Market · Futures
How to start a futures prop firm: platforms, data, rules.
Futures evaluation firms run on the same business model as forex firms, but the stack, the rules, the costs and the customers differ. This is what changes, with published prices and dated sources.
- By PipValley Editorial
- Updated
- 18 sources
At a glanceChecked 12 Oct 2026
- ProjectX
- ProjectX ended its third-party service on 28 Feb 2026 and now runs only for Topstep; firms named as former users included Top One Futures, Lucid Trading and Blue Guardian Futures. 12
- NinjaTrader and Tradovate Prop
- NT Technologies launched NinjaTrader Prop and Tradovate Prop on 1 Oct 2025, offered through firms including Take Profit Trader, Apex Trader Funding and MyFundedFutures. 3
- Platforms on firm sites
- Of 529 analysable prop firm sites (12 Oct 2026): Rithmic 25, NinjaTrader 24, Volumetrica 20, Tradovate 14, DeepCharts 14, WealthCharts 6, ProjectX 2. 4
- CME data, non-professional
- AMP Futures lists CME Group non-professional data at $5.00 per exchange top of book and $17.00 depth, or $15.00 / $45.00 for the CME bundle (effective 1 Jun 2026). 5
- Who pays for data
- Track360 (28 May 2026) lists evaluation data as included at the firms it checked, with funded accounts often moved to the professional rate (about $115/month) and passed through to traders at several large firms. 6
- US share of demand
- Before MetaQuotes' 2024 move, nearly 30% of traffic to the top prop firms came from US traders, per Finance Magnates (28 Aug 2025). 7
- Simulated-results legend
- CFTC Rule 4.41 prescribes a legend beginning "These results are based on simulated or hypothetical performance results that have certain inherent limitations." 8
- Firms becoming brokers
- Topstep Brokerage, an NFA-member introducing broker cleared by Plus500, opened its waitlist on 27 Jan 2026. 9
- Futures payouts
- FundedNext Futures recorded $46,917,040 of tracked payouts in 2025, third in Prop Firm Match data. 10
A futures prop firm sells evaluations: a trader pays a fee to trade a simulated futures account under your rules, and those who meet them can request payouts from simulated profit. That part matches a forex prop firm. Almost everything around it differs, from the platforms and the price data to how drawdown is written and who the customers are.
This page covers only what is specific to futures. For the general launch sequence read the pillar guide; for budgets, the startup cost guide and the launch cost calculator.
How is a futures prop firm different from a forex one?
In four ways: traders use exchange-listed contracts priced from licensed exchange data, the customer base is heavily American, the platforms are different, and rules are written in contracts and dollars rather than lots and percentages. Futures grew in importance after MetaQuotes pushed CFD firms away from US traders in 2024; Finance Magnates now describes the industry as roughly half CFD, half futures.
| Factor | Futures prop firm | Forex/CFD prop firm |
|---|---|---|
| Instruments | Exchange-listed contracts (ES, NQ, CL, GC and micros) | OTC CFDs on FX, indices, metals, crypto |
| Price data | Exchange data, licensed and billed per user | Broker or liquidity-provider feed |
| Typical platforms | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Rithmic front ends, Volumetrica, DXtrade XT | MT5 via broker, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker, DXtrade |
| Position sizing | Contracts (minis and micros) | Lots and leverage |
| Common drawdown | Trailing, end-of-day or intraday | Static or balance-based daily and maximum loss |
| Trading hours | Exchange sessions with a daily halt | 24/5 |
| Core customers | US-heavy | Global |
| Fee model | Monthly subscription or one-time fee | One-time fee |
Which platforms can a new futures prop firm use?
In 2026 the realistic routes are Tradovate Prop or NinjaTrader Prop, Rithmic with a compatible front end, Volumetrica, Tradesea, Tickblaze or DXtrade XT. ProjectX is no longer one: it told firms in November 2025 that third-party support was "no longer sustainable" given upcoming compliance, reporting and audit requirements, ended it on 28 Feb 2026, and now runs only as TopstepX. Our ProjectX profile tracks what happened next.
