Elite Trader Funding Review
Elite Trader Funding is a US futures prop firm paying a 100% split on simulated profits, with more than $13 million paid out since 2022. It runs four drawdown modes and a live graduation step, and entry starts at a $10,000 account - cheaper than Topstep or Apex.
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
Apex Trader Funding
100% Sim Funded · Up to 20 accounts · $868M+ paid since 2022
✅ 4.2 on 21K+ Trustpilot reviews
✅ EOD trail option
✅ Frequent discount codes
✅ No payout denials
Pick if: You want the deepest account stack and most aggressive pricing.
BluSky Trading
BluSky Trading
90% split · Same-day payouts · From $59/30 days
✅ Daily payouts
✅ Static drawdown
✅ Free reset on renewal
✅ Code 30OFF on Propel
Pick if: You want fastest payouts and the highest profit split in futures prop.
Read our full BluSky Trading review
Other futures prop firms worth comparing include Alpha Futures, Leeloo and OneUp Trader.
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.
What are Elite Trader Funding's position limits and drawdown rules?
$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.
How do Elite Trader Funding's evaluation modes work?
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.
How much does it cost to trade with Elite Trader Funding?
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.
Which countries cannot use Elite Trader Funding?
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
Elite Trader Funding Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- 100% sim profit split up to $150K lifetime — among the most generous in futures prop.
- Live Elite graduation path with $5M+ already deployed in real trader capital.
- $13M+ paid out since February 2022 — independently verifiable on the homepage payout ticker.
- 4+ years operating with 59,000+ customers and 13,000+ funded traders — established track record.
- Multi-vendor platform stack: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic, Quantower — all bundled free.
- $10K starting size — cheapest entry point in US futures prop.
- 4 drawdown modes: 1-Step, Diamond Hands, EOD, and Static — pick the rule logic that matches your strategy.
- Active Discord community with 17K+ members and a public #payout-success channel.
⚠️ Cons
- Sim-funded by design — ETF pushes traders to live and is "not built for people who want to stay in sim forever."
- Discretionary sim reviews — payouts can be deferred while ETF transitions you to live. Biggest source of negative reviews.
- $150K lifetime sim cap — beyond this you must graduate or stop.
- $200 activation fees per account after passing eval (new structure) — adds to total cost.
- Trustpilot mixed — recent payout disputes have affected community sentiment.
- Smaller scale than Apex/Topstep — fewer total reviews and less brand history.
How much does an Elite Trader Funding account cost?
🎁 ETF runs 50–60% OFF promos regularly — check the pricing widget at checkout for live discount codes
All ETF prices are one-time eval + $200 activation on the new structure. Cost-per-$1K of sim-funded capital after a typical 60% promo lands between $1.92 ($100K Diamond Hands) and $3.20 ($10K 1-Step).
$10K 1-Step
Cheapest entry
$80
$32
$10K · ~60% promo
Target $600 / DD $600
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$25K 1-Step
Small account
$120
$48
$25K · ~60% promo
Target $1,500 / DD $1,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$50K 1-Step
Sweet spot
$175
$70
$50K · ~60% promo
Target $3,000 / DD $2,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$100K Diamond Hands
Trailing DD
$305
$122
$100K · ~60% promo
Target $6,000 / DD $3,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$150K Diamond Hands
Pro size
$395
$158
$150K · ~60% promo
Target $9,000 / DD $5,000
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$250K Diamond Hands
Max size
$555
$222
$250K · ~60% promo
Target $12,500 / DD $6,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$50K EOD
Swing-friendly DD
$190
$76
$50K · ~60% promo
Target $3,000 / DD $2,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$100K EOD
Swing-friendly
$325
$130
$100K · ~60% promo
Target $6,000 / DD $3,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$50K Static
Fixed DD
$165
$66
$50K · ~60% promo
Target $3,000 / Static $2,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
$100K Static
Static lock
$285
$114
$100K · ~60% promo
Target $6,000 / Static $3,500
$200 activation · Sim funded
Get This Plan$200 activation · Sim funded
Elite Trader Funding vs Topstep vs Apex
How Elite Trader Funding stacks up against the two biggest US futures prop firms.
