Scalping and Intraday Trading
Both firms are accessible for scalpers, but the cost and technical environment differ significantly.
- Rules and Limits: FundedNext allows scalping freely, though it prohibits "tick scalping" and hyperactivity. Orion Funded allows manual scalping but strictly forbids HFT (High-Frequency Trading) and any strategy exploiting demo server errors.
- Risk and Drawdown: Scalpers at FundedNext must manage a static drawdown on Stellar accounts (6% to 10%), while Orion's "Standard" and "Swing" plans also use static drawdown (6-8%). However, Orion's "Zero" and "Nova" accounts use a trailing drawdown, which can be more challenging for intraday traders.
- Cost of Trading: Orion Funded offers a slightly lower commission of $4 per lot on Forex. FundedNext charges between $5 and $7 per lot depending on the account type (Stellar vs. Lite/Instant).
- Platforms: Scalpers may prefer FundedNext for its access to cTrader and TradingView, known for superior execution tools compared to the standard MT5 offered by Orion.
Swing Trading
For traders who hold positions for days or weeks, the choice depends on how they handle news and weekend risk.
- Weekend Holding: Both firms allow holding positions over the weekend.
- Account Specialization: Orion Funded offers a specific "Orion Swing" account with no news trading restrictions and a static drawdown of 8%. FundedNext allows swing trading on all accounts, but traders must be aware of the news restrictions across all Stellar phases.
- Risk Management: FundedNext requires a Stop Loss on all trades, which is a critical rule for swing traders to avoid violations. Orion Funded does not explicitly list a Stop Loss requirement in the provided data.
- Leverage: Swing traders at Orion enjoy up to 100:1 leverage on Forex, while FundedNext offers lower leverage for its 1-step and Instant accounts (ranging from 10:1 to 30:1).
Automated Trading (EAs)
Using Expert Advisors is possible in both firms, but FundedNext treats it as a premium feature.
- Access Cost: FundedNext requires a specific "EA Add-on" that increases the challenge price by 5%. Orion Funded allows EAs without an extra fee, provided the strategy is the trader's own.
- Prohibited EAs: Both firms ban arbitrage, HFT, and grid trading. Orion specifically emphasizes that the strategy must be original and not a purchased "off-the-shelf" EA used by thousands of others.
- Infrastructure: FundedNext offers a VPS add-on (+5% cost) to ensure EAs run 24/7, a service not explicitly detailed in Orion's tech info.
News Trading
This is one of the most significant points of divergence between the two companies.
- FundedNext Limitations: News trading is allowed, but with a major profit restriction: only 40% of the profits made from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of high-impact news will be counted.
- Orion Funded Limitations: The rules vary by account. "Standard" and "Nova" accounts prohibit trading 2 minutes before and after news. The "Zero" account allows it but reduces the profit split to 50% for those trades. Only the "Swing" account allows news trading without any timing or profit restrictions.
- Risk: For traders who rely on volatility, Orion's "Swing" account is the only path to keeping 80-90% of profits without the 40% or 50% "haircuts" imposed by other plans in both firms.
Copy Trading and Hedging
These strategies are permitted but regulated to prevent risk manipulation.
- Copy Trading: FundedNext allows copy trading. Orion Funded allows it only between your own Orion accounts; copying from third parties or external signal services is a breach of contract.
- Hedging: FundedNext allows hedging. Orion allows hedging within a single account but strictly prohibits "group hedging" or opposite trades across different accounts to manipulate results.
- Consistency: Orion Funded applies a 20% "Best Day" consistency rule to its Zero and Nova funded accounts, meaning no single day should account for more than 20% of total profit. FundedNext does not apply a consistency rule to its Stellar accounts.
If you trade like this
- If you use EAs or specialized platforms: FundedNext is the better fit due to its TradingView/cTrader integration and dedicated EA/VPS add-ons, despite the small extra cost.
- If you are a pure Swing trader: Orion Funded (specifically the Swing account) is superior because it removes news restrictions and offers a comfortable 8% static drawdown.
- If you are a high-volume Scalper: Orion Funded offers lower commissions ($4 vs $5-7), although you are restricted to MT5 or Match-Trader.
- If you want the lowest entry cost: FundedNext offers accounts starting at $32.99, whereas Orion's cheapest "real" evaluation (excluding the $7 entry fee for Nova which requires a $109+ activation fee later) starts at $49.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper for a $100,000 account, FundedNext or Orion Funded?
FundedNext is significantly cheaper for a standard evaluation. Their Stellar Lite $100k account costs $399.99, while the Orion Standard $100k account costs $629. Even the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step ($549.99) remains more affordable than Orion’s equivalent. Orion offers a "Nova" plan with a $7 entry fee, but it requires a $669 activation fee after passing, making the total cost higher than FundedNext's options.
Who offers the best profit split and payout speed, FundedNext or Orion Funded?
Both firms start at an 80% profit split, which can scale to 90% (or 95% at FundedNext). However, Orion Funded has a faster payout cycle for its standard accounts (every 14 days with no initial wait), whereas FundedNext standard accounts require a 21-day wait for the first payout. Orion also offers a 48-hour processing guarantee, while FundedNext promises a 24-hour payout or an extra $1,000 compensation.
Which firm has more restrictive news trading rules, FundedNext or Orion Funded?
It depends on the account type. FundedNext is restrictive across the board, only counting 40% of news profits. Orion Funded is more restrictive on its "Standard" accounts (total 2-minute ban) but much more liberal on its "Swing" account, which has no news restrictions at all. If you are not using the Swing account, Orion's "Zero" plan takes 50% of news profits, which is slightly more generous than FundedNext's 40% limit.
Can I use a purchased Expert Advisor (EA) on both FundedNext and Orion Funded?
No, Orion Funded is much stricter regarding EAs. They require the strategy to be the trader's own and prohibit the use of third-party signals or common EAs. FundedNext allows EAs more broadly but requires you to purchase a specific "EA Add-on" for an extra 5% of the challenge price. If you use a commercial EA, you are more likely to face issues at Orion Funded.






















