Direct to Funded (DTF) Trading Account
Skip the evaluation phase. Pay once, trade immediately in a sim-funded environment, and start earning payouts. 10K Mini Inferno, 50K and 100K sizes, no monthly subscription.
This plan is built for traders who want to skip the normal evaluation phase and prove themselves immediately in a Sim-Funded environment. There's no challenge to pass, once you sign up, you can trade towards earning a payout and real capital invested in Live markets.
- Trader level
- Master
- Min trading days (eval)
- None (skip phase)
- Min qualified days (per cycle)
- Varies by size (as few as 5 on 10K)
- Profit split
- Up to 100%
- Max withdrawal / payout cycle
- Up to $5,000 (varies by size & cycle)
What is Direct to Funded?
Pay once, skip the eval
One payment unlocks a sim-funded account immediately. No Phase 1 target to pass and no monthly evaluation subscription.
The most expensive path
DTF is the priciest way to start at ETF. You are paying upfront for the shortcut past the evaluation grind.
Built for proven traders
Designed for experienced, edge-proven traders who would rather pay once to trade tomorrow than spend a month in an evaluation.
Direct to Funded (DTF for short) is a one-time-payment sim-funded futures account. There is no evaluation to pass. You pay once at purchase and start trading immediately in the same sim-funded environment a passing evaluation would have unlocked. Your goal is no longer to pass a target. Your goal is to earn a payout.
The trade-off is upfront cost. DTF is the most expensive way to start trading at ETF, because you are paying for the shortcut. In exchange, you skip every part of the evaluation grind: no monthly subscription, no Phase 1 target, no resets to plan around.
DTF is built for experienced traders who already know their edge works and would rather pay once to be in a sim-funded account tomorrow than spend a month proving the edge in an evaluation first.
DTF vs a standard evaluation
The two paths to a funded ETF account differ on three big axes: the evaluation phase, the billing model, and how micros scale.
| Rule | Direct to Funded | Standard evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation phase | None. Start trading immediately in a sim-funded account. | Yes. Pass a profit target without breaching the drawdown before activation. |
| Billing model | One-time payment. No monthly subscription on the trader account. | Monthly evaluation subscription + monthly activation fee on the funded account. |
| Micro scaling | 1 mini = 1 micro. No micro size advantage. | 1 mini = 10 micros. Micros offer 10× the position headroom. |
| Daily loss limit | None. | Depends on plan. EOD and Diamond Hands enforce a hard-breach daily loss limit. |
| Best for which trader? | Experienced traders who want to skip evaluation entirely and pay once for a shortcut to payouts. | Most traders. Lower upfront cost, proves edge before activation, smaller resets. |
For most traders the standard evaluation route is more cost-efficient: the resets are cheap, the subscriptions are small, and the upside is the same once you are funded. DTF is the shortcut for traders who would rather pay more upfront than spend time in the evaluation.
What you'll like, and what to watch out for
The same pros and cons we show on the homepage plan picker, in one place.
Pros
- Skip Evaluation Process
- Hold Trades through overnight and the weekends
- Pay once and avoid monthly fees
- Request a payout in as little as 5 Active Trade Days
- Your shortcut to live trading capital
- Generous end of day drawdown
- No daily loss limits
- Motivates high performance
- Earn up to $25,000 per account
Cons
- High stakes for beginners
- Limited contract sizes
- Less forgiveness for errors
DTF account sizes
Three sizes. The drawdown style differs between sizes: the 10K Mini Inferno and 50K run an EOD trailing drawdown, 100K runs a fixed floor.
10K Mini Inferno
- Balance
- $10,000
- Drawdown
- $1,500 EOD trailing
- Profit target
- $1,600
- Max position
- 2 minis or 2 micros
50K Direct to Funded
- Balance
- $50,000
- Drawdown
- $5,000 EOD trailing
- Profit target
- $5,100
- Max position
- 5 minis or 5 micros
100K Direct to Funded
- Balance
- $100,000
- Drawdown
- $5,000 fixed
- Profit target
- $5,100
- Max position
- 3 minis or 3 micros
DTF is sold one-time. Check the live evaluations page for current pricing and active promotions.
How the DTF plan works
The rules below apply to all three DTF account sizes. The drawdown style differs between sizes. Everything else is the same.
Skip the evaluation phase
DTF starts in a sim-funded account. There is no Phase 1 and no profit target to unlock activation. The activation is immediate at purchase.
One-time payment
You pay once for the DTF account. There is no monthly evaluation subscription. Funded activation fees on the trader account follow standard ETF rules once you start earning payouts.
No daily loss limit
You are governed only by the drawdown style for the size you bought. The 10K Mini Inferno and 50K use an end-of-day trailing drawdown; 100K uses a $5,000 fixed drawdown.
No daily ceiling means one bad session can breach the drawdown and end the account.
1 mini = 1 micro (no micro headroom)
DTF is the only ETF plan where micros do not multiply your position headroom. The cap on the 50K is 5 minis or 5 micros, and micros do not give you 10× the size.
Sizing up with micros is not an option here, so plan position size around the mini cap.
First payout after qualifying days
You can earn your first payout once you complete the qualifying trading days for your account size (as few as 5 on the 10K Mini Inferno) and meet the safety net (as little as $1,600 on the 10K), without breaching the drawdown.
Hold overnight and through the weekend
DTF permits swing trading, so you can carry open positions across the overnight session and the weekend, with no flatten-before-close requirement. Manage gap risk across sessions.
One trade per week to stay active
At least one placed trade per week is required to keep your DTF account in good standing.
Miss a week and the account is closed and any pending payouts are voided.
Safety net for payouts
Earn realized profits equal to your max drawdown + $100, and the drawdown is permanently removed for payout eligibility.
Full rules (including payout cycles, Active Trade Days, position limits, hedging restrictions, and LIVE ELITE transition criteria) are documented in the Direct to Funded help article.
Worked example: first payout on a 10K Mini Inferno DTF
The 10K Mini Inferno is the quickest path to a payout in the DTF lineup: just 5 Active Trade Days and a $1,600 safety net, versus 15 on the 50K and 20 on the 100K. Your starting balance is $10,000, your EOD trailing drawdown is $1,500, and your safety net to first payout is $1,600.
Sim-funded from day one
Trails your highest end-of-day balance
Realized profit to first payout
- At purchase your floor is $8,500. There is no evaluation phase, so you are trading sim-funded from day one.
- You trade within the 2-mini cap. After your 5 Active Trade Days you have closed +$1,700 realized. Your balance is $11,700; the floor has trailed to $10,200.
- You have cleared the $1,600 safety net (your $1,500 max drawdown + $100) with the minimum qualifying days satisfied, so you are eligible for your first payout, up to $1,200 per cycle on the 10K.
- Because the safety net is cleared, the drawdown is permanently removed for payout eligibility and standard payout cycles continue from there.
The math that makes the Mini Inferno interesting is speed: 5 Active Trade Days and a $1,600 safety net put a payout within reach faster than any other DTF size. Whether that quicker path is worth the tighter 2-mini cap is the call the comparison above is built to help you make.
Is DTF right for you?
Quick decision guide
- Choose DTF if your edge is proven, you would rather pay once than spend a month in an evaluation, and the tighter position cap (1 mini = 1 micro) is acceptable for the size you bought.
- Choose a standard evaluation if you want the cheapest path in or you want micros to multiply your position headroom.
If you want the cheapest possible entry, see Fast Track. If you want a drawdown that does not move at all, see the static drawdown plan.
Frequently asked questions
Skip the evaluation. Start sim-funded.
Pay once for a DTF account and trade toward your first payout from day one. Three sizes available, no monthly subscription on the trader account.
Browse DTF accountsAccount sizes and risk parameters are subject to change.
Ready to Start Your Trading Journey?
Trading doesn't have to be complicated. We're here to guide you on every step of your journey. Choose your evaluation and start trading today. Grow your capital. Get paid.
