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Comparison · Futures

Platforms and execution: Hola Prime Futures vs IQ Capital Futures

Operating in the futures market requires a technical infrastructure that balances execution speed with rigorous risk control. Both Hola Prime Futures and IQ Capital Futures offer professional environments, but they differ significantly in their software ecosystems and how they manage the trader's margin.

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Where you trade

The choice of platform determines the analytical tools at your disposal. IQ Capital Futures offers a broader range of options, including TradingView, ATAS, Quantower, Deepchart, NinjaTrader, and Tradovate. This allows traders to use specialized order flow tools (ATAS) or more accessible web interfaces.

Hola Prime Futures focuses its ecosystem on three main pillars: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and WealthCharts. While it has fewer options, these platforms are industry standards for futures, ensuring a robust environment for technical analysis and execution.

Who executes your orders

The technical backbone of IQ Capital Futures is powered by dxFeed, which acts as the primary data provider and bridge for many of its accounts. This ensures professional-grade data feeds for CME instruments. Hola Prime Futures utilizes the native connectivity of Tradovate and NinjaTrader to route orders, providing a standard institutional-style simulation that mimics live market behavior.

Leverage and margin

Risk management in these firms is governed by the "Drawdown" and specific loss limits that act as a technical margin call.

  • Drawdown: Both firms use EOD (End of Day) trailing drawdown. This means the loss threshold only updates based on the balance at the close of the trading day, ignoring intraday unrealized profit peaks. In Hola Prime Futures, the floor locks at the starting balance after reaching the drawdown distance. In IQ Capital Futures, it locks at the initial balance upon reaching it or after the first payout.
  • Risk Limits: Hola Prime Futures implements a maximum risk limit of 2% of the initial balance per trade idea in funded accounts. IQ Capital Futures has specific "Position Loss" plans that limit total risk per market to 1% in evaluation and 0.5% in funded phases; exceeding this results in a soft or hard breach depending on the instance.
  • Daily Loss: Hola Prime only applies a daily limit to its Direct accounts (2.5%). IQ Capital includes daily loss limits in its Core Daily Loss and Rapid plans.

Markets available

Traders in both firms have access to the main CME groups:

  • Hola Prime Futures: Provides a detailed list including Equity Indices (ES, NQ, RTY), Currencies (6E, 6B), Metals (GC, SI), Energy (CL, NG), Agriculture, Crypto (MBT, MET), and Interest Rates.
  • IQ Capital Futures: Offers a similar range of Futures covering Indices, Commodities, and Crypto, though the specific instrument list depends on the chosen platform and data plan (dxFeed or Tradovate).

What the setup lets you do

The technical environment and rules dictate your trading style:

  • Scalping: IQ Capital is more permissive with high-frequency styles but enforces a 15-second rule for payouts: at least 50% of trades and profits must come from positions held longer than 15 seconds. Hola Prime prohibits systematic "tick scalping" and suggests a 3-minute guideline, though it is not a rigid minimum for every single trade.
  • Automation: IQ Capital allows self-developed or transparent EAs where the trader has full control over the logic. Hola Prime strictly prohibits bots and any form of automation.
  • News and Holding: Both allow news trading. However, neither allows holding positions over the weekend or overnight; all positions must be closed before the daily market halt (around 15:30 CT).

What the setup costs

The cost of execution includes the entry price and commissions:

  • Commissions: Hola Prime charges $2.88 per side for minis like ES/NQ on Tradovate. IQ Capital costs vary: $2.00 per side for minis via dxFeed and $2.88 via Tradovate.
  • Entry Model: Hola Prime uses a monthly subscription model for evaluations (e.g., $159 for a 50K plan) with no monthly fees once funded. IQ Capital offers one-time evaluation fees (e.g., $195 for 50K Core) but requires an activation fee for funded accounts (e.g., $129).
  • Payouts: Hola Prime has a 2.5% payout fee and strict withdrawal caps during the first cycles. IQ Capital does not publish a minimum withdrawal but limits requests to 50% of profits per request before the split.

Better setup for

  • Hola Prime Futures is the better setup for discretionary intraday traders who prefer a subscription-based evaluation and a high profit split (90%) without the need for automated tools.
  • IQ Capital Futures is the better setup for technical traders and EA developers who need specific platforms like TradingView or ATAS and want the flexibility of a $9 Welcome offer or rapid payout cycles.

