The price on the checkout page is only the first line of the bill. At many prop firms you also pay for resets, monthly subscriptions, activation after you pass, and sometimes data. One October 2026 cost report found that the average cost to get funded at futures prop firms is about $997, roughly 5.1 times the average checkout price of the evaluation.
This guide breaks down every fee type, shows you how to calculate an all-in cost, and lists the questions to ask before you pay anyone, including us.
TL;DR
-
The evaluation fee is the entry ticket, not the total. Budget for resets, subscriptions, activation and data too.
-
Compare firms on all-in cost and drawdown type, not sticker price. A trailing drawdown can make a cheap account more expensive to keep.
-
Pass rates are low, so a realistic budget covers more than one attempt.
-
At Profirms, evaluations are a one-time fee with no monthly fees, no hidden fees and no activation charges.
-
Keep receipts. Some fees may be deductible for a US trader running a genuine business, but ask a tax professional.
Table of Contents
The six fees behind a funded account
Every prop firm sells access to a simulated or funded account in exchange for fees. The names change from firm to firm. The categories do not.
1. The evaluation fee
This is the checkout price. It buys one attempt at a profit target under the firm’s loss limits. It varies widely with account size. The same cost report puts the median evaluation fee for a standard $100,000 account at about $265. Firms in the Google results cite their own ranges, such as $69 to $369 for futures challenges, so treat any single range as one firm’s view.
2. Monthly subscription fees
Some firms bill every month until you pass. That turns a $100 evaluation into $100 times the number of months you need. If you take three months, you pay three times. Traders on forums regularly complain about this model, particularly when the drawdown is trailing and passing takes longer.
3. Reset fees
Hit the drawdown limit and the account is closed. To keep going you buy a reset or a new evaluation. The reset price is rarely on the homepage, so look for it in the rulebook or FAQ.
4. Activation fees
Some firms charge a fee after you pass, before you can trade the funded stage. You have already paid for the evaluation, so this fee often surprises people. It can be a large share of the total.
5. Data and platform fees
Market data, platform licenses or add-on tools can be billed on top. Check whether charts and data are included or whether you will need a separate subscription.
6. Commissions and trading costs
Expect per-contract commissions and exchange fees on futures, or spreads on CFDs and crypto. These reduce your net profit on every trade. Heavy scalpers feel them most. The SEC has noted that frequent trading tends to produce negative net returns for retail participants once transaction costs and fees are counted.
How to calculate your all-in cost
Use one formula for every firm you compare:
All-in cost = evaluation fee × months or attempts you need + resets + activation fee + data fees
Then divide by the funded account size to get cost per $1,000 of capital. Experienced traders use this metric because a low entry fee can sit next to restrictive rules that shrink your effective risk budget.
A worked example
Say you want a $100,000 account. These numbers are illustrative, not a quote from any firm:
| Line | Firm A (subscription model) | Firm B (one-time fee, no activation) |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | $150 per month | $100 once |
| Months to pass | 3 | n/a |
| Evaluation total | $450 | $100 |
| One reset | $100 | $100 (new attempt) |
| Activation | $130 | $0 |
| Total | $680 | $200 |
The headline price of Firm A looks only $50 higher. The real gap is $480. That is why we tell traders to build the table before they buy.
Budget for more than one attempt
Pass rates are low. Industry-wide figures sit in the single digits to low teens, so planning on a first-try pass is optimistic. Our own breakdown, Prop Firm Pass Rates, covers what the numbers mean and why getting funded and getting paid are different milestones.
Why drawdown type is a fee in disguise
A trailing drawdown moves up as your account balance peaks. Your cushion shrinks as you win. A $3,000 limit can end up acting like a much smaller one when you are in profit and need room to let a trade breathe. You then reset more often, and every reset costs money.
An end-of-day drawdown is measured once, at the close of the session. A non-trailing version stays at a fixed level. You know where the line is before you open a position. For the math, see our guides on trailing drawdown traps, trailing versus static drawdown and end-of-day drawdown.
Consistency rules work the same way. A rule that caps how much of your profit can come from one day can void a payout after a good session. You may then have to trade longer, or reset. Read our overview of the five core risk controls before you pick a firm.
How hidden fees show up
Hidden fees are rarely hidden in a legal sense. They sit in a rulebook page that nobody reads before checkout. Watch for these:
-
Activation fee mentioned only after the pass.
-
Subscription language such as “monthly access” or “platform fee” in place of the word fee.
-
Platform switching after funding, which can mean new data costs or new rules.
-
Payout conditions that add a minimum balance, minimum winning days or a waiting period before your first withdrawal.
-
Profit split steps that start low and rise only after several payouts.
-
Promo prices that apply to the first month only.
