Choosing an account
How to compare futures prop firms before you buy
Compare futures prop firms by the account stage, usable loss allowance, total fees, payout conditions and trading setup. Choose the program that fits your routine before comparing discounts.
Start with a side-by-side rule sheet
Choose two or three programs and record the account size, stage, options and date checked. Compare the same stage at each firm. Boxcar-specific figures below come from our published rules.
| Compare | Record for each exact program | Why it changes the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Account stage | Evaluation, simulated-funded, or separately approved live | The next stage may introduce a different rule set. |
| Loss boundary | Starting floor, trailing method, lock point, breach trigger | Advertised account size is not the usable loss allowance. |
| Total fees | Purchase, renewals, activation, resets, and required extras | A lower entry price may not mean a lower total cost. |
| Payout access | Qualifying days, consistency, buffer, cap, and split | Profit earned and profit eligible for a request differ. |
| Trading setup | Platform, data connection, products, and position limits | Your existing setup may require a different connection or license. |
Sources: Boxcar account stages · Boxcar drawdown and daily loss limits · Boxcar payout eligibility by plan · Boxcar billing and reset fees
Know which account stage you are buying
At Boxcar, an Eval is a simulated account with a profit target and trading rules. Simulated-funded trading can qualify for real approved payouts. Live trading requires a separate review and account terms. BoxcarFunded skips the Eval and starts at simulated-funded.
Topstep likewise describes its Express Funded Account as simulated funded-level trading earned after passing the Trading Combine. For a direct-funded option, compare its drawdown and payout rules with the funded stage of the evaluation you would otherwise buy.
Sources: Boxcar account stages · Topstep Express Funded Account parameters
Measure the room above the loss floor
A Boxcar $50K account with a $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit starts with a $48,000 loss floor. The account label is a simulated starting balance, not cash you own or can withdraw. Touching the floor breaches the account.
Intraday drawdown follows the highest real-time balance, including unrealized profit. End-of-day (EOD) drawdown follows the highest qualifying closing balance. The current floor is enforced throughout the session in both cases.
In this example, both accounts start at $50,000 with no previous higher balance or locked floor. Open profit lifts equity to $51,000, then the trade closes with a $50,300 balance. The table shows how those Boxcar mechanics leave different loss allowances; another provider may calculate or lock its floor differently.
| Point in the example | Intraday loss floor | EOD loss floor |
|---|---|---|
| Start at $50,000 | $48,000 | $48,000 |
| Open profit lifts equity to $51,000 | $49,000 | $48,000 |
| Qualifying day closes at $50,300 | $49,000 | $48,300 for the next session |
Sources: Boxcar drawdown and daily loss limits · Boxcar account stages
Check what a daily loss limit stops
At Boxcar, hitting a Daily Loss Limit (DLL) closes positions and locks trading until the next session. It does not by itself breach the account; reaching the Maximum Loss Limit does. Record whether a DLL is required or optional, how it changes after funding, and whether selecting it changes the purchase price.
Sources: Boxcar drawdown and daily loss limits · Boxcar billing and reset fees
Calculate eligibility before the profit split
Check required trading or profit days, cycle profit, consistency, the balance retained after payment, and the request cap. BoxcarPrime, for example, requires consistency and a retained buffer. BoxcarScale requires qualifying profit days and limits a request to 50% of cycle profit, subject to its size-based cap. The plan guide supplies the exact amounts for each size.
Boxcar has a $500 minimum request and a 90% trader share of approved payout profit. An approved $1,000 payout therefore gives the trader $900. Earning $1,000 does not automatically make that full amount eligible for a request. Daily request access also does not promise same-day payment.
Sources: Boxcar payout eligibility by plan · Boxcar risk disclosure
Add up the cost of your likely path
Add the purchase price, evaluation renewals, activation, resets, required market data and platform licenses. Keep optional tools separate.
Hypothetical example: a $100 monthly evaluation used for three billing periods costs $300; a $200 one-time evaluation costs $200. Both figures exclude extras and resets. Use actual checkout prices and several possible completion times for your comparison.
Boxcar account purchases are one-time charges, with no Eval-to-funded activation fee. Eval resets cost extra; BoxcarFunded cannot be reset. Selecting a DLL can lower the price of Prime, Scale or Payout, so record that rule choice beside the total.
Sources: Boxcar billing and reset fees
Check the connection and contract exposure
Confirm the platform, data connection, license requirements and permitted products. Boxcar uses Rithmic for all account types; its supported platforms include NinjaTrader, Rithmic Trader Pro, MotiveWave and Quantower. Check the full list and account-specific setup instructions before buying.
CME specifies $5 per index point for MES and $2 for MNQ. A ten-point move against two MES contracts is a $100 loss before fees and slippage: 10 × 2 × $5. Compare that exposure with the remaining loss allowance and the account’s position limit.
Sources: Boxcar supported platforms · CME Micro E-mini product specifications
Test the rules against your trading routine
Save the selected options, final price and dated rule links. Resolve conflicting official terms with the provider. Evaluation fees can be lost, and simulated results do not establish future live performance.
Boxcar’s program launches October 1, 2026. Prelaunch purchases and access to the included VPS do not mean program trading has started.
Before paying, check the situations your trading routine is likely to encounter:
- Does the session cutoff fit your holding time?
- Do news, automation and copier rules permit your strategy?
- Does your usual position size fit the funded-stage limit?
- Would your largest profitable day satisfy any consistency test?
- How much loss allowance remains after the payout you plan to request?
Sources: Boxcar account stages · Boxcar risk disclosure · Boxcar drawdown and daily loss limits · Boxcar payout eligibility by plan