Frequently asked questions

Which firm is more affordable to start with, Hola Prime Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

IQ Capital Futures is significantly more affordable for beginners thanks to its Welcome Offer, which allows access to a $50,000 evaluation for just $9. In contrast, the smallest evaluation at Hola Prime Futures is the $25,000 plan, which costs $99 per month. However, IQ Capital requires an activation fee of $129 to $149 once the evaluation is passed, while Hola Prime does not charge a monthly membership once the trader is in the sim-funded phase.

Which firm allows the use of EAs, Hola Prime Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

IQ Capital Futures allows the use of Expert Advisors (EAs) as long as they are self-developed or transparent systems where the trader has full logic control. It prohibits commercial "black-box" bots. On the other hand, Hola Prime Futures strictly prohibits all forms of bots and partial or full automation, making it a firm exclusively for manual discretionary trading.

Which firm has a more flexible scalping policy, Hola Prime Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

IQ Capital Futures provides a more technical and objective rule for scalpers: the 15-second rule, which requires that at least half of the trades and profits come from positions held longer than 15 seconds to be eligible for payouts. Hola Prime Futures does not have a universal minimum holding time but prohibits systematic patterns of trades under 3 minutes if they lack a clear strategy, which can be more subjective for the trader.

Which firm offers faster payouts, Hola Prime Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

IQ Capital Futures offers faster potential payouts through its Rapid Daily plan, which allows for payout requests after just one active session. Even their standard Rapid 3D plan requires only 3 sessions. Hola Prime Futures requires a minimum of five profitable days (with specific minimum profit targets per day) within every seven-calendar-day payout cycle, making the withdrawal process slightly slower and more dependent on consistency targets.

Field by field

Hola Prime Futures and IQ Capital Futures, side by side

Rules, plans, platforms, leverage, commissions and payouts of both, with the option to see only what differs.

Head to head

45 differences

80%off · Exclusive
Headquarters

L1, Shaw House, 201 Wan Po Road, Tseung Kwan O

Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

CEO

Somesh Kapuria

Christoph Radecker

Country

Hong Kong

Saint Lucia

Foundation

2024

No data
Banned Countries
Afghanistan, Belarus, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Cuba, North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Mali, Moldova, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
AF, BY, CF, CU, CD, ER, IR, IQ, LY, ML, MM, NI, KP, RU, SO, SS, SD, SY, VE, YE
Assets
Futures
Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Futures
Payout Fee

2.5% per payout. Minimum fee: USD 25 for bank wire or Rise; USD 5 for crypto.

No data
Platforms
NinjaTrader, Tradovate, WealthCharts
Deepchart, ATAS, Quantower, Tradovate, Tradingview, NinjaTrader
Payout Methods
Crypto, Transfer, Rise
Transfer, Crypto
Live Account
Yes

By risk-team invitation; the transition cannot be requested or declined. Eligibility reference: at least ten payouts totaling USD 50,000, with possible earlier invitations. One live account per trader. At most 15% of the sim funded account size transfers; excess profit does not carry over. Paid professional data required.

Limited

Elite trades real capital by risk-team invitation; standard Funded accounts use simulated capital.

Payment Methods
Card, Crypto
Card, Crypto
Payout Frequency

Prime and Direct sim funded: every seven calendar days from the first trade of the cycle; after a payout the next trade starts a new cycle. Live: daily requests.

Core and Instant: every 10 active sessions. Rapid Daily: after one session; Rapid Futures 3D: every 3 sessions. Rapid closes after the fifth payout.

Payout Guarantee

Processing within one hour of an eligible request, following a prior review of up to 24 business hours. Business days only; KYC or incomplete details may cause delays.

The website advertises processing within 48 hours or a 100% split on that payout. Bank transfer or USDC ERC-20 according to the help center.

Maximum Withdrawal

Prime and Direct sim funded payout caps, ordered first / second / third / fourth and subsequent:

  • 25K: USD 1,000 / 1,250 / 1,500 / 2,000.
  • 50K: USD 1,500 / 2,000 / 2,500 / 3,000.
  • 100K: USD 2,000 / 2,500 / 3,000 / 4,000.
  • 150K: USD 2,500 / 3,000 / 4,000 / 5,000.

