📊#Futures
25 articles
How to connect multiple prop firm accounts at once in NinjaTrader: running FTMO Futures and FundedNext Futures on a single NinjaTrader [September 2026]
Tradovate-based futures props like FTMO Futures and FundedNext Futures each issue a separate NinjaTrader login per firm. This walks through the exact steps used to connect accounts from multiple firms at once on a single NinjaTrader 8 (turning on Multi-provider in Settings and adding a 'NinjaTrader' connection for each firm).
[September 2026] We Calculated BluSky's Expected Value: The 3-Stage Model Favors Propel (30OFF), +$2,988/Year at Zero Edge
We compared the three plans (Launch, Propel, Orbit) at futures prop BluSky Trading using a Monte Carlo simulation run for one year, from evaluation through payout. Verified pricing, reset fees, the Buffer Zone, and payout terms on the official help center and pricing page on September 25, 2026. It's a 3-stage model — Evaluation → Buffer Zone → Sim Funded — and failing the Buffer Zone doesn't send you back to redo the evaluation. At 0.30 lots and zero edge, Propel $50K (code 30OFF brings it to $112/month) is best at +$2,988/year. Orbit's 30-day deadline is a heavy burden, and it comes out negative at zero edge.
[September 2026] Calculating Bulenox's Expected Value: Every Plan Is Now One-Time Payment. At Zero Edge, End-of-Day Momentum Wins; With an Edge, Qualification Wins
A Monte Carlo comparing futures prop firm Bulenox's $50K plans (Qualification and Momentum, each available in trailing and end-of-day variants) over a full year from evaluation through payouts. Confirmed on the official pricing page, help center, and fee schedule on September 25, 2026. The monthly subscription model is gone — every plan is now a one-time payment. At 0.30 lots and zero edge, Momentum (end-of-day) comes out best at +$2,047/year; with 'medium' edge, Qualification leads at +$25,529. Automated trading is allowed only for self-built tools — commercial or shared tools are banned.
[September 2026] We Calculated Funded Futures Network (FFN)'s Expected Value: Both Plans Negative at Zero Edge, STEADY Wins With Edge Thanks to Faster Payouts
We compared futures prop firm Funded Futures Network (FFN)'s two plans (Standard MAX and STEADY) with a 1-year Monte Carlo simulation running from evaluation through payout. Pricing, reset fees, buffer requirements, and payout conditions confirmed on the official help center and pricing page on September 25, 2026. At 0.30 lots and zero edge, both are negative: Standard MAX at −$312/year, STEADY at −$516/year. The requirement to build a $2,000 + $500 buffer on the funded account before any payout is the biggest drag. With edge, STEADY pulls ahead since it drops the consistency rule after passing and allows daily payouts.
How to Automate Trading at a Futures Prop Firm: 3 Routes — NinjaTrader, TradingView, and APIs — and the Steps to Get a Bot Running on FTMO Futures (September 2026)
To automate trading at a futures prop firm, you can't use an MT5 EA — you need NinjaTrader's NinjaScript, a TradingView alert plus a relay service, or a given firm's API. This article covers the differences between the three approaches, which firms support which one, the exact steps the site owner took to get a NinjaTrader bot running on an FTMO Futures evaluation account, the coding pitfalls that trip people up (bar timing, time zones, forced liquidation, contract months), and the terms-of-service traps to watch for.
[September 2026] Expected Value Summary: 5 Futures Prop Firms Where Self-Built Bots Are Allowed — TradeDay and Topstep Win at Zero Edge, Bulenox/Topstep/Tradeify Win With Edge
A summary comparing $50K accounts at 5 futures prop firms where automated trading is allowed 'self-built only, with conditions' (Bulenox, Tradeify, TradeDay, The Trading Pit, Topstep), run through identical Monte Carlo simulations. At 0.30 lots, one micro gold trade per day, over 1 year: at zero edge, TradeDay Quick Pay Intraday (+$2,522) and Topstep (+$2,519) are tied for the top. At 'medium' edge, Bulenox Qualification (+$25,529), Topstep (+$24,982), and Tradeify Select Daily (+$24,218) lead. None of them reach Category A's (fully automated OK) leader, FTMO Futures Pro (+$4,836 at zero edge). The Trading Pit is the only one that explicitly allows VPS; TradeDay and Topstep ban it.
