Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | Funded Futures Network | City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | 80% Sim Funded Pro → 90% Live Funded Pro | 80% (up to 100%) |
| First Payout | - | On demand (after 7 profitable days) |
| Payout Frequency | Same-day available | Monthly (1-Step/2-Step); Bi-weekly (Instant) |
| Max Account Size | $250,000 | $100,000 |
It's a Tie!
In this independent head-to-head comparison of Funded Futures Network vs City Traders Imperium, we break down challenge rules, pricing, profit splits, and payout conditions to help you decide which prop firm is the better fit for your trading style.
Funded Futures Network: No Daily Loss Limit. Futures Only. Sim-to-Live Path. Up to $1.3M Allocation.
City Traders Imperium: Est. 2018. No Daily Loss Limit on 1-Step. Monthly Salary. Scales to $4M.
Both firms score equally in our independent methodology. The best choice depends on which specific features matter most to your trading style.
BestProp Score: Funded Futures Network scores 8.6/10 vs City Traders Imperium at 8.6/10.
Minimum Fee: Funded Futures Network starts from $125; City Traders Imperium starts from $29. City Traders Imperium is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: Funded Futures Network offers 80% Sim Funded Pro → 90% Live Funded Pro; City Traders Imperium offers 80% (up to 100%). City Traders Imperium has the higher split.
Platforms: Funded Futures Network supports Quantower (FundX), EdgeProX, NinjaTrader, Browser-based; City Traders Imperium is on MT5, Match Trader.
Tradeable Markets: Funded Futures Network covers ES, NQ, YM, RTY, CL, GC, Treasuries, FX Futures, all Micros; City Traders Imperium offers Forex (28 pairs), Indices (9), Gold, Silver, Oil, Crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, ADA, XRP).
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how Funded Futures Network and City Traders Imperium compare on pricing.
Funded Futures Network challenge fees start from $125. The firm has operated since 2022.
City Traders Imperium challenge fees start from $29. The firm has operated since 2018.
On entry-level pricing, City Traders Imperium offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
Funded Futures Network profit split: 80% Sim Funded Pro → 90% Live Funded Pro. City Traders Imperium profit split: 80% (up to 100%). City Traders Imperium delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: Funded Futures Network pays Same-day available; City Traders Imperium pays Monthly (1-Step/2-Step); Bi-weekly (Instant). Faster payouts are better for cash flow management.
Here is our full independent review of Funded Futures Network:
Funded Futures Network LLC (FFN) was founded in 2022 by Kevin Swart and is headquartered in Florida, USA. The firm focuses exclusively on US futures markets and has built a reputation for transparent, trader-first evaluation rules, earning a 4.2/5 Trustpilot score from 461+ reviews. Maximum combined allocation reaches $1,300,000 per trader across multiple accounts.
Two evaluation tracks are available – Standard and Express – each with a two-stage funding path: Sim Funded Pro (80% split, consistency rules apply) advancing to Live Funded Pro (90% split, no consistency rule).
Standard Evaluation (no daily loss limit): The defining feature of Standard accounts is the absence of a daily loss limit. Only the EOD trailing maximum drawdown applies. Intraday drawdowns that recover by end of session do not count against the account – only the closing balance is evaluated. This eliminates the most common cause of futures prop evaluation failure: a volatile session that recovers but still exceeds an intraday daily limit.
Express Evaluation (stricter consistency): Same structure as Standard but with a tighter consistency rule: the best single day may not exceed 25% of total profit target (vs 40% on Standard). For traders with a more uniform day-to-day P&L, Express offers slightly lower fees relative to account size.
Both tracks use end-of-day trailing drawdown during evaluation and transition to a more protective structure at the funded stage.
A 50% discount code (TOPPROP per TPO) brings Standard fees to roughly $63-$290. Note: an activation fee of $120 applies when transitioning from evaluation to the Sim Funded Pro stage – this is in addition to the evaluation fee.
Sim Funded Pro (80% split): The first funded stage. A 40% consistency rule applies – no single trading day may account for more than 40% of total profits. Approximately 3 payout events required to complete this stage. Same-day payouts available.
Live Funded Pro (90% split): After meeting Sim Funded Pro milestones, traders advance to Live Funded Pro with 90% split and no consistency restriction. This two-stage path rewards traders who demonstrate consistent profitability over time rather than a single outsized session.
Platforms: Quantower (FundX), EdgeProX, browser-based (TradingView-style), NinjaTrader. Instruments: ES, NQ, YM, RTY (equity index futures), CL (crude oil), GC (gold), Treasury futures, FX futures, and all micro equivalents (MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K, MCL, MGC).
Funded Futures Network earns a 7.5 BestProp score. Founded in 2022, 461+ Trustpilot reviews at 4.2/5, and a $1.3M maximum allocation give FFN a credible foundation among futures prop firms. The Standard track’s absence of a daily loss limit is a meaningful structural advantage – it removes the most common source of false-positive failures in volatile futures markets. The two-stage Sim-to-Live funding path is transparent and well-designed, and the broad instrument coverage (equity indices, energy, metals, treasuries, FX futures, micros) suits diverse futures trading styles.
Key considerations: the $120 activation fee adds to the total cost beyond the evaluation fee, weekend and overnight holds are prohibited, and the payout minimum of $500 may frustrate traders on smaller accounts early in the Sim Funded Pro stage. No daily loss limit requires strong self-discipline since a single large intraday session can consume the full max drawdown buffer. Best suited for disciplined EOD-focused futures traders who trade US session hours.
