Elite Trader Funding Review 2026: Five Evaluation Types, One Login, and the Path That’s Not Actually Clear

Elite Trader Funding

Elite Trader Funding

Trading Offers

Going Live
2022

HQ
United States

CEO
Kanwal Singh

Website
elitetraderfunding.com

Trustpilot
3.8

Prop Firm Details

Trading Instruments:

Futures

Futures Assets:

Futures

CFD Assets:

None

Challenge Types:

1-Step

Activation Fee:

$150-$300 lifetime, or $80 per month

Consistency Rule:

Not disclosed*

Account Sizes:

50K, 100K, 150K

Futures Platforms:

Tools Compatible with Data Providers

Data Providers:

Rithmic, Tradovate

Payments Methods:

Credit Card, Debit Card

Withdrawal Methods:

RiseWorks

*Elite Trader Funding has a different than usual consistency rule, called the 23% Rule. The trader must earn at least 23% of the best trading day profit to get a new day counted as an Active Trading Day, and you need at least 8 Active Trading Days in order to get a payout. In addition, there is a Minimum Realized Profit Rule and a Safety Net Rule in place. Also, note that in the first 3 payout cycles, there is an amount limit in place and you need to be a paying client during the payout process. Read the exact terms carefully to evaluate if this rule setting fits your needs.

Trading Challenges

Prop Firm

Account Type

Account Size

Instrument

Steps

Profit Split

Profit Target

Daily Loss

Max Loss

Price

Elite Trader Funding

Direct To Funded

$25,000

Futures

Instant

90%-100%

None

None

$2,500

$599

Elite Trader Funding

Direct To Funded

$50,000

Futures

Instant

90%-100%

None

None

$5,000

$699


Prop Firm

Account Type

Account Size

Instrument

Steps

Profit Split

Profit Target

Daily Loss

Max Loss

Price

Elite Trader Funding

1 Step

$50,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$3,000

None

$2,000

$165

Elite Trader Funding

1 Step

$100,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$6,000

None

$3,000

$205

Elite Trader Funding

1 Step

$150,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$9,000

None

$5,000

$295

Elite Trader Funding

1 Step

$250,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$15,000

None

$6,500

$515


Prop Firm

Account Type

Account Size

Instrument

Steps

Profit Split

Profit Target

Daily Loss

Max Loss

Price

Elite Trader Funding

Static Drawdown

$10,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$1,000

None

$500

$99

Elite Trader Funding

Static Drawdown

$25,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$2,000

None

$1,000

$229

Elite Trader Funding

Static Drawdown

$50,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$4,000

None

$2,000

$449


Prop Firm

Account Type

Account Size

Instrument

Steps

Profit Split

Profit Target

Daily Loss

Max Loss

Price

Elite Trader Funding

Fast Track

$100,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$6,000

None

$3,000

$75


Prop Firm

Account Type

Account Size

Instrument

Steps

Profit Split

Profit Target

Daily Loss

Max Loss

Price

Elite Trader Funding

EOD Drawdown

$50,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$3,000

$1,100

$2,000

$295

Elite Trader Funding

EOD Drawdown

$100,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$6,000

$2,200

$3,500

$430

Elite Trader Funding

EOD Drawdown

$50,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$9,000

$3,300

$4,500

$605


Prop Firm

Account Type

Account Size

Instrument

Steps

Profit Split

Profit Target

Daily Loss

Max Loss

Price

Elite Trader Funding

Diamond Hands

$100,000

Futures

1-Step

90%-100%

$5,000

$1,500

$3,500

$365


Bottom Line Up Front: Elite Trader Funding wants to be your everything-futures prop firm with five different evaluation models (1-Step, EOD, Fast Track, Static, Diamond Hands), the ability to run up to 20 accounts from a single login, and a profit split that starts at 100% for your first $12,500 before dropping to 90%. Founded in 2022 by three traders who actually know what they’re doing, ETF has paid out over $10 million to traders and sports a 3.8 Trustpilot score from over 900 reviews, which sounds great until you realize their “Sim-Funded” accounts after passing aren’t actually funded with real capital. The path to genuine live funding through their “LIVE Elite” accounts is discretionary, opaque, and has no published criteria. With evaluations starting at $75, monthly activation fees of $80, and a 15-20% pass rate that’s higher than most firms, ETF offers legitimate payout opportunities if you’re treating this as a short-term income play. But if you’re expecting transparent access to real institutional capital after passing? The fine print tells a different story.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

What Is Elite Trader Funding, Really?