Use a simple decision path. If your audience already trades on NinjaTrader or Tradovate, start there. If they are order-flow traders, a Rithmic route matters more: Rithmic runs server-side risk (trailing minimum balance, end-of-day drawdown, loss limits, auto-liquidation) behind more than a dozen front ends. If you want one vendor for dashboard and platform, look at Volumetrica or Tickblaze. In every case aim to run two routes within your first year so one vendor's decision cannot stop your sales. The trading platform component goes deeper.
| Route | What it is | Firm sites showing it (of 529) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rithmic | Broker-neutral futures data, order routing and server-side risk behind many front ends | 25 | Front-end choice (R | Trader Pro, NinjaTrader, ATAS, Bookmap and others) |
| NinjaTrader Prop | NinjaTrader platform packaged for prop traders by NT Technologies | 24 | Offered through partner firms; Kraken completed its NinjaTrader acquisition in 2025 |
| Volumetrica | White-label prop dashboard, CRM and DeepCharts platforms; dxFeed data | 20 (DeepCharts 14) | One vendor for dashboard and platform |
| Tradovate Prop | Web, mobile and desktop futures platform with TradingView charts | 14 | Partner-firm directory; risk controls built in |
| Tickblaze | Platform, OMS and prop CRM (built by Trade Tech Solutions); CME direct distributor | Not detected | They say launch or migrate in under 30 days |
| Tradesea | Futures platform built on Rithmic with admin tools | 1 | Newer entrant |
| DXtrade XT | CME futures in a paper-money environment, EOD or real-time trailing drawdown | Shared with CFD count | They say launch in 7 days on the futures bundle |
| ProjectX | Former white-label futures platform | 2 | Closed to third parties since 28 Feb 2026 |
Is there a futures prop firm white label?
Yes, and it is how many founders without capital enter futures. A capital-backed white label supplies platform, data route, risk and payouts, and pays you a share of revenue. PropSuite, our technology partner, lists Volumetrica among its platforms and publishes $2,749 one-time setup with no monthly platform fee; PropAccount lists Rithmic, Tradovate and DeepCharts by Volumetrica with setup from $3,000. If you would rather keep all revenue and carry payout risk, prop CRMs such as YourPropFirm integrate Rithmic, and Tickblaze sells platform, OMS and CRM as one stack.
Ask every white-label vendor the same questions: which futures platforms are live today (not "coming soon"), who is the data licensee, whether funded accounts move to professional data, who decides breaches and payouts, and how a migration would work if the platform changes terms. Compare routes on white label vs your own platform.
Who pays the CME data fees at a futures prop firm?
Exchange data is a per-trader cost that the firm pays or passes on, and it is the line futures founders most often under-budget. CME Group licenses real-time data for CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX and charges separately for top of book and depth, with far lower fees for non-professional subscribers than for professionals. As a retail reference, AMP Futures lists non-professional data at $5.00 per exchange for top of book and $17.00 for depth, or $15.00 and $45.00 for the four-exchange CME bundle (effective 1 Jun 2026).
Professional status is the expensive question. Track360's May 2026 survey lists evaluation data as included at the firms it checked, but says the non-professional rate generally stops applying once an account is funded by the firm, moving the trader to a professional rate of about $115 a month that several large firms pass through. Get your vendor's data terms in writing and check CME's current fee list on the day you sign.
- Who is the data licensee: you, the platform vendor or the white-label provider?
- Is data billed per active trader, per login or per account?
- Is depth of market included by default or an add-on?
- How are professional subscribers identified, and who pays the difference?
- Do simulated traders count as subscribers for every exchange, or only those they trade?
Which challenge rules do futures prop firms use?
Futures rules work best written in the units futures traders think in: a dollar profit target, a dollar trailing drawdown, a contract limit per account size and session rules that match exchange hours. Trailing drawdown is the defining choice. End-of-day trailing moves the loss limit up only at the session close, from the closing balance. Intraday trailing moves it with the highest unrealised balance during the session, which is stricter and harder to understand. Show both on the drawdown rule visualiser and put a worked example on the rules page, because "trailing" is the most misread word in futures prop.
