Best Futures Prop Trading Firms: Trade Legit & Safe in 2026

A futures prop trading firm specializes in futures trading and stands out with a comprehensive package.

Which is the best futures prop trading firm?

Our top pick for the best futures prop trading firms is Apex Trader Funding.

In our comparison, we present our evaluation criteria and our top 3 rankings and show you how to find the best prop trading firm for futures.

The Best Futures Prop Trading Firms (Top 3)
Firm	Evaluation	Profit Split	Accounts	Registration
Apex Trader Funding	7 days	90%	up to $300,000	Sign up now!
Leeloo Trading	10 days	90%	up to $300,000	Sign up now!
The Trading Pit	3 days	50% to 80%	up to $250,000	Sign up now!

Key Takeaways

In futures trading, you bet on the future price of trading products. The values of stocks, commodities, or currencies rise and fall, and you place your trades based on the anticipated price changes up to a specific point in time
The best futures prop trading firm is Apex Trader Funding. This provider specializes exclusively in futures trading and offers additional support services, creating an overall excellent package
In this detailed review, I present the top firms and explore the key quality features, such as trading platforms, trading hours, profit targets, profit splits, payment methods, and payout rules

Top 3: Futures Prop Trading Firms

Let’s start with the best prop firms for futures. Which providers are particularly recommended at the moment? Below, I will introduce my top 3 providers of the best futures prop trading firms in more detail.

You can find the firms with the best overall offerings on our “Best Prop Trading Firms” page.

Apex Trader Funding

Apex Trader Funding is, in my opinion, the best futures prop trading firm, mainly because of its long-standing expertise in the field. The prop firm has been operating since 2008, and its founder and CEO, Darell Martin, along with his team, are located in Austin, USA.

Apex Trader Funding utilizes NinjaTrader and Rithmic platforms for trading. A major benefit they offer is that traders retain 100% of their first $25,000 in profits. Beyond that threshold, profits are split 90/10 between the trader and the firm. Monthly fees range from $147 to $677, depending on the size of the chosen trading account.

Leeloo Trading

Leeloo Trading, also situated in the USA, was established by Jody Dahl in 2019 and stands out as a reliable option in the world of futures trading. This futures trading firm allows traders to purchase multiple accounts, enabling them to implement various trading strategies simultaneously. By offering accounts in bundles, Leeloo Trading ensures that costs remain reasonable, with the most budget-friendly option starting at $26 per month. Additionally, Leeloo Trading accepts PayPal as a payment method.

A notable aspect in the evaluation of Leeloo Trading is their extensive range of supported trading platforms. Leeloo Trading allows trading on NinjaTrader, Rithmic Pro, EdgeProX, MotiveWave, MultiCharts, ATAS, Jigsaw Daytradr, Trade Navigator, VolFix, Bookmap X-Ray, Investor/RT, Sierra Charts, and OptimusFLOW. As an added benefit, prop traders get to keep the first $12,500 of their profits entirely, before the 90/10 profit split kicks in.

The Trading Pit

Do you prefer a European prop trading provider for futures? Then I can highly recommend The Trading Pit. The company, which is under german management, is based in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. Although the prop trading firm has only existed since 2022, it has already received numerous industry awards. For example, it was named the “Most Visionary Prop Firm 2023” by Trading Live last year.

If you choose futures trading with The Trading Pit, you can select account sizes ranging from $20,000 to $250,000. The most affordable one-time fee is only $99. While the profit split, ranging from 60% to 80%, could be improved, the firm provides access to trading platforms like ATAS, Rithmic, Quantower, and Bookmap.

The Offer: Trading with Futures

A reputable futures prop trading provider distinguishes itself by offering access to a variety of futures, opening up a wider array of trading opportunities for traders. Ideally, traders should be able to speculate on the price movements of the following futures:

Index Futures: For example, on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq 100, or Russell 2000
Commodity Futures: Trades on the price development of natural gas, gold, wheat, oil, and other products
Bond Futures: Trades on the price development of government bonds

In practice, futures trading is distinguished by the positioning of long and short trades. Traders who anticipate rising prices opt for long positions, while those who expect falling prices take short positions.