Elite Trader Funding launched in February 2022, which makes it relatively young in prop firm years, but not concerningly young. The founders, Clint Chaney, Kanwal Singh, and Eric Ho, bring decades of combined experience in trading, banking, and web development, which is exactly the skill mix you want running a futures prop firm in 2025.

Here’s what’s immediately different about ETF: they’re not trying to force everyone into the same cookie-cutter evaluation. They’ve built five distinct challenge types, each targeting a different trader profile. The 1-Step program for generalists. EOD Drawdown for swing traders who hate intraday monitoring. Fast Track for aggressive scalpers who’ll pass or fail in days. Static Drawdown for position traders who want a fixed safety net. And Diamond Hands, the only program where you can hold overnight and weekend positions.

That variety is smart product design. Most prop firms offer one path and force you to adapt. ETF lets you pick the ruleset that matches your actual trading style.

But here’s where things get complicated: ETF operates on a three-tier structure that’s not clearly explained on their homepage. You pass the evaluation → you get a “Sim-Funded” account that still uses demo capital → you might be invited to a “LIVE Elite” account with real capital if ETF deems you worthy. That third step has no published criteria, no guaranteed timeline, and no transparency about who gets invited or why.

So when ETF says they’ve “funded over 2,000 traders,” what they actually mean is: over 2,000 traders have been given Sim-Funded accounts with payout privileges. How many have received actual live capital? That number isn’t published anywhere.

The Five Evaluation Programs Explained (And Why They Actually Matter)

Let’s break down each evaluation type, because your choice here fundamentally changes your experience with ETF.

1-Step Evaluation: The Standard Path

This is ETF’s bread-and-butter program. Account sizes from $50K to $300K. Profit targets ranging from 6-7% depending on size. Trailing drawdown that adjusts with your unrealized profits.

The rules:

  • Minimum 5 trading days required
  • No maximum time limit, take as long as you need
  • Maximum daily loss around 1.7-2.2% depending on account size
  • Trailing drawdown from 2.8-6%
  • Position limits based on account size
  • All positions must be closed 1 minute before market close
  • No overnight holding

Monthly cost: $80 for $50K accounts up to $515 for $300K accounts

Who it’s for: Intraday traders comfortable with trailing drawdowns who want a straightforward path to funded status. If you’re not sure which program to choose, start here.

Pass difficulty: The 5-day minimum prevents you from getting funded on one lucky day. The trailing drawdown is the real challenge, every time you hit a new unrealized high, your safety net moves with you. This means a $3,000 winner that retraces to breakeven doesn’t just cost you $3,000 in opportunity, it also reduces your drawdown cushion by $3,000.

2. EOD Drawdown Evaluation: For Swing Traders

The key difference? Your drawdown only updates at the end of each trading session based on your closed balance. This means you can take big intraday swings without worrying about blowing your drawdown mid-session.

The rules:

  • Same 5-day minimum and profit targets as 1-Step
  • EOD trailing drawdown (only updates after market close)
  • Daily loss limit calculated from prior day’s ending balance
  • No overnight holding
  • Position limits apply
  • Sunday/Monday count as a single trading day

Monthly cost: Same pricing as 1-Step

Who it’s for: Traders who want more breathing room during the trading day. If you’re running strategies that require wide intraday stops but you’re disciplined about daily risk management, this is your program.

Why it’s better for some traders: That EOD update means you can let a winner ride to $5,000 unrealized, watch it retrace to $1,000, and still close the day with $1,000 profit without losing $4,000 in drawdown room. For swing-style intraday traders, this is a massive psychological advantage.

3. Fast Track Evaluation: The High-Risk Sprint

Fast Track accounts are for aggressive traders who think they can hit profit targets in 10-14 days. You get lower monthly fees in exchange for a hard time limit.

The rules:

  • Account sizes: $100K to $250K only
  • Time limit: 10 or 14 days depending on the account (choose at purchase)
  • Same drawdown and daily loss rules as 1-Step
  • Same position limits
  • No overnight holding
  • Critical: No reset option if you fail

Monthly cost: Lower than 1-Step equivalents (pricing varies by promotion)

Who it’s for: Scalpers and high-frequency traders who know they’ll either crush the target in a week or blow up trying. This is not for methodical traders who need time to build positions carefully.

