A prop firm activation fee is a second payment you make after you pass the evaluation, before the funded account opens. PropTested counts 168 plans at 21 firms that charge one, from $5 to $1,999, and the median fee on the plans we rank is $149. On the median ranked plan, the fee makes up 71% of what you pay to pass on the first try, checked November 12, 2026.
The short version
- What it is
- A charge when you pass, never at checkout. The checkout page shows the test price, so the fee is easy to miss.
- How big it is
- On 135 of the 168 plans with a fee, the fee costs more than the test itself.
- When it helps you
- You pay the fee once but the test price on every attempt. A cheap test with a fee is often cheaper overall if you fail once or twice.
- How to avoid it
- 45 firms sell every plan with no fee. Some firms sell a version without the fee next to the standard plan, at a higher test price.
Our picks if you want no activation fee
- Best plan with no activation fee and cheapest with no fee
Lucid TradingLucidDaily, $50KHighest score of any $50K test with no fee, 91 of 100$66about $258 real cost - No fee with an end-of-day drawdown
FundedNext FuturesFlex, $50K$75 once, and the floor only moves at the close$75about $298 real cost - No fee on a monthly plan
TradeDayQuick Pay, $50K$59 a month with no fee after you pass$59 a monthabout $371 real cost - No fee in forex
FTMOFTMO Challenge 1-Step, $100K$100K forex test with the fee confirmed at zero$444about $1,107 real cost - Fee taken from your first payout
Earn2TradeThe Gauntlet Mini, $50K$139 comes out of profit, not your card$85 a month + $139about $1,058 real cost
Which prop firms charge an activation fee?
Of 86 firms we track, 21 charge an activation fee on at least one plan. 45 firms record no fee on any plan. For the other 20, the firm's pages leave the fee unstated on some or all plans, so those plans stay out of the counts below.
- No fee on any plan 52%
- Charge a fee on some plans 24%
- Not stated on every plan 23%
Show the numbers
| Group | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No fee on any plan | 45 | 52% |
| Charge a fee on some plans | 21 | 24% |
| Not stated on every plan | 20 | 23% |
The table shows every firm with a fee, one example plan each, at $50K where the firm sells that size. The share column is the part of your first-try total that goes to the fee.
| Firm | Fees across plans | Example plan | Test price | Fee | Fee share | When you pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FundedEliteforex, not ranked yet | $159 to $1,999 | $50K Flash Activation | $3 | $329 | 99% | When you pass |
| Goat Funded Traderforex, not ranked yet | $78 to $998 | $50K Pay Later | $5 | $368 | 99% | When you pass |
| Mavenforex, not ranked yet | $40 to $589 | $50K Buy Now, Pay Later | $5 | $359 | 99% | When you pass |
| Atmos Fundedforex, not ranked yet | $79 to $1,029 | $50K 1-Step Nova | $5 | $345 | 99% | When you pass |
| Wall Street Fundedforex | $48 to $540 | $50K Wall Street Power | $6 | $340 | 98% | When you pass |
| Orion Fundedforex | $69 to $1,099 | $50K Orion Nova | $7 | $349 | 98% | When you pass |
| Top One Traderforex, not ranked yet | $59 to $1,247 | $50K Nova Challenge | $7 | $275 | 98% | When you pass |
| Leveragedforex, not ranked yet | $76 to $1,089 | $50K Turbo Trade | $9 | $340 | 97% | When you pass |
| NEOM Fundedforex, not ranked yet | $59 to $649 | $50K NEO ACCESS | $10 | $379 | 97% | When you pass |
| For Tradersforex, not ranked yet | $189 to $999 | $50K Pay After Pass | $9 | $329 | 97% | When you pass |
| Apex Trader Fundingfutures | $89 to $199 | $50K Intraday Trail Standard | $25 | $99 | 80% | When you pass |
| Topstepfutures | $149 | $50K Trading Combine, Standard | $49 a month | $149 | 75% | When you pass |
| LEGENDS Tradingfutures | $99 to $149 | $50K Apprentice | $35 a month | $99 | 74% | When you pass |
| Top One Futuresfutures | $69 to $466 | $50K Elite Access | $39 | $94 | 71% | When you pass |
| The5ersforex | $50 to $350 | $20K Bootcamp | $22 | $50 | 69% | When you pass |
| Ylos Tradingfutures | $69 to $249 | $50K Standard | $36 | $79 | 69% | When you pass |
| BluSky Tradingfutures | $99 to $179 | $50K Launch | $59 a month | $99 | 63% | When you pass |
| Earn2Tradefutures | $139 | $50K The Gauntlet Mini | $85 a month | $139 | 62% | From first payout |
| Phidias Propfirmfutures, not ranked yet | $83 to $169 | $50K Express to Live (evaluation fee) | $139 | $149 | 52% | When you pass |
| Bulenoxfutures | $143 to $498 | $50K Qualification | $175 | $148 | 46% | When you pass |
| DayTraders.comfutures | $5 | $50K Static | $50 | $5 | 9% | When you pass |
The lowest fee is $5 at DayTraders.com. The highest is $1,999 at FundedElite on its $400K Flash Activation plan. Firms marked "not ranked yet" have too few independent reviews or unconfirmed rules, and the method page lists the reasons.