Platforms build these rules in: DXtrade XT offers EOD trailing, real-time trailing or static drawdown, and Rithmic's server-side risk includes trailing minimum balance and end-of-day drawdown. Many firms add a consistency rule on payouts; if you do, publish the formula with an example.
- Profit target in dollars per account size.
- Trailing drawdown, end-of-day or intraday, with a worked example and the point at which it stops trailing.
- Daily loss limit, if any, separate from drawdown.
- Maximum contracts per account size, with the mini-to-micro conversion stated.
- Session rules: when positions must be flat, and what happens at the daily halt.
- News rules, with the list of data releases covered.
- Consistency rule for payouts, if used, with the formula and an example.
Monthly subscription or one-time fee?
Futures firms historically charged a monthly subscription for evaluations, while forex firms charge once; we explain why in why futures prop firms charge monthly. The trend in 2025–26 has moved toward one-time fees at some large firms: an August 2026 explainer describes Apex's current evaluation as sold with 30 days of access rather than the old monthly renewal, plus a separate activation fee when a trader passes. Check each firm's own site for current terms.
A subscription matches recurring data and platform costs to recurring revenue and suits traders who take months to pass. A one-time fee is easier to compare, removes the "forgot to cancel" complaint and the chargebacks that come with it, and fits affiliate tracking more simply. Either way, show the billing term on the same line as the price and make cancellation one click from the account page. Model both in the profit calculator and see how to price challenges.
Can a futures prop firm serve US traders?
US traders are the core of most futures firms' customers, which makes US law the main legal question rather than a side one. One requirement shows up across US futures sites: CFTC Rule 4.41 prescribes a legend for simulated or hypothetical performance, beginning "These results are based on simulated or hypothetical performance results that have certain inherent limitations", to be shown prominently next to such results. Whether and how it applies to your site is for your lawyer; it is common practice to carry it wherever results or payouts appear.
The picture also moved in 2025–26. The CFTC's case against My Forex Funds was dismissed with prejudice in May 2025, with sanctions against the agency; that is not a ruling that the model is lawful. And some large firms are becoming regulated: Topstep Brokerage, an NFA-member introducing broker cleared by Plus500, opened its waitlist in January 2026. Read are prop firms legal in the US? and the United States page, then ask a US lawyer:
- Does our evaluation product, as designed, raise any registration question with the CFTC or NFA?
- Do we need the Rule 4.41 legend, and where on the site must it appear?
- How should we describe payouts so they are not read as investment returns?
- What must our terms say about simulated trading, payout discretion and rule changes?
What changed for futures prop firms in 2025–26?
- 1 Oct 2025: NT Technologies launched NinjaTrader Prop and Tradovate Prop for partner firms.
- 17 Nov 2025: firms reported ProjectX would end third-party service.
- Jan 2026: Topstep Brokerage opened as an introducing broker cleared by Plus500.
- 28 Feb 2026: ProjectX became Topstep-only.
- 2025–26: CFD firms added futures; FundedNext Futures alone recorded about $46.9M of tracked 2025 payouts.
What does a futures prop firm website need?
The same core pages as any prop firm (pricing table, rules hub, payouts, FAQ centre, affiliate and legal pages) plus pages only futures traders look for: one page per platform route, a data-fee explanation, contract limits per account size, session rules and the hypothetical-performance legend wherever results appear. Futures traders compare rules line by line and arrive with one question, such as whether drawdown trails intraday or at the close, or whether micros count as a tenth of a mini. The site that answers it in one sentence on an indexable page wins that trader and the AI answer. See futures prop firm websites and the website component.
Payments follow the US-heavy base: card processing through a high-risk processor (see payments), crypto for international traders, and payouts handled in your platform or by the white-label vendor (payouts).
Launch steps, in order
- Choose platform and data routePick Tradovate/NinjaTrader Prop, a Rithmic route, Volumetrica or a white label bundling them, and get the data terms in writing before day one.