Why the no-reset policy matters: Most ETF programs give you free monthly resets if you fail. Fast Track doesn’t. If you blow your drawdown or don’t hit the target in time, you’re paying full price again. This makes Fast Track evaluations a gambling proposition unless you have a proven edge that works on compressed timelines.

4. Static Drawdown Evaluation: The Fixed Safety Net

Instead of a trailing drawdown that moves with your unrealized profits, Static accounts use a fixed minimum balance that never changes.

The rules:

  • Account sizes: $10K to $50K
  • Static maximum drawdown (5% for $10K, 4% for $25K and $50K)
  • Higher profit targets (10% for $10K, 8% for larger accounts)
  • No daily loss limit
  • Minimum 5 trading days
  • No overnight holding

Monthly cost: Lower than trailing programs

Who it’s for: Position traders and anyone psychologically uncomfortable with trailing drawdowns. If you’re the type of trader who needs to know your exact risk line at all times, Static is the program.

The trade-off: Higher profit targets. You’re getting more forgiving risk management in exchange for a bigger percentage requirement to pass. For $10K accounts, that 10% target ($1,000) is achievable but not trivial. You’re essentially trading peace of mind for harder profit hurdles.

5. Diamond Hands: The Overnight Hold Option

This is ETF’s only program where you can hold positions overnight and through weekends. It’s designed for true swing traders who want to capture multi-day moves.

The rules:

  • Single account size: $100K only
  • EOD trailing drawdown (updates daily, not intraday)
  • 6% profit target ($6,000)
  • Minimum 5 trading days
  • You can hold positions overnight and through weekends
  • Position limits: 20 contracts

Monthly cost: $200

Who it’s for: Swing traders who want to catch trends that develop over days or weeks. If your edge comes from holding through overnight gaps or weekend news, this is your only option at ETF.

The risk: Overnight gaps can destroy you. A Fed announcement, geopolitical event, or earnings surprise on a related sector can blow through your drawdown while you’re sleeping. This program requires iron discipline and excellent risk management because you’re exposed to time decay that doesn’t exist in intraday-only programs.

The “Funded” Account Structure (And Why “Funded” Doesn’t Mean What You Think)

This is where ETF’s model gets murky, and it’s the primary reason for the 3.5/5 rating instead of 4+.

When you pass an evaluation, you don’t get funded with real capital. You get moved to a “Sim-Funded” account, also known as an “Elite Account”, which is still demo-based but with payout privileges.

Sim-Funded (Elite) Accounts

These accounts have the same balance and rules as your evaluation account. Your trailing drawdown continues until you’ve earned realized profits equal to your max drawdown + $100. At that point, your drawdown converts to a static level (starting balance + $100), and you’re free to trade without the trailing stress.

The payout structure:

  • 100% of first $12,500 in profits
  • 90% of profits beyond $12,500
  • Minimum 8 “Active Trading Days” required before first payout
  • Active Trading Day = at least $200 in realized profit AND at least 23% of your best trading day’s P&L
  • Weekly payout requests available (processed Wednesdays)
  • $80 monthly activation fee continues

The 40% Consistency Rule: Your single best Active Trading Day cannot exceed 40% of your total accumulated profits (including previous withdrawals) at the time of any withdrawal request. This rule exists to prevent lottery-ticket trading, hitting one massive winner and withdrawing before you prove consistency.

What this means in practice: If you make $10,000 over 15 Active Trading Days, your biggest single day can’t exceed $4,000. If your best day was $5,000, you need to keep trading until your total profits reach $12,500 ($5,000 ÷ 0.40) before you can request a withdrawal.

This is where a lot of traders get frustrated. They pass the evaluation, hit their target in the Sim-Funded account, request a payout, and then discover they violated the 40% rule or didn’t have enough Active Trading Days. The rules are disclosed in the agreement you sign, but they’re not emphasized during marketing.

LIVE Elite Accounts: The Real Funding (Maybe)

After you’ve been consistently profitable in your Sim-Funded account, and this is the critical part, ETF may invite you to a LIVE Elite account. This is when you’re trading with actual capital, funded through EdgeClear, with daily payout access and no consistency rule restrictions.

