- A monthly evaluation charges you every month until you pass. A one-time evaluation charges once, but you pay again if you fail.
- The question isn’t which fee looks smaller. It’s how many months and how many attempts it will take you to pass.
- Add the activation fee some monthly firms charge when you pass. It often decides which model is cheaper.
Futures prop firms sell evaluations in two ways. Topstep, Take Profit Trader, Earn2Trade, TradeDay and others bill monthly until you pass. Tradeify, MyFundedFutures, Bulenox and others charge a one-time fee. The headline prices aren’t comparable: $49 a month and $165 once are different products. This guide shows how to compare them, with the firms’ own prices and a calculator.
How the two models work
- Monthly: you pay a subscription every 30 days while the evaluation runs. Pass in week two and you’ve paid once. Take three months and you’ve paid three times. Some firms add an activation fee when you pass.
- One-time: you pay once and keep the evaluation until you pass or break a rule. If you fail, you buy a new one or pay a reset. Most one-time firms charge no activation fee.
50K list prices, checked on each firm’s site
These are the standard prices for each firm’s main $50K evaluation, before discount codes. Codes change every week, so check our deals page for what’s live today.
| Monthly firm (50K) | Per month | Activation when you pass |
|---|---|---|
| Topstep Trading Combine | $49 | $149 (or $95 a month with $0 activation) |
| BluSky Launch | $59 per 30 days | $99 |
| TradeDay Quick Pay Intraday | $131 | $0 |
| Alpha Futures Zero | $169 | $0 |
| Take Profit Trader Test | $170 | $130 |
| Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini | $170 | $139, taken from your first withdrawal |
| Purdia EOD Evaluation | $179 | $130 |
| Top One Futures Elite Daily | $218 | $0 |
| One-time firm (50K) | Once | Activation |
|---|---|---|
| FundedNext Futures Flex | $141.99 | $0 |
| Bulenox Momentum Qualification | $143 | Not charged on Momentum |
| Legends Trading Elite | $151 | $0 |
| Tradeify Select | $165 | $0 |
| E8 Futures Signature | $170 | $0 |
| Funded Futures Network MAX Standard | $178 | $0 |
| MyFundedFutures Rapid | $209 | $0 |
What each model costs as the months add up
Here are four of those prices over six months, if you pass in that month on your first attempt. Monthly totals include the activation fee:
Two things stand out. A cheap monthly fee with an activation fee can still cost more than a one-time fee in the very first month. And an expensive monthly fee overtakes every one-time price by month two. If you trade around a day job and expect to take two or three months, that matters more than any headline price.
What happens when you fail
Most traders don’t pass on the first attempt. Topstep reports a 16.8% Combine pass rate for 2025. So the honest comparison counts the retries:
- Monthly: a failed evaluation means a reset or a new month. You keep paying the monthly fee while you try again, so a slow pass and a fail cost roughly the same.
- One-time: a fail means buying the evaluation again or paying a reset. Two fails on a $165 account and you’ve spent $495, plus whatever the third attempt costs.
Our real cost of getting funded guide works through repeat attempts at every firm, and the pass-probability simulator estimates how many attempts your own numbers need.
Monthly vs one-time calculator
Enter the two offers you’re comparing, how long you expect to take, and how many times you might fail first. Defaults are Topstep’s and Tradeify’s 50K list prices.
Each failed attempt is counted as one extra month on the monthly firm and one extra purchase on the one-time firm.
Small print that changes the maths
- Does the subscription stop when you pass? At TradeDay it’s cancelled for you once you pass. Elsewhere, check before the next billing date.
- Inactivity rules on one-time accounts. MyFundedFutures can close a one-time account after 7 calendar days with no trade. A one-time fee doesn’t mean you can leave it unused.
- Codes that only cut the first month. Some monthly discounts apply to the first payment only, while others, like Take Profit Trader’s NOFEE40, are 40% off for life and waive activation. Read what the code covers.
- Activation taken from your payout. Earn2Trade deducts its $139 activation from your first withdrawal instead of charging it up front. It’s still a cost.
Which one suits you
| If you… | Usually cheaper |
|---|---|
| Trade full time and usually pass within a month | Monthly, with a low fee and no activation |
| Trade part time, around a job | One-time: there’s no clock running |
| Fail often in the first week | Whichever has the cheaper reset. Fix the risk first |
| Want to try a firm for one month | Monthly, cancelled straight after |
Whichever you pick, the cost that matters most is the one you control: how many attempts you need. Read why traders fail prop challenges before buying either.