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Prop Firm with the Largest Drawdown

📊 Best Futures Prop Firms Ranked by Maximum Drawdown (MLL) in 2026

When comparing futures prop firms, one of the most overlooked — but critical — rules is the
maximum loss limit (MLL). This rule sets the maximum amount you can lose before your funded trading account is closed.

A larger drawdown means more breathing room 🧘, less chance of being cut off too early ❌, and more flexibility to run trading strategies that use
bigger stop losses or longer holding times 💹. For many traders, the size of the drawdown can be the difference between passing the evaluation
and scaling into payouts.

Below, we’ve ranked the top prop firms with the biggest drawdowns in 2026, comparing their account sizes, loss limits,
and drawdown types. If you’re still unsure how rules like trailing vs. end-of-day drawdown work, see our
guide to unrealized trailing drawdown 📖.
Keep in mind: profit targets, daily loss limits, and overall pricing are just as important as drawdown when choosing the best futures prop firm.

🏆 Tier 1 Largest Drawdowns ($6,000 to $7,500+)

🥇 Apex Trader Funding – $300K Account

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $7,500
  • Drawdown Type: Intraday trailing

The Apex 300K account delivers one of the biggest buffers in the entire futures prop space. Combine that with low evaluation pricing, the ability to trade up to 20 accounts, and payouts up to $70,000 every 8 days, and it becomes a powerhouse for high-cushion trading.

👉 Learn More

🥈 Apex Trader Funding – $250K Account

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $6,500
  • Drawdown Type: Intraday trailing

A great middle-ground for traders who want strong drawdown without excessive cost. The profit target is large, but Apex’s discounts and payout scaling make it one of the most efficient high-buffer choices.

👉 Learn More

Lucid Trading – $150K LucidDirect

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $6,000
  • Drawdown Type: End-of-Day trailing

LucidDirect offers instant access with no activation fees and clean, trader-friendly rules. Their price-to-payout ratio is among the best, making this a top choice for traders who want cushion, transparency, and consistent payouts.

👉 Learn More

Tradeify – $150K Lightning Funded

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $6,000
  • Drawdown Type: End-of-Day trailing

Tradeify Lightning funded accounts offer instant funding with smooth rules and fast payouts. Ideal for traders who want live conditions immediately without evaluation hurdles.

👉 Learn More

Alpha Futures – $150K Standard

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $6,000
  • Drawdown Type: End-of-Day trailing

Alpha Futures provides weekly withdrawals, one-step evaluations, and up to $450K in funding. A strong pick for traders who want predictable payout cycles and a steady path to scaling.

👉 Learn More

The Futures Desk (TFD) – $150K Custom

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $6,000
  • Drawdown Type: End-of-Day or Static

TFD stands alone with fully customizable evaluations and daily uncapped payouts when live. Designed for traders who want maximum control over their rules and long-term progression.

👉 Learn More

Day Traders – $150K S2F

  • Max Loss Limit (MLL): $6,000
  • Drawdown Type: End-of-Day trailing

A higher-priced option but offers a stronger drawdown cushion than typical instant funding firms. When sales apply, Day Traders becomes a competitive choice for traders wanting more breathing room.

👉 Learn More

📊 Tier 3 – Mid Drawdowns ($4,500 – $5,500)

  • Bulenox – 250K Account → $5,500 MLL (beware of massive activation fee)
  • Take Profit Trader – 150K $4,500 Eval and Pro MLL but Pro+ → $5,000 MLL (withdraw daily)
  • E8 Futures – 150K Eval with EoD drawdown and one day to pass → $4,500 MLL (No activation fee)
  • BluSky – 300K Static Blu+ → $5,000 MLL
  • Lucid Trading – 150K LucidTest → $4,500 MLL (No activation fee, great evaluation all around)
  • Topstep – 150K → $4,500 MLL ($5,000 per account per payout with no consistency rule.) ⭐
  • Phidias – 150K Fundamental/Swing → $4,500 MLL (Hold through close and overnight with the Swing accounts) 👀

📉 Prop Firms with the Largest Drawdown – Why It Matters

When choosing a futures prop firm, one of the most overlooked — but critical — factors is the maximum loss limit (MLL).
This is the amount you can lose before your funded account is closed. A larger drawdown means more breathing room 🧘,
less chance of being cut off early ❌, and more flexibility for traders with bigger strategies 💹.

🔹 Tradeify $150K Instant Funding Example

Let’s break it down with the Tradeify $150,000 Lightning Instant Funding account.
This account starts with a $6,000 maximum drawdown. If your equity falls $6,000 below the $150K start balance,
the account is closed. But once you build profits, the drawdown stops trailing.

Example: You make $10,000 in profit, growing the account to $160K. At this point, the drawdown locks at your original $150K starting balance.
Now your effective cushion isn’t $6,000 — it’s $10,000. This is where maximum drawdown transitions into what’s called
absolute drawdown. If your balance ever drops below $150K again, the account closes, but everything above that is protected profit ✅.