Futures trading is based on speculating on future prices at a set time. On the stock exchange, traders are obligated to execute the deals made (between buyer and seller) even if the values do not develop as they had hoped.

To maximize their chances of making a profit and trading volume, futures prop trading almost always involves leverage. The most reputable firms increase leverage during scaling phases, granting traders access to greater financial resources.

Can you trade Futures with all Prop Trading Firms?

Futures trading is undoubtedly one of the most popular forms of trading among prop traders. However, it is not offered by all prop trading firms in the market. For those seeking a suitable prop firm to accommodate their diverse trading needs, I recommend checking our website or visiting the companies’ websites directly. If you have any uncertainties, don’t hesitate to contact customer service for further information.

Our Evaluation Criteria at a Glance

While the availability of futures trading is a prerequisite for anyone seeking the best futures prop trading firms, it is not the sole factor to consider. Here are all the points I used to assess the best futures prop firms.

Application Process: Is there an evaluation, or does the firm allow you to engage in trading activities with real money immediately? How many stages are in the application process? Is a quick qualification within a few days possible?
Account Sizes: What account sizes are available? Some providers start at $10,000, but high trading accounts up to $400,000 are not uncommon.
Costs: What fees are incurred during the evaluation phase and later with the live funded account?
Challenge Rules: Are all rules and restrictions clearly communicated?
Trading Platforms: Which trading platforms can be used, such as NinjaTrader, Rithmic, MT4, or MT5?
Trading Instruments: What instruments can professional traders trade? Is trading limited to futures trading, or are there other products like Forex trading?
Broker: Which broker does the prop firm partner with for executing proprietary trades on the exchanges?
Customer Support: How and when you can contact customer service?
Payment Methods: What payment methods are accepted for the one-time payment or monthly costs?
Payout: How quickly is your share of the profits paid out? Are there deadlines, or does the prop trading firm pay the commission immediately upon request?
Training Programs: What assistance is available to professional traders worldwide to improve their performance?
Mobile App: Is there a mobile trader app?

For the challenge rules, we examined the following criteria:

Profit Target: What profit amount and percentage of the initial account balance must the prop trader gain during the qualification phase?
Profit Split: How is the profit divided between the trader and the firm? Is there an initial amount paid out exclusively to the prop traders without a split? Top firms work with a 95:5 ratio.
Trading Period: Is there a specified number of days within which the evaluation must be completed?
Minimum Trading Days: What is the minimum number of trading days required to complete the evaluation? When are successful prop traders granted access to funded accounts?
Maximum Daily Loss: Is there a maximum daily drawdown, and what is it?
Maximum Loss: What is the maximum drawdown that cannot be exceeded during the qualification phase?
Maximum Position Size: How many trades can be executed simultaneously? Does this limit increase as the account size grows?
Maximum Capital Allocation and Multiple Accounts: How many accounts can a trader have with the prop trading firm? What is the maximum capital that can be traded?
Types of Trading: Is only day trading allowed, or are other types of trading permitted? Which trading strategies are strictly prohibited?
Leverage: Is there leverage to increase the capital used for trades?
Trading Style: What additional regulations does the prop trading firm have regarding permitted or prohibited trading styles?
Trading Hours: What is the timeframe within which trading is allowed?
News Trading: Are trades allowed shortly before, during, or after a news event? Is trading based on news permitted?
Weekend and Overnight Trading: Can trades be held overnight or over the weekend? Are long-term trading systems allowed?
Expert Advisor: Can expert advisor programs, bots, or algorithms be used to execute trades?
Copy Trading: Is copy trading permitted on personal accounts or by emulating professional traders?

