Scalping and Intraday Trading
Both firms allow scalping, but the execution rules differ significantly, affecting how high-frequency traders operate.
- Execution Rules: Funding Traders has no minimum hold time for trades, making it ideal for pure scalpers. Hyperticks, however, requires all trades to remain open for at least 2 minutes; closing trades earlier is considered a violation of prohibited strategies.
- Risk Limits: Funding Traders applies a 2% maximum risk per "trade idea" (grouping trades in the same symbol) on Pro accounts. Hyperticks uses a maximum floating loss rule; a first violation reduces your profit split to 45%, and a second results in account termination.
- Platforms: Scalpers at Funding Traders use MT5 or TradeLocker. Hyperticks traders have access to professional order-flow tools like DeepDOM and Volumetrica, which are superior for reading tape but require a higher learning curve.
- Costs: Funding Traders is generally cheaper for entry-level scalpers ($49 for $5k vs $78-$90 at Hyperticks).
Swing Trading
Holding positions over several days or weeks is supported by both firms, though leverage and drawdown types are the main considerations.
- Weekend Holding: Both firms permit holding positions over the weekend across all account types. Funding Traders specifically mentions that crypto can be held as well, while Hyperticks notes that the trader assumes all gap risks.
- Drawdown Impact: Funding Traders offers static drawdown on its "2-Step Pro" accounts (6% or 10%), which is highly beneficial for swing traders as the limit doesn't move up with profits. Hyperticks primarily uses trailing drawdown (EOD or Intraday), which can "lock" and reduce the available breathing room as the account grows.
- Leverage: Funding Traders offers 1:50 on Forex. Hyperticks also provides 1:50 across Forex, Crypto, and Metals, maintaining consistency for long-term position sizing.
News Trading
Trading high-impact events is allowed with specific limitations that vary between the evaluation and funded stages.
- Evaluation Phase: Both firms allow unrestricted news trading during the challenge phases.
- Funded Phase (Pro/Standard): Funding Traders limits news profits to 30% of the total gain. Trades must be held for 5+ hours to avoid being flagged as "News Trades" if they are open during the 10-minute window (5 mins before/after). Hyperticks prohibits opening new positions during this same 10-minute window on funded accounts, although existing positions can remain open.
- Instant Funding Differences: At Funding Traders, news trading is prohibited on Instant accounts unless the "Hold Through News" add-on (15% cost) is purchased. Without it, having an open trade during news results in account termination.
Automated Trading (EAs)
The use of Expert Advisors is permitted but subject to strict "originality" and "logic" rules.
- Funding Traders: EAs are allowed ONLY if they are for risk management (calculators) or developed personally by the trader. Off-the-shelf or "plug-and-play" EAs bought online are strictly prohibited.
- Hyperticks: EAs are allowed as long as they comply with the 2-minute minimum hold rule and avoid prohibited strategies like grid or martingale.
- Prohibited Strategies: Both firms ban grid trading (FT defines it as 3+ positions in the same direction), hedging, and latency arbitrage. Hyperticks also explicitly bans "layering" or stacking orders to manipulate position size.
Copy Trading
Copying trades is a viable style for those managing multiple accounts, but external signals are restricted.
- Internal Copying: Both firms allow you to copy trades between your own accounts within their respective firms.
- External Copying: Funding Traders allows you to copy from your own accounts at other brokers into your Funding Traders account. Hyperticks allows copying from other prop firms via a specialized web-platform login using an OTP code.
- Restrictions: Both firms strictly prohibit copying signals from third-party providers or other traders. This is a common ground to ensure the trader is the one generating the performance.
If you trade like this
- The Pure Scalper: Choose Funding Traders because they do not have the 2-minute minimum hold rule found in Hyperticks.
- The Order Flow Specialist: Choose Hyperticks to access professional platforms like ATAS and Volumetrica.
- The Conservative Swing Trader: Choose Funding Traders for their static drawdown options (Pro6 and Pro10), which provide more security than trailing drawdowns.
- The Multi-Prop User: Choose Hyperticks due to their integrated system for linking accounts from other firms via OTP.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start a $100,000 challenge, Funding Traders or Hyperticks?
Funding Traders is significantly cheaper for a $100,000 evaluation. Their 2-Step Pro6 account costs $419, while the Hyperticks 2-Step Fast costs $698. Even the 1-Step accounts show a gap: Funding Traders charges $539 compared to Hyperticks' $798 for the same $100k balance.
Who has more restrictive rules for News Trading on funded accounts, Funding Traders or Hyperticks?
Hyperticks is more restrictive for funded traders because it strictly prohibits opening or closing positions during the 10-minute window (5 minutes before and after) of high-impact news. Funding Traders allows news trading on Pro accounts but caps the profit from those trades at 30% of the total, which offers more flexibility for accidental news exposure.
Can I use a purchased EA on both Funding Traders and Hyperticks?
No. Funding Traders strictly prohibits "off-the-shelf" EAs purchased or downloaded online; you can only use EAs you have developed personally or those used solely for risk management. Hyperticks is slightly more lenient as long as the EA follows the 2-minute hold rule and doesn't use banned strategies like grid or martingale, but they still monitor for identical trading patterns across different users.
Which firm allows for faster payouts, Funding Traders or Hyperticks?
Hyperticks offers faster potential payouts through its "On Demand" system, provided you have met the minimum qualifying days (usually 5 to 10 days depending on the plan). Funding Traders has a more rigid schedule: 21 days for the first payout on Pro accounts (reducible to 14 days with an add-on) and 7 days for Instant accounts.
