Atlas Funded vs The Funded Trader: Which Prop Firm Is Better in 2026?

Quick Comparison Table

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The Funded Trader is a name that comes with baggage. They were riding high, then shut down in 2024 and left a lot of traders hanging. The comeback has been slow, and trust isn't something you rebuild overnight.

Atlas Funded doesn't have that history. They showed up in 2024, kept things simple, and focused on getting traders paid without the drama.

One firm is trying to prove it's changed. The other never had to.

This comparison looks at both firms as they exist today. Account options, profit splits, payout speed, trading rules, and platforms. Everything you need to decide whether history matters or results do.

What is Atlas Funded?

Atlas Funded is a prop firm that launched in 2024 with a simple premise: stop punishing traders for failing challenges.

Most firms take your money upfront and keep it whether you pass or not. Atlas built its Access program around the opposite idea. 

Take the evaluation, prove you can trade, then pay the fee. If you don't make it, you walk away without losing anything but time. That approach has made them a popular choice among traders who are tired of burning cash on challenges that don't pan out. 

For those curious about how this model works in practice, their guide on pay-after-you-pass prop trading accounts breaks it down in detail.

The company runs out of Saint Lucia with teams in the UAE and UK. Accounts go up to $300k, or $400k if you hold more than one.

Payouts happen within 24 hours. Late? They owe you $1,000. Profit splits hit 100% if you pay for the upgrade. And if evaluations aren't your thing, instant funding gets you trading immediately on TradeLocker, MT5, or Match Trader.

What Is The Funded Trader?

The Funded Trader launched in 2021 with the tagline "founded by traders, for traders." They grew fast, offering challenges where retail traders could prove their skills on demo accounts and earn up to 90% profit splits on funded capital.

Then 2024 happened.

In March, they shut down. The reasons stacked up quickly. MetaQuotes pulled platform access from multiple prop firms, including TFT, citing license violations and restrictions on U.S. clients. Reports surfaced of widespread payout denials, with CEO Angelo Ciaramello acknowledging over $2 million in denied payouts during January and February alone. A lawsuit from technology partner FPFX added to the mess.

They've since relaunched and are trying to rebuild trust. Headquarters are listed in Liberty Hill, Texas. Their Trustpilot rating sits at 3 out of 5 with 22,000+ reviews, a reflection of both loyal supporters and traders still burned by what happened.

Whether the comeback sticks remains to be seen.

Account Types and Funding Options

Both firms offer multiple ways to get funded, but the structures and philosophies differ significantly.

Atlas Funded Account Types

Atlas Funded runs five programs designed around flexibility.

• Instant Funding bypasses evaluations entirely. Pay the fee, start trading immediately with a 100% profit split. Accounts range from $5,000 to $300,000.
• 1-Step Challenge needs 11% profit in one phase. Pass and you're in.
• 2-Step Challenge has Standard and Pro options. Standard requires 9% in Phase 1, then 5% in Phase 2.
• 3-Step Challenge breaks it into three 6% targets for traders who prefer smaller hurdles.
• Atlas Access is the standout. Take the challenge first, pay nothing upfront. Only hand over the fee if you pass. Available in 1-Step and 2-Step versions.

Maximum single account is $300k, with up to $400k total across multiple accounts.

The Funded Trader Account Types

TFT offers one of the widest varieties of challenge structures in the industry.

• Knight (1-Step) requires a 10% profit target and is their most affordable option at around $299 for a $100k account.
• Knight Pro (1-Step) is similar but marketed as the fastest path to payout, with funded traders eligible for withdrawal as soon as 7 days after their first trade.
• Standard (2-Step) follows the traditional model with 10% in Phase 1 and 5% in Phase 2. Fees sit around $479-$499 for $100k.
• Royal (2-Step) runs the same targets but includes perks like EA and news trading by default. Costs around $600 for $100k.
• Dragon (3-Step) spreads things across three phases at 8%, 5%, and 5%. Lower risk requirements at $299 for $100k.

Account sizes range from $5,000 to $400,000. Maximum allocation reaches $600,000 for standard programs or $2.5 million for the Knight series.

No instant funding option exists. No pay-after-you-pass either. TFT does refund your challenge fee with your first profit split, but you're still paying upfront.