Here is our full independent review of City Traders Imperium:
City Traders Imperium (CTI) was founded in June 2018, making it one of the longest-established prop firms in the world. Operated by CTI FZCO and headquartered at Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE, with UK phone support, the firm is led by CEO Daniel Martin and co-founder Martin Najat. CTI holds a 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from 1,150+ reviews. Maximum initial account: $100,000; maximum combined allocation: $440,000; scaling potential to $4,000,000. All accounts operate on MetaTrader 5 or Match Trader.
CTI distinguishes itself on two fronts: the 1-Step challenge carries no daily loss limit — one of very few prop firms to offer this — and traders receive a monthly salary ($12.50-$500 depending on account size and program) in addition to profit splits. The firm also includes trading education (academy access) with all programs.
1-Step Challenge ($29-$469 for $2.5K-$100K): Single phase, 8% profit target. No daily loss limit. Max drawdown: 5% static. Minimum 3 profitable days. First payout on demand after 7 profitable days and 2% net profit (or $100 minimum). Subsequent payouts monthly (last 5 days of month). Up to 100% profit split. No time limit. The absence of a daily loss limit is the defining feature — traders cannot be stopped out by a single volatile session as long as their total equity remains above the 5% threshold. Available from $2,500 (entry fee: $29) up to $100,000 ($469).
2-Step Evaluation ($39-$549 for $2.5K-$100K): Phase 1: 10% target. Phase 2: 5% target. Daily loss: 5%. Max drawdown: 10% static. Minimum 3 profitable days. First payout on demand after 7 profitable days. Subsequent payouts monthly. 80-100% split. No time limit. Standard two-phase structure with the widest max drawdown buffer of any CTI program.
Instant Funding ($69-$1,499 for $2.5K-$80K): No evaluation required. 10% profit target required before scaling. Max drawdown: 6% static. First payout on demand after 5 profitable days and 2% net profit. Bi-weekly payouts (14th/15th and last 2 days of month). Up to 100% split. Leverage 1:10. Suitable for traders who want immediate funded access and are willing to demonstrate a 10% gain before accessing scaling.
Instant Funding Pro ($299-$4,799 for $5K-$80K): Premium instant access tier with the same fundamental structure as Instant Funding but at a higher fee level. Verify full specifications and any additional benefits directly on the CTI website.
CTI pays a monthly salary to all funded traders regardless of trading performance — amounts range from $12.50/month (small 1-Step) to $500/month ($100K 2-Step or Instant accounts). This is a genuinely unusual feature in the prop firm industry: traders receive guaranteed regular income in addition to their profit split. Confirm exact salary amounts per program on the CTI website.
The $5/lot forex commission meaningfully impacts scalpers and high-frequency traders. Factor into target calculations: on 100 round trips/month on a $50K account, that is $500 in commission before profit split.
Platforms: MetaTrader 5, Match Trader. Instruments: 28 Forex pairs, 9 major indices (leverage 1:10), Gold, Silver, Oil (leverage 1:10), Crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, ADA, XRP — zero commission). Leverage on Forex: 1:30. No restrictions on news or overnight trading on funded accounts.
City Traders Imperium earns a 7.6 BestProp score. Founded in 2018 — over seven years of operation — makes CTI one of the most battle-tested prop firms in existence. The 4.5/5 Trustpilot from 1,150+ reviews reflects a long track record. The no-daily-loss-limit on the 1-Step is a meaningful structural advantage for traders who can manage total drawdown discipline. The monthly salary is a genuinely unique feature that adds a real income floor. Small account sizes from $2,500 at $29 entry fee are accessible. Scales to $4,000,000.
Key trade-offs: the EA restriction (own source code only) makes CTI unsuitable for most algorithmic traders who use commercial tools. The $5/lot forex commission is high and penalises active traders. MT5/Match Trader only limits platform choice. Monthly payouts on 1-Step/2-Step (once per month window) means cash flow is less frequent than bi-weekly or weekly competitors. The 7-profitable-day minimum for first payout also adds waiting time. CTI is best suited to discretionary traders — particularly those with a custom EA — who value longevity and the unique salary feature over faster payouts or EA flexibility.
Both Funded Futures Network and City Traders Imperium are evenly matched in our scoring. The right choice depends on specific features that matter most to you: pricing, profit split, platforms, or trading conditions.
Use our comparison table above and review the challenge fees at both firms before making your final decision. Both offer risk-free evaluation programs — the challenge fee is the only money at risk.
Based on our independent scoring, both firms score equally. The best choice depends on your trading style, preferred instruments, and account size.
City Traders Imperium offers a lower entry-level challenge fee. However, always compare the full account sizes you plan to trade before deciding purely on price.
City Traders Imperium offers the higher profit split. Funded Futures Network: 80% Sim Funded Pro → 90% Live Funded Pro. City Traders Imperium: 80% (up to 100%).
EA policies: Funded Futures Network — check the review. City Traders Imperium — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: Funded Futures Network — check the review. City Traders Imperium — check the review.
Read the full Funded Futures Network review → · Read the full City Traders Imperium review →
Both Funded Futures Network and City Traders Imperium are strong prop firms. The right choice depends on your trading style, preferred platform and rules. Use the side-by-side table above to compare the key metrics.
Funded Futures Network offers 80% Sim Funded Pro → 90% Live Funded Pro profit split, while City Traders Imperium offers 80% (up to 100%) profit split. Check each firm's current terms as these can change.
Check our offers page for the latest verified deals on both firms.
Funded Futures Network processes first payouts in - day(s), while City Traders Imperium takes approximately On demand (after 7 profitable days) day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither Funded Futures Network nor City Traders Imperium are regulated in the traditional financial sense — prop firms operate as private companies providing traders access to simulated or real capital. Always read the terms and conditions carefully before participating in any prop challenge.
