Earn2Trade Review 2026: 9 Years in the Game, 13 Platforms, and One Crucial Drawdown Catch
Earn2Trade has been funding futures traders since 2017, making it one of the oldest prop firms still actively operating. In an industry where firms launch and shut down within months, nine years of continuous operation is genuinely rare. But longevity alone doesn't make a firm worth your money.
We dug into Earn2Trade's 7 challenges, pricing, drawdown rules, and platform support to find out whether it still holds up in 2026 — a year when 33 futures prop firms are competing for your business on PropFirmMap alone. The short answer: it's a solid, trustworthy option with one significant catch you need to know about before signing up.
Affiliate disclosure: PropFirmMap may earn a commission if you sign up through links on this page. This does not affect our analysis — all data comes directly from our database of 53 firms and 620+ challenges.
Earn2Trade at a Glance
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Asset Type | Futures |
| Challenges | 7 (2 programs: Gauntlet Mini & Trade Career Path) |
| Account Sizes | $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K, $200K |
| Profit Split | 80% |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly |
| Drawdown | EOD trailing (converts to live trailing when funded) |
| Platforms | 13 (NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, + 10 more) |
| Activation Fee | $139 on all accounts |
| PFM Score | 3.2 / 10 |
| Payment Methods | Credit/Debit Card, PayPal, BitPay |
| Payouts Via | Rise |
The Two Challenge Programs Explained
Earn2Trade offers two distinct evaluation tracks. Both are 1-step challenges — pass one evaluation and you're funded — but they differ in pricing, structure, and target audience.
The Gauntlet Mini
The Gauntlet Mini is Earn2Trade's flagship program and the one most traders choose. It's a subscription-based monthly evaluation with straightforward rules:
| Account Size | Monthly Price | Before Price | Activation Fee | True First-Month Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | $136/month | $170 | $139 | $275 |
| $100K | $252/month | $315 | $139 | $391 |
| $150K | $280/month | $350 | $139 | $419 |
| $200K | $440/month | $550 | $139 | $579 |
With the current 60% off discount, the $50K Gauntlet Mini drops to about $68/month before the activation fee — competitive with Apex Trader Funding's promotional pricing. Use our challenge cost calculator to compare exact costs across firms.
Trade Career Path
The Trade Career Path is a more structured program designed for newer traders. It includes educational content and a slightly different fee structure:
| Account Size | Monthly Price | Before Price | Activation Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25K | $120/month | $150 | $139 |
| $50K | $114/month | $190 | $139 |
| $100K | $280/month | $350 | $139 |
Interestingly, the $50K Trade Career Path ($114/month) is actually cheaper than the $50K Gauntlet Mini ($136/month). The trade-off is a more structured curriculum that some experienced traders may find unnecessary.
The Drawdown Catch You Must Know About
This is the single most important thing to understand about Earn2Trade, and the reason some funded traders get caught off guard.
During the evaluation, Earn2Trade uses End-of-Day (EOD) trailing drawdown. This means your drawdown level only adjusts at the end of each trading day, giving you intraday breathing room. If your account peaks at $52,000 during the day but closes at $50,500, only the $50,500 figure matters for drawdown calculation.
Once you're funded with a live account, the drawdown converts to live trailing drawdown. Now every tick counts. That $52,000 intraday peak immediately becomes your new high-water mark, and the drawdown trails from there in real time.
This is a significant rule change that isn't always clearly communicated. Traders who relied on intraday spikes during evaluation may find the live account far less forgiving. Our drawdown calculator can help you model how different drawdown types affect your trading room.
For context, here's how Earn2Trade's drawdown compares to key competitors:
- Apex Trader Funding: EOD trailing only, no conversion — same rules eval and funded
- Topstep: 2% daily + trailing max, consistent eval-to-funded
- MyFundedFutures: No daily loss limit at all, trailing max drawdown
- Phoenix Trader Funding: No drawdown rule period, 100% profit split
If drawdown consistency between evaluation and live is important to you, Earn2Trade is not the strongest choice. If you're disciplined enough to adapt, the EOD evaluation phase is actually more forgiving than many competitors.
Platform Support: Best in Class
This is where Earn2Trade genuinely stands out. With 13 supported platforms, it offers the widest platform selection of any futures prop firm we track:
- NinjaTrader
- Tradovate
- TradingView
- R | Trader Pro
- Quantower
- ATAS
- MotiveWave
- Bookmap
- Investor/RT
- Jigsaw
- MultiCharts
- Sierra Chart
- Trade Navigator
For comparison, most futures prop firms support 3-5 platforms. Topstep supports 4. Apex Trader Funding supports 4. If you have a specific platform preference — especially for advanced order flow tools like Bookmap or Jigsaw — Earn2Trade is likely the only prop firm that supports it.
