FundingPips vs PipFarm: Which is better for your first challenge?

IFZA Business Park DDP Dubai U.A.E.

Singapore

Khaled Ayesh

James Glyde

United Arab Emirates

Singapore

2022

2024

Liquidity Provider

1 and 2 Step: Full refund with first payout

Not the classic free refund. It is the paid "Challenge Fee Refund" add-on (+10% of price).

• On passing the challenge, the fee is credited as profit balance on the funded account
• Not a refund to the card
• Available across all modes

$10

Rise

• Payouts under $500: $25
• Payouts of $500 or more: free

USDT / USDC

• $2.50 per payout

Skrill

• Subject to Skrill exchange rates

• 2-Step Standard: Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly or On Demand
• 2-Step Pro: Weekly or Monthly
• 1 Step Flex and 2-Step Flex: Bi-Weekly or Monthly
• FundingPips Zero: Bi-Weekly
• Prime: Daily, any number of requests
• Labs 247: Daily

One Step Light

• Weekly payouts by default

Instant accounts

• Payouts every 7 calendar days

First Payout on Demand (add-on +10%)

• Request the first payout as soon as all eligibility requirements are met
• The selected payout interval applies after the first payout

Frequency (default and with add-on)

• Monthly: every 30 days (standard)
• Bi-weekly: every 14 days (add-on from +15%)
• Weekly: every 7 days (add-on from +30%)
• On Demand: no waiting interval between eligible payouts (add-on +50%)

Personal limit

• Only one payout every 7 days per trader, even across multiple accounts, except where an applicable on-demand benefit overrides the interval

• Manual review within 2 business days
• Sent within 2 business days after approval
• Total: paid within 7 days of request

Labs 247: crypto trading and weekend holding are available 24/7 in Evaluation and Master. Other models retain their existing restrictions.

One Step Light

• First payout cap: 3% of balance
• The cap increases by 1 percentage point after each payout, up to 6%

Other challenge-funded accounts

• First payout cap: 6% of balance
• The cap increases by 2 percentage points after each payout

Instant accounts

• First payout: 3%
• Second payout: 4%
• Third payout: 5%
• Fourth payout onwards: 6%

Hard cap

• $5,000 per payout (always, even if the percentage allows more)

• On Demand payout: 1%
• Tuesday, bi-weekly and montly: 1%
• Prime: 1% of Prime Account size (or Scaled Prime Account Size after scaling)
• Labs 247: 1% of the account size

Minimum by mode (% of balance)

• One Step Light: 1%
• Instant: 1%
• Consistency: 1%
• Endurance: 2%
• Classic: 3%

Minimum by method

• Rise / Skrill / USDT: $50

• 1 Step: 30:1
• 2 Step: 100:1
• Zero: 50:1
• Prime: up to 1:2000 (tiered Standard Leverage Plan)

Standard

• Up to $5M exposure: 1:30
• $5M to $10M: 1:15
• Over $10M: 1:10

With Extra Leverage add-on

• Up to $5M exposure: 1:50
• $5M to $10M: 1:20
• Over $10M: 1:10

• 1 Step: 10:1
• 2 Step: 30:1
• Zero: 20:1
• Prime: up to 1:2000 (tiered Standard Leverage Plan)
• Labs 247: 5:1

• Up to $250K exposure: 1:20
• $250K to $500K: 1:10
• Over $500K: 1:5

10:1

• Prime: up to 1:2000 (tiered Standard Leverage Plan)
• Labs 247: 5:1

• Up to $100K exposure: 1:20 (1:25 with add-on)
• Over $100K: 1:5

• 1 Step: 5:1
• 2 Step, Zero: 20:1
• Prime: up to 1:2000 (tiered Standard Leverage Plan)
• Labs 247: 5:1

• Up to $500K exposure: 1:20 (1:25 with add-on)
• $500K to $1M: 1:10
• Over $1M: 1:5

Labs 247: 5:1

• 1 Step: 1:1
• 2 Step, Zero: 2:1
• Prime: up to 1:2000 (tiered Standard Leverage Plan)
• Labs 247: 5:1

• Up to $100K exposure: 1:2 (1:3 with add-on)
• Over $100K: 1:1

Indices, crypto and energies are commission-free at all ranks. Forex and metals start at $6/lot and drop to $0 at Rank 6.