[September 2026] Expected Value Roundup: 6 Futures Prop Firms That Allow Automated Trading | FTMO Futures Pro Wins at Zero Edge and With an Edge
A roundup comparing every plan at 6 futures prop firms that officially allow automated trading (FTMO Futures, FundedNext Futures, MyFundedFutures, Lucid Trading, BluSky, FFN) under the same Monte Carlo conditions. At $50K, 0.30 lots, 1 micro gold trade a day, over 1 year: at zero edge, FTMO Futures Pro wins with +$4,836 a year, followed by BluSky Propel at +$2,988. At 'medium' edge, FTMO Pro still wins at +$26,306, but FFN STEADY, MFFU Rapid EOD, and Lucid Daily all cluster around $24,000. Only FTMO and FundedNext explicitly allow VPS.
[September 2026] I Calculated The Trading Pit Futures's (Futures Prime) Expected Value | A $99 One-Time Fee Nets +$1,345/Year at Zero Edge, and Own EAs + VPS Are Explicitly Allowed
I calculated the expected value of The Trading Pit's futures challenge, Futures Prime $50K, with a year-long Monte Carlo simulation from evaluation through payouts. Confirmed on the official futures page and help center on September 25, 2026. $99 one-time fee, $79 reset, 30-day evaluation. At 0.30 lots: +$1,345/year at zero edge, +$21,491/year at 'medium' edge. It's one of the few futures prop firms that explicitly allows both your own EA and a VPS, but its Trustpilot rating is suspended for violating guidelines.
TradeDay Expected Value, Calculated (September 2026) | At Zero Edge, Quick Pay Intraday Nets +$2,522/Year - But Gains Plateau, and VPS Is Banned
We ran a one-year Monte Carlo simulation from evaluation to payout for TradeDay's $50K plans (Quick Pay Intraday, Quick Pay EOD, Fast Pass EOD), a futures prop firm. Confirmed against the official pricing card and help center on September 25, 2026. The monthly fee only applies during evaluation and stops once you pass; there's no activation fee and no daily loss limit. At 0.30 lots and zero edge, Quick Pay Intraday comes out best among Category B firms (self-built automation only) at +$2,522/year. That said, the profit split is 50%, and the sim account is capped at $10,000 in cumulative profit, so even with edge you're looking at only around +$8,000/year. VPS is banned, and so are off-the-shelf bots.
[September 2026] We calculated Tradeify's expected value | At zero edge all 3 formats give a small profit; with an edge, Select Daily wins
A one-year Monte Carlo comparison of futures prop firm Tradeify's $50K plans (Growth, Select Flex, Select Daily), run from evaluation through payouts. Confirmed against the official pricing cards and help center on September 25, 2026. All plans are one-time purchases with no activation fee. At 0.30 lots and zero edge, the three are roughly even — Growth +$1,255, Select Daily +$1,132, Select Flex +$1,118 — but with a 'medium' edge, Select Daily, which pays out daily, leads at +$24,218. Running a bot requires proof of ownership (a live video of you personally launching the code), and using the same bot across multiple firms is prohibited.
[September 2026] Calculating FTMO Futures Challenge Expected Value: Pro $50K Maxing Out the Daily Limit Is Best, and Skill Only Changes How You Withdraw
For all 6 FTMO Futures plans (Growth and Pro × $50K, $100K, $150K), I ran a 1-year Monte Carlo covering evaluation, resets, Sim-Funded, and payouts to calculate expected value. Prices, reset fees, and payout conditions for every plan were re-verified against the official rules page on September 23, 2026. Covers why Pro $50K comes out at +$4,836/year even at zero edge, why it stays positive even with a negative edge, the mechanism by which Pro can kill your account if you withdraw too aggressively, and why changing lot size between evaluation and funded is a rule violation.
