Best Prop Firms for Scalping 2026: Which Allow Scalping?

Which prop firms allow scalping? (rules checked October 5, 2026)

FundingTicks, which older scalping lists still rank, closed in January 2026.

What makes a prop firm good for scalping?

We ranked firms on these scalper-specific tests, in this order: short-trade rules, the drawdown model, cost per round turn, news rules, and access to depth-of-market data.

1. No minimum hold time

Scalpers close trades in seconds to minutes, so a hold-time rule decides whether your edge gets paid. Tradeify's rule applies only to funded accounts and blocks the payout request rather than the account (source). GOAT Funded Futures removes the short-trade profit from the payout (source). Lucid flags the account for manual review, then warns, then forfeits the profit if the pattern continues (source). Alpha Futures says it has no "must hold past X minutes" rule and only acts on a clear pattern of sub-10-tick, sub-2-minute trades (source).

2. What counts as "abusive" scalping

Topstep's prohibited strategies page describes the line: scalping algorithms that exploit unrealistic simulated fills, hundreds of rapid trades to take advantage of queue position, and tight brackets or auto-breakeven used to take advantage of favorable simulated fills. It says the behavior it targets is "usually hundreds or thousands of trades per day, with average durations measured in seconds", and that a few lucky fills won't get a payout rejected. It also bans orders placed outside the best bid or offer. Apex bans high-frequency trading and other exploitative strategies, plus automation of any kind (source), and MyFundedFutures bans HFT and tight brackets that exploit the simulator's lack of slippage (source). Discretionary scalping with normal size is fine at all three.

3. The right drawdown model

An end-of-day (EOD) drawdown sets your floor from the previous close; it doesn't follow open profit during the session, but it is still enforced in real time, so you can't dip below it intraday and recover. An intraday trailing drawdown moves up with every new peak, including open profit, which punishes scalpers who let winners run and then give some back. If you scale in and out, choose EOD. See end-of-day vs intraday drawdown for worked examples.

4. Low all-in costs

Thirty round turns a day multiplies small fee differences. Published round-turn costs per contract, October 2026:

Sources: Topstep, Apex Tradovate and Apex Rithmic schedules, Bulenox rates, MyFundedFutures instrument list, Tradeify fees. At 30 MES round turns a day, the gap between $1.02 and $1.90 is $26.40 a day.

How many ticks your costs eat

Divide the round-turn cost by the contract's tick value to get the ticks a trade must make just to break even. Using the all-in range above ($3.10 to $5.76 on minis, $1.02 to $1.90 on micros; FTMO excluded because its exchange fees are extra):

A 2-tick MNQ scalp ($1.00 per contract) loses money at every firm in the table, while the same 2 ticks on ES clears costs everywhere. If you scalp micros, each MES tick is worth 2.5 times an MNQ tick ($1.25 vs $0.50) for the same cost; our Micro E-mini guide to MES and MNQ covers both contracts' specs. Tick values are from CME's contract rules for ES, NQ and the Micro E-minis.

5. News rules

Bulenox and Tradeify have no news blackout, and FTMO Futures allows news in every phase. Funded MyFundedFutures Rapid and Pro accounts must be flat for 2 minutes either side of Tier 1 releases, and Take Profit Trader PRO accounts for 1 minute either side of FOMC, payrolls and CPI. Topstep bans trading your full maximum position into a scheduled major release.

6. Depth-of-market data

Most scalpers read the DOM, and it is not always included. Topstep includes Level 1 data and charts $38 a month for Level 2 (source). Apex includes Level 1 and sells depth of market separately as a non-refundable add-on (source). FTMO Futures includes Level 1, but Level 2 cannot be bought on FTMO credentials (source), so DOM scalpers there trade without the ladder's size data. If you trade from NinjaTrader's SuperDOM, our NinjaTrader setup guide walks through the SuperDOM and ATM stop-and-target templates; keep brackets realistic, since Topstep and MyFundedFutures both ban tight brackets used to farm simulated fills.

Best prop firms for scalping futures (ranked)

Tips for passing an evaluation as a scalper

These are the scalper-specific adjustments; the full plan, from sizing to pacing the profit target, is in our step-by-step guide on how to pass a prop firm challenge.

1. Size from the loss limit

On a $50K account with a $2,000 maximum loss, a 4-point stop on one ES contract risks $200 ($50 per point). The same stop on MES risks $20 (MES is $5 per point), which lets you take far more attempts before the floor. The stop-first position-sizing formula in our futures risk management guide turns this into a contract count for any stop.

2. Set a minimum target in ticks

Use the break-even table above: your average winner has to clear costs with room to spare. On MNQ that rules out 1- and 2-tick targets at every firm listed; on ES even a 1-tick target covers costs.

3. Pace a big day for the consistency rule

A scalper who catches one trend morning can make most of the target in a day. Topstep's Combine caps your best day at 55% of the profit target (exceed it and the target rises), Apex's funded accounts cap any one day at under 50% of profit since your last payout, and Bulenox's Master accounts at 40%. MyFundedFutures Rapid, Tradeify Select and FTMO Futures apply theirs only in the evaluation. Our guide to prop firm consistency rules compares every firm's version.