- Decide who carries payoutsCapital-backed white label (vendor pays traders) or CRM plus platform (you hold a payout reserve), using published setup prices.
- Write the rules in dollars and contractsProfit target, EOD or intraday trailing drawdown, contract limits, session and news rules, consistency rule, each with a worked example.
- Pick the fee modelMonthly subscription or one-time fee plus activation, priced against per-trader data and platform costs.
- Take US legal adviceHave a lawyer review terms, the Rule 4.41 legend placement, payout wording and restricted countries before launch.
- Set up paymentsApply to a high-risk card processor, add crypto, and confirm descriptors, refunds and one-click cancellation.
- Build the websitePricing table, rules hub, platform pages, data-fee page, payouts, FAQ centre, affiliates and legal pages.
- Configure, test, soft launchMatch platform risk settings to the site word for word, test every breach scenario, then open to a small group before going public.
Providers worth a look
From our dataset of prop-firm technology vendors, each fact checked on the vendor’s own site. Listed for fit, not ranked; PropSuite is our disclosed technology partner.
| Provider | What it is | Published pricing | Why it is on this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rithmic | Futures data and routing · Futures platformFutures | Quote only (no published price) | Futures data, routing and server-side risk (trailing minimum balance, EOD drawdown) behind many front ends; on 25 firm sites. |
| Tradovate Prop | Futures platform · Trading platformFutures | Quote only (no published price) | NT Technologies prop platform launched 1 Oct 2025 with partner firms; TradingView charts built in. |
| NinjaTrader Prop | Futures platform · Trading platformFutures | Quote only (no published price) | NinjaTrader packaged for prop traders; on 24 firm sites. |
| Volumetrica Trading | Futures platform · Prop CRM / back officeFutures, Stocks, Forex/CFD, Crypto | Quote only (no published price) | White-label prop dashboard, CRM and DeepCharts platforms; named by firms as a US route in 2026. |
| Tickblaze | Turnkey prop platform · Prop CRM / back officeStocks, Futures, Forex/CFD, Crypto | Quote only (no published price) | Platform, OMS and prop CRM in one stack; CME direct distributor with pro vs non-pro gating. |
| Tradesea | Futures platform · Trading platformFutures | Quote only (no published price) | Rithmic-based futures platform with prop firm admin tools. |
| DXtrade | Trading platform · Futures platformForex/CFD, Crypto, Futures, Stocks, Options | Quote only (no published price) | DXtrade XT runs CME futures challenges in a paper-money environment with EOD or real-time trailing drawdown. |
| PropSuiteOur technology partner | Capital-backed white label · Turnkey prop platformForex/CFD, Futures | Standard setup: $2,749 one time source | Capital-backed white label with Volumetrica support: $2,749 setup, no monthly platform fee. |
| PropAccount | Capital-backed white label · Turnkey prop platformForex/CFD, Futures, Crypto, Stocks | One-time setup: starts at $3,000 source | Capital-backed white label listing Rithmic, Tradovate and DeepCharts, setup from $3,000. |
| ProjectX | Futures platform · Trading platformFutures | Quote only (no published price) | Listed for context: third-party service ended 28 Feb 2026, now Topstep-only. |
Prices as published on each vendor’s own site, checked 12 Oct 2026; most vendors quote privately. Full profiles: prop firm technology providers compared.
Your website, whatever platform you choose
Every route on this page still needs a marketing website: the pricing table, rules, payouts, FAQ, legal pages and the checkout hand-off to your platform. Platforms and white labels run the dashboard; they don’t build that site. PipValley does, for any platform, from $1,490 (pricing, launch service, what the site includes).
One route: launch on PropSuite
No platform to build, no trader capital to raise.
PropSuite is a capital-backed white-label prop firm: it runs the dashboard, challenges, checkout, KYC and payouts under your brand and says it carries the capital and pays traders. Published 12 Oct 2026: $2,749 one-time setup, no monthly platform fee, and a share of net revenue. Disclosure: PropSuite is PipValley’s technology partner and we may benefit if you launch on it. It is one option, not the only one.