[September 2026] I calculated FundedNext Futures' expected value — VPS and automated trading are explicitly allowed; go Legacy with an edge, Flex without one
Compared FundedNext Futures' 4 plans (Flex, Legacy, Rapid Pro, Rapid Daily) in a full year of Monte Carlo simulation from evaluation to payout. Confirmed prices, reset costs, max loss, and withdrawal conditions on the official help center on September 23, 2026. All plans are one-time purchases with no activation fee. At zero edge, only Flex $50K comes out positive at +$1,388/year; with an edge, Legacy pulls ahead thanks to its larger withdrawal cap. Covers how Flex and Rapid end an account after 5 payouts, plus a comparison against FTMO Futures and Topstep.
[Beginner's Guide] Futures Prop Rules Explained From Scratch: Contracts, Trailing DD, Consistency, Activation Fees, and Trading Hours
A table-based breakdown of US futures prop rules (Topstep, FTMO Futures, The5ers Futures, and others), aimed at FX traders. Covers how contracts map to lots, the difference between EOD trailing and intraday trailing, consistency rules, monthly fees and activation fees, all forced-close times in JST, and contract counts for gold futures (GC/MGC).
[September 2026] I Calculated Lucid Trading's Expected Value — At Zero Edge, Go Flex (With Daily Loss); With an Edge, Go Daily (No Payout Cap)
We compared Lucid Trading's 3 plans (Flex, Pro, Daily) with a 1-year Monte Carlo simulation running from evaluation through payout. Prices, reset fees, max loss, and payout conditions confirmed on the official Help Center and pricing page on September 23, 2026. All are one-time purchases with no activation fee. At zero edge, Flex $50K with a daily loss limit attached comes to +$2,152/year; with an edge, Daily — which has no payout cap — pulls ahead. Covers why adding a daily loss limit makes it cheaper, Daily's mandatory flat position around news releases, and the lack of any VPS policy.
[September 2026] We Calculated MyFundedFutures' Expected Value | Builder at Zero Edge, Rapid EOD (No Payout Cap) Once You Have an Edge
We compared MyFundedFutures' (MFFU) 4 plans (Builder, Rapid, Rapid EOD, Pro) with a Monte Carlo simulation running a full year from evaluation through payouts. Price, max loss, and payout conditions confirmed against the official help center and pricing pages on September 23, 2026. Since August 2026 it's a one-time purchase with no activation fee. At zero edge, Builder $50K comes out at +$1,658/year; with an edge, the uncapped Rapid EOD, Rapid, and Pro pull ahead. Also covers the fact that there's no VPS policy written anywhere, and that reset fees aren't disclosed.
[September 2026] I calculated Topstep's expected value — it loses to FTMO Futures at the same lot size; you only win by sizing up big with no daily loss limit
Ran a full year of Monte Carlo simulation from Topstep's Trading Combine through the Express Funded Account to payouts. Confirmed the monthly fee, resets, activation fee, max loss, and withdrawal conditions on the official help center on September 23, 2026. At $50K and 0.30 lots, zero edge comes out to +$2,519/year — about half of FTMO Futures Pro. Without a daily loss limit you can size up to 0.50 lots and flip the result, but that needs 25–39 resets a year. Also compares with/without the activation fee, Standard vs. Consistency, and with/without a daily loss limit.
FTMO Futures Complete Guide: Automated Trading and VPS Both Officially Allowed as FX Giant Launches Futures in September 2026
A hands-on check of FTMO's official pages for FTMO Futures, the futures prop program FTMO launched on September 1, 2026. Its forbidden-practices page explicitly states "Automated trading is permitted," making it one of the few firms that also explicitly permits VPS and VPN use. Covers full pricing for every size of Growth and Pro, how EOD trailing drawdown works, the consistency rule that only applies during evaluation, the JST close-out deadline, the three platforms (NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView), and whether it's usable from Japan.
FTMO Futures vs Topstep: FTMO Wins on Expected Value, Topstep Wins on Monthly Cost. If You're Running a Bot, VPS Access Is the Deciding Factor [September 2026]
We re-confirmed the rules on both the futures prop leader Topstep and FTMO Futures, which entered the market in September 2026, on September 23, 2026, and compared them. The monthly fee is less than half at Topstep, but running the same lot size through evaluation to payout for a year gives FTMO Futures Pro the higher expected value ($50K, zero edge: +$4,836 vs. +$2,519). Covers activation fees, the fact that you can only withdraw 50% of the balance, an optional daily loss limit, resets that shift your billing date, VPS eligibility, and running a bot on a live account.