The 80% Profit Split in Context
Earn2Trade's 80% profit split is industry average for futures prop firms in 2026. It's not bad, but it's not a differentiator. Here's where it falls in the landscape:
- 100% split: Phoenix Trader Funding, Elite Trader Funding, Tradeify
- 90%+: Quant Tekel (90%), Blue Guardian (up to 90%), Aqua Funded (95%)
- 80%: Earn2Trade, FTMO, Funded Trading Plus, Topstep, Blueberry Funded
- Below 80%: Trade The Pool (50-80%), FundedNext (60-90%)
At 80%, you keep $800 of every $1,000 in profit. If you're generating consistent returns, the difference between 80% and 90% on a $100K account producing $5K/month is $500/month left on the table. Use our profit simulator to model your expected earnings at different split levels.
Monthly Payouts: The Slowest Tier
Earn2Trade pays out monthly, placing it in the slowest payout tier among the 53 firms we track. In our payout speed comparison, only 4 firms (8%) still run monthly cycles. The majority of the industry has moved to bi-weekly or faster.
Payouts are processed via Rise, a platform designed for contractor payments. If you're used to direct bank transfers or crypto payouts, this adds a layer of friction.
For traders who need faster cash flow, our instant payout category highlights firms like Blue Guardian and Elite Trader Funding that pay within 24 hours.
Head-to-Head: Earn2Trade vs The Competition
| Feature | Earn2Trade | Apex Trader Funding | Topstep | MyFundedFutures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 | 2021 | 2012 | 2023 |
| Cheapest $50K | $114/mo | $167/mo ($19.90 promo) | $49/mo | $87/mo |
| Profit Split | 80% | 100% | 80% | 80% |
| Payout Speed | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Daily |
| Drawdown Type | EOD → Live trailing | EOD trailing | 2% daily + trailing | Trailing (no daily) |
| Platforms | 13 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Activation Fee | $139 | $0 | $149 | $0 |
| PFM Score | 3.2 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.1 |
Earn2Trade wins on platform variety and longevity, but loses on pricing, profit split, and payout speed. The $139 activation fee on every account size is a particular sting — it adds 26% to the cost of the cheapest challenge. Compare this to Apex and MyFundedFutures which charge zero activation fees.
For a deeper comparison, use our challenge comparison tool or check the Earn2Trade vs Apex head-to-head page.
Who Should Choose Earn2Trade?
Earn2Trade is the right choice if you:
- Need a specific platform — If you trade on Bookmap, Jigsaw, MotiveWave, or Sierra Chart, Earn2Trade may be your only option
- Value firm longevity — 9 years of operation with no shutdowns, rebrands, or trust scandals is genuinely rare (read our trust crisis analysis)
- Are newer to futures — The Trade Career Path includes educational content, and the EOD drawdown during evaluation is more forgiving
- Want multiple account sizes — 5 sizes from $25K to $200K gives solid range
Earn2Trade is not the right choice if you:
- Want the cheapest entry — Apex at $19.90/month with promo or Topstep at $49/month are significantly cheaper
- Want maximum profit split — Phoenix Trader Funding and Elite Trader Funding offer 100%
- Need fast payouts — Monthly via Rise is the slowest tier in the industry
- Dislike drawdown rule changes — The EOD-to-live conversion is a genuine risk
The Discount: 60% Off Right Now
Earn2Trade currently has a 60% off promotional discount available. At that rate, the $50K Gauntlet Mini drops from $136 to roughly $54/month, making it price-competitive with even the cheapest futures prop firms. Check our deals page for the latest active promo codes, or visit the Earn2Trade deals page for all current offers.
Even with the discount, remember the $139 activation fee applies once you pass. Factor that into your total cost calculation using our challenge calculator.
The Verdict
Earn2Trade earns a PFM Score of 3.2 out of 10, placing it in the middle of the pack among 53 active firms. Its biggest strengths — 9 years of reliable operation and 13 platform options — are offset by an average profit split, slow monthly payouts, and the controversial drawdown conversion rule.
It's not the cheapest, fastest, or most generous firm. But it may be the most stable. In an industry where firms appear and disappear quarterly, there's real value in choosing one that's survived since 2017. Just go in with eyes open about the drawdown switch, and budget for that $139 activation fee.
Bottom line: A safe, dependable choice for futures traders who prioritize platform flexibility and firm stability over maximum profit split or payout speed. The 60% discount makes it worth considering, especially at the $50K-$100K tier.
Ready to compare? Use our Firm Finder Quiz to see how Earn2Trade stacks up against firms matched to your trading style, or browse all futures prop firms on our platform.