Questions
How much does it cost to start a futures prop firm?
It depends on the platform route and on who carries payout risk, plus a per-trader data cost forex firms don't have. Capital-backed white labels publish setup fees from $2,749 (PropSuite) and $3,000 (PropAccount); direct platform and data vendors quote privately. Add payments, legal review, marketing, the website and a payout reserve if you carry payouts. The launch cost calculator models each line.
Who pays CME data fees at a futures prop firm?
The firm or the trader, depending on the platform agreement. Track360's May 2026 survey found evaluation data included at the firms it checked, while funded accounts often move to a professional rate of about $115 a month that several large firms pass through. Non-professional data is far cheaper. Model it per active account before you set prices.
What is intraday trailing drawdown?
Intraday trailing drawdown raises the account's loss limit with the highest unrealised balance reached during the session, so an open profit that reverses can breach the account. End-of-day trailing only moves the limit at the session close, from the closing balance. Intraday is stricter and causes more support tickets, so explain it with a worked example on the rules page.
Can I still use ProjectX for a new futures prop firm?
No. ProjectX told prop firms in November 2025 that third-party support was no longer sustainable, ended it on 28 February 2026, and now runs only as TopstepX for Topstep. New firms choose between Tradovate Prop, NinjaTrader Prop, Rithmic-connected front ends, Volumetrica, Tradesea, Tickblaze or a white label that bundles one of them.
Do futures prop firms need to be regulated?
Many evaluation firms run without registering because traders deposit no trading funds and accounts are simulated, but futures sits under CFTC and NFA rules in the US and the line depends on your product design. Some large firms are adding regulated arms, such as Topstep's NFA-member introducing broker. Ask a US lawyer before launch rather than relying on what competitors do.
Should a futures prop firm charge monthly or once?
Both work. A monthly subscription matches recurring data and platform costs and suits slower traders; a one-time fee is easier to compare and avoids forgotten-cancellation chargebacks. Several large firms moved toward one-time evaluation fees plus an activation fee in 2026. Whichever you pick, show the billing term beside the price and make cancellation one click.
Sources
- Finance Magnates: ProjectX to end its third-party service offering (17 Nov 2025) checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: ProjectX (third-party service ended) checked 12 Oct 2026
- NinjaTrader: NT Technologies launches new platform experience for prop traders under new brands (1 Oct 2025) checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech dataset: platform detections across 529 analysable prop firm sites (Index crawl, 12 Oct 2026) checked 12 Oct 2026
- AMP Futures: Monthly exchange market data fees (effective 1 Jun 2026) checked 12 Oct 2026
- Track360: Prop firms with free market data, the 2026 operator and trader guide (28 May 2026) checked 12 Oct 2026
- Finance Magnates: Prop trading is finding its way back to the US, but can it beat futures dominance? (28 Aug 2025) checked 12 Oct 2026
- 17 CFR 4.41: Advertising by commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, and the principals thereof (Cornell LII) checked 12 Oct 2026
- TradeInformer: Topstep launches introducing broker through Plus500 partnership (28 Jan 2026) checked 12 Oct 2026
- Finance Magnates: Prop Firm Match tracked about $325 million in payouts in 2025 (6 Jan 2026) checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: PropSuite, our technology partner (published pricing) checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: PropAccount (published pricing) checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: Rithmic checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: Volumetrica Trading checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: DXtrade checked 12 Oct 2026
- PipValley tech profile: Tickblaze checked 12 Oct 2026
- Prop Trading Vibes: Apex PA activation fee explained (updated 10 Aug 2026) checked 12 Oct 2026
- Willkie Compliance Concourse: New Jersey federal judge dismisses forex case with prejudice and awards attorney fees (26 May 2025) checked 12 Oct 2026
PipValley is a web design studio; we don’t sell challenges, run trading accounts or provide trading platforms. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it with the date.
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