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Lucid Trading LucidBlack vs LucidDirect: Evaluation or Instant Funding
Lucid Trading offers two distinct paths to funded trading:
LucidBlack — Premium evaluation-to-funded plan with 3-day payout frequency, bonus payouts, and the fastest path to live.
LucidDirect — Skip the evaluation entirely and start earning payouts immediately, but with stricter rules and longer payout delays.
This article breaks down every difference so you can choose the right path based on your goals, risk tolerance, and trading experience.
Quick Comparison Overview
The Bottom Line:
- Choose LucidBlack if you want premium features, faster payouts, and don't mind passing an evaluation
- Choose LucidDirect if you want to skip the evaluation entirely and trade immediately (but accept stricter rules and slower payouts)
What Is LucidBlack?
LucidBlack is Lucid Trading's premium evaluation-to-funded plan, launched in January 2026.
How It Works:
- Pass a one-time evaluation (2-7 days typical)
- Get instantly funded (5-30 minutes)
- Start requesting payouts every 3 days
- Earn bonus payouts (optional, on payouts 2-4)
- Move to live after 4 payouts
Key Features:
- 60% evaluation consistency
- 40% funded consistency
- 3-day payout frequency
- Bonus payout system (2x max payout potential)
- No DLL, no buffer
- Fastest path to live (4 payouts)
Upfront Cost: $78-$240 (40% off with code BLACK)
Read the full LucidBlack overview here.
What Is LucidDirect?
LucidDirect is Lucid's direct-to-funded option, launched in 2025.
How It Works:
- Pay a higher upfront fee
- Start trading immediately (no evaluation)
- Wait 8 days before first payout
- Continue requesting payouts every 8 days
- Move to live after 6 payouts
Key Features:
- No evaluation required
- 60% funded consistency (stricter than Black)
- 8-day payout frequency (longer than Black)
- No bonus system
- No DLL, no buffer
- Higher upfront cost
Upfront Cost: $800+ for 100K accounts (30% off typical)
Trade-Off:
You get instant access, but you pay significantly more upfront and face stricter rules + longer payout delays.
Evaluation vs Instant Funding: The Core Difference
This is the fundamental difference between the plans.
LucidBlack: Evaluation-to-Funded
Step 1: Pass the Evaluation
- Profit target: $1,250 (25K), $3,000 (50K), $6,000 (100K)
- 60% consistency requirement
- No time limit (one-time fee)
- Typical pass time: 2-7 days
Step 2: Get Funded
- Instant upgrade (5-30 minutes)
- Start earning payouts every 3 days
- 40% funded consistency
- Bonus payout eligibility
Upfront Risk: Lower cost ($78-$240), but you might fail the eval and need to reset.
LucidDirect: Skip Straight to Funded
Step 1: Pay and Activate
- No evaluation
- Immediate account activation (5-15 minutes)
- Start trading day one
Step 2: Wait for First Payout
- Must complete 8 separate trading days
- 60% consistency requirement
- Longer payout frequency (8 days)
Upfront Risk: Higher cost ($800+), but guaranteed funded status.
Rules Comparison
LucidDirect has stricter rules than LucidBlack.
Consistency Requirements
Why is Direct stricter?
Because you didn't have to prove consistency in an evaluation. Lucid compensates by requiring 60% funded consistency on Direct accounts — which is significantly harder to maintain than Black's 40%.
Daily Loss Limits
Both plans: None
Payout Buffer
Both plans: None
Drawdown Type
Both plans: EOD (End-of-Day)
Payout Frequency Comparison
This is where LucidBlack dominates.
LucidBlack: 3-Day Frequency
- Request a payout today
- 3 days later, request another payout
- 10 payouts per month possible
LucidDirect: 8-Day Frequency
- Request a payout today
- Must complete 8 separate trading days before next payout
- 3-4 payouts per month possible
Real-World Impact:
If you're consistently profitable:
LucidBlack:
- Payout #1: Day 3
- Payout #2: Day 6
- Payout #3: Day 9
- Payout #4: Day 12 → Move to Live
LucidDirect:
- Payout #1: Day 8
- Payout #2: Day 16
- Payout #3: Day 24
- Payout #4: Day 32
- Payout #5: Day 40
- Payout #6: Day 48 → Move to Live
LucidBlack gets you to live in 12 days. LucidDirect takes 48 days.
Consistency Requirements Compared
LucidDirect's 60% funded consistency is significantly harder than Black's 40%.
LucidBlack: 40% Funded Consistency
Largest Single-Day Profit / Total Profit ≤ 40%
Example:
If you earn $2,000 in a payout cycle:
- Largest day: $600 → 30% → Pass ✅
- Largest day: $1,000 → 50% → Fail ❌
Spread profits across at least 3 days.
LucidDirect: 60% Funded Consistency
Largest Single-Day Profit / Total Profit ≤ 60%
Example:
If you earn $2,000 in a payout cycle:
- Largest day: $1,000 → 50% → Pass ✅
- Largest day: $1,500 → 75% → Fail ❌
Still requires spreading profits, but more forgiving than Black.
Wait, Direct is MORE forgiving?
Yes — but remember:
- Direct's payout cycle is 8 days (vs Black's 3 days)
- You're spreading profits over a much longer period
- Black's 40% over 3 days is actually easier to hit than Direct's 60% over 8 days for most traders
Pricing Comparison
LucidDirect costs 3-4x more than LucidBlack.
25K Account Pricing
50K Account Pricing
100K Account Pricing
Summary:
You pay 3-4x more for LucidDirect, but you skip the evaluation risk entirely.
