Prop firm activation fee: who charges one and how much

What an activation fee is, how it pairs with one-time or monthly pricing, and what 12 futures prop firms charge.

Charge one on some plan: 6 of 12
No activation fee: 6 of 12
Taken from a payout: Earn2Trade

Rules checked on September 26, 2026 · By helloweekends Editors

A prop firm activation fee is a one-time charge to open your funded account after you pass an evaluation. You pay it on top of the evaluation price. Six of the 12 futures prop firms we track charge one on at least one plan, and six do not. Several firms also sell a version with no activation fee at a higher price.

What an activation fee is

An evaluation is a paid test with simulated trading. If you pass, the firm opens a funded account, which at most firms is also simulated. The activation fee is what some firms charge at that step. Apex, for example, makes its fee one-time and non-refundable, due within 7 calendar days of passing. Earn2Trade charges nothing up front and takes its $139 fee from your first withdrawal.

How billing and activation fees combine

Two choices set your total cost: how the evaluation is billed, and whether there is a fee after passing.

Monthly subscription plus activation fee. You pay each month until you pass, then the fee. Topstep's Standard path, Take Profit Trader, Earn2Trade and Phidias' monthly plans work this way.
Monthly subscription, no activation fee. Topstep's No Activation Fee path and Alpha Futures' Zero, Standard and Advanced plans.
One-time price plus activation fee. Apex Standard evaluations and Phidias' Express to Live evaluation-only option.
One-time price, no activation fee. Tradeify, Lucid, FundedNext, MyFundedFutures, The5ers, Apex's No Activation Fee versions, Bulenox Momentum and Fast Track, Alpha Futures Direct and Phidias' one-time plans.

With monthly billing, the time you take to pass changes the total. With a one-time price it does not, although Apex's one-time fee buys 30 days of access.

Worked example: Topstep 50K

Topstep sells the same 50K Trading Combine two ways. The Standard path costs $49 a month plus $149 when you activate an Express Funded Account. The No Activation Fee path costs $95 a month ($85 with a daily loss limit) and nothing at activation.

Arithmetic from Topstep's published list prices (Standard $49 a month plus $149 at activation; No Activation Fee $95 a month), no resets.
Month you pass in	Standard path total	No Activation Fee path total
Month 1	$198	$95
Month 2	$247	$190
Month 3	$296	$285
Month 4	$345	$380

On these list prices the No Activation Fee path costs less if you pass within three months, and the Standard path costs less from the fourth. Topstep says the path cannot be changed after purchase, and resets cost the same as the monthly price. This is arithmetic, not a forecast of how long passing takes.

Activation fees by firm

Rules checked on September 26, 2026. Firms often run promotions that waive the fee; the table uses list prices.

List prices, promotions not applied. Firms in alphabetical order. Source: firms' official pricing and rules pages, checked September 26, 2026. *Phidias' homepage widget shows the 25K Express to Live fee as $149 reduced to $0; its rules page and terms say $83.
Firm	Billing	Activation fee
Alpha Futures Alpha Futures rules	Monthly (Zero, Standard, Advanced); one-time (Direct)	None. Advanced: none for accounts bought after July 8, 2026 (was $149).
Apex Trader Funding Apex Trader Funding rules	One-time, 30 days of access	Standard: one-time, non-refundable, due within 7 days of passing ($69 on the 25K Intraday Trail; other sizes not confirmed). No Activation Fee versions: none.
Bulenox Bulenox rules	One-time (Momentum, Fast Track); classic Qualification not confirmed	Momentum and Fast Track: none. Classic Master: $143, $148, $248, $498 for 25K to 150K (older help page).
Earn2Trade Earn2Trade rules	Monthly	$139 one-time LiveSim fee, taken from your first withdrawal (non-professional data status)
FundedNext Futures FundedNext Futures rules	One-time	None
Lucid Trading Lucid Trading rules	One-time	None
MyFundedFutures MyFundedFutures rules	One-time for evaluations bought from August 25, 2026	None
Phidias Propfirm Phidias rules	One-time or monthly, by plan	Express to Live, evaluation only: $83 (25K)*, $149 (50K, 100K), $169 (150K). Fundamental and Premium monthly: $149, $149, $169. One-time versions: none.
Take Profit Trader Take Profit Trader rules	Monthly	$130 one-time to activate PRO. No PRO+ activation fee.
The5ers Futures The5ers Futures rules	One-time	None on Day Trade or Swing, per the futures page (checked September 27, 2026). An older help article, since removed, said Day Trade had one.
Topstep Topstep rules	Monthly	Standard path: $149 per Express Funded Account. No Activation Fee path: none, at a higher monthly price.
Tradeify Tradeify rules	One-time	None

MyFundedFutures' plan pages still show some monthly prices, and Bulenox's classic Qualification billing could not be confirmed on a current page. Changes are logged in prop firm rule changes. For the rules you must follow after paying, see prop firm rules.

Know the riskA prop firm evaluation is a paid service with simulated trading. Most people who buy one do not pass it, and firms change their rules, pause payouts and close. Not investment advice.

Questions

What is an activation fee at a prop firm?

It is a one-time fee some firms charge to open your funded account after you pass the evaluation. It is paid on top of the evaluation price.

Which futures prop firms have no activation fee?

Of the 12 firms we track, Alpha Futures, FundedNext Futures, Lucid Trading, MyFundedFutures, The5ers Futures and Tradeify charge none. Apex, Topstep, Phidias and Bulenox also sell versions without one.

Is a no-activation-fee plan always cheaper?

Not always. On Topstep's 50K list prices, the No Activation Fee path costs less if you pass within three months, and the Standard path costs less from the fourth month.

Is the activation fee refundable?

Apex says its activation fee is non-refundable. Earn2Trade takes its $139 fee from your first withdrawal instead of charging it up front. Check each firm's terms before you pay.

Sources

All checked on September 26, 2026.