Entry price
The initial investment varies greatly depending on whether you prefer a subscription or a one-time payment.
- Hola Prime Futures uses a subscription model for its 1-Step Prime Challenges: $99 for 25K, $159 for 50K, $259 for 100K, and $359 for 150K. These amounts recur every 30 days until you pass. Alternatively, they offer Direct Accounts (instant funding) starting at $348 for 25K up to $998 for 150K.
- Phidias Propfirm offers more complex pricing. Their Express to Live (E2L) 50K costs $278 plus a $149 activation fee. Their Fundamental monthly plans are slightly cheaper at the start (e.g., $164 for 50K) but also require that $149 activation fee once you pass.
- Resets at Phidias Propfirm vary by plan (e.g., $40 for a 50K Fundamental), while Hola Prime Futures does not allow resets on funded accounts; you must buy a new challenge at full price.
What you pay while trading
Operating daily is not free, and commissions eat into your profit margins.
- Hola Prime Futures commissions depend on the platform. On NinjaTrader/Tradovate, you pay $2.88 per side for ES/NQ. If you use WealthCharts, the cost rises to $4.36 per contract. The biggest hidden cost is the professional data fee for Live accounts: $130 per month per exchange, or $520 for the full bundle.
- Phidias Propfirm commissions are more competitive, ranging from $0.74 to $2.92 per side. Market data is free during evaluation and CASH phases (top-of-book). If you need market depth (Level 2), it costs €11 per month per exchange.
- In terms of platforms, Phidias Propfirm offers a massive variety including TradingView and Quantower, whereas Hola Prime Futures is more restricted to NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and WealthCharts.
What mistakes cost you
In prop trading, a mistake often results in the total loss of your initial investment.
- At Hola Prime Futures, the trailing drawdown is based on the end-of-day balance, which is more forgiving than intraday peaks. However, failing to set a Stop Loss in a funded account is a "hard breach" that closes the account instantly, effectively costing you the price of the account.
- Phidias Propfirm offers the ultimate "safety" product: the Express to Live plan features a static drawdown. This means the loss limit never moves up, giving you more room to breathe. In their other plans, the drawdown is also end-of-day.
- Inactivity is also a cost: Hola Prime Futures requires one trade every 7 days, while Phidias Propfirm suspends Live accounts after 30 days of inactivity.
What it costs to get paid
The profit split and withdrawal fees determine how much of your hard work actually reaches your bank account.
- Hola Prime Futures takes a 2.5% fee on every payout, with a minimum of $25 for wires. You are also required to keep a "buffer" because after a payout, your loss floor is fixed at the starting balance. If you withdraw too much and touch that floor, you lose the account. They offer a 90% profit split.
- Phidias Propfirm starts with an 80% split on most plans. However, their Premium plan is designed for loyalty: it starts at 75% but scales up to 100% from the fifth payout onwards.
- Consistency rules act as a "time cost." Hola Prime Futures has a 35-40% consistency rule, while Phidias Propfirm is stricter at 30% for CASH accounts. This means you cannot make all your profit in a single day; you must spread your earnings, which delays your ability to withdraw the full amount.
Where each one hides its cost
- Hola Prime Futures hides its cost in the Live account transition. While the evaluation is cheap, the professional data fees of $130-$520 per month are a heavy burden for a developing trader. Also, the 2.5% payout fee is an ongoing tax on your success.
- Phidias Propfirm hides its cost in the activation fees. You might pay $278 for an account, but you cannot trade the funded phase without paying an additional $83 to $169. Furthermore, their qualifying day requirement (minimum profit of $150-$250 per day) can force you to trade more aggressively than you’d like just to make a day "count" for a payout.
Cheapest for whom
- Hola Prime Futures is the cheapest option for the "speed runner" who can pass an evaluation in a few days and wants to start with a high 90% split immediately, provided they don't mind the high data costs later.
- Phidias Propfirm is the cheapest for the "conservative trader" who values the static drawdown of the Express to Live plan, as it significantly reduces the statistical probability of losing the account (and the entry fee) due to trailing drawdown.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to get a 50K funded account, Hola Prime Futures or Phidias Propfirm?
Hola Prime Futures is cheaper initially, costing $159 for a 1-Step evaluation with no activation fee for the sim-funded phase. Phidias Propfirm costs $278 for its Express to Live 50K plus a $149 activation fee, totaling $427. However, Phidias offers a static drawdown that is much harder to break than the trailing drawdown at Hola Prime.
Which firm has lower commissions for trading Gold (GC), Hola Prime Futures or Phidias Propfirm?
Phidias Propfirm is generally cheaper, with commissions starting at $0.74 per side depending on the platform. Hola Prime Futures charges $3.10 per side for GC on NinjaTrader/Tradovate and $4.80 on WealthCharts, making it significantly more expensive for high-frequency commodity traders.
Between Hola Prime Futures and Phidias Propfirm, which one allows keeping trades open over the weekend?
Only Phidias Propfirm allows this through its Premium plan, which permits both overnight and weekend holding. Hola Prime Futures requires all positions to be closed daily by 15:28 CT, and Phidias also requires daily closure for its Fundamental and Express to Live plans.
Who pays out faster and with fewer fees, Hola Prime Futures or Phidias Propfirm?
Phidias Propfirm is faster, processing 90% of payouts in under 30 minutes with no specific percentage-based withdrawal fee mentioned. Hola Prime Futures takes up to 24 business hours for review plus an additional hour for processing, and they deduct a 2.5% fee from every payout.