The problem: There are no published criteria for who gets invited to LIVE Elite. ETF claims it’s based on “internal review of your Sim-Funded performance, payout history, and risk profile,” but that’s vague corporate speak with no actionable guidance.

Some traders report getting invited after 3-4 successful payouts. Others say they’ve taken 10+ payouts and never received an invitation. ETF hasn’t published statistics on what percentage of Sim-Funded traders are upgraded to LIVE Elite, which means there’s no way to assess your actual odds of accessing real capital.

What ETF should be transparent about:

  • What’s the average number of payouts before LIVE Elite invitation?
  • What’s the average Sim-Funded account longevity before invitation?
  • What percentage of Sim-Funded traders are currently in LIVE Elite accounts?
  • Are there minimum profit thresholds, minimum time requirements, or other specific metrics?

Without these answers, the LIVE Elite structure feels like a carrot on a stick, technically possible but practically ambiguous.

Pricing Breakdown: What You’re Actually Paying

ETF uses a subscription model. You pay monthly until you either pass the evaluation or cancel.

Evaluation Pricing (Monthly Subscription)

Account Size1-Step/EODFast TrackStaticDiamond Hands
$10KN/AN/A$77N/A
$25K$80N/A$115N/A
$50K$165N/A$155N/A
$100K$235$150N/A$200
$150K$365$200N/AN/A
$200K$440$290N/AN/A
$250K$490$365N/AN/A
$300K$515N/AN/AN/A

Reset fees: $75 (automatic free monthly reset if you’re still paying the subscription)

Funded account fee: $80/month for all Sim-Funded accounts (regardless of size)

The math: If you pass in 30 days, a $100K 1-Step costs you $235 + $80 = $315 total to get to funded status. If you take 3 months to pass, it’s $235 × 3 + $80 = $785. The monthly subscription model rewards fast passers and punishes indecisive traders.

Free monthly resets: If you fail your evaluation but keep paying the monthly subscription, ETF automatically resets your account at no extra charge. This is actually generous, it means your only real cost is time if you’re willing to keep paying the subscription while you figure out your strategy.

The Rewards Program

ETF offers a points system where you earn 1 point per dollar spent. You can redeem points for:

  • Account reset: 1,250 points
  • $100K Fast Track: 4,200 points
  • $250K Fast Track: 8,000 points

If you’re a serial evaluation buyer who’s spent $5,000+ over time, the rewards program adds real value. But for most traders taking 1-2 attempts, it’s not a game-changer.

Trading Rules: The Devil’s in the Details

Let’s talk about the rules that will actually impact your daily trading experience.

Position Limits

ETF enforces contract limits based on your account size:

  • $50K: 10 contracts
  • $100K: 20 contracts
  • $150K: 30 contracts
  • $200K: 40 contracts
  • $250K: 50 contracts
  • $300K: 60 contracts

If you’re a micro scalper trading ES with 1-2 contracts, these limits are irrelevant. If you’re a swing trader trying to load 50 contracts of /NQ on a $100K account, you’re out of luck.

Daily Loss Limits (1-Step and EOD only)

Calculated as a percentage of your account size or prior day’s balance (depending on program type). Breaching the daily loss limit is an instant fail.

Trailing Drawdown Mechanics

This is where most traders struggle with ETF’s 1-Step program. Your drawdown trails your highest unrealized account balance.

Example: You start with a $100K account and a $3,000 trailing drawdown. Your account hits $103,000 unrealized (you’re up $3,000 in open positions). Your drawdown immediately trails to $100,000. If those positions now reverse and stop you out at breakeven, your new minimum balance is $100,000, not the $97,000 you started with. You just lost $3,000 in drawdown cushion despite making zero realized profit.

This mechanic punishes traders who let winners retrace. The solution is to aggressively take profits on the way up and never let unrealized gains evaporate without banking some of them first. But that’s easier said than done when you’re trading futures with inherent volatility.

The 23% Active Trading Day Rule

To qualify for a payout, you need at least 8 Active Trading Days. An ATD requires:

  1. Minimum $200 in realized profit (or $100 for smaller accounts)
  2. At least 23% of your best trading day’s P&L

Why this matters: If your best trading day was a $4,000 winner, every subsequent day needs at least $920 in realized profit to count as an ATD. Anything less doesn’t count toward your minimum 8 days, even if you’re consistently profitable.