Time to First Payout
LucidBlack:
Evaluation: 2-7 days (typical)
Funded Activation: 5-30 minutes
First Payout Wait: 3 days
Total Time to First Payout: 5-10 days
LucidDirect:
Evaluation: None
Activation: 5-15 minutes
First Payout Wait: 8 trading days minimum
Total Time to First Payout: 8+ days
Which is Faster?
LucidBlack — if you pass the eval quickly (2-3 days), you can request your first payout in 5-6 days total.
LucidDirect — guaranteed 8 trading days minimum before first payout.
But here's the catch: If you fail the LucidBlack evaluation and need to reset, LucidDirect becomes faster.
Path to Live Comparison
Both plans eventually move you to LucidLive, but LucidBlack gets you there significantly faster.
LucidBlack:
- 4 total payouts before moving to live
- 3-day frequency
- ~12-15 days to live (if consistently profitable)
- Premium live features (higher caps, escrow + bonus)
LucidDirect:
- 6 total payouts before moving to live
- 8-day frequency
- ~48+ days to live (if consistently profitable)
- Standard live features (lower caps, escrow only)
Winner: LucidBlack — 4x faster path to live.
Who Should Choose LucidBlack
LucidBlack is purpose-built for:
✅ Confident traders who don't mind passing an evaluation
- You've passed evaluations before
- You understand 60% consistency
- Evaluation risk doesn't scare you
✅ Traders who want premium features
- 3-day payout frequency
- Bonus payout system
- Fastest path to live
- Premium live caps
✅ Budget-conscious traders
- $78-$240 upfront is significantly cheaper than Direct
- Lower risk if you fail (just reset)
✅ Active traders who trade 4-5 days per week
- You can hit profit goals every 3 days
- You want fast payout cycles
✅ Disciplined traders who maintain 40% consistency easily
- You spread profits naturally
- No "hero day" psychology
Who Should Choose LucidDirect
LucidDirect is purpose-built for:
✅ Experienced traders who hate evaluations
- You've failed evaluations before and want to skip them
- You're confident in your edge
- You prefer guaranteed funded status
✅ Traders with significant capital to invest
- $800-$1,000 upfront isn't a problem
- You value instant access over cost savings
✅ Traders who can handle 60% consistency
- You're disciplined and spread profits naturally
- The 60% rule feels easy
✅ Traders who don't mind longer payout cycles
- 8 days between payouts feels fine
- You're not in a rush to scale income
✅ Risk-averse traders
- You want guaranteed funded status
- You don't want evaluation failure risk
But honestly?
For most traders, LucidBlack is objectively better. It's cheaper, faster payouts, bonus system, faster live transition, and only slightly more difficult (40% vs 60% consistency).
The only reason to choose Direct is if you absolutely hate evaluations and have the capital to pay 3-4x more upfront.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
FAQ
1. Can I have both LucidBlack and LucidDirect accounts at the same time?
Yes. You can have multiple accounts across different plans. Funded accounts are limited to 5 per household total.
2. If I fail a LucidBlack evaluation, does it make sense to switch to Direct?
Only if you're certain you can pass the stricter 60% consistency on Direct and don't mind paying 3-4x more. Most traders should just reset Black.
3. Which plan is better for beginners?
LucidBlack. The evaluation forces you to prove consistency before accessing faster payouts. Direct's instant access + stricter rules is a recipe for account violations for new traders.
4. Which plan is better for experienced traders?
Still LucidBlack — unless you have significant capital and absolutely hate evaluations. Black's 3-day payouts and bonus system are objectively better.
5. Does Direct have any advantages over Black?
Only two: (1) No evaluation required, (2) Guaranteed funded status. Everything else is worse: slower payouts, stricter consistency, higher cost, slower live transition, no bonus system.
6. Can I upgrade from Direct to Black?
No. Each plan operates independently. But you can buy a Black evaluation at any time.
7. What happens if I violate on a Direct account?
You lose the entire account and the $800+ you paid upfront. There are no resets for funded accounts — only for evaluations.
8. Is the bonus payout system worth the evaluation risk?
Absolutely. If you're confident you can pass the evaluation (most disciplined traders do), the bonus system + 3-day payouts more than justify the eval requirement.
9. Which plan moves to live faster?
LucidBlack — 4 payouts in ~12 days vs Direct's 6 payouts in ~48 days.
10. Should I ever choose Direct over Black?
Only if: (1) You have significant capital ($800+ is no problem), (2) You've repeatedly failed evaluations at multiple firms, (3) Instant access is worth 3-4x the cost to you. For 95% of traders, Black is better.
Final Verdict: LucidBlack or LucidDirect?
For the vast majority of traders, LucidBlack is objectively better:
- 3-4x cheaper upfront
- Faster payouts (3 days vs 8 days)
- Easier consistency (40% vs 60%)
- Bonus payout system (industry first)
- Faster live transition (4 vs 6 payouts)
- Premium live features
The only trade-off? You have to pass a one-time evaluation. But if you're a disciplined trader who can spread profits across 3-4 days, the evaluation is straightforward.
LucidDirect makes sense only if:
- You've repeatedly failed evaluations and want guaranteed access
- You have $800-$1,000 to invest upfront
- Instant access is worth 3-4x the cost + slower payouts + stricter rules
My Recommendation:
Start with LucidBlack. Pass the evaluation (most traders do in 2-7 days), unlock premium features, earn faster payouts, and get bonus eligibility. The evaluation risk is minimal compared to the massive upside.
Only consider Direct if you're absolutely certain you can't pass evaluations — but honestly, if that's the case, you should focus on refining your strategy before paying $800+ for a funded account you might violate anyway.
Your Next Steps
Get LucidBlack
40% off with code VIBES (expires Jan 25, 2026)
Get LucidDirect
30% off with code VIBES