Paid add-on (10% of challenge price).

• Replaces swaps with a fixed daily admin fee
• 3-day grace period before the first charge
• Must be selected at checkout (cannot be added later)

10% discount for failing during the evaluation phase. Valid for 7 days and only for accounts of the same model and size (FundingPips Zero excluded).

cTrader (+20%)
Swing: overnight and weekend holding on Master accounts for 1 Step Flex, 2-Step Standard, 2-Step Pro and 2-Step Flex; selected at purchase

Instant accounts from 19 August 2026

• Extra Max Risk: +1%, raising the limit from 1% to 2% (20% of base price)
• Extra Max Loss: +1% to the selected drawdown type (20% of base price)
• Extra Profit Share: +10 percentage points (20% of base price)

Standard challenges: benefits and rules

• Extra Profit Share: +10 percentage points across all ranks (20% of base price)
• Extra Max Loss: +1% to max loss (20% of base price)
• Extra Daily Loss: +1% to daily limit (10% of base price)
• Skip Minimum Trading Days: removes the minimum-day requirement (10% of base price)

Standard challenges: time and money

• Swap-Free: replaces swaps with fixed administration fees (10% of base price)
• Challenge Fee Refund: credits the paid challenge fee as funded-account profit after passing (10% of base price)
• Extended Time Limit: 180 days (+5%) or 360 days (+10%)

Standard challenges: payouts

• First Payout on Demand: removes the wait for the first eligible payout (10% of base price)
• Bi-weekly payouts: 14-day interval (from 15% of base price)
• Weekly payouts: 7-day interval (from 30% of base price)
• On Demand payouts: removes the waiting interval for every eligible payout (50% of base price)

Bundle discount

• Buying three or more qualifying add-ons applies a 20% discount to every qualifying add-on
• Extended Time Limit and payout interval add-ons (Bi-weekly, Weekly and On Demand) are excluded and do not count towards the three
• The bundle discount can be combined with a promotion code applied to the base account

Level 1 – Launchpad (Novice)

Requires 4 payouts and 10% profit. Grants +20% capital and +1% drawdown.

Level 2 – Ascender (Intermediate)

Requires 8 payouts and 20% profit. Grants +30% capital, +2% total max drawdown, and +1% daily drawdown.

Level 3 – Trailblazer (Advanced)

Requires 12 payouts and 30% profit. Grants +40% capital and 13% max drawdown.

Level 4 – Hot Seat (Elite)

Requires 16 payouts and 40% profit. Doubles initial balance, offers 100% reward split, on-demand payouts, up to $2M capital, and monthly bonuses.

Level 5 – Elite Trader Status (Advanced Hot Seat)

Unlocks advanced tools, +1% additional max drawdown (4% total cumulative), +1% additional daily drawdown (2% total), customized trading conditions, and monthly bonuses based on initial account size ($100–$500).

Prime

The first four scale-ups require +5% total profit; from the fifth onward, +10%, measured against the starting size of the current level. Required profitable days: none for the first scale-up, 2 for the second and third, 4 for the fourth, and 10 from the fifth onward. Each profitable day must close at +1% or more of the account size; the counter resets after each scale-up. Each scale-up adds +10% to the current level's starting size, up to $2M. At Level 10 or $2M: Certified FundingPips Trader status, listed on the Tradin Investor Marketplace with 20% profit share on investor capital.

Labs 247 → Prime

After 5 rewards or $20,000 in total rewards across one or all Labs 247 accounts, the trader becomes eligible for an invitation to a $50,000 Prime account. The Labs 247 accounts close when the trader moves to Prime.

Simple Scaling (all funded accounts since 9 April 2026).