This rule prevents traders from hitting one massive day and then turtling for payouts. But it also means you need sustained, relatively consistent performance, not just profitability, to access your money.

The 40% Consistency Rule

Your single best ATD cannot exceed 40% of total accumulated profits at withdrawal time. This stacks with the 23% rule to create a high bar for payout eligibility.

Combined effect: You need at least 8 days that meet the 23% threshold, none of which individually exceeds 40% of your total. For traders who naturally swing between big days and small days, this creates friction. You’re rewarded for mechanical consistency, not for occasional brilliance.

Platform and Instruments

ETF gives you broad platform choice:

  • NinjaTrader
  • Tradovate
  • TradingView
  • Rithmic
  • Plus 10+ other Rithmic-compatible platforms (ATAS, Bookmap, MotiveWave, Quantower, Sierra Chart, etc.)

This is legitimately impressive. Most prop firms lock you into one or two platforms. ETF lets you use whatever you’re comfortable with, which matters if you’ve spent years customizing a specific trading setup.

Instruments: 76 futures contracts across major exchanges (CME, CBOT, COMEX, NYMEX). You get:

  • Equity indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY)
  • Currencies (6E, 6J, 6B, 6A)
  • Energies (CL, NG, RB, HO)
  • Metals (GC, SI, HG, PA)
  • Agriculturals (ZC, ZS, ZW, ZL)
  • Crypto futures (BTC, ETH)
  • Interest rates (ZN, ZB, ZF, ZT)

What’s missing: Stocks, forex spot pairs, options. This is futures-only. If you’re a multi-asset trader, you’ll need a different firm or multiple prop accounts.

Platform fees:

  • Evaluation phase: Free (real-time data included)
  • Funded phase: $80/month covers platform access
  • LIVE Elite phase: $128/month per venue for exchange data fees

Support and Community

ETF operates a ticket-based support system. No phone line. No live chat (despite some marketing materials suggesting otherwise). Responses typically arrive within 24 hours on business days.

Hours: 8 AM – 4 PM Central Time, Monday-Friday

Discord community: 15,000+ members with active channels for support, announcements, and trader discussions. This is unofficial but practically serves as a faster support channel than tickets. You’ll often get answers from other traders or community mods before official support responds.

Educational resources:

  • YouTube channel with 250+ videos (platform tutorials, market commentary, interviews)
  • Blog with trading psychology and strategy articles
  • Help desk with searchable FAQs

The education is surface-level. If you need hand-holding on trading fundamentals, you’re better off using FTMO or Earn2Trade’s structured curriculum. ETF assumes you already know how to trade and just need technical platform help.

Trustpilot and Community Sentiment

Current rating: 3.8/5 stars from 984 reviews

Star breakdown:

  • 5 stars: 62%
  • 4 stars: 7%
  • 3 stars: 5%
  • 2 stars: 2%
  • 1 star: 24%

Positive feedback themes:

  • Low evaluation costs and frequent promotions
  • Fast payout processing (often same-day for Sim-Funded accounts)
  • Responsive Discord community
  • Generous profit split structure
  • Multiple account management from one login

Negative feedback themes:

  • Vague payout denials citing “dollar cost averaging” or “adding to losers” without clear definitions
  • Confusion about the path to LIVE Elite funding
  • Trailing drawdown frustrations
  • $80 monthly activation fee for Sim-Funded accounts feels high
  • Support responses can be slow or unhelpful

The pattern: Traders who treat ETF as a short-term payout opportunity love the firm. Traders who expected transparent access to real capital after passing feel misled by the Sim-Funded → LIVE Elite structure.

Elite Trader Funding vs. The Competition

Elite Trader Funding vs. MyFundedFutures

MyFundedFutures wins on:

  • Transparent funding model (no Sim-Funded limbo)
  • Faster path to payouts (no 23% ATD requirement)
  • Lower monthly costs for funded accounts (included in original price, no $80 fee)

Elite Trader Funding wins on:

  • More evaluation variety (5 programs vs. MFFU’s 2)
  • Higher profit split (100% first $12,500 vs. MFFU’s flat 90%)
  • Platform flexibility (12+ options vs. MFFU’s focus on NinjaTrader)

Bottom line: If you want simplicity and speed, go with MFFU. If you want customization and are willing to navigate complexity, try ETF.