Bottom line: ETF wins on smallest entry ($10K), drawdown variety (4 modes), and most defined live graduation path. Apex wins on payout volume and account count. Topstep wins on simplicity and longest brand history.
Is Elite Trader Funding legit and worth it?
★ $13M+ paid · 13,000+ funded
100% sim profit up to $150K lifetime
Elite Trader Funding
100% split · $10K–$250K · Live graduation path
$13M+ paid since 2022
13,000+ funded traders
50–60% OFF active promos
Try ETF →Why traders pick Elite Trader Funding over generic futures props comes down to three core advantages: a 100% profit split up to a $150K lifetime sim cap, four selectable drawdown modes (1-Step, Diamond Hands, EOD, Static), and a genuinely defined live-account graduation path that has already deployed over $5M of real capital into top traders.
The $10,000 starting account is the cheapest entry point in US futures prop — paired with a typical 60% promo discount, the effective cost-per-$1K of sim-funded capital drops below $3.20. NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic, and Quantower are all bundled free, eliminating the $40–$165/month platform overhead most other firms pass to traders.
The trade-offs are real and worth understanding before you buy: ETF is openly "not built for people who want to stay in sim forever." The firm reserves the right to transition you to live before, during, or after a payout request based on internal performance reviews — this discretionary policy is the source of most negative Trustpilot reviews. But for serious traders who genuinely want a live-capital end state and aren't just chasing forever-sim payouts, ETF is one of the most transparent paths to real funded trading in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elite Trader Funding has been operating since February 2022 and has paid out over $13 million to 13,000+ funded traders. It's a US-based sim-funded prop firm (not a regulated broker — prop firms don't require retail trading regulation in the US). Payout proof is published on the homepage and in the Discord #payout-success channel.
ETF offers four eval modes: 1-Step (single phase), Diamond Hands (trailing drawdown), EOD (drawdown updates at session close only), and Static (fixed drawdown locked at starting balance). Pick the mode that matches your trading style at checkout.
Drawdown amounts scale with account size — for example $600 on the $10K account, $2,500 on the $50K, and $6,500 on the $250K. The drawdown logic itself depends on which evaluation mode you choose: trailing, end-of-day, or static.
ETF's consistency policy is enforced through discretionary sim reviews rather than a single fixed percentage. The firm can move you to live trading before, during, or after a payout request based on internal risk metrics and trading patterns.
Traders keep 100% of sim profits up to a $150,000 lifetime cap. Beyond that you're expected to graduate to a Live Elite account (real capital deployed by ETF) or stop. Live Elite traders receive performance bonuses on top of trading profits.
Sim payouts are reviewed under ETF's payout policy and internal risk controls. Live Elite traders can withdraw daily. The homepage publishes a rolling weekly payout total — $31K+ in the most recent week, with $13M+ paid total since 2022.
Yes — ETF offers the cheapest futures prop entry point at $10K (eval fee ~$80). The 1-Step evaluation has the simplest rule set. Beginners should trade micros only on small accounts to avoid breaching the tight drawdown limit.
ETF is openly designed to move traders to live capital — not to keep them in sim forever. $5M+ has already been invested in Live Elite traders. This live graduation path is rare among US futures prop firms.
The eval account is closed permanently. You'd need to purchase a new evaluation at the current promo price (typically 50–60% off the listed fee). There's no reset fee structure like some other prop firms offer.
Topstep (4.6 Trustpilot, industry founder), Apex Trader Funding (4.2 on 21K+ Trustpilot reviews, $868M+ paid since 2022 per the firm), BluSky Trading (daily payouts, 90% split), and MyFundedFutures (one-step models). For multi-market exposure beyond futures: FXIFY, FundedNext, FTMO.