How much of the total is the activation fee?
The bar is the fee as a share of what you pay if you pass on the first attempt, test price plus fee. Above half means the fee is the main cost of the plan.
FundedElite$50K Flash Activation
Goat Funded Trader$50K Pay Later
Maven$50K Buy Now, Pay Later
Atmos Funded$50K 1-Step Nova
Wall Street Funded$50K Wall Street Power
Orion Funded$50K Orion Nova
Top One Trader$50K Nova Challenge
Leveraged$50K Turbo Trade
NEOM Funded$50K NEO ACCESS
For Traders$50K Pay After Pass
Apex Trader Funding$50K Intraday Trail Standard
Topstep$50K Trading Combine, Standard
LEGENDS Trading$50K Apprentice
Top One Futures$50K Elite Access
The5ers$20K Bootcamp
Ylos Trading$50K Standard
BluSky Trading$50K Launch- Earn2Trade$50K The Gauntlet Mini
Phidias Propfirm$50K Express to Live (evaluation fee)
Bulenox$50K Qualification
DayTraders.com$50K Static
Show the numbers
| Name | Fee share |
|---|---|
| FundedElite ($50K Flash Activation) | 99% |
| Goat Funded Trader ($50K Pay Later) | 99% |
| Maven ($50K Buy Now, Pay Later) | 99% |
| Atmos Funded ($50K 1-Step Nova) | 99% |
| Wall Street Funded ($50K Wall Street Power) | 98% |
| Orion Funded ($50K Orion Nova) | 98% |
| Top One Trader ($50K Nova Challenge) | 98% |
| Leveraged ($50K Turbo Trade) | 97% |
| NEOM Funded ($50K NEO ACCESS) | 97% |
| For Traders ($50K Pay After Pass) | 97% |
| Apex Trader Funding ($50K Intraday Trail Standard) | 80% |
| Topstep ($50K Trading Combine, Standard) | 75% |
| LEGENDS Trading ($50K Apprentice) | 74% |
| Top One Futures ($50K Elite Access) | 71% |
| The5ers ($20K Bootcamp) | 69% |
| Ylos Trading ($50K Standard) | 69% |
| BluSky Trading ($50K Launch) | 63% |
| Earn2Trade ($50K The Gauntlet Mini) | 62% |
| Phidias Propfirm ($50K Express to Live (evaluation fee)) | 52% |
| Bulenox ($50K Qualification) | 46% |
| DayTraders.com ($50K Static) | 9% |
Retries change the picture. Counted against the real cost to get funded, with the retries an average attempt needs, the fee falls to a median 32% of the total on the plans we rank.
- First attempt
- Expected retries
- Activation fee
- Ylos TradingStandard$185
- Apex Trader FundingIntraday Trail Standard$193
- Top One FuturesElite Access$219
- DayTraders.comTrail$227
- BluSky TradingLaunch$342
- Wall Street FundedWall Street Power$355
- Orion FundedOrion Nova$360
- TopstepTrading Combine, Standard$372
- LEGENDS TradingApprentice$426
- BulenoxQualification$463
Show the numbers
| Name | First attempt | Expected retries | Activation fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ylos Trading (Standard) | $36 | $70 | $79 | $185 |
| Apex Trader Funding (Intraday Trail Standard) | $25 | $69 | $99 | $193 |
| Top One Futures (Elite Access) | $39 | $86 | $94 | $219 |
| DayTraders.com (Trail) | $70 | $152 | $5 | $227 |
| BluSky Trading (Launch) | $118 | $125 | $99 | $342 |
| Wall Street Funded (Wall Street Power) | $6 | $9 | $340 | $355 |
| Orion Funded (Orion Nova) | $7 | $4 | $349 | $360 |
| Topstep (Trading Combine, Standard) | $98 | $125 | $149 | $372 |
| LEGENDS Trading (Apprentice) | $94 | $233 | $99 | $426 |
| Bulenox (Qualification) | $175 | $140 | $148 | $463 |
Why the cheap test comes with an expensive activation
Firms advertise the test price, and the discounts in their banners apply to that price. Right now 9 firms discount the test on 76 plans and leave the fee at its normal amount. They are Apex Trader Funding, Earn2Trade, For Traders, FundedElite, LEGENDS Trading, Phidias Propfirm, Top One Futures, Wall Street Funded and Ylos Trading.