Elite Trader Funding vs. Apex Trader Funding

Apex wins on:

  • Clarity of funding structure (you know you’re funded when you pass)
  • Lower evaluation costs at scale
  • No $80 monthly activation fee

Elite Trader Funding wins on:

  • Better profit split (ETF’s 100%/90% vs. Apex’s 90/10 default)
  • More evaluation variety
  • Free monthly resets included in subscription

Bottom line: Apex is for traders who want the largest account sizes and don’t mind lower splits. ETF is for traders who prioritize payout percentage over account size.

Elite Trader Funding vs. DayTraders.com

DayTraders wins on:

  • Revolutionary 100% profit split (vs. ETF’s 100% first $12,500, then 90%)
  • Higher pass rates (45% vs. ETF’s 15-20%)
  • Clearer path to live funding

Elite Trader Funding wins on:

  • Longer track record (2022 vs. DayTraders’ 2023)
  • More evaluation options (5 vs. DayTraders’ 3)
  • Lower monthly costs for smaller accounts

Bottom line: DayTraders is objectively better on profit split and pass rates. But ETF’s extra year of operations and broader program selection matters if you’re risk-averse about firm longevity.

Elite Trader Funding vs. TopStep

TopStep wins on:

  • Industry credibility (been around since 2012)
  • Transparent institutional funding
  • Structured educational resources
  • No Sim-Funded ambiguity

Elite Trader Funding wins on:

  • Lower evaluation costs
  • Better profit splits
  • More evaluation variety
  • No express vs. standard tiers

Bottom line: TopStep is the Lexus, more expensive, more established, undeniably legitimate. ETF is the Honda, cheaper, efficient, does the job well if you understand what you’re buying.

Pass Rates and Realistic Expectations

ETF reports a 15-20% pass rate across all evaluation types. That’s higher than the industry average of 10-12%, but it’s not a gimme.

Why the higher pass rate?

  • 5-day minimum prevents immediate failure on one bad day
  • Free monthly resets reduce pressure to rush
  • EOD and Static options accommodate different risk tolerances
  • No maximum time limit lets methodical traders take their time

But here’s the catch: The 15-20% pass rate is for the evaluation phase. The percentage of those traders who then navigate the Sim-Funded rules successfully, avoid payout denials, and eventually access LIVE Elite accounts? That number isn’t published.

Realistic timeline expectations:

  • Fast traders: Pass evaluation in 10-30 days, request first payout in 30-60 days
  • Methodical traders: Pass evaluation in 60-90 days, request first payout in 90-120 days
  • Access to LIVE Elite: Unknown timeframe, discretionary approval

Legitimate or Scam? The Verdict

Elite Trader Funding is legitimate. They’ve paid out over $10 million to traders since 2022. They have institutional backing through EdgeClear (for LIVE Elite accounts). They have thousands of successful payout reviews on Trustpilot. They’re not a fly-by-night operation running on fake screenshots.

However, their funding model is more complicated, and less transparent, than they initially let on. The Sim-Funded vs. LIVE Elite distinction isn’t clearly explained in marketing materials. The criteria for accessing real capital aren’t published. And some traders report vague payout denials that cite rules not explicitly defined in the original agreement.

The truth: ETF works great if you approach it as a payout-first model where you’re essentially running a trading business that withdraws profits from demo accounts. If you’re okay with that structure and the associated rules (23% ATD requirement, 40% consistency rule, $80 monthly fee), ETF offers competitive economics.

But if you passed the evaluation expecting immediate access to real institutional capital with no strings attached, you’ll be disappointed by the Sim-Funded reality and frustrated by the opacity of LIVE Elite eligibility.

My Honest Assessment

Elite Trader Funding is a good futures prop firm with some glaring transparency issues.

