What is an activation fee at a futures prop firm? One-time vs monthly, and your total cost to get funded

What is an activation fee? The fee to start your funded account after passing

An activation fee is what you pay to activate the funded account after passing a futures prop firm's evaluation. It is separate from the evaluation fee and charged once, when you pass.

The 6 firms split into those with an activation fee and those without. Apex Trader Funding charges a one-time, non-refundable activation fee for the PA (Performance Account). Take Profit Trader charges a one-time activation fee when you move to PRO, and PRO has no monthly fee. At Topstep, choosing the Standard Path means an XFA activation fee each time you pass.

Lucid Trading, My Funded Futures, and Tradeify, on the other hand, state that none of their current plans have an activation fee.

Firms that let you choose with or without an activation fee

Some firms let you choose between a type with an activation fee and one without: Apex Trader Funding's Standard and No Activation Fee, and Topstep's Standard Path and No Activation Fee Path. In both cases, the type without an activation fee has a higher evaluation price. At Topstep, you cannot switch paths after purchase.

Which is cheaper depends on how many attempts or months it takes you to pass. The next sections explain how to think about it.

Apex Trader Funding says you lose the right to a PA if you do not activate it within 7 calendar days of passing. Activation can have a deadline, so check soon after you pass.

One-time vs monthly: how long do the charges continue?

One-time payment

With a one-time payment, you buy the evaluation once and there are no further charges. As of 2026-11-04, Apex Trader Funding, Lucid Trading, My Funded Futures, and Tradeify use one-time payments. My Funded Futures switched to one-time payments for new purchases from 2026-08-25.

Even with one-time payments, each firm has rules on how you use the evaluation. Apex Trader Funding evaluations expire 30 calendar days after purchase, with no extensions or resets. My Funded Futures one-time accounts may be closed after 7 calendar days in a row with no trading. Tradeify evaluations have no deadline, but you must trade at least once a week.

Monthly subscription

With a monthly subscription, you are billed every month until you pass or cancel. Among the 6 firms, Take Profit Trader's Test and Topstep's Trading Combine are monthly. At both, the monthly charge for that evaluation stops automatically when you pass.

Watch out: if you break a rule and can no longer continue the evaluation, the monthly charge does not stop on its own. Take Profit Trader writes that a rule violation does not cancel automatically, so you must cancel manually. Topstep also says the subscription continues after you touch the MLL, and you get a reset credit at renewal. If you do not plan to continue, cancel it yourself.

How much does it cost to get funded? Compare by months and attempts

To compare costs, add up "evaluation fee + activation fee + reset or repurchase fees." Here we use sample numbers to see how the payment type changes the total. These are not any firm's actual prices.

Comparing 2 monthly types (sample numbers)

Say type A is $50 a month with a $150 activation fee on passing, and type B is $100 a month with no activation fee.

In this example, the two are equal at 3 months. Pass sooner and type B (no activation fee) is cheaper; take longer and type A (with an activation fee) is cheaper. The break-even month is "activation fee ÷ difference in monthly price" (150 ÷ 50 = 3).

Total cost with a one-time payment (sample numbers)

With a one-time payment, the total depends on how many times you fail, not on months. Compare a $150 evaluation with a $100 reset against a plan with no reset, where you buy again.

At some firms, an activation fee on passing is added on top. Evaluation prices can also change, so recalculate with the official list price at the time you sign up.

Reset vs repurchase: what does it cost when you fail?

A reset returns your account to its starting state after you fail the evaluation, for example by touching the maximum drawdown. Firms and plans without resets make you buy again. Which one applies changes what failure costs you.

• Apex Trader Funding: new evaluations have no reset; if you fail or the evaluation expires, you buy again.
• Lucid Trading: you buy a paid reset from the dashboard. There are no automatic or free resets.
• My Funded Futures: resets are available regardless of purchase date. The price is under review.
• Take Profit Trader: the Test can be reset at any time for a fee, and the monthly renewal date does not change.
• Topstep: a reset moves your next billing date 30 days later. You can reset up to 2 times per calendar day per account.
• Tradeify: Growth and Select evaluations have a reset fee. Lightning Funded has no reset; if you fail, you buy again.

Funded account resets and reactivation

Some firms offer a way back when you lose a funded account. Topstep's Back2Funded lets you reactivate an XFA lost to a rule violation before your first payout, up to 2 times within 30 calendar days of closure; it costs $599 for 50K. A Take Profit Trader PRO reset is limited to 3 per account and costs $649 for 50K. Tradeify offers a conditional Funded Reset on Select Funded 50K, 100K, and 150K accounts.

These cost more than evaluation resets and have detailed conditions. Check the price and conditions on each firm's official site before you use them.

How much is a 50K account and its activation fee at each firm?

Here are the 50K list prices and activation fees on the main plans of the 6 firms. Values are official list prices as of 2026-11-04. Topstep prices exclude tax, and local VAT or similar taxes may be added at purchase.

On list price alone, monthly plans look cheaper, but you pay for every month until you pass. Even among one-time firms, the profit target, drawdown type, and payout conditions differ by plan. Compare prices together with these conditions.

See Apex Trader Funding plans and pricing

See Lucid Trading plans and pricing

See My Funded Futures plans and pricing

See Take Profit Trader pricing

See Topstep pricing (Standard and No Activation Fee)

See Tradeify plans and pricing

What other costs should you check before signing up? Data, commissions, refunds

Beyond the evaluation fee and activation fee, there are other costs. When you estimate the total to get funded, check these points too.

• Data fees: basic data (Level 1) is included at many firms, while depth of market (Level 2) costs extra. Topstep charges $38 a month for Level 2, and Apex Trader Funding's Tradovate CME Bundle L2 is $48 a month.
• Data declaration: Tradeify writes that if you do not sign the Non-Professional Agreement at first login, you may be charged the professional rate of $300 a month.
• Commissions: even on sim accounts, each firm charges a set commission per contract (Take Profit Trader's Test and PRO, Lucid Trading's sim accounts, and others). The amount differs by firm and data connection.
• Live account costs: once you move to Live, some firms charge exchange fees for professional data and real commissions.

Refund policies

Refunds are limited at most firms. Apex Trader Funding and Tradeify give no refunds, and Lucid Trading gives no refunds for accounts that have been traded. Take Profit Trader refunds unused purchases within 72 hours, minus $75. My Funded Futures says it refunds purchases with zero trades within 14 days, but its terms page says "the amount paid minus $75" while its help article says "in full," so the official sources conflict. Check with support before you sign up. Topstep guarantees a refund of up to 1 monthly charge if you have not passed within 14 calendar days of your first Trading Combine purchase. Most firms do not refund activation fees or reset fees.

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