One Step Prop Firms: How Single Phase Evaluations Work (2026)

When you compare prop firms, one of the first things that separates them is how many evaluation phases you have to clear before you get funded. A one step prop firm funds you after a single evaluation, not two. You hit one profit target, follow the rules, and you pass. There is no Phase 1 followed by a separate Phase 2 with a second target to clear.

Elite Trader Funding is a one step prop firm: every Elite Trader Funding evaluation is a single phase, and we have paid out more than $13 million to traders. This guide explains what one step means, how it compares to two step evaluations, and how our single phase accounts work in 2026.

A one step prop firm is a proprietary trading firm that funds you after a single evaluation phase. You buy an evaluation, hit one profit target while staying inside the drawdown and rules, and the account converts to a funded account. That is the whole path.

A two step prop firm splits the same process into two separate phases. You clear a first profit target in Phase 1, then start over in Phase 2 with a second target, often a smaller one, and only after passing both do you get funded. Both models test the same things, discipline and consistency, but they package the test differently.

• One step: a single evaluation phase with one profit target, then funded.
• Two step: Phase 1 and Phase 2, two separate targets to clear before funded.

For a full breakdown of what an evaluation includes and the rules that decide a pass, see our guide to prop firm evaluations.

Neither model is automatically better; they suit different traders. A one step evaluation gets you to a funded account faster and is simpler to track, since there is only one target and one set of rules to satisfy. A two step evaluation spreads the proof of consistency across two phases, which some traders find lowers the pressure on any single day but lengthens the time to funding.

The thing that actually drives your odds of passing is not the number of steps; it is the drawdown model and the daily rules attached to the account. A forgiving drawdown on a one step account can be far easier to clear than a tight one on a two step account. That is why it pays to look past the step count and read how the drawdown behaves.

At Elite Trader Funding, every evaluation is a single phase. There is no Phase 2 to grind through. You pick an account, clear one profit target while respecting the drawdown and the minimum trading days, and the account becomes a funded Elite account. What changes from one account type to the next is the drawdown model, not the number of steps.

That gives you a clean way to choose: decide how you want the drawdown to behave, then pick the matching one step account. We cover the drawdown choices in depth in our guides to the static drawdown, the end of day drawdown, and swing trading accounts that allow overnight holds.

Elite Trader Funding's 1 Step account uses a Live Trailing drawdown. It is best suited for traders who can trade profitably while quickly controlling their risk. The max drawdown trails your highest unrealized profit, which means it follows your account up in real time, including on open positions, so you can fail even while holding a position that is currently in profit if you give back too much.

• Drawdown type: Live Trailing, trails your highest open and realized profit.
• Daily loss limit: none.
• Micro scaling: 1 mini equals 10 micros.
• Minimum trading days: 5.

Displayed 1 Step accounts and their profit targets, browseable on the 1 Step evaluations page:

• 50K: $50,000 starting balance, $2,000 trailing max drawdown, $3,000 profit target, $197.
• 100K: $100,000 starting balance, $3,000 trailing max drawdown, $6,000 profit target, $247.
• 250K: $250,000 starting balance, $6,500 trailing max drawdown, $15,000 profit target, $597.

Resets are $47 if you breach during the evaluation. There is no daily loss limit and no consistency rule on these accounts, so the trailing drawdown is the main constraint to manage.

Straight from how we describe the account, here is what the Live Trailing structure does well and where it asks more of you.

Pros

• Encourages early profit protection.
• Encourages risk management.
• Promotes consistency over aggressive trading.
• Generous max drawdown percentage.

Cons

• Pressure to maintain account highs.
• Requires constant account monitoring.
• Difficult to manage drawdown in volatile market conditions.

If a trailing drawdown that follows your open profit feels too tight, a static drawdown account keeps the limit fixed and never trails, which many newer traders find less stressful. Both are still single phase.

If you would rather not trade an evaluation at all, Elite Trader Funding also offers a no evaluation path. The Direct to Funded account skips the challenge: you pay once and start in a Sim-Funded environment immediately, trading toward a payout from day one. It is the fastest route to a funded account, with no monthly fees and no profit target to clear first. See how it fits among instant funding prop firms for the full picture.

See our full guide to no evaluation prop firms for how the skip-the-test route compares.

• Bank profit early and protect it, because the trailing drawdown follows your highest equity, including open positions.
• Trade small relative to the drawdown so a single bad sequence cannot end the account.
• Hit the minimum of 5 trading days; passing is about consistency, not a single big day.
• Know exactly how your account's drawdown behaves before you place a trade.

Whatever account you pick, the habits that pass a single phase evaluation are the same. Our guide on how to pass a prop firm evaluation covers position sizing, daily routine, and the discipline that keeps you inside a trailing drawdown.

One step evaluations have become the norm among futures prop firms because traders prefer a faster, simpler path to funding. Terms still vary widely, so always confirm the drawdown model and rules on the specific account before you buy, not just the step count. At Elite Trader Funding, every evaluation is one step, and you choose the account by how you want the drawdown to behave.

Elite Trader Funding also runs trading competitions with cash prizes if you want to test your edge before committing to an evaluation.

Elite Trader Funding funds you after a single evaluation phase across every account type. Browse the evaluations, pick the drawdown model that fits how you trade, and clear one target to get funded. Many traders start with the 100K 1 Step evaluation.

Once you are funded, you can also earn by referring other traders through the Elite Trader Funding affiliate program, and lower your costs over time through the rewards program.

• Static drawdown: the closest thing to a real cash account
• End of day drawdown: how EOD accounts work
• Swing trading prop firms: which allow overnight holds
• How to pass a prop firm evaluation
• Instant funding prop firms: what they actually mean
• What is a prop firm evaluation? How they work
• No evaluation prop firms: get funded without a test

Pricing, promotions, and product details referenced in this article reflect information available at the time of publication and may have changed. Visit elitetraderfunding.app/evaluations for current pricing.