What you are signing up for
A "challenge" or evaluation is a test where you trade with simulated money to prove you are a skilled trader. If you pass, the firm gives you access to a funded account where you keep a large portion of the profits.
- Funded Trading Plus: Offers three main paths. The "1-Step Express" (one test), "2-Step Classic" (two tests), and "Activation Accounts." The latter is unique because it only costs $4 to start, and you only pay the full fee after you pass.
- Sure Leverage Funding: Offers a wide variety of plans, including 1-Step, 2-Step, and a "Buy Now, Pay Later" option where you start for $10 and pay the rest once you are successful.
For a standard $50,000 evaluation, FTP costs $349 for a 1-step, while SLF costs $455 for their 1-step but offers a higher profit share.
How hard each one is
The difficulty is defined by the "profit target" (how much money you must make to pass) and the "drawdown" (how much you are allowed to lose before you are disqualified).
- Profit Targets: In a 1-step evaluation, FTP asks for 10%. SLF also asks for 10% in its standard 1-step, though some specific plans like the "EA Challenge" only ask for 6%.
- Drawdown types: FTP uses "trailing" drawdown on most plans. This means the loss limit follows your account balance upward as you make profits, but it never goes back down. However, their 2-Step Classic uses "static" drawdown, which stays fixed at a specific number, making it much easier for beginners.
- Loss Limits: SLF offers a very generous 10% total drawdown on its main accounts, which gives you more "room" to make mistakes than the 6% offered by FTP.
How long it takes
In the past, firms forced you to trade for months or finish within 30 days. Both of these firms have removed those barriers.
- Maximum days: Neither firm has a time limit. You can take a year to pass if you need to.
- Minimum days: FTP has no minimum trading days. If you hit the target in one hour, you pass.
- Inactivity: Both firms require you to place at least one trade every 30 days to keep the account active.
Where beginners fail
Beginners often fail because of "consistency rules" and "style restrictions." A consistency rule ensures you didn't just get lucky on one trade; it requires your profits to be spread out.
- Consistency: FTP is very beginner-friendly because its 1-step and Instant plans have no consistency rules. SLF is stricter: in their 1-step evaluation, no single day can account for 50% or more of your total profit. If you make a huge trade that hits the target instantly, you will have to keep trading until that big win represents a smaller percentage of the total.
- Trading Styles: FTP allows "EAs" (Expert Advisors), which are automated trading bots. SLF prohibits bots on almost all accounts, except for a specific "EA Challenge" where they are allowed only during the test phase.
What happens if you make it
Once you are funded, you want to know how you get paid and what tools you use.
- Profit Split: This is the percentage of the profit you keep. FTP starts at 80% and can scale up to 100%. SLF offers up to 90% from the start on certain plans.
- Platforms: These are the apps you use to place trades. FTP offers a wide choice: MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXTrade, and MatchTrader. SLF is more limited, offering MetaTrader 5 and TradeLocker.
- Withdrawals: FTP lets you take your first profit from day 1 on some plans. SLF typically processes payouts every 14 days, though they have a "24-hour guarantee" or they give you an extra 10% of the profits.
If it is your first time
If this is your very first attempt at a challenge, Funded Trading Plus is the more balanced choice.
While Sure Leverage Funding offers a larger loss limit (10% vs 6%), their consistency rules can be frustrating for a novice who doesn't know how to manage a portfolio over many days. FTP’s 2-Step Classic is particularly good for beginners because it uses a "static" drawdown, meaning your loss limit doesn't move and "trap" you as you make money. Additionally, their $4 "Activation" entry is the cheapest way to experience a real evaluation environment without risking much capital.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper for a 100k evaluation, Funded Trading Plus or Sure Leverage Funding?
Funded Trading Plus is significantly cheaper for a standard 100k 1-step evaluation, costing $549. In contrast, Sure Leverage Funding charges $711 for its standard 100k 1-step account. However, SLF offers a "Buy Now, Pay Later" entry for $10, whereas FTP offers an "Activation" entry for $4, though both require much larger payments after passing the test.
Does Funded Trading Plus or Sure Leverage Funding have stricter rules regarding trading bots (EAs)?
Sure Leverage Funding is much stricter, as it generally prohibits EAs on most accounts, only allowing them in the "EA Challenge" during the evaluation phase. Funded Trading Plus allows the use of EAs, Algos, and Bots across its programs, provided they are not used for prohibited strategies like arbitrage or hedging across different accounts.
Which firm offers a better profit share for the trader, Funded Trading Plus or Sure Leverage Funding?
Sure Leverage Funding offers a higher starting profit split of 90% on its 1-step and Futures Style evaluations. Funded Trading Plus starts most accounts at an 80% profit split, although it allows successful traders to scale that percentage up to 100% if they reach specific profit milestones (20% and 30% total profit).
What are the differences in drawdown between Funded Trading Plus and Sure Leverage Funding?
Funded Trading Plus uses a 6% trailing drawdown on its 1-step plans, meaning the limit moves up with your account balance. Sure Leverage Funding offers a larger 10% drawdown on its 1-step evaluation, which is also trailing but based on the end-of-day high-water mark. If you prefer a limit that never moves, Funded Trading Plus offers an 8% static drawdown on its 2-Step Classic plan.
