Day one
The entry experience differs significantly due to the payment models and the availability of instant access.
- Pricing and Access: BrightFunded uses a one-time fee model for its evaluations. For example, a 50K BrightPlus account costs $165. In contrast, Hola Prime’s Prime Challenge is a monthly subscription ($159 for 50K) that renews every 30 days until passed. However, Hola Prime offers "Direct Accounts" (instant funding) starting at $348 for 25K, a path not available at BrightFunded.
- Platforms: Both firms support NinjaTrader and Tradovate. BrightFunded adds TradingView support, while Hola Prime offers WealthCharts.
- Initial Rules:
- Profit targets are identical at 6% for evaluations.
- BrightFunded has no daily drawdown limit.
- Hola Prime has no daily limit on Prime accounts but imposes a 2.5% daily limit on Direct accounts.
- Consistency: BrightFunded requires a consistency rule only during evaluation (50% for Plus, 40% for Core). Hola Prime enforces it from the start (40% for Prime Challenge).
The first months
Once funded (SIM phase), the focus shifts to payout stability and managing trailing drawdowns.
- Risk Management: Both firms use trailing drawdowns based on the end-of-day (EOD) balance for their "Core" or "Prime" plans. However, BrightFunded’s "BrightPlus" plan uses intraday trailing on peak equity, which is more sensitive to unrealized profits.
- Payout Requirements:
- BrightFunded: Minimum payout of $250. Payouts are processed within 24 business hours. BrightPlus requires 1% fresh profit between withdrawals.
- Hola Prime: Minimum payouts scale with account size ($250 for 25K up to $1,500 for 150K). Payouts are processed within one hour after a prior 24-hour review. A 2.5% fee applies to all withdrawals.
- Profit Split: Hola Prime starts with a higher base split of 90%. BrightFunded starts at 80%, though users can purchase a 100% split addon at the start for a 20% surcharge.
The first year
For a trader staying active for 12 months, the reward structures and account accumulation become the primary drivers of value.
- Account Accumulation: Both firms allow up to 5 active funded accounts. BrightFunded offers a higher total allocation ceiling of $750,000, while Hola Prime caps combined SIM/Direct allocation at $500,000.
- Growth Incentives:
- BrightFunded: Uses the "Trade2Earn" program. Activity earns BrightTokens for perks. The "Prime Ladder" pays cash bonuses every 10 winning days on Live accounts, totaling up to $30,000 for a 150K account over 80 winning days.
- Hola Prime: Offers a scaling ladder specifically for the Live program. For every 100% of accumulated profit relative to the starting balance, the account size increases by 10%.
- Consistency in SIM: BrightFunded removes the consistency rule in SIM Funded. Hola Prime maintains it (35% for Prime, 20% for Direct), meaning your largest day cannot exceed a certain percentage of your total profit for that cycle.
The ceiling
The ultimate goal for both firms is the transition to a Live account with real capital.
- Transition to Live:
- BrightFunded: Eligibility is triggered after 5 payouts on one account, 10 across accounts, or reaching a 20% profit. Live accounts start at $0 balance with an 80% split and daily payouts.
- Hola Prime: Transition is by risk-team invitation only, typically after 10 payouts totaling $50,000. Only up to 15% of the SIM account's size is transferred to the Live environment; excess profit is lost.
- Maximum Potential: BrightFunded provides a clearer, milestone-based cash bonus system (Prime Ladder). Hola Prime provides a more traditional corporate scaling path (10% increments) once you reach the Live stage.
Room to grow
BrightFunded Futures offers a higher initial allocation ceiling ($750K) and a more gamified progression through tokens and cash bonuses that do not require account size increases to pay out. It is better suited for traders who want to manage a large fleet of accounts with one-time fees.
Hola Prime Futures offers a higher profit split (90%) and the unique advantage of skipping evaluations via Direct accounts. However, the recurring subscription for evaluations and the 2.5% payout fee make it more expensive in the long run. Its scaling is back-loaded into the Live program, rewarding those who can survive the invitation-only transition.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start an evaluation, BrightFunded or Hola Prime?
BrightFunded is generally more cost-effective for long-term attempts because it uses a one-time fee model ($165 for a 50K Plus account). Hola Prime uses a monthly subscription for its Prime Challenges ($159/month for 50K), meaning if you take more than one month to pass, BrightFunded becomes significantly cheaper. However, Hola Prime is the only one of the two offering "Direct" accounts to bypass the evaluation entirely for a higher upfront cost.
How do payout speeds and fees compare between BrightFunded and Hola Prime?
Hola Prime offers faster processing, aiming for one hour once the request is approved (following a 24-hour review), but it charges a mandatory 2.5% fee on every payout. BrightFunded processes payouts within 24 business hours and does not charge a percentage-based payout fee, though it has a strict "fresh profit" rule for its BrightPlus accounts requiring 1% growth between withdrawals.
Which firm has more restrictive trading style rules, BrightFunded or Hola Prime?
BrightFunded is more restrictive regarding EAs, only allowing self-authored software and prohibiting all forms of hedging (even between correlated instruments). Hola Prime prohibits all bots and automation entirely. Regarding trade duration, BrightFunded requires 50% of profits to come from trades longer than 15 seconds, while Hola Prime has no universal minimum time but monitors for "systematic patterns" of trades under three minutes.
What is the maximum capital I can manage at BrightFunded versus Hola Prime?
BrightFunded allows for a higher maximum allocation in the SIM phase, capping at $750,000 across up to 5 accounts. Hola Prime limits traders to $500,000 or 5 accounts (whichever comes first) for their SIM/Direct programs. While both firms offer Live account transitions, BrightFunded’s path is based on reaching specific payout or profit milestones, whereas Hola Prime’s transition is strictly by invitation.
