Time limits
Neither firm allows you to escape the pressure of time entirely, though they lack a hard expiration date for evaluations. At Funded Futures Family (FFF), you cannot pass an evaluation in a single day on most plans; you are forced to trade for at least 2 days on Classic or choose specific "1-Day" passes that cost more. Once funded, you cannot simply withdraw your first profit: you are blocked by a requirement of 3 to 7 qualifying trading days where you must realize at least $200 in profit.
TradeDay imposes similar friction. On their Quick Pay accounts, you cannot pass the evaluation in less than 5 non-consecutive trading days. When you reach the Funded Sim stage, you cannot request a payout whenever you like; you must first accumulate 5 profitable days with minimum gains ranging from $150 to $250 depending on the account size.
Weekends and news
You cannot leave your capital exposed to the market during the weekend at either firm; all positions must be closed before the Friday session ends.
- Funded Futures Family does not explicitly ban news trading, but they limit your freedom through the CME 2% price limit rule. You cannot trade if a contract is within 2% of its price limit, effectively forcing you out of the market during high-volatility events.
- TradeDay is more restrictive regarding economic data. You cannot trade Tier 1 news releases; you are prohibited from being in the market 2 minutes before and 2 minutes after the announcement. Violating this leads to auto-liquidation.
Where you can trade from
Geography is a significant barrier for both firms. You cannot access their services if you reside in sanctioned countries like North Korea, Iran, Syria, or Venezuela.
- Funded Futures Family prohibits users from approximately 35 countries. While they allow VPNs for trading on the platform, you cannot use them to access your account dashboard.
- TradeDay has a much longer list of exclusions, banning traders from over 70 jurisdictions including South Africa, Pakistan, and several European countries like Romania or Bulgaria. Crucially, you cannot use a VPN or VPS to mask your location; doing so is a breach of their terms.
What the platform limits
The technical environment at both firms restricts how you can express your strategy.
- At Funded Futures Family, you cannot use any form of automated trading, bots, or algorithms. You are also barred from micro-scalping: you cannot have more than 50% of your trades or profits coming from positions held for less than 20 seconds. Hedging and stacking are also prohibited.
- TradeDay allows some automation, but you cannot use bots or ATS purchased from third parties; they must be your own creation. You cannot engage in high-frequency trading (over 200 trades a day) or scalp for just a few seconds to capture 1-2 ticks. Unlike FFF, TradeDay allows copy trading between your own accounts but limits it strictly to your own identity.
What the rules cost you
The price of entry is the first limit on your attempts. Funded Futures Family forces you to pay monthly subscriptions for most plans, and you cannot avoid activation fees on their Classic and Base plans. Furthermore, you cannot withdraw all your profits; you must maintain a "buffer" (drawdown level + $100) at all times, meaning your first few thousand dollars are effectively trapped in the account.
TradeDay also relies on monthly subscriptions. While they have removed activation fees in version 2.0, they limit your early earnings through the profit split. On Quick Pay accounts, you cannot keep more than 50% of the profits until you have reached $4,000 in gross gains. Additionally, you cannot withdraw more than $1,500 to $2,250 per request on Fast Pass accounts, capping your liquidity.
Restrictions that add up
The combined effect of these rules creates a narrow path to success. At Funded Futures Family, the combination of the 40% consistency rule, the mandatory profit buffer, and the Qualifying Trading Day requirement means you cannot simply have one "lucky day" and get paid; the firm forces you to prove high-level performance over weeks while keeping a portion of your money hostage.
At TradeDay, the restriction on news trading combined with the prohibition of VPNs and the requirement for specific "profitable days" (not just trading days) creates a rigid environment. You cannot be a news-driven trader, and you cannot trade from a restricted location even with technical workarounds, forcing a level of transparency and specific style that limits many retail strategies.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is more restrictive regarding news trading, Funded Futures Family or TradeDay?
TradeDay is significantly more restrictive because it strictly prohibits trading Tier 1 news releases 2 minutes before and after the event, whereas Funded Futures Family allows news trading as long as the market doesn't hit the CME 2% price limit.
Which firm has a higher barrier for withdrawals, Funded Futures Family or TradeDay?
Funded Futures Family has a higher barrier because it requires you to maintain a mandatory buffer (drawdown + $100) that you cannot withdraw, and you must complete 3 to 7 qualifying days with at least $200 profit. TradeDay allows withdrawals from day one on Quick Pay (no buffer), though it takes a larger 50% cut of profits until you reach $4,000 in gains.
Between Funded Futures Family and TradeDay, which one bans more countries?
TradeDay is much more restrictive geographically, banning traders from over 70 countries, including places like South Africa, Pakistan, and several Eastern European nations. Funded Futures Family has a shorter list of approximately 35 banned countries.
Which firm limits the use of automated trading more, Funded Futures Family or TradeDay?
Funded Futures Family is more restrictive as it completely prohibits all bots and algorithmic trading. TradeDay allows automated systems as long as they are developed by the trader and not purchased from third parties, though it still bans high-frequency strategies with more than 200 trades per day.
