Advanced vs Growth vs Lightning Funded
Choosing the right account type depends on several key factors: your preferred drawdown tracking method, budget considerations, trading timeline, and risk tolerance. Let's break down each option to help you make a decision.
Advanced Challenge | Growth Challenge | Lightning funded |
Monthly fee | Monthly fee | One time Payment |
$125 activation fee | No activation fee | N/A |
Intraday Trailing Drawdown | End of Day drawdown | End of day Drawdown |
No Daily Loss Limit | Daily loss Limit | Daily Loss Limit |
Will reset if failed upon next billing date | Will reset if failed upon next billing date | No resets - replacement only |
You need to pass an evaluation before getting to funded | You need to pass an evaluation before getting to funded |
Immediate funding |
Detailed Account Breakdown
Advanced Challenge
Best for: Experienced day traders able to trade with strict risk management
Billing & Costs:
Monthly subscription: $45 - $84 (renews every 30 days until Passed & Activated activated or cancelled)
Activation fee: $125 (It's a fee to convert the challenge into a sim funded)
Failed account: Automatically resets on your next billing date
Lower monthly cost compared to Growth accounts
Trading Features:
Real-time intraday trailing drawdown
No daily loss limits
Intraday unrealized P&L tracking
Immediate feedback on drawdown status
$3000, $6000, $9000 Profit target to pass the evaluation
Growth Challenge
Best for: Traders who prefer more flexibility during the trading day with end-of-day risk assessment
Billing & Costs:
Monthly subscription: $90 - $220 (renews every 30 days unless the challenge is Passed & Activated or cancelled)
No activation fee: (transition to a sim funded account is seamless)
Failed account: Automatically resets on your next billing date
Higher monthly cost but no additional fees upon passing
Trading Features:
End-of-day trailing drawdown
Daily loss limits apply
End-of-day realized P&L tracking
More flexibility during trading hours
$3000, $6000, $9000 Profit target to pass the Challenge
Lightning Funded
Best for: Proven traders who want immediate funding who want to skip the evaluation phase
Billing & Costs:
One-time payment: $349 - $729 (no recurring fees)
No monthly subscriptions or hidden fees
No resets available - must purchase replacement if account fails
Most cost-effective for long-term successful traders
Trading Features:
End-of-day trailing drawdown
Immediate access to funded account
Skip the evaluation phase entirely
Daily loss limits apply
Profit Goals to achieve payouts
20% consistency required to be eligible for payuts
Drawdown Types for each Account type explained
Real-Time Intraday Trailing Drawdown (Advanced accounts)
How it works: Your drawdown limit adjusts continuously throughout the trading day as your account balance fluctuates.
Advantages:
✅ Encourages disciplined trading with real-time risk monitoring
✅ Builds strong risk management habits
✅ Lower monthly subscription cost.
Considerations:
⚠️ Less flexibility during volatile market conditions
⚠️ Intraday losses immediately impact your drawdown limit
⚠️ Requires $125 activation fee upon passing
End-of-Day Trailing Drawdown (Growth & Straight to Sim)
How it works: Your drawdown limit adjusts only at the end of the trading day based on your highest balance.
Advantages:
✅ Greater flexibility during trading hours
✅ Temporary intraday losses don't affect drawdown limit
✅ Growth: No activation fee
Considerations:
⚠️ Daily loss limits apply
⚠️ Growth: Higher monthly subscription cost
⚠️ Lightning Funded: If you fail the account, you need to replace it with a new one
Which to Choose?
Choose Advanced if you:
Are an experienced day trader
Want the lowest monthly subscription cost
Prefer real-time risk management feedback
Don't mind the $125 activation fee
Trade with strict discipline
Choose Growth if you:
Want flexibility during trading hours
Prefer a more expensive upfront payment to skip the activation fees
Are comfortable with monthly subscriptions
Prefer end-of-day settlements
Choose Lightning Funded if you:
Want immediate funding without evaluation
Prefer one-time payments over subscriptions
Have confidence in your long-term trading success
Want to skip the challenge phase entirely
Are experienced and proven profitable
Reset and Billing Policies
Monthly Challenges (Advanced & Growth):
Failed accounts automatically reset on your billing date
Continuous opportunity to retry each month
Subscription continues until you cancel
Can reset manually to try again earlier
Lightning Funded:
No reset option available
Must purchase replacement account if failed
Higher upfront cost but no recurring fees
Best for confident, experienced traders
For more information about the different drawdown types and specific examples, click here.
Another key factor to consider is the payout policy for each account type.
You can review our various payout policies below: