Time limits
Earn2Trade imposes no pressure regarding minimum trading days or maximum time limits to pass their evaluations; you can pass as soon as you hit the target. However, forTraders Futures restricts your speed by requiring a minimum of 5 profitable days for the "Fast" model and 7 profitable days for "Instant" accounts before you can request a payout.
The biggest time-related constraint at forTraders Futures is its strict inactivity rule. You cannot leave your account idle for more than 7 days during the challenge or 14 days once funded; failing to close a trade within these windows results in account termination. Earn2Trade does not list a specific inactivity penalty, but their monthly subscription model acts as a financial clock, limiting how long you can take to pass without paying for another month.
Weekends and news
Earn2Trade does not allow you to hold any positions overnight or through the weekend. All trades must be closed before the market session ends. While forTraders Futures claims to allow weekend holding, their technical setup restricts freedom significantly: positions are automatically closed every day outside of session hours (3:10 PM CT to 5:00 PM CT), meaning true long-term swing trading is not possible.
Regarding news trading, neither firm blocks you from operating during high-impact events. However, forTraders Futures forbids "tick scalping" (trades lasting less than 5 seconds), which limits your ability to trade the immediate volatility of news releases.
Where you can trade from
You cannot trade with Earn2Trade if you reside in several countries including Russia, Venezuela, or Iran, and they also exclude residents of specific US states: Iowa, Minnesota, and South Carolina. forTraders Futures is even more restrictive geographically; they do not allow any traders from the United States or the United Arab Emirates, effectively blocking two of the largest trading markets in the world.
What the platform limits
forTraders Futures gives you zero freedom in terms of software; you are forced to use their proprietary "For Traders X" platform. You cannot use industry standards like NinjaTrader or TradingView. Earn2Trade is much more flexible, though you are still limited to a specific list of supported platforms such as RTrader Pro or Finamark.
Regarding automation, forTraders Futures does not let you use fully autonomous EAs or bots; you can only use them as decision-support tools. Earn2Trade allows EAs but warns that using a VPN is not recommended, which can be a technical hurdle for some users. Furthermore, forTraders Futures prohibits "hedging" across different accounts and "Martingale" strategies.
What the rules cost you
The cost of your mistakes is measured by the drawdown. Earn2Trade uses an End-Of-Day (EOD) drawdown for evaluations, which doesn't penalize you for unrealized profits during the day. forTraders Futures is more restrictive, using a Trailing Drawdown on its "Fast" accounts, which follows your peak profit in real-time and reduces your room for error much faster.
Your access to profit is also capped. forTraders Futures limits the maximum you can withdraw per cycle (e.g., $1,500 for a 50K Fast account). Earn2Trade limits withdrawals on its LiveSim accounts to specific amounts like $4,000 until you reach a certain profit threshold. Additionally, Earn2Trade enforces a "Progression Ladder" that restricts the number of contracts you can trade based on your current balance; you cannot use the full contract limit of the account until you have built up a significant buffer.
Restrictions that add up
The combination of the "Consistency Rule" and payout frequencies creates a significant barrier to liquidity. At Earn2Trade, a single day cannot account for more than 30% of your total profit during evaluation, forcing you to trade for more days even if you hit the target early. forTraders Futures applies a similar 40% rule (or 15% on Instant accounts).
When you add forTraders' trailing drawdown to their contract limits and the requirement of profitable days, you are forced into a very narrow style of trading that prevents aggressive scaling. Meanwhile, Earn2Trade’s ban on overnight positions combined with the Progression Ladder means you are effectively forced to be a day trader with very limited position sizes at the start, regardless of your strategy’s actual requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is more restrictive for US residents, Earn2Trade or forTraders Futures?
forTraders Futures is much more restrictive as it completely bans all residents of the United States. Earn2Trade allows US residents to trade, with the exception of those living in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Carolina.
Which firm limits my choice of trading platforms more, Earn2Trade or forTraders Futures?
forTraders Futures is the most limiting, as it forces you to use their proprietary "For Traders X" platform. Earn2Trade allows you to choose from over 20 different platforms, including popular options like NinjaTrader, TradingView, and RTrader Pro.
Between Earn2Trade and forTraders Futures, which one has a more restrictive drawdown for evaluations?
forTraders Futures is generally more restrictive because it uses a Trailing Drawdown on its "Fast" accounts, which tracks your intraday peaks. Earn2Trade uses an End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown for its evaluations, which only updates at the close of the trading day and is more forgiving of intraday price swings.
Which firm imposes more limits on how I can withdraw my profits, Earn2Trade or forTraders Futures?
Both firms have significant limits. forTraders Futures imposes a maximum withdrawal amount per cycle based on account size (for example, $1,500 for a 50K account). Earn2Trade limits withdrawals on LiveSim accounts (up to $4,000 depending on the plan) and only processes payments on Wednesdays, whereas forTraders offers a 48-hour payment guarantee.