• Level up after 4 payouts or upon reaching the 12% scaling target
• Scaling increment by rank: 10% to 40% of initial balance
• Instant accounts do not scale

• 1 Step Flex, 2 Step: Static
• Zero: Trailing
• Prime: 8% static below the starting balance; recalculated only after a scale-up
• Labs 247: 4% static in Evaluation and Master

Instant accounts from 19 August 2026

• Equity Trailing: 6% at Rank 1, 7% from Rank 2
• EOD Trailing: 5% at Rank 1, 6% from Rank 2
• Payout Trailing: 4% at Rank 1, 5% from Rank 2

One Step Light

• Challenge: 4% End-of-Day trailing Max Loss on $5K to $50K; 3% on $100K and $150K
• Simulated Funded Account: 4% End-of-Day trailing Max Loss on every size
• Based on the End-of-Day high-water mark
• Experience Program rank benefits do not increase it

Standard 1-stage trailing

• 8% Balance Trailing Max Loss
• Rank 2+: 9%

Standard 1-stage static

• 6% Static Max Loss
• Rank 2+: 7%

Standard 2-stage static

• Classic: 9% (10% from Rank 2)
• Endurance: 8% (9% from Rank 2)
• Consistency: 8% (9% from Rank 2)

Add-on

• Extra Max Loss: +1% to the selected max loss type

Reward split depends on the selected reward cycle and account configuration.

• 2-Step Standard: Weekly (60%), Bi-Weekly, On Demand (90%) or Monthly (100%)
• 2-Step Pro: Weekly or Monthly (100%)
• 1 Step Flex: Bi-Weekly or Monthly (100%)
• 2-Step Flex: Bi-Weekly, with an alternative 95% split selected at purchase at the same price, or Monthly (100%)
• FundingPips Zero: fixed Bi-Weekly cycle
• Prime: 80%, Daily, any number of requests
• Labs 247: Daily

The Monthly cycle requires consistency and profitable days. Earlier purchases retain their legacy conditions.

By rank (Experience Program)

• Rank 0: 70%
• Rank 1: 75%
• Rank 2: 80%
• Rank 3: 85%
• Rank 4: 90%
• Rank 5: 95%
• Rank 6: 99%

Extras

• Extra Profit Share add-on: +10% across all ranks
• Loyalty program: up to 109% total

Higher of the opening balance or equity for the trading day

• Prime: 3% (soft breach, pauses trading for the rest of the day, account stays open, resumes at 00:00 UTC+3)
• Labs 247: 2% of the starting balance in Evaluation and Master

One Step Light

• No Daily Loss limit

Other Standard challenges

• 3%, calculated from the previous End-of-Day reference using the higher of balance or equity
• Rank 4+: 4%
• Extra Daily Loss add-on: +1 percentage point

Funded accounts (from challenges)

• Up to 5 accounts
• Max $300,000 combined

Instant accounts

• Up to 3 accounts
• Max $300,000 combined

Challenges

• No limit

Capital earned through scaling is exempt from these limits.

Labs 247: maximum 5 accounts per user. These accounts are separate from the standard capital allocation.

A Master account can only be merged with another Master account from the same evaluation model.

Merging accounts is not supported in the FundingPips Zero Model.

• Prime Accounts: any Prime accounts can merge, regardless of the originating model. Request through the dashboard; the resulting account takes the higher of the two scale-up levels. Merged size respects the $2M maximum.

Allowed to merge two funded accounts, provided all of these conditions are met.

• Same mode (Classic with Classic, Endurance with Endurance, Consistency with Consistency)
• Same currency
• Identical add-ons
• No open positions
• Instant accounts cannot be merged

Labs 247: 6 months for the Evaluation phase and a separate 6-month period for the Master account.

Accounts from 9 April 2026 (per stage)

• 90 days (standard)
• 180 days (add-on +5%)
• 360 days (add-on +10%)

Earlier accounts

• 365 days per stage

New purchases and resets from 28 September 2026:

• 2-Step Standard: 3 trading days per evaluation phase; no minimum with the 3% daily-loss configuration
• 2-Step Pro: no minimum trading days
• 1 Step Flex: no minimum trading days
• 2-Step Flex: 1 trading day per phase on the standard reward configuration; the alternative configuration requires profitable days
• Labs 247: no minimum trading days
  Earlier purchases retain their legacy conditions.

One Step Light

• No minimum trading days during the challenge; it can be passed in one trading day

Classic

• 3 trading days per stage (a day = at least one close)
• Removable with the Skip Minimum Trading Days add-on

Endurance / Consistency

• No minimum days: each uses its own sustainability standard

Experience Program: earn XP through milestones and climb ranks (0 to 6).