The5ers Futures Complete Guide: A One-Time Fee Fully Refunded on Your 3rd Payout, But Algo Trading Is Fully Banned [September 2026]
We tested The5ers's futures product directly on the official pages: pricing for all 4 sizes of Day Trade and Swing, EOD drawdown, the 40% consistency rule that applies on both evaluation and funded stages, a fixed 80/20 split, scaling up to $500K, and a full refund of the fee on your 3rd payout. However, the official FAQ explicitly states that high-frequency trading, algorithmic trading, and hedging are 'strictly forbidden, and any trader found using them will be banned from our programs' — so EA traders are excluded.
The5ers Futures vs FTMO Futures: Comparing Two FX Giants' Futures Launch by Automated Trading Policy [September 2026]
The5ers and FTMO have both launched futures products. On September 22, 2026 we measured prices and rules for every size on both official sites. The decisive difference is automated trading: The5ers' FAQ states outright, "algorithmic trading is strictly forbidden, and users will be banned from our programs," while FTMO states, "there is no reason to restrict discretionary trading, algorithmic trading, or EAs." FTMO also explicitly allows VPS and VPN, which puts it ahead of the dedicated futures firms if you plan to run an EA around the clock. We line both up against the same 26 US futures props on cost per unit of loss buffer, EOD drawdown, the scope of the consistency rule, and payout caps.
[September 2026 Edition] A Full Review of Automated-Trading Rules Across 28 Futures Prop Firms - Where Can You Actually Run a Bot, EA, or Copy Trade?
We reread the official help centers and terms of 28 US futures prop firms on September 21-22, 2026, and sorted their automated-trading policies into five tiers: fully automated OK / self-built only with conditions / semi-automated only / banned / not addressed. Bulenox has switched to banning commercial and shared bots, Lucid allows them, Apex now explicitly bans automated trading on all accounts, and Tradeify requires a live video of you activating the code yourself. Covers firms that ban VPS, how each firm defines HFT (100-300 trades/day, 10-second holds), and firms that have shut down or stopped selling accounts. We've also added the two big FX firms that entered futures - FTMO Futures (allows algos) and The5ers Futures (bans algos).
Bulenox Complete Guide (2026 Edition): A Deep Dive Into the Futures Prop Firm With Fully Free EA and Automated Trading
A complete breakdown of Bulenox, Trustpilot 4.8 stars and one of the only futures prop firms with fully free EA/bot/copier trading. Covers the Qualification → Master Account (Option 1/2) structure, trailing drawdown, the 40% consistency rule, Wednesday payouts, and the KEP91 coupon for up to 91% off — written for Japanese traders.
[2026 Update] Futures Prop Automated Trading Policy Comparison | EA/Bot OK or NG at 9 Firms
A full breakdown of the EA/bot/algo trading policies at Bulenox, MyFundedFutures, Topstep, Apex, Tradeify, Lucid, TPT, Top One, and YRM Prop. Covers whether a 'set-and-forget EA' is allowed on a funded account, the 10-second rule, and copy-trading support, explained from a Japanese trader's perspective.
[May 2026 Edition] 7 Best Futures Prop Firms for Japanese Traders — With Coupon and Discount Codes
A curated comparison of 7 firms: Apex, Topstep, MyFundedFutures, Take Profit Trader, Lucid Trading, Bulenox, and Tradeify. Covers monthly billing vs. one-time purchase, profit splits, payout conditions, and the latest coupon codes from a Japanese trader's perspective.
[2026 Complete Guide] MyFundedFutures Full Review | All 4 Plans Compared, Pricing, Rules, Payouts, and Every Coupon
A deep dive into MyFundedFutures (MFFU), the futures prop firm leader with a 4.9-star Trustpilot rating from 16,000+ reviews. Covers the Core/Rapid/Pro/Flex plans, EOD drawdown, consistency rule, the $5K–$11,250 payout caps, and every current coupon, written for Japanese traders.