The core trade-off.
Every prop firm model is really an answer to one question: how much room do you want, and how much are you willing to pay for it up front? An evaluation makes you prove a profit target first, but pays for that proof with a wider drawdown band and a lower entry fee. Instant Funded skips the target — you're trading firm capital from the moment you pay — but the drawdown band is tighter and static, and the entry fee is higher because there's no evaluation revenue backing the risk.
Comparison table.
Pricing ranges reflect account sizes from $10,000 to $100,000 — confirm exact figures for your size at /programs.
| Model | Entry | Target | Daily / Max DD | Split | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Step Evaluation | $45–$299 | 10% (1 phase) | 5% / 10% | 80 / 20 | Fast pass, wider room |
| 2-Step Evaluation | $45–$299 | 8% then 5% | 5% / 10% | 80 / 20 | Classic 2-phase model |
| Pay After Passing | $5 + $150 on pass | 10% | 3% / 8% | 80 / 20 | Lowest cash risk upfront |
| Instant Funded | $339–$2,999 | None — instant | 3% / 6% (static) | 60/40 → 80/20 | Skip the target entirely |
Pick Instant Funded if...
You already have a track record of trading inside a tight drawdown — 3% daily is unforgiving compared to the 5% on a standard evaluation — and you'd rather pay more upfront to start earning immediately than spend weeks proving a target you're confident you'd hit anyway. The split starts lower (60/40) but scales to 80/20 after three consistent payouts, so the gap closes with a track record.
Pick an Evaluation (1-Step or 2-Step) if...
You want the wider 5%/10% drawdown band to learn the rules without breaching on a bad week, and you'd rather pay less to try than pay more to skip the target. 1-Step is a single profit target; 2-Step splits it into two smaller phases (8% then 5%) — pick 2-Step if you'd rather clear two lower bars than one higher one.
Pick Pay After Passing if...
Cash risk upfront is your main constraint. $5 gets you into the evaluation; the $150 activation only comes due if you actually pass. The drawdown is tighter than the standard evaluation (3%/8%) as the mechanism funding the low entry price, so it suits a trader confident in tight risk control who wants to prove it before paying more.
What's identical across all four.
No time limit (only a 3 trading-day minimum), no consistency rule, news trading allowed, EAs allowed, and the same payout mechanics: every Monday in USDT (TRC-20), published on-chain with a TXID on /ledger. The model changes the path to funding, not the deal once you're funded. Run your numbers through the drawdown simulator against each model's floor before you choose.