The deepest cut is on Apex Trader Funding $50K Intraday Trail Standard, 90% off the test. With the $99 fee added, your first-try total falls only 64%, from $348 to $124.
The far end of the pattern is the pay-after-pass plan. 10 firms sell a test for 5% or less of the first-try total and collect the rest as the fee, among them FundedElite, Goat Funded Trader, Maven and Atmos Funded. 2 of them are in our ranking, Wall Street Funded and Orion Funded. If you fail such a test, you lose only the small entry price.
How much is the Apex Trader Funding activation fee?
Apex Trader Funding charges $89 to $199 to activate a funded account, depending on the size and the plan. The fee is not part of its test discount. The table shows the one-time plans that carry it.
| Size | Intraday Trail Standard | EOD Trail Standard |
|---|---|---|
| $25K | $17 test + $89 fee | $49 test + $109 fee |
| $50K | $25 test + $99 fee | $59 test + $129 fee |
| $100K | $79 test + $129 fee | $119 test + $139 fee |
| $150K | $119 test + $149 fee | $219 test + $159 fee |
Apex also sells 18 monthly Legacy plans with fees between $99 and $199. All Apex plans and fees are on the Apex pricing page, and the Apex vs Topstep comparison sets it against Topstep.
Worked example. You buy the $50K Intraday Trail Standard for $25, fail, and buy it again. You pass on attempt two and pay the $99 fee. In total you paid $149. The Intraday Trail No Activation Fee version costs $80 per attempt with no fee, so the same two attempts cost $160.
Is the version without an activation fee cheaper?
5 firms sell 7 of their $50K tests with and without the fee, same drawdown, same billing. The version without the fee costs more per attempt. The table shows when the fee version catches up.
| Firm | With fee | Without fee | Fee version is cheaper from | Real cost, with / without |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BluSky TradingLaunch, end of day | $59 a month + $99 | $112 a monthPropel | The first attempt | $342 / $524 |
| Apex Trader FundingIntraday Trail Standard, intraday | $25 + $99 | $80Intraday Trail No Activation Fee | Attempt 2 | $193 / $301 |
| Ylos TradingStandard, end of day | $36 + $79 | $99No Activation Fee | Attempt 2 | $185 / $291 |
| Apex Trader FundingEOD Trail Standard, end of day | $59 + $129 | $119EOD Trail No Activation Fee | Attempt 3 | $330 / $405 |
| TopstepTrading Combine, Standard, end of day | $49 a month + $149 | $85 a monthTrading Combine, No Activation Fee | Attempt 3 | $372 / $421 |
| BulenoxQualification, intraday | $175 + $148 | $143Momentum | Attempt 4 | $491 / $564 |
| BulenoxQualification, end of day | $175 + $148 | $143Momentum | Attempt 4 | $463 / $524 |
The plan with the fee is cheaper to get funded in all 7 cases, once retries are counted. The simulation expects an average attempt to need more than one try, and each retry of the no-fee version costs more.
Topstep is the monthly case. Its Trading Combine, Standard costs $49 a month plus a $149 fee, and its Trading Combine, No Activation Fee costs $85 a month with no fee. Pass in month two and you pay $247 against $170. The monthly vs one-time guide runs that maths to month six.
Can you pay the activation fee later?
Earn2Trade takes the fee from your first payout instead of your card, on 7 plans. If the funded account never pays out, you never pay the fee. Our real cost leaves such a fee out, since it only comes out of profit.
Take Profit Trader waives the fee under a running offer, on 5 plans. The normal fee is $130, and it returns when the offer ends. Live offers and their end dates are on the offers page.
Everywhere else the fee is due before the funded account opens. A promotion that cuts the test price rarely touches it, so check the fee line at checkout and in the activation and reset fee guide.
Plans with no activation fee
Each pick below has no activation fee confirmed on the firm's own pages, except the last, which takes its fee from profit. Every plan without a fee is in the no activation fee list and the futures version.
Best plan with no activation fee and cheapest with no fee
Lucid Trading LucidDaily, $50K
Lucid charges $66 for this plan with no activation fee to come later. The drawdown follows your open profit during the day, which is hard on traders who let winners breathe. The 40% consistency rule only applies while you are tested; once funded it is gone. Payouts can be requested daily once you are above the buffer.
- Price
- $66
- Real cost to get funded
- about $258
- Drawdown
- Intraday
- Daily loss limit
- $1,200
Good to know: Intraday trailing drawdown follows unrealised profit, the strictest common type.
No fee with an end-of-day drawdown
FundedNext Futures Flex, $50K
FundedNext Futures charges $75 with no activation fee. Its $2,500 target on a $50K account is lower than the usual $3,000. The drawdown only moves at the close and there is no daily loss limit. The funded account closes after 5 payouts, so it is built to end.