Up to 50% of profits per request, before the split. Core/Instant 50K: $1,500/$2,000/$2,500 for payouts 1-2/3-4/5+; 100K: $2,000/$2,500/$3,000. Rapid Daily 50K: $1,000 for the first two, then $1,500; 100K: $1,500/$2,000. Rapid 3D 50K: $2,000; 100K: $2,000 for the first two, then $3,000. After the first payout, new profits of at least 50% of the next requested amount are required.

Minimum Withdrawal

Prime and Direct sim funded, by size: 25K, USD 250; 50K, USD 500; 100K, USD 1,000; 150K, USD 1,500. Rise requires at least USD 500 of the trader share. Live: USD 500 including the firm share.

No published minimum.

Other Payout Requirements

KYC, agreement and interview before the first payout; account review for every request and further checks when required. After a payout the loss floor becomes the starting balance: retain enough profit to avoid touching it. Consistency resets even after a partial payout.

No data
Brokers
No data
dxFeed
Commission
No data

Per contract per side: dxFeed $0.75 micro / $2 mini; Tradovate $0.80 / $2.88. CME L1 included; other exchanges and L2 cost extra. Tradovate is limited to DLL accounts; evaluations cannot migrate.

Account Reset

Failed challenges can be repurchased at any time. Funded accounts cannot be reset.

Limited

Evaluation resets and up to two funded or Instant resets. Help articles exclude promotional accounts from resets, although the Welcome Futures checkout displays a reset price. Confirm before purchasing a Welcome reset.

Instant
Yes

Direct Account: funded access without any evaluation phase.

Yes
One Step
Yes

1-Step Prime Challenge: single-phase evaluation with a profit target and consistency requirement.

Yes
Account scaling
Limited

Live program: whenever accumulated profit reaches 100% of the reference balance, the account grows by 10%. Payouts count toward profit and eligibility is reviewed on payout requests. The Forex scaling ladder does not automatically apply to Futures sim funded.

Limited

Discretionary invitation to Elite with real capital and individual limits. The website also advertises a waiting list; automatic scaling is not guaranteed.

Max Drawdown

Evaluation and sim funded: trails the highest end-of-day balance, not intraday unrealized peaks. It only rises and locks at the starting balance after earning the drawdown distance. A payout fixes the floor at the starting balance even if it had not locked yet. Touching it with balance or equity closes the account.

EOD trailing: the threshold follows the highest closing value and never decreases. It locks at the initial balance when reached or after the first payout. Subsequent loss room consists of the profits left in the account.

Profit Split

Each product split is listed in its challenge. The live program has its own split and starting-balance release requirements.

No data
Free Trial
No
No
Daily Drawdown

Prime evaluation and sim funded: no daily cap. Direct: based on the previous closing balance; reaching it closes positions and pauses trading until the next day, without terminating the account for that isolated event. Maximum-loss breaches still terminate the account.

Core DLL and funded Rapid Daily: the checkout specifies one soft closure and account termination on the second breach. Older Core DLL articles still describe an immediate hard breach.

Max Allocation

Combined sim funded and Direct: up to USD 500,000 or five accounts, whichever comes first. Combined Forex and Futures: USD 800,000. One live account may additionally be held.

No data
Mandatory buffer
Limited

After a payout the balance must stay above the starting balance, which becomes the loss floor. Withdrawing all profit would leave no room above that limit.

No data
Maximum Accounts

At most five sim funded or Direct accounts, subject to total allocation; one additional live account. Unlimited evaluation purchases.

Core and Instant: up to 10 funded accounts. Rapid: up to 5. One Welcome account per user. Unlimited evaluations; passed accounts can wait for an activation slot. Futures limits are separate from CFD/crypto limits.

Merge Accounts
No
No data
Maximum Trading Days

Unlimited on all plans.

New purchases: 90-day evaluation; Instant accounts have no expiry. No monthly renewal fees for purchases from 22 October 2026 at 18:00. Older accounts retain their renewal terms.

Minimum Trading Days

None on any plan.

