Time limits
Neither firm imposes a traditional maximum time limit to pass their evaluations, but they both use inactivity rules to restrict how long you can step away from the markets.
- Hola Prime: You cannot leave your account inactive for more than 30 consecutive calendar days. Failing to open a trade within this window results in a hard breach and total account loss. Additionally, you are forced to trade for at least 2 to 3 days (depending on the challenge) before you are allowed to move to the next phase.
- Orion Funded: While they don't publish a specific day count for inactivity in the core data, they reserve the right to close accounts due to "prolonged inactivity." You are also prohibited from passing quickly on Standard, Swing, or Select plans, as they require a minimum of 4 trading days.
Weekends and news
Trading freedom is heavily restricted during high-volatility events and market closes, especially on specific account types.
- Hola Prime: On Pro and Direct accounts, you are forbidden from opening or closing trades 5 minutes before and after high-impact news. Violating this on Direct results in immediate termination. Furthermore, you cannot hold positions over the weekend on these accounts; you must close everything by Friday 15:45 EST or face automatic closure (Pro) or account loss (Direct).
- Orion Funded: You are not allowed to trade news on Nova, Standard, or Select funded accounts within a 2-minute window. On Zero accounts, while not strictly prohibited, you are penalized with a reduced 50% profit split for any trade executed within 5 minutes of the news. Unlike its competitor, Orion is less restrictive regarding weekends, generally allowing you to hold positions.
Where you can trade from
Both firms maintain long lists of excluded jurisdictions, limiting global access.
- Hola Prime: You cannot trade from 31 banned countries, including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, India, Iran, Russia, and Vietnam. Furthermore, if you are using MT5, you are prohibited from accessing the platform via a US IP address. Your IP must always match your registered KYC country.
- Orion Funded: You are restricted from joining if you reside in the United Arab Emirates (despite their HQ being there), North Korea, Syria, Iran, Vietnam, or Indonesia, among others (23 countries in total).
What the platform limits
Technical environments and trading styles are restricted to prevent specific strategies and keep traders within certain tools.
- Hola Prime: You cannot use Expert Advisors (EAs) on Direct accounts or on platforms other than MT5. Even on MT5, you are charged a 10% surcharge on your initial fee to enable EA trading. You are also prohibited from using a VPS for manual trading; it is only allowed for EAs with a dedicated static IP.
- Orion Funded: You are forbidden from using HFT (High-Frequency Trading), tick scalping, or latency arbitrage. While EAs are allowed, you cannot use third-party "off-the-shelf" EAs or signal services; the strategy must be your own original work.
What the rules cost you
The financial structure of both firms limits your potential earnings and your ability to manage capital freely.
- Hola Prime: You cannot withdraw your money for free; there is a 2.5% fee per payout (minimum $25 for wires). You are also limited by a mandatory Stop Loss on funded accounts; failing to set one is treated as "unlimited risk" and can lead to closure. Your risk is capped at 2% per trading "idea," not per ticket, which limits how you can scale into positions.
- Orion Funded: You cannot withdraw less than $100. For Nova accounts, while the initial price is a symbolic $7, you are hit with a heavy activation fee after passing (e.g., $669 for a 100K account), which significantly limits the number of attempts a trader can afford. Their drawdown is also tighter on certain plans, like the Select model, which limits you to a 5% total loss.
Restrictions that add up
The combined weight of these rules creates a high-pressure environment. At Hola Prime, the 30-day inactivity rule combined with the mandatory Stop Loss and the 2% risk-per-idea limit forces a very specific, rigid trading style that leaves no room for error or long-term "set and forget" strategies. On the other hand, Orion Funded’s low entry price for Nova accounts is offset by the massive activation fee and news restrictions, meaning a single mistake during a high-impact event could waste a significant financial investment made after the evaluation is already finished.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper for a 100K account, Hola Prime or Orion Funded?
Hola Prime is generally more transparent upfront, with its 1-Step Prime 100K costing $579. Orion Funded offers a "Nova" account for only $7, but you cannot actually use the funded account without paying a $669 activation fee, making the total cost $676. For a 2-Step 100K, Hola Prime Prime costs $569 while Orion Standard costs $629.
Which firm has more restrictive news trading rules, Hola Prime or Orion Funded?
Hola Prime is more restrictive for its Pro and Direct accounts, imposing a 5-minute window before and after news where trading is prohibited, with account closure as a penalty for Direct users. Orion Funded uses a shorter 2-minute window for its Nova, Standard, and Select accounts, although it penalizes Zero account traders by taking 50% of their profits if they trade within 5 minutes of a news event.
Can I use EAs more freely on Hola Prime or Orion Funded?
Orion Funded is less restrictive as it allows EAs across its platforms without an extra fee, provided the strategy is your own. Hola Prime limits EAs strictly to the MT5 platform, prohibits them entirely on Direct accounts, and forces you to pay an additional 10% on top of your evaluation fee just to have the "add-on" enabled.
Who pays out faster and with fewer fees, Hola Prime or Orion Funded?
Orion Funded is more favorable for withdrawals because it does not charge the 2.5% fee that Hola Prime imposes on every payout. While both allow payouts every 14 days, Orion provides a 48-hour processing guarantee (refunding the fee if late), whereas Hola Prime processes within one hour only after a review that can take up to 24 business hours.