- Price
- $75
- Real cost to get funded
- about $298
- Drawdown
- End of day
- Daily loss limit
- None
Good to know: 40% consistency rule in the evaluation. Each payout capped at $1,500.
No fee on a monthly plan
TradeDay Quick Pay, $50K
TradeDay bills $59 for the first month and $131 after, so it is cheapest for traders who pass fast. Its Quick Pay plan pays from the first day you are funded, with no buffer to build first. The split starts at 50/50 and only rises to 80/20 after $4,000 of profit.
- Price
- $59 a month
- Real cost to get funded
- about $371
- Drawdown
- Intraday
- Daily loss limit
- None
Good to know: Intraday trailing drawdown follows unrealised profit, the strictest common type. 30% consistency rule in the evaluation.
No fee in forex
FTMO FTMO Challenge 1-Step, $100K
FTMO has been around since 2015 and holds 4.8 on Trustpilot from 55,531 reviews. It prices in euros, which is why PropTested shows its cost in euros instead of converting it.
- Price
- $444
- Real cost to get funded
- about $1,107
- Drawdown
- End of day
- Daily loss limit
- $3,000
Good to know: 50% consistency rule after you pass, which can delay payouts. 50% consistency rule in the evaluation.
Fee taken from your first payout
Earn2Trade The Gauntlet Mini, $50K
Earn2Trade takes its $139 activation fee from your first profitable withdrawal instead of up front.
- Price
- $85 a month, then $139 from your first payout
- Real cost to get funded
- about $1,058
- Drawdown
- End of day
- Daily loss limit
- $1,100
Good to know: 30% consistency rule in the evaluation. Billed monthly until you pass; our cost assumes two months at $170.
The best $50K futures tests without a fee
The ten highest scoring $50K futures evaluations with no activation fee, one per firm. Real cost counts renewals and the retries an average attempt needs.
| # | Firm and plan | Price | Real cost | Drawdown | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucid TradingLucidDaily | $66 | $258 | Intraday | One payment |
| 2 | FundedNext FuturesFlex | $75 | $298 | End of day | One payment |
| 3 | My Funded FuturesBuilder | $92 | $312 | End of day | One payment |
| 4 | TradeifyGrowth | $87 | $307 | End of day | One payment |
| 5 | Ylos TradingNo Activation Fee | $99 | $291 | End of day | One payment |
| 6 | Apex Trader FundingIntraday Trail No Activation Fee | $80 | $301 | Intraday | One payment |
| 7 | TradeDayQuick Pay | $59 a month | $371 | Intraday | Monthly |
| 8 | FTMO FuturesPro | $139 a month | $480 | End of day | Monthly |
| 9 | Take Profit TraderTest | $85 a month | $422 | End of day | Monthly |
| 10 | LEGENDS TradingElite | $98 | $320 | End of day | One payment |
How we picked
We read the activation fee for each plan on the firm's own pricing and checkout pages, November 12, 2026. A fee counts only when the firm states it. A zero counts only when the firm states there is none. Shares use today's test price, so a discount raises the fee's share.
The real cost to get funded adds the test price, any fee due on passing, a second month on monthly plans and the retries an average attempt needs. The retries come from 3,000 simulated runs of each plan's rules. Picks come from plans we rank, scored on cost, track record and payout terms, and commission never counts. The real cost calculator lets you set your own number of attempts, and the cheapest prop firms list ranks the whole field on real cost.
Our partner deals for this
- FundedNext Futures$50K Flex, $75 to start, code PEAK47% offGo to FundedNext FuturesPEAK
- TradeDay$50K Quick Pay, $59 to start, code PEAK55% offGo to TradeDayPEAK
- Earn2Trade$50K The Gauntlet Mini, $85 to start50% offGo to Earn2Trade
PropTested earns a commission on these links. It never changes a figure or a rank above; how we handle it.
- Lucid Trading: plans and rules read October 31, 2026
- FundedNext Futures: plans and rules read October 31, 2026
- TradeDay: plans and rules read October 31, 2026
- FTMO: plans and rules read November 5, 2026
- Earn2Trade: plans and rules read November 4, 2026
- Wall Street Funded: plans and rules read November 5, 2026
- Orion Funded: plans and rules read October 31, 2026
- Apex Trader Funding: plans and rules read October 31, 2026
- Topstep: plans and rules read October 31, 2026
- LEGENDS Trading: plans and rules read November 5, 2026
- Top One Futures: plans and rules read November 4, 2026
- The5ers: plans and rules read November 5, 2026
- Ylos Trading: plans and rules read November 5, 2026
- PropTested method
- Rule and price changes