[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
Note: Prices and rules were confirmed on The Trading Pit's official futures page (thetradingpit.com/futures) and help center (support.thetradingpit.com) on September 25, 2026. The figures are Monte Carlo results and don't guarantee future performance.
π’ Advertising / Affiliate Disclosure: This site holds no affiliate link with The Trading Pit.
TL;DR
- The only futures product sold is Futures Prime. $50K is a one-time $99, reset is $79, and there's no activation fee for new accounts opened on or after March 26, 2026
- At 0.30 lots, zero edge nets +$1,345/year (57% probability of ending positive), and "medium" edge nets +$21,491/year
- Own EAs and VPS are explicitly allowed. Within Category B (own bots only), this is the only firm that allows VPS
- The evaluation runs 30 days from purchase, and extending it costs $99
- Trustpilot's rating is suspended for violating guidelines (1,073 reviews, 21% at 1 star)
- It doesn't catch FTMO Futures Pro (+$4,836 at zero edge)
Price and Rules ($50K, Measured September 25, 2026)
| Item | Futures Prime $50K |
|---|---|
| Price | $99 (one-time, no monthly fee) |
| Reset | $79 (there's wording that could mean an activation fee applies to a reset after a breach) |
| Extension | $99 (extends the 30-day deadline) |
| Activation fee | Shown as "$129 β $0" (for new accounts opened on or after March 26, 2026) |
| Evaluation target | $3,000 (one step) |
| Max loss | $2,000, EOD-close-based trailing, locks at the starting balance |
| Daily | A $1,000 "Daily Pause" (hitting it halts trading for the day; not a disqualification) |
| Evaluation consistency | Best day capped at 40% of the target (exceeding it raises the target; not a disqualification) |
| Min. trading days | 3 days (carried-over positions don't count toward a new day) |
| Deadline | 30 days from purchase (can't be paused) |
| Max loss after passing | Same (locks at starting balance) |
| Consistency after passing | None |
| Payout | Every 5 profitable days of $150+ (can apply every 7 days) |
| Withdrawable amount | Up to 50% of profit, $2,500 per payout |
| Split | 80% |
| Contract count after passing | 20 micro contracts up to $2,500 profit β 30 up to $5,000 β 40 |
- Up to 5 accounts after passing
- Fees are $0.20 per side on MGC ($0.40 round-trip), plus exchange and NFA fees (amount not published)
- Platforms are ATAS, Quantower, R|Trader, and others; Prime also allows Tradovate, NinjaTrader, and TradingView
- Japan is not on the restricted-country list
Automated Trading and VPS
Here's the exact wording from the official help center (futures version).
Yes, we allow you to trade using your own Expert Advisor (EA), as long as it does not perform any of the prohibited activities: Copy signals that are not yours. Perform latency/reverse/hedge/arbitrage or High Frequency Trading. Use emulators.
Yes, we allow the use of a VPS for your Expert Advisor.
- Your own EA is allowed, and so is a VPS
- Banned: copying someone else's signals, latency/hedge/arbitrage, HFT, emulators
- Micro-scalping is banned: if trades of roughly 10β15 seconds make up 40% or more of profitable trades, that's a warning during the evaluation, and the corresponding profit gets deducted on a passing account
- Copying between your own accounts is allowed for up to 5 accounts (can't cross between an evaluation account and a passing account)
Assumptions
Same as in the FTMO Futures expected-value article.
- 1 trade a day on micro gold (MGC). At a 0.6% stop-loss, the loss on 0.10 lots (1 MGC contract) is $262
- Same lot size on the evaluation and post-pass account. 1 year (252 trading days)
- Fees are assumed at $1.82: the $0.40 round-trip plus CME exchange fees (MGC round-trip $1.40) and NFA fees
- 30 days is treated as 21 trading days, and expiring the deadline means buying again at $99 (the same as an extension)
- The $129 activation fee that might apply to a post-breach reset isn't included
- Limited to lot sizes (up to 0.30) where a single loss fits within the $1,000 daily limit
Result β : Annual EV (0.30 Lots)
| Skill | Futures Prime $50K | Probability of ending positive |
|---|---|---|
| β0.10R | β$1,589 | 18% |
| β0.04R | β$55 | 39% |
| Zero edge | +$1,345 | 57% |
| Small (50% win rate, 1.2 win/loss ratio) | +$7,078 | 74% |
| Medium (55% win rate, 1.2 win/loss ratio) | +$21,491 | 97% |
| Strong (60% win rate, 1.2 win/loss ratio) | +$37,705 | 100% |
"Strong" is a reference value that basically doesn't exist in reality. Because of the $1,000 daily limit, 0.30 lots is the ceiling, and 0.30 turned out to be the best size at every skill level.
Result β‘: The Money Flow (0.30 Lots)
| Annual cost | Annual receipts | Evaluations passed | Payout count | Passing accounts lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero edge | $2,713 | $4,058 | 6.5 | 3.8 | 6.2 |
| Medium | $705 | $22,196 | 3.2 | 17.8 | 2.3 |
At "medium," the annual cost is $705 β among the cheapest of any firm in Category A or B. This is because it's a one-time $99, and passing accounts almost never blow up.
Comparison With FTMO Futures and Topstep ($50K, 0.30 Lots)
| Skill | The Trading Pit Prime | FTMO Futures Pro | Topstep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero edge | +$1,345 | +$4,836 | +$2,519 |
| Medium | +$21,491 | +$26,306 | +$24,982 |
| VPS | Explicitly allowed | Explicitly allowed | Banned |
Caveats
- Trustpilot's rating is suspended. It shows "ratings not displayed for violating guidelines" and "fake reviews removed" (1,073 reviews, 565 in the last 12 months, 21% at 1 star)
- The minimum payout amount, any cap on payout count, and how you move to a live account weren't found on the official site
- The first-payout requirement conflicts between the new policy (5 profitable days of $150+) and an older comparison article (10 days of $200+). This article uses the new policy
- The older plan, Futures Classic, still exists in the help center but isn't sold on the futures page
FAQ
Q. Is The Trading Pit worth buying?
It's a candidate for someone who wants to run their own EA on a VPS. It's cheap at a one-time $99, and it netted +$1,345/year even at zero edge. That said, factor in that its Trustpilot rating is suspended.
Q. What happens if I don't pass within 30 days?
You can extend it for $99. In this calculation, a missed deadline was treated as buying again at $99.
Reference Links (Official)
- The Trading Pit futures page
- Can I use an Expert Advisor?
- What is max drawdown (trailing on EOD balance)?
- How does the Daily Pause work?
- Consistency rule (40%)
- New payout policy
- Commissions / Restricted countries
Simulation script: scripts/sim-futures-b-ev.py (engine: scripts/sim-futures-prop-ev.py)
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Written by
Hosono P | the prop firm strategist
I buy challenges with my own money and record everything through to the payout. Recorded payouts: Β₯6.1M in total from Fintokei, Fundora and Funded7, plus $4,776 from The5ers (as of September 2026). Author of the semi-discretionary EA "ELDRA".