Prop Trading Firms by Categories

Additional rankings can be created from my evaluation criteria. If you are not specifically looking for a prop trading firm for futures, you can alternatively make your selection based on the following options:

Advantages of Prop Trading with Futures

The most significant advantage of prop trading with futures is leverage. You can place maximum trades with relatively small starting capital. Additionally, futures trading lends itself well to long-term strategies, as positions can generally be held over weekends or overnight without the need for constant trading to achieve profit goals. However, traders must adhere to the specific evaluation rules of the futures proprietary trading firms, which typically involve fulfilling a minimum number of contracts to qualify for a funded account. This model is very attractive to future traders looking to leverage their skills.

Disadvantages of Prop Trading with Futures

The drawbacks of futures trading prop firms can differ among companies. Some restrictions might include prohibiting swing accounts or disallowing expert advisor programs. Notably, futures prop trading providers generally don’t utilize MT4 and MT5 platforms, favoring NinjaTrader and Rithmic, which cater to experienced traders familiar with prop trading. Overall, the disadvantages are relatively minor and shouldn’t significantly impede successful futures prop trading.

Who should choose a Futures Prop Trading Firm?

A futures prop trading firm can be a valuable choice for traders at all stages of their trading experience, from beginners entering the market to those with years of experience. The key factor, of course, is that you want to trade futures. Those with other trading preferences must choose providers based on different trading instruments.

How to find the Best Provider for Futures

To find the best prop firm for futures trading, you can easily follow this process by answering the following questions:

Are futures offered as trading instruments?
On which trading platforms are trading offered?
What account size options are available for the challenge phase?
Can I start directly with a funded account?
Is a free trial account offered for free entry?
What challenge fees do I have to pay, and are they refundable?
What are the overall and daily loss limits?
What is the profit target that I must achieve?
Are expert advisor programs and copy trading allowed?
What is the profit split?
Is a scaling program with a capital increase offered?
How are profit payouts made?
Is the futures prop trading firm registered and reputable?

Conclusion

Given the widespread popularity of futures among prop traders and on exchanges, there are many excellent futures prop trading firms available. You will quickly find three, four, or five providers that support futures trading. Once you’ve identified a few options, you can refine your selection based on your specific evaluation criteria.

To our Top 3

The most important advantage of futures trading is highlighted again: leverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, here’s a small FAQ section where I answer the most common questions about futures trading firms.

Do all Prop Trading Firms offer futures trading?

No. While there are many futures prop trading firms, not all companies offer this trading option. If you’re looking for other firms, you can check out the recommended options under “Prop Trading Firms by Categories“.

What evaluation criteria are important for the best Prop Trading Futures Providers?

To help traders navigate the trading landscape of futures prop firms, I applied consistent quality criteria to all prop firms in my evaluation process. You can find the specific sections of the evaluation under “Our Evaluation Criteria at a Glance“.

Which Prop Trading Futures Firm is the best Provider in the market?

Apex Trader Funding from the USA emerges as the top choice in the trading world for futures prop trading. This provider combines all quality features into a top comprehensive package to help you trade without jeopardizing capital. The company has been operating successfully since 2008. You can read about the details that make them the market leader under “Apex Trader Funding“.

What are the disadvantages of Futures Prop Trading Firms?

If you prefer the very simple, straightforward trading on the platforms of MT4 and MT5, futures prop trading providers are not for you. I’ve summarized the weaknesses of these firms in our section “Disadvantages of Prop Trading with Futures“.

Where can I find the best Futures Prop Trading Firms?

The current best futures trading prop firms are always listed on my website. I recommend checking out the “Best Futures Prop Trading Firms” for your selection.

Liam Matthews

Having more than eight years of trading experience, I know how hard it is to find a good and reliable Prop Trading Firm and not to choose the wrong one. With PropTradingScam.com I want to help you to pick the right one, stay safe, and share your experience.