What they do well:

  • Five evaluation options covering multiple trading styles
  • Competitive profit splits (100% first $12,500, 90% thereafter)
  • Broad platform support (12+ options)
  • Free monthly resets included in subscription
  • Genuine payouts processed quickly for Sim-Funded accounts
  • Legitimate institutional backing for LIVE Elite accounts

Where they fall short:

  • Vague path to real funding through LIVE Elite
  • Complex payout eligibility rules (23% ATD, 40% consistency, minimum 8 days)
  • $80 monthly activation fee for Sim-Funded accounts
  • Support limited to tickets and unofficial Discord
  • Educational resources are surface-level

Who should use Elite Trader Funding:

  • Futures traders comfortable with subscription pricing
  • Traders who want evaluation variety (EOD, Static, Diamond Hands options)
  • Scalpers and day traders who value platform flexibility
  • Traders treating this as a payout opportunity rather than traditional capital allocation

Who should avoid Elite Trader Funding:

  • Traders expecting transparent access to live capital after passing
  • Traders who struggle with consistency (23%/40% rules will frustrate you)
  • Traders who want comprehensive educational support
  • Traders uncomfortable with the Sim-Funded ambiguity

The fundamental question: Are you okay with earning 90-100% of profits from demo accounts with weekly payout privileges, knowing that “real funding” is technically available but practically ambiguous?

If yes, ETF is competitive on economics and offers genuine flexibility. If no, look at TopStep (for institutional credibility), MyFundedFutures (for simplicity), or DayTraders.com (for better splits and transparency).

Promotions and Discount Opportunities

ETF runs frequent promotions:

  • PriceSlash Add-On: Pass any evaluation, activate your Sim-Funded account, and get a 90% discount on your next evaluation of the same type (valid 90 days)
  • Regional expansion promos: Occasional 90% discounts for specific countries
  • Affiliate commissions: 7-15% on evaluation accounts, $5 per reset fee

Promo code culture: ETF is generous with discount codes, especially around holidays and during expansion pushes. If you’re paying full price, you’re doing it wrong, wait for a promotion or use an affiliate code.

Technical Details: What Happens When You Hit Drawdown

Evaluation phase: Instant fail. Your account is locked. You can pay $75 to reset or wait for the free monthly reset if you’re still subscribed.

Sim-Funded phase: Instant fail. You can reset for $75 or use Rewards Points (1,250 points).

LIVE Elite phase: Unknown (no published information on LIVE Elite reset procedures).

The Multiple Account Strategy

ETF allows up to 20 Sim-Funded accounts from one login. This creates an interesting strategic opportunity: diversify across multiple accounts to reduce single-account risk.

Example: Instead of trading one $300K account, you could run three $100K accounts with different strategies. If one blows up, you still have two others in play. Your total monthly cost is 3 × $80 = $240 (vs. $80 for a single $300K), but your risk is distributed.

The catch: Position limits are per-account, not aggregate. You can’t combine three $100K accounts to trade like a $300K account, each one is independently capped at 20 contracts.

Final Thoughts: Should You Use Elite Trader Funding?

Elite Trader Funding is best understood as a payout platform with evaluation gatekeeping, not as a traditional prop firm with transparent institutional funding.

If you’re a profitable futures trader looking for weekly withdrawals from demo accounts with competitive splits, ETF delivers on that promise. The evaluation variety is excellent. The platform flexibility is genuinely impressive. The profit splits are competitive (especially that 100% first $12,500 tier). And the payouts do process, fast.

But if you passed the evaluation expecting to trade $100K of real capital with institutional backing, you’re going to be frustrated by the Sim-Funded structure and confused about when (or if) you’ll access LIVE Elite.

My recommendation: Use ETF if you’re okay with the Sim-Funded model and treat LIVE Elite as a bonus possibility rather than a guaranteed outcome. The economics work at that level, you’re essentially running a trading business that withdraws profits from high-paying demo accounts.

Just don’t go in expecting the clarity and transparency of firms like TopStep or the simplicity of firms like MyFundedFutures. ETF sits in the middle, better than many firms, but with enough opacity in its funding structure to knock it from a 4-star to a 3.5-star rating.

The good news: At $75-$200/month with free resets, you can try ETF without massive financial commitment. If the Sim-Funded structure works for you, great. If it doesn’t, you’re not trapped for thousands of dollars.

Just read the fine print on the 23% ATD rule, the 40% consistency requirement, and the LIVE Elite eligibility before you get frustrated three months in when your payout gets denied for reasons that technically existed in the agreement but weren’t highlighted during marketing.


Verdict: Elite Trader Funding is a legitimate futures prop firm with competitive economics and excellent evaluation variety, held back by a confusing funding structure and lack of transparency around real capital access. Worth trying if you’re okay with Sim-Funded payouts. Approach with caution if you expect traditional prop firm capital allocation.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars