QT Funded: Information and detailed review

The company

QT Funded is a proprietary trading firm established in 2023, headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. The firm is led by CEO Tanswell Sassman and operates within the forex and financial derivatives space. Unlike many firms that outsource their brokerage needs to third-party providers with limited transparency, QT Funded utilizes Quant Tekel as its primary broker, maintaining a close integration between the trading environment and the funding provider.

The firm has established a significant presence in the industry, evidenced by approximately 12,000 Trustpilot reviews, suggesting a high level of user activity and engagement. Their business model focuses on providing diverse capital access solutions, ranging from traditional multi-step evaluations to instant funding models. Structurally, the firm operates under South African jurisdiction, which provides a different regulatory backdrop compared to firms based in typical hubs like St. Vincent and the Grenadines or the UAE.

Evaluation models

QT Funded offers five distinct paths to capital, each designed to cater to different risk appetites and trading styles. Understanding the nuances between these models is critical, as they differ not only in phases but also in their underlying risk mechanics.

QT ONE: The single-step efficiency

The QT ONE model is a one-phase evaluation designed for traders who seek rapid access to a funded account. It features high leverage (1:50) and lacks a minimum trading day requirement during the evaluation phase, meaning a trader could theoretically pass in a single day. However, this speed is balanced by a lower default profit split of 70% and a more complex drawdown structure. It is positioned as a "fast-track" option for experienced traders.

QT TWO: The traditional benchmark

This is a standard two-phase evaluation. It follows the industry-standard logic of proving consistency over two separate stages with different profit targets. It offers a higher profit split of 80% and more relaxed static drawdown rules compared to the one-step model. A key distinction here is the inclusion of news trading restrictions, which are absent in other plans, making this model more suitable for technical traders who avoid high-impact economic events.

QT INSTANT: Direct capital access

The QT INSTANT model bypasses the evaluation process entirely, providing immediate access to a funded account. It is unique in offering a 100% profit split, but this comes with significant hurdles: a mandatory 3% profit buffer must be maintained, and the trader must reach an 8% total profit before the first payout can be requested. This model essentially requires the trader to "earn" their drawdown room before they can withdraw funds.

QT Power and QT 1 Step (BNPL)

• QT Power: A two-step evaluation that focuses on high-volume trading. It distinguishes itself by having no exposure limits once the account is funded, though it requires a substantial $500 activation fee upon passing.
• QT 1 Step (BNPL): A "Buy Now, Pay Later" style model. It offers a lower entry cost but utilizes trailing drawdown mechanics, which are generally considered more difficult to manage than static limits. It also features a profit cap of 5% per cycle, limiting the "explosive" growth potential of the account.

Drawdown and risk management

Risk management at QT Funded is categorized by the type of drawdown applied, which varies significantly between plans. Traders must distinguish between Static, Trailing, and Daily Trailing limits.

Static Drawdown vs. Trailing Drawdown

• Static Drawdown (QT TWO, QT Power, QT ONE): The maximum loss limit is calculated based on the starting balance. For example, on an 8% static limit, the account is breached only if the equity falls below 92% of the initial capital. This provides a "fixed" floor that does not move up as the trader makes profits.
• Trailing Drawdown (QT INSTANT, QT 1 Step): The maximum loss limit "trails" or follows the highest recorded equity or balance. In QT INSTANT, this trailing stop "locks" at the starting balance once a withdrawal is made, effectively becoming static from that point forward.

The Daily Drawdown Recalculation

A critical technical detail is the QT ONE Daily Trailing rule. While most firms use a fixed percentage of the starting balance for daily limits, QT ONE recalculates the 3% limit daily based on the higher of the previous day's closing balance or equity. This means that if a trader has open profitable positions at the end of the day, their daily loss limit for the next day might be tighter than expected, as it "trails" the floating equity.

Exposure and Floating Loss Limits

QT Funded implements strict Maximum Risk Limits on funded accounts:

• 1% Maximum Floating Loss: On QT ONE and QT TWO funded accounts, the total floating loss across all open positions cannot exceed 1% of the account value.
• 75% Exposure Rule: During the evaluation phases of QT TWO and QT Power, traders must keep their total market exposure below 75% of their daily drawdown limit. This is designed to prevent "gambling" or over-leveraging to pass the evaluation quickly.

Trading rules and restrictions

The firm maintains a set of technical restrictions that traders must adhere to, particularly regarding trade execution and strategy.

