At a glance

Category winners across the firms you picked

Cheapest to start

TradeDay

$59 true cost

Highest rated

IQ Capital

4.7 / 5 trader rating

Fastest payout

TradeDay

On demand

The bottom line

TradeDay is the cheaper way in at $59 true cost versus $135 for IQ Capital. IQ Capital has the stronger reputation with a 4.7/5 trader rating.

Accounts compared here

True cost here means the initial account fee plus activation after the displayed promotion. It excludes renewals, resets, taxes and optional charges. Open each account for its billing terms, evaluation rules and funded payout requirements; a lower entry cost does not guarantee a payout.

53 of 61 metrics differ

IQ Capital4.7Details

TradeDay4.6Details

Side-by-side comparison of IQ Capital, TradeDay
	IQ Capital$50K	TradeDay$50K
Account Pricing
Price	$135$67580% OFF	Best value: $59$13155% OFF
Activation Fee	None	None
True Cost	$135after discount + activation	Best value: $59after discount + activation
Reset Fee	Not published	$59
Current Promotion	LUMI: $135.00 initial fee	LUMI: $59.00 initial fee
Evaluation Phase
Profit Target	Not published	$3,0006.0% of account
Max Drawdown	Not published	$2,000
Drawdown Type	Not published	Intraday
Daily Loss Limit	Not published	None
Max Position Size	Not published	5 contracts
Consistency Rule	Not published	30%
Funded Phase
Max Drawdown	$2,000	$2,000
Drawdown Type	End of Day	Intraday
Daily Loss Limit	$1,000	Best value: None
Max Payout/Cycle	$1,500Min: Not published	Not published
Consistency Rule	No	No
Value MetricsDerived from price, discount, targets and payout caps — fewer breakeven cycles and higher first-cycle ROI mean the account pays for itself faster.
Breakeven Winning Cycles	1 cycle	1 cycle
Max First-Cycle ROI	641%	—
Target : Drawdown	—	1.50lower = easier to pass
Company Info
Established	Not published	2020
CEO	Christoph Radecker	James Thorpe
Country	Saint Lucia	United States
Trader Rating	Best value: 4.7	4.6
Features
Allows Scaling	No	Yes
Daily Payouts	Yes	Yes
1-Day Pass	Yes	No
KYC Required	Required	Required
Trading
Instruments	Not published	ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, RTY, M2K, NKD, YM +33 more
Evaluation Types	1-step, Instant funding	1-step
Platforms	Quantower, ATAS, DeepCharts +11 more	Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView +15 more
Max Funding	—	$150,000
Profit Split	80%	Not published
Max Accounts	Not published funded · Unlimited evaluation	5 funded · 10 evaluation
Trading Rules
Scalping	Restricted	Allowed
Payouts
Payout Frequency	Every 1 trading days	On demand
Min Payout	Not published	$250
Payout Methods	USDC (ERC-20), Bank transfer	US bank wire — free, International bank wire — $15 per withdrawal +2 more
Payout StructureHow money actually leaves the account: what you must do to qualify, how much each payout may be, and when the cap stops applying.
Payout cadence	Every 1 trading days	On demand
Eligibility	1 trading days · profit above buffer	1 trading days
Payout cap	$1,000 (#1-#2) → $1,500 (#3-#5)	Not published
Payout limit	5 payouts	Unlimited
Safety-net buffer	Not published	None
Scaling	Not published	None
Activation fee	None	None
Evaluation TermsThe shape of the challenge itself, including where the consistency rule applies — an evaluation-only rule and one that binds for the life of the account are very different obligations.
Evaluation type	1-step	1-step
Time limit	Not published	None
Min trading days	Not published	5
Fastest possible pass	Not published	5 days
Resets	Not published	Allowed
Consistency rule	Not published	30%
Consistency applies to	Not published	Evaluation only
What You May TradeEach firm's own position on the strategies traders get breached for, with its published qualification. A restriction is not the same as a ban.
News trading	✓ AllowedNo additional news blackout window is published.	! RestrictedOnly a named tier-1 list is off limits, and the platform enforces it rather than failing the trader…
Weekend holding	! RestrictedProhibited for Futures.…	? Not publishedNo weekend-specific rule is published; it follows from the absolute daily-close rule, which admits no exception for a…
Overnight holding	! RestrictedFutures must close daily; CFD/Crypto may hold overnight.	✓ AllowedExplicitly permitted inside a session, which runs overnight: “Trading generally resumes after 5 pm CT.”…
Bots & automation	? Not publishedHelp articles allow transparent, trader-controlled systems, but the Terms of Use prohibit automated trading tools.…	! RestrictedA trader’s own automation is allowed on supported platforms, bought automation is not, and there is no API…
High-frequency trading	✗ Not allowed	✗ Not allowedBanned with a published numeric threshold, unusually: “Using automated trading systems designed to scalp at an”…
Dollar-cost averaging	? Not publishedA separate dollar-cost-averaging policy was not found; combined positions remain subject to per-market loss limits.	? Not publishedOnly legitimate scaling and staged entries at different price levels are explicitly permitted by the order-splitting…
Hedging	! RestrictedAllowed only within a CFD/Crypto hedging account.…	? Not publishedBanned in both the multiple-accounts article and the prohibited-practices list, with the same cross-account definition:…
Copy trading	✗ Not allowedCopying, external signals, account sharing and third-party account management are prohibited.	! RestrictedAllowed only into TradeDay accounts and only between Funded Sim accounts, never across the sim/live line…
Microscalping	! RestrictedAt least 50% of trades and at least 50% of profits must come from positions held longer than 15 seconds.…	? Not publishedDefined but not numerically bounded, and enforced by review rather than by an automatic breach…
VPN	! RestrictedAllowed for security or connectivity, never to hide identity or bypass jurisdiction restrictions.	✗ Not allowedVPS is barred outright and IP masking must be switched off on demand: “TradeDay does not allow the use of virtual”…