• Pass challenges, receive payouts, scale accounts, complete quests
• Rank raises profit split, lowers commissions, grants more drawdown and leverage
• Consistency Mode earns double XP on most milestones

Participant Limit: Up to 50,000 participants. Registration closes once full.

Prizes

• 1st: 100K Evaluation + $1,500
• 2nd: 100K Evaluation + $1,200
• 3rd: 100K Evaluation + $1,000
• 4th: 100K Evaluation
• 5th: 50K Evaluation
• 6th–10th: 25K Evaluation
• 11th–20th: 10K Evaluation
• Bonus Prize: 13 random participants (ranked 4th–1000th) receive $100 each.

Rules

• Max loss: 10%
• Daily loss: 5%
• No EAs
• No exploiting unrealistic demo fills
• One account per person

Zero: Minimum of 7 days with 0.25% profit or more by the end of each 30-day period. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a rule violation.

• Monthly reward cycle (1 Step Flex, 2-Step Standard, 2-Step Pro, 2-Step Flex): 7 profitable days per cycle, each with at least 0.5% of the starting Master account size; the count resets after each reward
• 2-Step Flex alternative reward configuration: 3 profitable days per evaluation phase and per Bi-Weekly Master reward cycle, each with at least 0.5% of the starting account size

One Step Light

• No Profitable Days requirement during the challenge
• 4 Profitable Days are required for each payout
• Each Profitable Day requires the End-of-Day balance to increase by at least 0.25% of the initial balance compared with the previous End-of-Day reference

Endurance

• One-stage: 4 Profitable Days
• Two-stage: 3 Profitable Days per stage
• The applicable requirement must also be completed for each payout
• Each Profitable Day requires the End-of-Day balance to increase by at least 0.5% of the initial balance compared with the previous End-of-Day reference

Instant accounts from 19 August 2026

• 5 Winning Days before a payout
• Winning Day = close with ≥0.5% from the start-of-day balance and above the initial account balance

Earlier Instant accounts

• 5 Winning Days before a payout
• Winning Day = close with ≥0.25% and above the initial account balance

Default rule (third-party EAs): Permitted ONLY when used strictly as a trade or risk manager. Any other use of a third-party EA = denial of evaluation/reward and account closure.

Personal EA Exception
Full automation allowed only with proof of ownership of the EA code.

Account-type exceptions

• 1K Instant Account: third-party EAs and trade copiers permitted (full automation OK).
• Monthly Competition: ALL EAs prohibited (including personal with proof).

Allowed on all accounts, with your own strategy.

• cTrader Automate (cBots), plugins, Open API
• Trade copiers between your own accounts (TradersConnect, Duplikium, Heron, Tradesyncer)
• Forbidden: bots purchased from marketplaces (MQL5, cBot market)
• Forbidden: HFT and latency scalping

Allowed

• Same instrument within one account
• Correlated instruments within one account

Forbidden (toxic trading)

• Same instrument across two or more accounts
• Correlated instruments across accounts
• Hedging with another PipFarm user

There is a limit on simultaneous open lots:

• $5K–$10K: no limit
• $25K: 10 lots
• $50K: 20 lots
• $100K or more (including merged accounts): maximum 40 lots

Penalties

• 1st violation: warning
• 2nd violation: removal of excess profits, reward reduced to 30%, and account closure

1 Step Flex, 2-Step Flex, 2-Step Pro and 2-Step Standard

Risk Per Trade Idea and the Striking System are removed in Evaluation and Master for new purchases from 28 September 2026. Earlier purchases retain their legacy conditions.

One Step Light

• Challenge Max Risk: 2%
• Simulated Funded Max Risk: 2%
• Absolute at both stages: reaching the limit closes open positions and breaches the account immediately
• No strikes, escalation or Pip Protector

Standard Simulated Funded Accounts

• Max Risk: 2%
• Pip Protector closes open positions and records a Strike when the limit is reached
• Strike 1 halves the limit; Strike 2 halves it again and permanently reduces the profit share by 50%; Strike 3 breaches the account
• Pip Protector does not apply during the challenge stages

Instant accounts from 19 August 2026

• Max Risk: 1% of starting balance
• Extra Max Risk add-on: raises it to 2%

Earlier Instant accounts

• Keep the Max Risk limit assigned when purchased

Permitted

• Copying trades between your own FundingPips accounts (registered under same individual).
• Using your FundingPips account as MASTER to copy to external accounts (as slave).

