Scalping
Both firms allow scalping, but they regulate it through different risk mechanisms.
- Rules and Risk: Earn2Trade uses a "Progression Ladder" that limits the number of contracts you can trade based on your current balance; exceeding this limit requires a reset. TradeDay allows scalping but strictly prohibits "micro-scalping" (positions held for less than 5-10 seconds that dominate profits) and high-frequency systems that exceed 200 trades per day.
- Platforms: Scalpers at Earn2Trade have a massive advantage in choice, with over 20 compatible platforms including Bookmap, Jigsaw, and Volfix. TradeDay is more restricted, focusing mainly on Tradovate and NinjaTrader.
- Costs: In TradeDay, scalping costs are influenced by an auto-liquidation fee of $10 per contract if the risk system closes your position. In Earn2Trade, the main cost is the monthly subscription and the potential $75-$155 reset fee if the ladder rule is broken.
Swing Trading and Overnight Positions
There is a fundamental divide here regarding the ability to hold positions outside of regular market hours.
- Holding Rules: Earn2Trade is strictly intraday; holding positions overnight or over the weekend is prohibited. TradeDay allows overnight holding during the week (H24), but positions must be closed before the weekend.
- Risk: Because Earn2Trade forces daily closure, the EOD (End of Day) drawdown is easier to manage for intraday traders. TradeDay offers a choice between EOD and Intraday Trailing Drawdown, allowing swing traders to choose the EOD version to avoid being stopped out by unrealized profit fluctuations during the session.
- Alternative: If you need to trade across multiple days, TradeDay is the only viable option between the two, as Earn2Trade will terminate your account for failing to flatten positions.
News Trading
The approach to high-volatility events differs significantly between these two futures-specialized firms.
- Permission: Earn2Trade allows news trading without explicit restrictions on the timing of entries or exits. TradeDay prohibits trading Tier 1 news (macroeconomic data releases), specifically 2 minutes before and 2 minutes after the event; violating this leads to auto-liquidation.
- Slippage and Execution: Both firms operate in a simulated environment (LiveSim/Funded Sim) before moving to live accounts. TradeDay explicitly prohibits exploiting the lack of slippage in simulation during news events (like using bracket orders).
- Impact on Payouts: Earn2Trade enforces a 30% consistency rule during evaluation, meaning a single "lucky" news trade cannot represent more than 30% of your total profit. TradeDay's Fast Pass has a 45% consistency rule, while Quick Pay stays at 30%.
Automated Trading (EA) and Algorithms
Both firms permit the use of Expert Advisors, but with different technical and ethical constraints.
- Technical Limits: Earn2Trade is compatible with almost any futures algorithm thanks to its support for RTrader Pro and NinjaTrader. TradeDay allows algorithms on NinjaTrader and Tradovate but does NOT expose the Tradovate API for external connections.
- Strategy Restrictions: TradeDay prohibits the use of third-party purchased bots; the system must be your own. It also bans high-frequency ATS and "queue jumping" strategies that exploit the simulation engine.
- Interaction with other rules: In Earn2Trade, an EA must be programmed to respect the Progression Ladder, or it will trigger a breach. In both firms, automated trading is limited by the prohibition of weekend holding.
Copy Trading
This is one of the areas with the clearest differences in internal policy.
- Earn2Trade: Explicitly prohibits copy trading. You are expected to trade your account individually.
- TradeDay: Allows copy trading but only between your own accounts (up to 5 Funded Sim accounts) or from your personal external account to TradeDay. Copying trades from other users or between different people is strictly forbidden and results in account closure.
- Tools: TradeDay lists compatible third-party tools like Tradesyncer or Flowbots to facilitate this style, whereas Earn2Trade offers no such support.
If you trade like this
- If you are a pure Scalper with specific software: Choose Earn2Trade for its compatibility with Volfix, Bookmap, and Jigsaw, provided you can manage the Progression Ladder.
- If you want to hold positions overnight: TradeDay is your only choice, as it is the only one allowing H24 trading.
- If you want to avoid activation fees: Choose TradeDay, as Earn2Trade requires a $139 payment once you pass the evaluation.
- If you use multiple accounts simultaneously: TradeDay is superior because it permits copy trading between your own accounts and allows up to 5 funded accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to get a $50,000 account, Earn2Trade or TradeDay?
TradeDay is generally cheaper. Its $50k "Quick Pay" evaluation costs $62 per month (discounted) or $125 (original), and it has no activation fee. Earn2Trade's $50k Gauntlet Mini costs $170 per month and requires an additional $139 activation fee once passed, making the total initial cost significantly higher.
Which firm has a better profit split for the trader, Earn2Trade or TradeDay?
TradeDay offers a better maximum potential, as it provides a 90/10 split on "Funded Live" accounts. Earn2Trade typically offers an 80/20 split. However, both firms start with an 80/20 split in their simulated funded phases, and both may drop to 50/50 if the trader has not reached a specific profit threshold ($4,000 in TradeDay's Quick Pay).
Does Earn2Trade or TradeDay offer better withdrawal conditions?
TradeDay offers better conditions. It allows withdrawals from day one via "Quick Pay" with no buffer, and US bank transfers are free (International is $15). Earn2Trade requires a minimum of $100 and charges a fixed fee of $50 for withdrawals via Rise or Deel, or 1.5% for US customers, which is more expensive for the trader.
Which firm is more restrictive regarding news trading, Earn2Trade or TradeDay?
TradeDay is more restrictive. It explicitly prohibits trading 2 minutes before and after Tier 1 news releases and will auto-liquidate positions. Earn2Trade allows news trading freely, only requiring that the trader adheres to the 30% consistency rule to ensure the profit wasn't made on a single isolated event.