IQ Capital vs TradeDay: Full Comparison

IQ Capital, based in LC, and TradeDay, founded in 2020, based in US, are both popular choices among futures and crypto and forex prop traders. IQ Capital offers up to not published in funding, while TradeDay provides up to $150,000 across 5 accounts. Both firms support Quantower, ATAS, Tradovate and 2 more platforms.

The verdict

TradeDay is the cheaper way in at $59 true cost versus $135 for IQ Capital. IQ Capital has the stronger reputation with a 4.7/5 trader rating. True cost compares IQ Capital's $50,000 Futures Rapid Daily (1D) account with TradeDay's $50,000 QuickPay Intraday account, after current discounts and activation fees.

Key statistics for IQ Capital and TradeDay
Feature	IQ Capital	TradeDay
Profit Split	80%	Not published
Trader rating	4.7/5	4.6/5
Max Funding	not published	$150,000
Entry cost (cheapest account)	$135	$45
True Cost (selected account)	$135 · $50,000	$59 · $50,000
Max Drawdown (selected account)	$2,000	$2,000
Daily Loss Limit (selected account)	$1,000	None
Largest Account	$200,000	$150,000
Payout Frequency	Every 1 trading days	On demand
Trading days per payout cycle (selected account)	1 trading day	1 trading day
Evaluation Type	1-step, Instant funding	1-step
Platforms	14	18
Discount	up to 80% off	up to 55% off

Where IQ Capital Wins

+Higher trader rating (4.7 vs 4.6)
+One-day pass available
+Bigger current discount (up to 80% vs up to 55%)

Read the full IQ Capital review for rules, pricing tiers and payout details.

Where TradeDay Wins

+Lower entry cost on its cheapest account, a $25,000 ($45 vs $135 for a $50,000)
+More platform options (18 vs 14)

Read the full TradeDay review for rules, pricing tiers and payout details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between IQ Capital and TradeDay?

IQ Capital offers a 80% profit split with 1-step/Instant funding evaluation, while TradeDay does not publish the profit split for the selected account. IQ Capital supports 14 trading platforms and TradeDay supports 18. IQ Capital has a trader rating of 4.7/5 compared to TradeDay's 4.6/5.

Which is cheaper, IQ Capital or TradeDay?

TradeDay is cheaper to enter: $59 all-in for a $50,000 account, against $135 for IQ Capital's $50,000 account. Both figures are after the current discount and include the activation fee. Entry cost excludes renewals, resets, taxes and optional charges; it is not the total cost of reaching a payout. Both firms offer discounts — IQ Capital at up to 80% off and TradeDay at up to 55% off.

Which has better payout terms, IQ Capital or TradeDay?

IQ Capital pays out every 1 trading days with no published minimum for that selected account, while TradeDay pays out on demand with a minimum of $250. IQ Capital's selected account requires at least 1 trading day per payout cycle, and TradeDay's selected account requires at least 1 trading day per payout cycle. Qualifying-day profit thresholds, buffers, consistency rules and approval requirements still apply. A trading-day minimum is not a payment-delivery estimate.

Can I use trading bots with IQ Capital and TradeDay?

IQ Capital does not publish a trading-bot policy, while TradeDay allows trading bots under published conditions. On VPNs, IQ Capital permits VPN use under published conditions and TradeDay restricts VPN use.

IQ Capital vs TradeDay — quick answer

IQ Capital vs TradeDay for 2026: compare evaluation types (1-step, Instant funding vs 1-step), payout cadence for the selected accounts (Every 1 trading days vs On demand), platforms, and true challenge cost. Profit split is not published for the selected TradeDay account. Use the tables below for drawdown, minimum days, and current promotion status before you buy.

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