Rules Matrix

    Trading Rules & Restrictions

    Compare allowed strategies, drawdown limits, and restrictions across all listed prop firms. Use the Style Finder to match your trading approach to compatible firms.

    Firms10EA Allowed8News Trading8Weekend Hold9

    Trading Style Compatibility Finder

    Select your trading style to see which firms match your approach:

    Alpha Capital Group

    Alpha Capital Group

    Consistency Rule
    No single trading day's net profit may exceed 40% of total accumulated net profits at withdrawal. Only applies to funded accounts, not during evaluation.
    Min Days
    3
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    Audacity Capital

    Audacity Capital

    Consistency Rule
    Removed — previously required a consistency score of 70+, officially discontinued.
    Min Days
    4
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    Blue Guardian

    Blue Guardian

    Consistency Rule
    No consistency rule for most programs; 2-Step Pro funded stage has 25% consistency rule
    Min Days
    5
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    FTMO

    FTMO

    Consistency Rule
    Best Day Rule on 1-Step only: best single day cannot exceed 50% of total profit target. 1-Step uses End-of-Day (EOD) Trailing max loss recalculated daily. No consistency rule on 2-Step.
    Min Days
    4
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    FundedNext

    FundedNext

    Consistency Rule
    No consistency rule enforced for CFD accounts
    Min Days
    5
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    Funding Pips

    Funding Pips

    Consistency Rule
    45% consistency rule on funded accounts (on-demand payout option). 2-Step Pro has 45% consistency throughout. Zero has 15% consistency rule.
    Min Days
    3
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    FXIFY

    FXIFY

    Consistency Rule
    25% consistency rule on funded accounts (no single day exceeds 25% of total profit). Lightning: 30% rule.
    Min Days
    4
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    Maven Trading

    Maven Trading

    Consistency Rule
    20% consistency rule on Instant Funding and Maven Mini accounts only. No consistency rule on 1-Step, 2-Step, or 3-Step challenges.
    Min Days
    3
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    Seacrest Markets

    Seacrest Markets

    Consistency Rule
    No formal consistency rule. Minimum 3 profitable days (0.5%+ each) required per evaluation phase.
    Min Days
    3
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding
    The5ers

    The5ers

    Consistency Rule
    None — no consistency requirements across any program
    Min Days
    3
    Max Days
    -
    EA Allowed
    News Trading
    Copy Trading
    Weekend Holding

    Trading Rules That Matter Most

    Scalpers & Day Traders

    No minimum trading days requirement
    EA/algo trading allowed
    Tight daily drawdown (need discipline)
    Some firms restrict tick scalping

    Swing Traders

    Weekend holding allowed
    Unlimited or long time limits
    Higher total drawdown allowances
    May need more minimum trading days

    News Event Traders

    No restrictions around NFP/FOMC/CPI
    Higher volatility = faster targets
    Many firms restrict news trading
    Check specific event restrictions

    Algorithmic Traders

    EA trading explicitly permitted
    Copy trading allowed for multi-account
    API trading support available
    HFT usually restricted

    The Complete Guide to Prop Firm Trading Rules

    Trading rules are the defining factor that separates one prop firm challenge from another. While account sizes and profit splits get the most attention, it's the rules that determine whether you can actually trade your strategy — and whether you'll pass or fail.

    The most critical rules to evaluate are drawdown limits (both daily and total), minimum trading days, consistency requirements, and strategy restrictions. Our interactive matrix above compares all of these across every verified firm, with visual indicators showing which firms are most permissive. Use the Drawdown Calculator to understand how drawdown rules impact your risk profile.

    Matching Rules to Your Strategy

    The Trading Style Compatibility Finder above shortcuts this process. Select your primary trading style and instantly see which firms accommodate your approach. For a more comprehensive analysis, our Risk Profile Matcher quiz evaluates multiple factors — experience level, risk tolerance, and strategy type — to recommend the best overall fit.

    Remember that the "easiest" rules aren't always best. Firms with stricter rules often have better payout reliability and higher transparency because the rules protect both the trader and the firm. Focus on finding rules that align with your proven strategy. Check our pass rate analysis to see how rule strictness correlates with success rates. Ready to start? Browse our challenge preparation guide.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common rules include: daily loss limits (3-5% of balance), maximum drawdown (6-10% total), minimum trading days (3-5 per phase), profit targets (8-10% phase 1, 5% phase 2), and consistency requirements. Some firms also restrict weekend holding, news trading, or specific strategies like martingale.

    Most modern prop firms allow EAs and algorithmic trading. However, some restrict high-frequency trading (HFT), tick scalping, or latency arbitrage strategies. Use the Trading Style Finder above with 'Algo Trader' selected to see all EA-friendly firms across our database.

    Daily drawdown limits your losses within a single trading day (typically 3-5%), while total/max drawdown limits cumulative losses from your starting or highest balance (typically 6-10%). Some firms use trailing drawdown (from equity high) vs static drawdown (from starting balance). Our Drawdown Calculator helps visualize the impact.

    Not all firms allow trading during high-impact news events like NFP, FOMC, or CPI releases. Use the filter above to see firms that explicitly permit news trading. Currently, 8 of our listed firms allow unrestricted news trading.

    Some firms require 'consistency' — meaning no single trading day can account for more than a certain percentage (often 30-40%) of your total profits. This prevents luck-based passing where one big trade carries the entire challenge. Check the rules matrix to see which firms enforce this.

    Breaking a hard rule (exceeding daily/total drawdown) typically results in immediate account termination. Soft rules (minimum trading days, consistency) may just extend your evaluation period. Always understand which rules are 'hard breakers' vs 'soft guidelines' before starting — our firm profiles detail each firm's violation policies.