Prop Firm Scaling Plans Compared: Topstep, Apex, FTMO and GOAT
Short answer: a prop firm scaling plan raises how many contracts you may trade, and sometimes your daily loss limit, as your funded account makes money. At futures prop firms it does not turn a 50K account into a 100K account. Topstep, Apex and FTMO Futures all scale contracts by profit tier. More capital comes from a Live call-up or from holding more accounts, not from the scaling plan itself. This guide compares the plans side by side; each firm's own page has the fine print.
Prop Firm Scaling Plans Compared (October 2026)
| Firm and account | What scales | Trigger | 50K example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep Express Funded | Maximum position size | Account balance thresholds; the higher limit applies from the next session | 2 lots below $1,500, 3 lots from $1,500, 5 lots from $2,000 |
| Topstep Live Funded | Daily loss limit, then position size (Dynamic Live Risk Expansion) | Live net profit tiers plus 10 active trading days in each tier | DLL $2,000, rising $500 at $15K, $20K and $50K profit; 5 lots until $100K profit |
| Apex Performance Account | Max contracts and daily loss limit | Profit tier at the end of each day | 2 contracts / $1,000 DLL, up to 4 contracts / $3,000 DLL at $6,000 profit |
| Apex Live (invitation only) | Contract limit and daily loss limit | Live profit balance | 3 minis and no DLL up to $10K; 10 minis and a $5,000 DLL from $10K to $50K; custom above |
| FTMO Futures Sim-Funded | Max contracts | End-of-day profit above starting capital; drops back if profit falls | 2 contracts, 3 from $1,000, 5 from $2,000 |
| GOAT Funded Trader (forex/CFD) | Account size and profit split | Months funded plus number of payouts | +15% capital after 2 months and 4 payouts, up to +50% and a 95% split |
What the comparison shows
- All three futures firms scale contracts, not capital. A 50K account stays a 50K account at Topstep, Apex and FTMO Futures.
- Only Apex raises the daily loss limit before Live. Topstep and FTMO Futures scale position size alone in the sim-funded stage; Topstep widens the daily loss limit only in a Live account.
- Size can go back down. At all three, the limit falls again when the balance drops, and a payout counts as a drop.
- The 50K ceilings are close: 5 lots at Topstep and FTMO Futures from $2,000 of profit, 4 contracts at Apex from $3,000.
These are funded-stage limits. For the evaluation-stage contract limits that come first, see the position-size section of our prop firm rule checklist.
Two Kinds of Scaling
1. Contract scaling (futures firms)
Your account size stays the same. The number of contracts you may hold rises as your balance or profit crosses set thresholds. It also falls again if the balance drops, including after a payout. Topstep, Apex and FTMO Futures all work this way.
2. Account-size scaling (mostly forex/CFD firms)
The firm adds a percentage to your account balance after a set time and number of payouts. GOAT Funded Trader is a current example. None of the futures firms covered here grows a funded account's size this way.
Which matters more?
For futures traders, contract scaling is the plan you will actually use. Bigger capital comes from passing more evaluations and from a Live call-up, both covered below.
Topstep: XFA Contract Tiers and Live Risk Expansion
Topstep's Scaling Plan applies to Express Funded Accounts (XFAs). The XFA balance starts at $0, and your maximum position size steps up at set balance thresholds, from the next trading session: a 50K XFA trades 2 lots below $1,500, 3 from $1,500 and 5 from $2,000, while 100K and 150K XFAs climb to 10 and 15 lots. Payouts come out of the balance, so a payout that takes you below a threshold lowers your size too. The plan never upgrades a 50K XFA into a 100K.
The full tier table for every account size, the mini-to-micro ratios and a worked 50K example are in our Topstep scaling plan explained. What sets Topstep apart in this comparison is what happens after the XFA: its Live accounts scale the daily loss limit as well as size.
Topstep Live: Dynamic Live Risk Expansion
The XFA Scaling Plan does not apply in a Live Funded Account. Live accounts use Dynamic Live Risk Expansion. You start with a $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 daily loss limit and 5 / 10 / 15 lots (50K / 100K / 150K). Your Live net profit sets your tier. You must spend 10 active trading days in a tier before the next one unlocks, one tier at a time. Only profit made in the Live account counts.
| Live net profit | Daily loss limit | Max position size |
|---|---|---|
| Start | $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 | 5 / 10 / 15 lots |
| $15,000 | +$500 | Unchanged |
| $20,000 | +$1,000 | Unchanged |
| $50,000 | +$1,500 | Unchanged |
| $100,000 (Tier 4) | Up to $10,000 | Up to 30 lots |
| $200,000 | Up to $20,000 | Up to 50 lots |
| $550,000 | Up to $50,000 | Up to 70 lots |
| $1,000,000 | Up to $100,000 | Up to 100 lots |
There is a safeguard in the other direction. If the tradable balance falls to $10,000 or less, the DLL drops to $2,000 and size to 5 lots; at $5,000 or less, the DLL is $1,000 and size is 3 lots. Keep perspective: Topstep's own 2025 numbers show 0.71% of Express Funded traders were called up to Live.