Comparison Table – Account Types

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Verdict: Atlas Funded wins on risk management for traders. If you've lost money on failed challenges before, Atlas is the safer bet.

Profit Splits Compared

This is where things get complicated with The Funded Trader. Their profit split system isn't straightforward, and understanding it matters before you sign up.

Atlas Funded Profit Split

Atlas keeps it simple. You start at 80%. If you want 100%, pay for the upgrade, and it's yours immediately. No tiers, no payout milestones, no caps on how much you can withdraw.

The Funded Trader Profit Split

TFT runs a tiered system that rewards consistency but limits early payouts significantly.

You start at 80%. After your first approved payout, you stay at 80% but get your challenge fee refunded. Hit 3-4 approved payouts, and you move to 90%. Six or more gets you to 95%, which is their ceiling.

Here's the catch. Your first payout is capped at just 0.5% to 2% of your starting balance. On a $100k account, that means your first withdrawal maxes out around $500 to $2,000, regardless of how much profit you've made. Second payout caps at 5%, third and beyond at 10%. Caps only disappear once you reach VIP status.

There's also a consistency rule. Your best trading day can't account for more than 50% of your total profit for that payout period.

TFT says this protects against "hit-and-run" traders. For everyone else, it means waiting months to access the money you've already earned.

Comparison Table – Profit Splits

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Verdict: Atlas Funded wins decisively. Higher maximum split, no payout caps, no consistency rules. TFT's tiered system might work for traders willing to play the long game, but capping your first withdrawal at $500 on a $100k account feels more like a penalty than a policy.

Payout Speed and Withdrawal Terms

Getting paid should be the easy part. Unfortunately, that's not always how it works with prop firms. Here's what you're dealing with at each company.

Atlas Funded Payout Policy

Atlas runs on-demand payouts. Request your money whenever you want, and they process it within 24 hours. If they miss that window, $1,000 gets added to your withdrawal. No minimum on most accounts, except $50 on Access Challenge.

The default cycle is 30 days, with add-ons available for bi-weekly or weekly if you want faster access.

The Funded Trader Payout Policy

TFT's payout schedule depends entirely on which challenge you purchased.

Knight and Knight Pro offer the most flexibility with anytime payouts. Dragon and the Rapid add-on allow requests after 7 days. Standard makes you wait 21 days for your first payout, then 14 days between subsequent ones. Royal is the slowest at 30 days for the first withdrawal.

Processing takes 3-5 business days once you submit the request. Payment options include Rise (Riseworks), USDC, Ethereum, and Bitcoin.

Remember those payout caps from the profit split section? Your first withdrawal is capped at 0.5% of your account balance. Second caps at 5%, third and beyond at 10%. These limits don't disappear until you reach higher tiers.

There's no late payout guarantee. If something delays your withdrawal, you wait.

Comparison Table – Payouts

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Verdict: Atlas Funded wins by a wide margin. TFT's system is designed to slow you down at every step.

Trading Rules and Restrictions

Rules tell you a lot about how a prop firm views its traders. Are you a partner or a liability? The answer usually reveals itself when you understand the trading rules.

Atlas Funded Trading Rules

Daily drawdown sits between 4-5% depending on account type. Maximum drawdown ranges from 6-10%. Both are calculated from the balance.

No minimum trading days. No time limits on challenges. No consistency rules dictate how your profits should be distributed.

News trading is allowed during evaluations. On funded accounts, profits from trades within 5 minutes of high-impact events may be adjusted, but it won't breach your account.

Weekend holding is permitted. You just can't open new positions on Saturday or Sunday. Stop losses aren't mandatory. Primary strategies built on sub-3-minute trades are prohibited.

The Funded Trader Trading Rules

TFT's rules vary significantly by challenge type, which makes things complicated.

Daily drawdown ranges from 3% to 5% depending on the program. Knight and Knight Pro run 3% soft breaches (account pauses, not terminated), while Royal and Dragon use 5% hard breaches. Maximum drawdown spans 6% to 10%.

Minimum trading days range from 0 to 5, depending on the challenge. Knight requires 5 days with at least 1% profit each day. Royal Pro needs 5 days in Phase 1 and 3 days in Phase 2, also requiring 1% profit per day. Dragon has no minimum.

No time limits on evaluations. But there's a 30-day inactivity rule. If you don't place at least one 0.01 lot trade within 30 days, your account is breached, and all fees, profits, and pending payouts are forfeited.