Mandatory Stop Loss

For QT TWO and QT INSTANT funded accounts, a Stop Loss (SL) is mandatory and must be placed within 60 seconds of opening any trade. Failure to do so is considered a violation. Interestingly, QT ONE does not have this requirement, offering more flexibility for manual traders or certain types of scalpers.

News Trading Policy

The news trading policy is plan-specific.

• Restricted Plans: QT TWO is the only plan with a strict news window. Traders cannot open or close positions 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after high-impact news (CPI, FOMC, NFP, USD PMI).
• Unrestricted Plans: QT ONE, INSTANT, Power, and 1 Step allow trading during news events without penalties.

Strategy Restrictions and EAs

• EA Pre-approval: Expert Advisors (EAs) are permitted but must undergo a pre-approval process. This prevents the use of prohibited "toxic" strategies like high-frequency trading (HFT) or latency arbitrage.
• Position Stacking: On funded accounts, traders are prohibited from having three or more open positions on the same asset simultaneously. This rule forces traders to manage their entries more carefully and prevents "grid" style strategies that stack multiple orders in a small price range.
• Consistency Rule: Several plans (INSTANT, Power, 1 Step) enforce a consistency rule (ranging from 20% to 35%). This means no single trade or single day should account for a disproportionate amount of the total profit, ensuring that the trader’s success is repeatable rather than the result of a single lucky event.

Payouts

The payout structure is one of the most diverse aspects of QT Funded, with frequencies ranging from ultra-short cycles to standard bi-weekly schedules.

Payout Cycles

• 4-Day Cycle: Available for QT ONE and QT INSTANT. This is among the fastest payout frequencies in the industry, allowing traders to realize profits almost twice a week.
• 14-Day Cycle: The standard for QT TWO, QT Power, and the QT 1 Step model.
• 30-Day Cycle: Reserved for promotional or "Bonus" accounts.

Minimum Withdrawal and Profit Caps

The minimum withdrawal is generally 1% of the profit (with a $100 minimum). However, the QT INSTANT plan requires an 8% profit to be reached before the first request, as 3% of that must remain in the account as a risk buffer. Traders should also be aware of the Profit Cap on specific plans. QT TWO and QT 1 Step limit the amount of profit that can be carried over to the next cycle to 5%. Any profit exceeding this cap is removed from the account balance before the new cycle begins, which prevents the compounding of account size within a single funding tier.

Platforms, assets and limitations

Technology and Execution

QT Funded provides access to the markets through three primary platforms: MetaTrader 5 (MT5), cTrader, and TradeLocker. This variety allows traders to choose between the industrial standard (MT5), a more modern UI (cTrader), or a web-centric experience (TradeLocker).

• Assets: Traders can operate in Forex, Commodities, Indices, and Crypto.
• Leverage: Varies significantly by asset class, with 50:1 on Forex but significantly lower on others (e.g., 1:1 on Crypto and 20:1 on Indices).
• Commissions: A flat rate of $4 per lot is applied across most instruments, though a "commission-free" option exists for specific account configurations.

Geographic Restrictions

Due to regulatory and compliance reasons, QT Funded does not accept clients from:

• Cyprus
• Iran
• North Korea
• Sudan
• Syria
• Russia

Summary: who this firm suits

QT Funded is a firm that offers a high degree of specialization through its various account models. It does not follow a "one size fits all" approach, which means traders must be diligent in selecting the plan that aligns with their strategy.

Ideal Trader Profiles

• The News Trader: Would find the QT ONE or QT Power plans attractive, as they lack the restrictive news windows found in the QT TWO model.
• The High-Frequency/Manual Scalper: Might prefer QT ONE due to the lack of a mandatory stop-loss rule and the 4-day payout cycle.
• The Capital-Focused Professional: The QT INSTANT 100% profit split is highly competitive for those who can manage the initial 3% buffer requirement.
• The Conservative Technical Trader: The QT TWO plan offers a familiar two-step structure with static drawdown, which is easier to manage for long-term swing or day trading.

Key Considerations

• Positive Highlights: Very fast payout cycles (4 days) on certain plans, 100% profit split option, and high leverage on forex.
• Critical Limitations: The 1% maximum floating loss rule on funded accounts is quite restrictive and requires very tight risk management. The EA pre-approval process and the 60-second SL rule on specific plans add operational layers that may not suit all automated strategies.

In conclusion, QT Funded provides a robust infrastructure for traders who are disciplined with their floating risk and value frequent access to their earned profits.