Apex Scaling: Performance Account Tiers, Six Payouts, Then Live
Apex does not scale account size. In its current EOD and Intraday Performance Accounts (PAs), the maximum contracts and the daily loss limit step up by profit tier, checked at the close. Hitting the DLL pauses trading for the day; it does not fail the PA.
| PA size | Profit range | Max contracts | Daily loss limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $0-$999 | 1 | $500 |
| 25K | $1,000-$1,999 | 2 | $500 |
| 25K | $2,000+ | 2 | $1,250 |
| 50K | $0-$1,499 | 2 | $1,000 |
| 50K | $1,500-$2,999 | 3 | $1,000 |
| 50K | $3,000-$5,999 | 4 | $2,000 |
| 50K | $6,000+ | 4 | $3,000 |
| 100K | $0-$1,999 | 3 | $1,750 |
| 100K | $2,000-$2,999 | 4 | $1,750 |
| 100K | $3,000-$4,999 | 5 | $1,750 |
| 100K | $5,000-$9,999 | 6 | $2,500 |
| 100K | $10,000+ | 6 | $3,500 |
| 150K | $0-$1,999 | 4 | $2,500 |
| 150K | $2,000-$2,999 | 5 | $2,500 |
| 150K | $3,000-$4,999 | 7 | $2,500 |
| 150K | $5,000-$9,999 | 10 | $3,000 |
| 150K | $10,000+ | 10 | $4,000 |
Two limits shape how far a PA can take you. Each PA closes after its 6th approved payout, so to keep going you pass another evaluation. And you can hold up to 20 active PAs per household, counting Legacy, EOD and Intraday accounts together. Our Apex Trader Funding review covers the rest of the current rules.
Apex Live levels
Live trading at Apex is by invitation. Apex may start reviewing a trader after, for example, three consecutive withdrawals from one PA. Live accounts start at $0 with a $3,000 end-of-day drawdown, a 90/10 split and daily payout requests ($500 minimum). Up to 5 Live accounts are possible, added one at a time.
| Level | Live profit balance | Contract limit | Daily loss limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $0-$10,000 | 3 minis / 30 micros | None |
| Level 2 | $10,000-$50,000 | 10 minis / 100 micros | $5,000 |
| Level 3 | $50,000+ | Custom review | Custom review |
A payout that drops the Live profit balance below a level threshold moves the account back to the lower level's limits at the end of the day.
FTMO Futures Scaling Plan
FTMO Futures Sim-Funded accounts start at 2 / 4 / 6 contracts (50K / 100K / 150K) and scale on end-of-day profit above the starting capital. If the next close is lower, the limit adjusts back down the next trading day. Source: FTMO Futures trading objectives and rules.
| Profit above starting capital | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0-$999 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| $1,000-$1,999 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| $2,000-$2,999 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| $3,000-$4,499 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| $4,500+ | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Limits are in minis (10 micros count as 1 mini). You can hold up to 3 Sim-Funded accounts at once. A real-capital Live Funded Account is by invitation only. FTMO's forex/CFD Challenge has its own, separate scaling plan, which this futures guide does not cover.
Account-Size Scaling: GOAT Funded Trader (Forex/CFD)
For a true account-size plan, GOAT Funded Trader's scaling plan is a clear example. It is a forex/CFD firm; its futures brand, GOAT Funded Futures, is a separate company with its own rules. Boosts are calculated on the original account size.
| Level | Requirement | Capital boost | Profit split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 2 months funded, 4 payouts | +15% | 90% |
| Level 2 | 4 months funded, 6 payouts | +30% | 90%, weekly payouts |
| Level 3 | 5 months funded, 10 payouts | +40% | 92% |
| Level 4 | 6 months funded, 15 payouts | +50% | 95% |
Each level also raises the daily and maximum drawdown limits by 1 to 4 percentage points. More detail in our GOAT Funded Trader review.
How to Scale a Prop Firm Account
The FuturesHive scaling sequence
The first tier is the most fragile. At Topstep the XFA Maximum Loss Limit is set to $0 after your first payout; on Apex Intraday PAs the trailing drawdown stops once it reaches the starting balance plus $100. Build that cushion before adding size.