Price is also a weak signal of quality. Comparison sites advise looking first at transparent rulebooks, drawdown types and clear payout structures. We put the same advice into a seven-point checklist for buying a funded account with no monthly fees.
Our view: fees should be a single line
We built Profirms around one idea: the fee you see should be the fee you pay.
That is why evaluations are a one-time purchase. There are no monthly fees. There are no activation charges and no hidden fees. Practice trading starts instantly when you sign up for an evaluation, so you can learn the rules and the instrument before you chase the profit target. The drawdown is end-of-day and never trails. There are no consistency requirements. Once funded, you keep 90% of your earnings from the start, and payouts follow clear thresholds with no platform switch.
We do this because we see the same problem repeatedly. A trader pays $100, fails on a trailing line they did not model, pays again, and ends up spending several times the sticker price. A fixed rule you can calculate in advance removes that surprise. We also offer a free end-of-day drawdown tracker so you can see your distance to the limit rather than guess.
Fees are only half of it. Whatever firm you choose, run the checks in our guide to whether prop firms are legit before you pay.
What Profirms accounts cost
Here are the published prices. Each is a one-off payment.
Futures accounts
| Size | Eval | Instant funded | Daily payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $40 | $220 | $60 |
| 50K | $60 | $330 | $90 |
| 100K | $100 | $449 | $150 |
The eval path asks you to hit a profit target first. The funded version skips the evaluation. The daily accounts are built for traders who want daily profit withdrawals.
CFD accounts
| Program | Size and price |
|---|---|
| 2-Step | 5K $39, 25K $149, 100K $449 |
| 1-Step | 10K $79, 25K $169, 100K $499 |
| Instant | 10K $229, 25K $499 |
Crypto accounts
| Program | Size and price |
|---|---|
| 2-Step | 10K $49 |
| 1-Step | 25K $129 |
| Instant | 25K $189 |
Compare these with your all-in table. For futures, the 100K Eval at $100 is a useful benchmark against the $265 median for a standard $100,000 evaluation reported above. That median covers the industry, not our rulebook, so compare rules as well as price. You can read the details in our CFD rules and crypto rules, and see all plans on the Profirms homepage.
Track what you spend
Trading costs scatter across receipts: evaluation fees, resets, data, platform charges. If you try more than one firm, they can add up before you notice. A subscription audit tool that reads receipts in Gmail and flags duplicate or changed charges can help you see the true total. At minimum, keep a spreadsheet with date, firm, fee type and amount. You need that record for tax time anyway.
Can you write off prop firm fees?
Possibly, but not automatically. IRS guidance on business expenses says taxpayers in business to make a profit can generally deduct ordinary and necessary expenses, while personal expenses are not deductible. That guidance is general and was written for a different type of seller, so it does not settle how your trading is classified. Whether your trading counts as a business, an investment activity or a hobby depends on your facts.
Speak to a CPA or enrolled agent before you claim anything. Bring your receipts and a record of how often you trade.
Regulation and risk
Many prop firms operate outside traditional financial regulation. The SEC has charged a firm for selling funded-style offerings that amounted to unregistered security-based swaps, and it has stressed disclosure of the simulated nature of accounts. Read the terms, know what you are buying, and never put in money you cannot afford to lose. Most traders who buy evaluations do not get a payout.
A short checklist before you pay any firm
-
Find the reset price and write it down.
-
Search the rulebook for the words activation, monthly, platform and data.
-
Confirm whether the drawdown trails or is fixed, and when it is measured.
-
Check for consistency or minimum-winning-day rules on payouts.
-
Confirm the profit split from your first payout.
-
Calculate all-in cost for three attempts, not one.
-
Try the practice environment before you buy more than one account.
Ready to start?
If you want a fee structure you can calculate in one line, pick your size on the Profirms plans page. Start with a 25K Eval at $40 or a 100K Eval at $100. Practice trading opens right after you sign up.
FAQ
What fees do prop firms charge?
The common ones are the evaluation fee, monthly subscriptions, reset fees, activation fees after passing, data or platform fees, and trading commissions. Not every firm charges all of them. Read the rulebook to see which apply.
How much does a funded account cost?
The checkout price is only the start. One October 2026 report puts the industry average cost to get funded at about $997 once resets, subscriptions and activation are counted. At Profirms, evaluations are one-time fees starting at $40, and an instant funded 25K account is $220.
Does Profirms charge hidden fees or monthly fees?
No. Our accounts are one-time purchases with no monthly fees, no activation charges and no hidden fees. The price list above is what you pay.
Are prop firm fees tax deductible?
Sometimes. They may qualify when they are ordinary and necessary costs of a genuine trade or business, but your situation decides. Talk to a qualified tax professional before you deduct anything.