Scalping
Scalping is a viable strategy in both firms, though they approach it with different technical conditions.
- Funded Trading Plus: Allows scalping without specific time restrictions on trades. Traders benefit from platforms like cTrader and DXTrade, which are highly optimized for fast execution. Leverage is set at 1:30 for most accounts and 1:50 for the 2-Step Classic. Commissions are fixed at $7 per lot for Forex and Metals.
- Orion Funded: Manual scalping is permitted, but the firm strictly prohibits "tick scalping" and High-Frequency Trading (HFT) designed to exploit demo environments. It offers a more competitive commission of $4 per lot and higher leverage (up to 1:100 on Forex), which may appeal to volume-heavy scalpers.
Swing Trading
For traders who hold positions for days or weeks, the rules regarding weekend holding and inactivity are crucial.
- Funded Trading Plus: Holding positions over the weekend is allowed on 1-Step Express, 2-Step Classic, and Activation accounts. However, it is strictly forbidden on the Instant program, where trades are closed automatically on Fridays at 4:30 PM EST. There is a 30-day inactivity rule requiring at least one trade to keep the account active.
- Orion Funded: Weekend holding is generally allowed across its programs. It even features a specific "Orion Swing" challenge designed for this style, which also removes news trading restrictions. Like its competitor, it has an inactivity rule, though the specific timeframe for account closure is subject to their current terms.
News Trading
The ability to trade during high-impact economic releases is one of the biggest differentiators between these two firms.
- Funded Trading Plus: News trading is fully allowed across all programs (Express, Classic, Instant, and Activation). There are no timing restrictions or profit penalties for trading during volatile events.
- Orion Funded: While allowed during the evaluation phases, it becomes restricted on most funded accounts (Nova, Standard, Select), prohibiting execution 2 minutes before and after high-impact news. Only the Swing challenge is free of these restrictions, while the Zero (Instant) account applies a 50% profit split penalty to trades executed within a 5-minute window of the news.
Automated Trading (EAs)
Both firms allow the use of algorithms, but with different oversight.
- Funded Trading Plus: EAs, Algos, and Bots are permitted. The firm may request a review of the EA once the trader passes the evaluation. It is important to note that EAs cannot be used for copy trading or hedging across different accounts.
- Orion Funded: EAs are allowed as long as the strategy is the trader's own. Arbitrage, HFT, and strategies exploiting price delays are prohibited. If the EA is a commercial one used by many traders, it might lead to a breach if the trades are identical to others.
Copy Trading and Hedging
These strategies are often restricted to prevent risk manipulation.
- Funded Trading Plus: Copy trading is strictly prohibited. Hedging is allowed only within the same account (opening opposing positions on the same instrument). Hedging across multiple accounts is a hard breach.
- Orion Funded: Copy trading is allowed only between your own Orion accounts. Copying from third-party signals or external services is forbidden. Similar to FTP, hedging is allowed within a single account but prohibited across multiple accounts.
If you trade like this
- The News Trader: Funded Trading Plus is the clear choice as it has no restrictions across its entire product line, whereas Orion Funded limits most of its funded accounts.
- The Platform Specialist: Funded Trading Plus offers more flexibility with MT5, DXTrade, MatchTrader, and cTrader, while Orion Funded is limited to MT5 and Match-Trader.
- The High-Leverage Scalper: Orion Funded provides up to 1:100 leverage and lower commissions ($4 vs $7), making it more cost-effective for high-frequency manual traders.
- The Multi-Account User: Orion Funded is better suited for this as it officially allows copy trading between your own accounts, a practice forbidden by Funded Trading Plus.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start an evaluation, Funded Trading Plus or Orion Funded?
Funded Trading Plus is slightly cheaper to start, offering "Activation Accounts" for a $4 entry fee, although a larger activation fee is required after passing (e.g., $179 for a 25K account). Orion Funded starts its "Orion Nova" challenges at $7, with a subsequent activation fee (e.g., $209 for a 25K account).
Does Funded Trading Plus or Orion Funded offer better conditions for news trading?
Funded Trading Plus offers better conditions because it allows news trading without any restrictions across all its programs. In contrast, Orion Funded prohibits trading 2 minutes before and after news on its Standard, Nova, and Select funded accounts, or penalizes profits by 50% on its Zero accounts.
Which firm allows more trading platforms, Funded Trading Plus or Orion Funded?
Funded Trading Plus offers more variety with four platforms: MetaTrader 5, DXTrade, MatchTrader, and cTrader. Orion Funded only provides two options: MetaTrader 5 and Match-Trader.
What is the difference in payout frequency between Funded Trading Plus and Orion Funded?
Funded Trading Plus offers faster access to capital, with withdrawals every 7 to 10 days depending on the plan. Orion Funded requires a 14-day waiting period between payouts, although it provides a 48-hour processing guarantee to ensure timely payments.






