Weekend holding depends on your challenge. Royal, Royal Pro, Knight, Knight Pro, and Classic challenges allow it. Standard, Rapid, don't. The Dragon Challenge does allow weekend holdin,g but only for certain assets (like crypto). 

And as per their 50% consistency rule, your best trading day can't account for more than half your total profit during a payout period.

News trading is generally allowed, but subject to review during the payout process.

Comparison Table – Trading Rules

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Verdict: Atlas Funded offers more freedom with less complexity. TFT's challenge-dependent rules mean you need to do your research before purchasing, and that 30-day inactivity breach is harsh.

Trading Platforms and Instruments

Platform availability can be a dealbreaker, especially if you've built your entire workflow around a specific one. Here's what each firm offers.

Atlas Funded Platforms

Atlas Funded provides three platforms. TradeLocker, MetaTrader 5, and Match Trader. All work across desktop, web, and mobile. No MT4, no cTrader. In fact, Atlas Funded is one of the top prop firms to work with MT5.

The Funded Trader Platforms

TFT offers three platforms as well. Platform 5 (MT5) via Thaurus LTD, cTrader via Voyage Markets, and Match-Trader via Voyage Markets.

One important catch: MT5 is only available to clients outside the United States. U.S. traders are limited to cTrader and Match-Trader. And the cTrader mobile app may not be available for U.S. residents either, forcing you to use the browser version.

You also can't switch platforms or account types after receiving your account. Choose carefully.

Instruments

Atlas Funded covers forex (majors, minors, exotics), commodities (metals, energy, agricultural), indices (US, European, Asian), and crypto.

TFT offers forex pairs, indices (S&P 500, DAX, Nikkei), commodities (gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas), and crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others). Similar coverage overall.

Comparison Table – Platforms & Instruments

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Verdict: Same instruments, different platform situations. Neither offers MT5 to U.S. traders anymore, thanks to the MetaQuotes crackdown. TFT has cTrader, and Atlas has TradeLocker. Pick whichever platform you actually want to use.

Key Takeaways – Atlas Funded vs The Funded Trader

• Best for instant funding: Atlas Funded. They offer true instant funding with no evaluation. TFT doesn't have an instant funding option at all.
• Best profit split: Atlas Funded. 100% available immediately with an upgrade. TFT caps at 95% after six approved payouts, and your first withdrawal is limited to 0.5% of your account balance regardless of profit.
• Fastest payouts: Atlas Funded. On-demand processing within 24 hours, no caps, $1,000 penalty if late. TFT takes 3-5 business days and makes you wait 7-30 days before your first request is even eligible.
• Most flexible rules: Atlas Funded. One rulebook, no minimum profitable days, no consistency rules. TFT's rules change depending on which challenge you bought, and that 50% best-day rule can deny your scale-up even if you're profitable.
• Best for beginners: Neither is ideal, but Atlas Funded edges ahead. The Access program lets you try without financial risk. TFT's payout caps and tiered system can frustrate new traders expecting to access their profits.
• Best for experienced traders: Atlas Funded. No payout caps, faster withdrawals, simpler rules. Experienced traders want their money quickly without jumping through hoops.
• Best scaling potential: The Funded Trader. Their Knight series allows up to $2.5 million in funded accounts with potential to reach $5 million total across challenge and funded accounts. Atlas caps at $400k.

Overall Winner: Atlas Funded wins for most traders. TFT's 2024 shutdown and current payout restrictions raise questions that their comeback hasn't fully answered. Capped first withdrawals, tiered profit splits, and challenge-dependent rules create friction at every step. Atlas offers a cleaner path: pay after you pass, withdraw what you earn, get paid in 24 hours. Unless you're chasing TFT's higher scaling limits, Atlas is the more straightforward choice.

Conclusion

The Funded Trader is trying to rebuild after a rough 2024. Credit to them for coming back. But the current structure makes it hard to recommend.

Atlas Funded doesn't carry those complexities. No shutdown history. No payout caps. No tiered splits that punish you early on. Pay after you pass, withdraw what you earn, receive your money in 24 hours.

Some firms make you prove your loyalty before they treat you fairly. Atlas treats you fairly from the start.

Trade with a firm that doesn't make you wait. Get started with Atlas Funded today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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