4. Set a daily stop

Stop after a fixed loss or three straight losers. Revenge scalping is the fastest way through a loss limit.

5. Trade the liquid hours

Focus on the regular-session open and the most liquid periods; thin overnight markets mean wider spreads and worse fills.

6. Respect news windows

Know whether your account bans trading around Tier 1 releases before you place an order at 8:29 a.m. ET.

Common scalping mistakes that fail evaluations

• Overtrading low-quality setups: costs and slippage compound with every round turn.
• Sizing up after a win streak: one oversized loss undoes a day of scalps.
• Holding a losing scalp: a scalp is defined by a quick exit.
• Ignoring the trailing floor: on intraday trailing accounts, every new peak raises the floor, including open profit you never bank. Our checklist for avoiding trailing drawdown violations shows how to check your buffer before each trade.
• Copying across accounts without reading the rules: allowed across your own accounts at some firms, banned between traders everywhere.

Frequently asked questions about scalping prop firms

Which prop firm is best for scalping futures?

Topstep, for most scalpers: discretionary scalping is allowed, its published all-in costs are $3.78 per round turn on ES and $1.22 on MES, and its drawdown trails the end-of-day balance. Apex EOD, Bulenox and FTMO Futures are also scalper-friendly.

Do prop firms allow scalping?

Yes, most futures prop firms allow scalping. They ban exploiting the simulator and high-frequency trading, and a few restrict very short holds: Tradeify (10 seconds, funded accounts), Lucid Trading (5 seconds), Alpha Futures (under 2 minutes and 10 ticks) and GOAT Funded Futures (2 minutes).

Does Topstep allow scalping?

Yes. Topstep publishes no minimum hold time. It bans exploiting simulated fills, such as hundreds of rapid trades for queue position or tight brackets and auto-breakeven used to farm favorable fills, and says a few lucky fills won't get a payout rejected.

Does Apex Trader Funding allow scalping?

Yes, with your normal strategy and no minimum hold time. Apex bans high-frequency trading, automation of any kind and non-directional bracket orders, and its Intraday accounts trail open profit, so scalpers who let winners run usually do better on its EOD accounts.

Which prop firms have no minimum hold time?

Topstep, Apex, MyFundedFutures, Bulenox, FTMO Futures and Take Profit Trader publish no minimum hold time. Tradeify (10 seconds on funded accounts), Lucid Trading (5 seconds), Alpha Futures (under 2 minutes and under 10 ticks) and GOAT Funded Futures (2 minutes) have short-trade rules.

Which prop firms allow 1-tick scalping?

None of the firms here bans a 1-tick target by name, but Topstep prohibits hundreds of rapid trades that exploit queue position in the simulator, Apex and MyFundedFutures ban HFT, Alpha Futures bans a pattern of trades under 10 ticks held under 2 minutes, and Tradeify, Lucid and GOAT Funded Futures penalize very short holds. On micros, a 1-tick scalp barely covers costs: an MES tick is $1.25 against $1.02 to $1.90 per round turn, and an MNQ tick is $0.50.

Can you scalp MNQ at a prop firm?

Yes, but costs eat small targets. An MNQ tick is worth $0.50 and round-turn costs run $1.02 to $1.90 at the firms here, so a trade needs 2 to 4 ticks just to break even and a 2-tick MNQ scalp loses money everywhere. An MES tick is worth $1.25, so the same costs take about 0.8 to 1.5 ticks.

What is end-of-day drawdown vs a daily loss limit?

End-of-day drawdown sets your account floor from the previous close and is enforced live during the session. A daily loss limit caps one day's loss; at Topstep it is optional and pauses trading, while some accounts fail if you hit it.

Can I scalp during news at a prop firm?

At Bulenox, Tradeify and FTMO Futures, yes. Funded MyFundedFutures Rapid and Pro accounts and Take Profit Trader PRO accounts must be flat around Tier 1 releases, and Topstep bans trading your full maximum position into major news.

Sources

1. Topstep: prohibited trading strategies
2. Topstep: TopstepX commissions and fees
3. Apex: prohibited activities
4. Tradeify: news trading and 10-second rule
5. MyFundedFutures: news trading policy
6. FTMO Futures: forbidden trading practices
7. GOAT Funded Futures: EOD Challenge rules
8. Take Profit Trader: PRO account rules
9. Take Profit Trader: Sustainable Trading policy
10. Lucid Trading: prohibited microscalping (5-second rule)
11. Alpha Futures: prohibited trading practices
12. MyFundedFutures: fair play and prohibited trading practices
13. MyFundedFutures: Rapid plan rules
14. MyFundedFutures: instrument list and fees
15. Apex: Tradovate commissions and Rithmic commissions
16. Apex: EOD payouts (50% consistency rule)
17. Apex: evaluation fees and market data
18. Topstep: pricing, including Level 2 data
19. Topstep: consistency target
20. FTMO Futures: market data and depth of market
21. FTMO Futures: how it works (evaluation consistency rule)
22. Tradeify: Select evaluation accounts and commission fees
23. Bulenox: rates, terms of use and help center (Master consistency rule)
24. CME Rulebook Chapter 358: E-mini S&P 500 and Chapter 359: E-mini Nasdaq-100
25. CME: Micro E-mini equity index futures FAQ (tick values)