 Topstep ★★★★★
Topstep
Industry founder · TopstepX · 4.6 Trustpilot
✅ Established 2012
✅ Cleanest UX
✅ Trading Combine
✅ Strong educational
Pick if: You want the most established US futures prop and the cleanest platform UX.
🥈 Apex Trader Funding ★★★★½
Apex Trader Funding
100% Sim Funded · Up to 20 accounts · $1B+ paid
✅ 19K Trustpilot reviews
✅ EOD trail option
✅ 50–80% promos
✅ No payout denials
Pick if: You want the deepest account stack and most aggressive pricing.
🥉 BluSky Trading ★★★★½
BluSky Trading
90% split · Same-day payouts · 11 platforms
✅ Daily payouts
✅ Static drawdown
✅ Free Rithmic month
✅ Free NinjaTrader
Pick if: You want fastest payouts and the highest profit split in futures prop.
⭐ MyFundedFutures ★★★★
MyFundedFutures
90% split · One-step models · Strong rule clarity
✅ Starter, Expert, Milestone
✅ Buyer-friendly
✅ Up to 5 accounts
✅ Promo-heavy
Pick if: You prefer evaluation-style accounts with simple targets.
⚖️ Position Limits & Drawdown by Account
$10K — Entry Account
Starting Capital$10,000
Max Contracts2 mini / 20 micro
Profit Target$600
Max Drawdown$600
Eval Fee$80 (Pre-promo)
Why it matters: Cheapest entry into futures prop industry-wide. Trade micros only — minis will breach the $600 drawdown quickly.
$50K — Sweet Spot
Starting Capital$50,000
Max Contracts10 mini / 100 micro
Profit Target$3,000
Max Drawdown$2,500
Eval Fee$175 (Pre-promo)
Why it matters: Most chosen ETF size — large enough for meaningful payouts but cheap enough to recover after a single failed eval.
$250K — Maximum Size
Starting Capital$250,000
Max Contracts25 mini / 250 micro
Profit Target$12,500
Max Drawdown$6,500
Eval Fee$555 (Pre-promo)
Why it matters: Largest sim-funded account at ETF. Pair with Diamond Hands or EOD mode if you want sustainable drawdown.
📊 Evaluation Modes & Consistency
⚡ 1-Step Evaluation — Fastest Path
1-Step — Single Evaluation
Hit the profit target in a single phase and move directly to a Sim-Funded account.
Style
Single phase
Best for
Confident scalpers
Affiliate payout for promoters: 15% for the first 45 days.
★ Diamond Hands (DH) — Trailing DD
Diamond Hands — Trailing Drawdown
The drawdown line follows your peak balance — for traders who can sit on winners and not overtrade.
Style
Trailing
Best for
Patient day-traders
Why DH: Cleanest pricing in ETF's lineup. 15% affiliate payout for the first 45 days.
🔵 EOD (End of Day) — Swing-Friendly
EOD — Drawdown updates only at session close
Intraday equity swings won't tighten your loss limit — much friendlier for trades you let breathe overnight.
Style
Swing / Position
Update
Session close
Best for: Traders who hold positions intraday or overnight without tightening drawdown.
🚀 Static — Fixed Drawdown
Static — Locked at Starting Balance
Drawdown stays fixed at your initial account balance — even if you scale to 150% of starting, the loss line doesn't move.
Best for: Conservative traders who want to lock in profits without trailing drawdown pressure. 7% affiliate payout for the first 45 days.
💵 Commissions & Trading Costs
🎁 Platform Licenses — Free
NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic — bundled
ETF covers platform licensing on every Sim-Funded account. The free NinjaTrader lifetime lease alone saves $1,099 vs retail pricing.
Why it matters: Most prop firms charge $40–$165/month for platform access. ETF bundles it free across all 4 supported platforms.
📡 Live Brokerage Data — Included
Real-time CME data feed bundled
Real-time futures data on Sim-Funded accounts is included — no separate broker subscription needed.
Why it matters: Eliminates the typical $55/month real-time fee — savings of ~$660/year per account.
💸 Per-Contract Commissions
Broker commission rates
| Instrument | Per Side | Round Turn |
|---|---|---|
| ES / NQ Mini | $2.04 | $4.08 |
| MES / MNQ Micro | $0.74 | $1.48 |
| CL / GC | $2.04 | $4.08 |
Why it matters: ETF commissions are competitive with Topstep and Apex. Micros remain the cheapest way to gain futures exposure on small accounts.
🚫 Restricted Countries
🌍 Country Eligibility
Country eligibility for Elite Trader Funding accounts
Elite Trader Funding serves traders worldwide except in OFAC-sanctioned or regulator-restricted jurisdictions:
🇮🇷 Iran
🇰🇵 North Korea
🇸🇾 Syria
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇷🇺 Russia
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇲🇲 Myanmar
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
🇻🇪 Venezuela
Important: US-based traders ARE fully eligible. Verify your country in ETF's terms before checkout — sanctions lists update periodically.
🎥 Video Guides & Reviews
📺 Watch Before You Buy
📺 Watch before you buy — 4 independent ETF reviews