When a tier unlocks, keep your dollar risk per trade tied to the distance from your drawdown, not to the new contract count. Add one contract at a time. The stop-first sizing formula in our futures risk management framework works the same at every tier.
A payout that drops your balance under a threshold cuts your size next session (Topstep XFA, Apex Live). Size the payout so you stay in the tier you need.
Caps: Topstep 5 active XFAs, Apex 20 active PAs per household, FTMO Futures 3 Sim-Funded accounts, MyFundedFutures 5 sim-funded accounts if you hold only 25K/50K sizes (3 if you hold any 100K or 150K).
Topstep's Live risk expansion, Apex Live levels and MyFundedFutures' live transitions are where size grows past the evaluation account. Read the prop firm payout guide to see how each firm pays once you get there.
Multiple accounts multiply risk too
Copying one strategy onto five accounts means one bad day hits all five. Apex allows copy trading across your own PAs only if all trade the same direction, and FTMO Futures and MyFundedFutures allow copying between your own accounts. Size every copied account as if it were your only one.
Common Scaling Mistakes
Mistake 1: Sizing up the day a tier unlocks
A new limit is permission, not a plan. Jumping to the maximum the first session it is allowed is one of the fastest ways to hand back a funded account.
Mistake 2: Forgetting that payouts lower your tier
At Topstep and on Apex Live, the limit follows the balance after the payout. Check which tier you will land in before you request.
Mistake 3: Treating a bigger daily loss limit as room to lose more
A higher DLL is a safety rail. Your daily stop should still come from your own plan.
Mistake 4: Expecting the account size to grow
Futures scaling plans raise contracts, not balances. If you want more capital, pass more evaluations within each firm's account cap or earn a Live call-up.
Frequently Asked Questions About Prop Firm Scaling
What is a prop firm scaling plan?
A scaling plan raises your trading limits as your funded account makes money. At futures firms such as Topstep, Apex and FTMO Futures it raises the contract limit (and at Apex the daily loss limit) by profit tier. Some forex/CFD firms, such as GOAT Funded Trader, also add a percentage to the account size after a set number of months and payouts.
How does the Topstep scaling plan work?
In an Express Funded Account, your maximum position size depends on your balance. A 50K XFA trades 2 lots below $1,500, 3 lots from $1,500 and 5 lots from $2,000. A 150K XFA reaches 15 lots at $4,500. The higher limit applies from the next session. Live Funded Accounts use Dynamic Live Risk Expansion instead.
Does Topstep scale a 50K account into a 100K or 150K account?
No. The Scaling Plan only changes the contract limit inside the account you hold. To trade more size you buy and pass a larger Trading Combine, hold more Express Funded Accounts (up to 5), or get called up to a Live Funded Account.
How does Apex scaling work?
Apex Performance Accounts step up max contracts and the daily loss limit by profit tier, for example a 50K PA goes from 2 contracts and a $1,000 DLL to 4 contracts and a $3,000 DLL at $6,000 profit. There is no account-size scaling, and each PA closes after 6 payouts. Live accounts, by invitation, scale from 3 minis to 10 minis at $10,000 of live profit.
How do you scale a prop firm account?
Trade the starting limit until your drawdown locks, add one contract at a time as tiers unlock, plan payouts so they do not drop you a tier, add accounts within each firm's cap, and work toward a Live call-up, which is where size grows past the evaluation account.
How many funded accounts can I hold at once?
Topstep allows up to 5 active Express Funded Accounts, Apex up to 20 active Performance Accounts per household, FTMO Futures up to 3 Sim-Funded accounts, and MyFundedFutures up to 5 sim-funded accounts if you hold only 25K and 50K sizes, or 3 if you hold any 100K or 150K.
Sources
- Topstep: what is the Scaling Plan
- Topstep: Dynamic Live Risk Expansion
- Topstep: Express Funded Account parameters
- Apex Trader Funding: daily loss limit and PA scaling tiers
- Apex Trader Funding: Live program FAQ
- FTMO Futures: trading objectives and rules
- MyFundedFutures: moving from evaluation to sim funded (account limits)
- GOAT Funded Trader: how the scaling plan works
Ready to Scale Your Prop Firm Account?
Scaling tiers only help if you survive long enough to reach them. The foundation is consistent, rule-safe trading.
FuturesHive teaches the rules-based futures system built for prop firm accounts: risk per trade tied to your drawdown, position sizing for each tier, and daily limits that keep you inside every firm's rules. Join the free Discord.