Prohibited

• Copying between FundingPips accounts of different users.
• Coordinated trading across master accounts not owned by same individual.
• Inbound copy trading (external source as master, FundingPips as slave).
• Third-party account management (immediate termination).

• Between your own accounts: allowed (even to/from external brokers or prop firms)
• Copying another trader: forbidden
• Following signals or external services: forbidden

Evaluation Stage (1 Step, 2 Step Standard, 2 Step Flex, 2 Step Pro)
No restrictions on holding trades during news events. Purposely trading news = account closure.

Master Account (1 Step, 2 Step Standard, 2 Step Flex, 2 Step Pro)
Trades opened/closed within 5 minutes before/after a high-impact (red folder) news event have their FULL profit deducted, UNLESS the trade was executed 5+ hours before the event.
Speech window: 5 min before speech start to 5 min after speech end.

FundingPips Zero
HARD BREACH if any position is opened/closed/held within 10 minutes before/after a high-impact news event on affected currencies.
Speech window: 10 min before speech start to 10 min after speech end.

Labs 247
Evaluation: news trading is allowed on every instrument.
Master: profits may be deducted from trades opened or closed 5 minutes before or after high-impact news affecting the corresponding currency. For high-impact speeches, the window runs from 10 minutes before the speech begins until 10 minutes after it ends. Trades opened at least 5 hours before the event are exempt.

30 consecutive days without completed trades results in hard breach. Applies to all account types including Master accounts.

• You must close at least one trade every 28 days
• Trade size and duration are irrelevant
• Email warning 3 days before the deadline

• On Demand (2-Step Standard): no single trading day may account for more than 35% of total profit
• Monthly (1 Step Flex, 2-Step Standard, 2-Step Pro, 2-Step Flex): 35% consistency score, reset after each reward
• Bi-Weekly (FundingPips Zero): 15% consistency score; the biggest losing day cannot exceed the biggest winning day
• Bi-Weekly (1 Step Flex and 2-Step Flex): no consistency score
• Profit Concentration Policy: removed for new purchases from 28 September 2026; qualifying legacy accounts retain their existing conditions
• Labs 247: no consistency rule in Evaluation or Master

One Step Light

• Challenge: no Consistency Score requirement
• Simulated Funded Account: Consistency Score ≤40% to qualify for each payout

Consistency Mode: new checkout

• Consistency Score ≤40% across all formats
• Required to pass the challenge and qualify for payouts

Instant accounts from 19 August 2026

• Equity Trailing: ≤30%
• EOD Trailing: ≤25%
• Payout Trailing: ≤20%

Earlier Instant accounts

• Consistency Score ≤25%

Classic / Endurance Simulated Funded Accounts

• Consistency Score ≤50% to qualify for payouts
• Does not apply during challenge stages

1 Step Flex, 2-Step Standard, 2-Step Pro and 2-Step Flex
Evaluation: overnight and weekend holding allowed on all instruments.
Master: overnight and weekend holding require the Swing add-on selected at purchase. Without Swing, positions are automatically closed each trading day; this is not an account breach and does not count as a valid trading day.

FundingPips Zero
Weekend holding is a hard breach on Master accounts. Close all positions before Friday market close, including crypto.

Prime
Weekend holding allowed.

Labs 247
Trading and weekend holding allowed 24/7 in Evaluation and Master.

• Gap trading
• High-frequency trading
• Server spamming
• Latency arbitrage
• Toxic trading flow
• Hedging
• Long-short arbitrage
• Reverse arbitrage
• Tick scalping
• Server execution
• Opposite account trading

• High-frequency trading (HFT)
• Latency tick scalping
• Copying another trader or following signals
• Group trading / coordinated orders
• Account passing services (third parties trading for you)
• Cross-account hedging (same or correlated instruments)
• Account churning (buying many challenges to force a random pass)
• Artificial trades to manipulate rules without genuine intent