Core: no minimum evaluation days. Rapid: the help center specifies 3 evaluation days and consistency.

Funded Phase Pricing Model

Sim funded: no monthly membership fee; Level 1 data included. Live: professional data, USD 130 per exchange per month or USD 520 for all four, without proration.

No data
Minimum Profitable Days

Prime sim funded: five non-consecutive profitable days in every payout cycle, not only the first. Minimum daily profit: 25K, USD 100; 50K, USD 150; 100K, USD 200; 150K, USD 250. Direct has no profitable-day minimum.

No data
Position size scaling
No

Size-based limits are listed on each challenge. Standard mini:micro ratio is 1:10; Micro Silver has double weighting, and MBT/MET count as minis. No progressive sim funded contract-scaling plan is documented. Live has separate limits.

No data
Evaluation Phase Pricing Model

1-Step Prime is a subscription that renews automatically every 30 days until passing or cancellation. It cannot be paused. Cancellation loses progress and returning requires a new purchase.

No data
Expert Advisor (EA)
No
Limited

Only self-developed or transparent systems with full source access and control over their logic. No commercial black-box bots, HFT or arbitrage.

VPN
Limited

Legitimate connections and VPNs outside restricted countries are permitted. Own devices only; travel may require verification. Device or identity sharing may close all accounts.

Limited

Allowed for security or connectivity, never to conceal identity or bypass restrictions.

Requires Stop Loss
Limited

Stop losses required in sim funded and Direct; without one, a trade is treated as unlimited risk. The per-idea risk rule does not apply during evaluation. No fixed three-minute stop-placement deadline is documented here.

No data
Scalping
Limited

There is no universal minimum holding time. A systematic pattern of sub-three-minute trades without a plan, tick scalping, HFT or latency exploitation is prohibited.

Limited

No HFT or tick scalping. Payouts require the 15-second rule: at least half of trades and profits must come from trades exceeding that threshold, as described in payout help.

Maximum Risk Limit
Yes

Sim funded and Direct: 2% of the initial balance per idea on Tradovate, NinjaTrader and WealthCharts; legacy DX Futures accounts use 1%. Not applicable during evaluation. Overlapping positions and same-asset, same-direction re-entries within ten minutes are combined.

Limited

Position Loss plans aggregate all trades in the same market, including fees, spread and slippage. Limit: 1% in evaluation and 0.5% funded/Instant. Two soft closures; the third breach ends the account. Rapid Futures does not use this limit.

Copy Trading
Limited

Only own Hola Prime challenge or sim funded accounts within the same environment. The lead must have the lowest contract limit. Third-party copiers are used at the trader responsibility; external or other-person accounts cannot be copied.

No
News Trading
Yes
Yes
Inactivity Rule
Yes

Evaluation and sim funded: complete at least one round-trip trade within each seven-day period. Live: suspension after 30 calendar days; opening or closing a trade counts as activity.

Closure after 8 calendar days without trading. Opening or closing a trade resets the timer; an open position pauses it.

Consistency Rule
Limited

1-Step Prime Challenge: 40%. Prime funded account: 35%. Direct Account: 20%.

Limited

Core: 30% funded and Instant, none during evaluation. Rapid: 40% during evaluation; none for funded Rapid Daily. Rapid Futures 3D: 40% per funded cycle. Resets after each payout.

Hold Weekend
No
No
Prohibited Strategies

Bots and partial or full automation; tick scalping and HFT; arbitrage, latency, errors and low-liquidity exploitation; grid, overexposure, account rolling and unsupported bets; copying external or other-person accounts; cross-account hedging; shared accounts or devices; unjustified strategy or contract-size changes to manipulate evaluations or payouts. Trading within 2% of a CME price limit is prohibited. Violations may forfeit profits and terminate accounts.

Latency arbitrage, price or platform manipulation, spoofing/layering, bug exploitation, copying/external signals, third-party management, account sharing, multiple identities and excessive exposure.

Overnight positions
No

Close daily before 15:30 CT; the trader must be flat by 15:28 CT without relying on risk-team flattening. Observe earlier agricultural and holiday closes. Sunday-evening to Monday trading belongs to one session and is permitted.

No
Hedging
No data
No
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