🔹 Daily Loss Limit Explained

Many S2F prop firm accounts also use daily loss limit. For Tradeify’s $150K Instant Funding account, the limit is $3,750. If you lose that much in a single day, your account goes into auto-liquidation 🛑.
That means you can’t place new trades until the next day, but the account isn’t closed as long as you didn’t hit the $6,000 max drawdown.
This rule acts like a seatbelt — it prevents traders from blowing up their accounts in one bad day and helps enforce consistency. This daily loss limit can sometimes be dynamic at certain profit targets all disappear altogether.

🤔 Why a Large Drawdown Matters for Futures Traders

Having the largest drawdown in a prop firm account isn’t just about numbers — it’s about trading freedom.
A higher loss limit lets you survive market swings, hold trades longer, and focus on reaching profit targets instead of
babysitting a trailing drawdown. Traders with larger buffers can:

  • ✅ Use strategies with bigger stop losses or longer holds
  • ✅ Withstand volatility during economic news events 📊
  • ✅ Scale multiple accounts without being stopped out too early
  • ✅ Trade with more confidence knowing they have extra breathing room

📌 Other Factors Beyond Drawdown

While the maximum loss limit is important, it’s not the only factor to compare.
Smart traders also weigh:

  • Account Size: Bigger accounts usually offer higher drawdowns, but also higher profit targets.
  • Daily Loss Limits: These cap how much you can lose in one day, regardless of overall drawdown.
  • Profit Targets: Large buffers often come with tougher evaluation targets before payouts.
  • Trading Rules: Some firms trail unrealized balance intraday, others lock at end-of-day.
    Explore how unrealized intraday trailing drawdown works 📖 for a full breakdown.

⚖️ Balancing Risk and Opportunity

Choosing the right prop firm with the largest drawdown is about finding balance.
A bigger drawdown gives you more room to trade, but it doesn’t guarantee success. You still need discipline,
smart risk management, and consistency. The best prop firm for you depends on whether you value
flexibility (big MLL), low evaluation costs, or faster payouts.
Explore our full list of the best futures prop firms to compare accounts and decide which one fits your trading style.

❓ Prop Firm Drawdown FAQs

What is the maximum drawdown in a prop firm account?
The maximum drawdown or maximum loss limit (MLL) is the total amount your account can lose before the prop firm closes it. For example, with a Tradeify 150K Lightning instant funding account, the MLL is 6,000. If your balance drops from 150,000 to below 144,000, the account is closed. Once you grow the account above the starting balance, the drawdown eventually stops trailing and locks at the starting equity. At the very top of our ranking, the Apex Trader Funding 300K evaluation account has a 7,500 MLL, which is one of the largest buffers in the futures prop firm industry.
What is absolute drawdown vs maximum drawdown?
In most futures prop firms, the drawdown starts as a trailing maximum drawdown that follows your equity until it reaches the starting balance. After that level is hit, it functions as an absolute drawdown that no longer moves up. Example: If you grow a Tradeify 150K Lightning account from 150,000 to 160,000, you effectively have a 10,000 risk buffer. But if your balance ever falls back under 150,000 the account closes, even though you were previously up 10,000. This is how larger drawdowns at firms like Apex Trader Funding and Lucid Trading can give you more room to scale without breaking the max loss rule.
Why does having the largest drawdown matter in a futures prop firm?
A larger drawdown means more breathing room and a higher chance of surviving normal market volatility. With high buffer accounts like the Apex Trader Funding 300K evaluation at 7,500 MLL or 150K accounts with 6,000 MLL at Lucid Trading, Tradeify, Alpha Futures, The Futures Desk, and Day Traders traders can:
✅ Use wider, more realistic stop losses
✅ Trade through news and intraday volatility without instant violations
✅ Scale size and run multiple contracts while staying inside the MLL
✅ Focus on their trading edge instead of constantly worrying about small buffers If you trade size or like to let winners run, choosing a prop firm with the largest possible drawdown is one of the most important risk management decisions you can make.
What is a daily loss limit in prop firms?
A daily loss limit is the maximum you can lose in a single trading day before the platform locks you out. Many instant funding and S2F style accounts use this to control risk. For example, the Tradeify 150K Lightning funded account has a daily loss limit of 3,750. If you hit this level in one session, your account goes into auto liquidation for the rest of the day so you cannot open new positions. The account only fully closes if you also break the maximum drawdown, not just the daily limit. When comparing futures prop firms, always look at both the daily loss limit and the overall MLL.
Which prop firm has the largest drawdown in 2026?
Based on our 2026 futures prop firm drawdown comparison, the account with the largest buffer is the Apex Trader Funding 300K evaluation account with a 7,500 intraday trailing maximum loss limit. This gives more raw cushion than the 6,500 MLL on the Apex 250K account and the 6,000 MLL on top instant and evaluation options like:
Lucid Trading 150K LucidDirect
Tradeify 150K Lightning funded
Alpha Futures 150K Standard evaluation
The Futures Desk 150K custom account
Day Traders 150K S2F If your priority is the largest max drawdown available in a futures prop firm account, Apex 300K currently sits at the top of the rankings, followed by Apex 250K, then the cluster of 150K accounts with 6,000 MLL at Lucid, Tradeify, Alpha Futures, The Futures Desk, and Day Traders.
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