Lucid Trading vs. Blueberry Futures: Established Specialist or Broker-Backed Newcomer in 2026

‍Blueberry Futures launched with a regulated broker behind it. Lucid Trading launched with years of proven futures payouts behind it. One has institutional credibility from day one. The other has institutional credibility earned over time. The question is whether Blueberry's broker pedigree translates into a better trading experience—or just a better marketing story.

Blueberry Futures is the futures division of Blueberry Markets, an ASIC-regulated forex broker that also operates Blueberry Funded (their CFD prop firm rated 93/100 by independent reviewers). Being broker-backed means treasury management, payment processing, and infrastructure are handled by an entity that's already navigated regulatory requirements. That's a trust signal most standalone prop firms can't match.

I've traded Lucid across 14+ payout cycles. Blueberry Futures is new enough that my experience is research-based—I've gone through their Ascent and Accelerated plan structures, fee schedules, and rule documentation without trading a live account yet. This comparison is transparent about that: Lucid experience is first-hand, Blueberry assessment is research-informed.

How I compare firms: This comparison is built from actual accounts I've run with each firm—not from reading marketing pages or aggregating reviews. I've passed evals, traded funded, requested withdrawals, and dealt with support at both firms.

Lucid has been one of my primary prop firms since early 2025. For the full breakdown of their evaluation structure, account types, payout system, and what makes them different from other futures firms, check out my complete Lucid Trading review. It's based on 14 payouts, multiple funded accounts, and 18+ months of real trading—including what works, what doesn't, and where they fall short. For the absolute latest, check Lucid Trading's website or their help center.

Two Models: Ascent vs. Accelerated vs. LucidFlex

Blueberry Futures keeps things simple with two evaluation types—Ascent (EOD drawdown) and Accelerated (real-time trailing drawdown). Same profit targets and drawdowns for both. The difference is entirely about how the drawdown is calculated. Lucid offers one model: LucidFlex with EOD trailing.

The 30-Day Time Limit: Blueberry's Biggest Constraint

Blueberry Futures gives you 30 days to pass the evaluation. Lucid gives you unlimited time. For traders who go through drawdown periods, take breaks, or don't trade every day, Lucid's unlimited window is significantly more forgiving. Blueberry's 30-day clock means you're racing against time and the market simultaneously.

That said, the Accelerated plan only requires 1 profitable day of $200+ to qualify. Theoretically, you could pass in a single session. But that real-time trailing drawdown with only $2,000 of room makes one-session passes risky. The trailing updates tick by tick—every unrealized high becomes your new ceiling. A $500 unrealized gain followed by a $300 pullback costs you $300 of drawdown permanently, even if you never closed the trade.

No Overnight or Weekend Holds

Blueberry Futures prohibits holding positions overnight or over weekends. Positions auto-liquidate 15 minutes before market close. Lucid has no such restriction—you can hold NQ overnight, carry crude oil into the weekend, whatever your strategy requires.

This eliminates swing trading on Blueberry entirely. If your strategy involves multi-day holds on ES or GC, Blueberry isn't viable. Lucid accommodates intraday, swing, and multi-day strategies equally. For pure scalpers and intraday traders, Blueberry's restriction doesn't matter. For everyone else, it's a dealbreaker.

Commission Structure: Blueberry's Hidden Advantage

Blueberry Futures builds all execution costs into the Blackarrow environment. No separate routing fees, platform charges, or per-contract commissions. That's effectively commission-free futures trading during evaluations and funded accounts. Lucid charges standard exchange fees through Tradovate or your chosen platform. Over hundreds of trades per month, Blueberry's zero-commission model saves real money—especially for micro-contract scalpers who might pay $0.50-$1.00 per round turn on other platforms.

Funded Account Rules

Blueberry's Trading Restrictions: More Than Expected

Blueberry Futures prohibits automated trading, trade copiers, hedging (including cross-contract hedging like ES vs MES), and HFT behavior. They also limit position building to one initial entry plus two add-ons—a fourth entry counts as stacking and can breach rules.

Lucid's approach is dramatically more permissive. Automation is allowed with disclosure. Hedging is fine. There's no artificial limit on how you build positions. For algorithmic traders or anyone using semi-automated execution, Blueberry is off the table entirely.

The cross-contract hedging prohibition is particularly noteworthy. Many funded traders use ES and MES simultaneously for scaling and risk management. Blueberry treats this as hedging and will flag it. If your strategy involves any form of paired positions across related contracts, verify with Blueberry's support before trading.

The Blackarrow Platform

Blueberry's partnership with Blackarrow gives them a proprietary platform with free top-of-book market data, built-in volume analysis tools, and commission-free execution. For traders who don't already have a preferred platform, Blackarrow offers genuine value—especially since market data fees ($140+/month per exchange) are typically a significant cost for futures traders.

Lucid supports the platforms most traders already use: Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, and Rithmic connections. There's no proprietary platform, but there's also no platform lock-in. You trade with whatever you already know.

Trust Assessment: Broker-Backed vs. Battle-Tested

Blueberry Futures benefits from the Blueberry Markets brand—an ASIC-regulated broker operating since 2016. Their CFD prop firm (Blueberry Funded) has established payout history and a founding membership in The Prop Association. The futures division inherits this infrastructure.

However, Blueberry Funded's Trustpilot carries some concerning reviews—traders reporting accounts breached for unclear rule violations, especially around "all-in trading" and lot size calculations that didn't match their own records. These complaints are worth monitoring as the futures division matures.

Lucid's 4.6+ Trustpilot rating reflects years of futures-specific payout history. The complaints that exist are generally about drawdown mechanics—not about disputed breaches or unclear rule enforcement. My own experience across 14+ cycles confirms this: Lucid's rules are clear, enforcement is consistent, and payouts arrive when expected.

Decision Matrix

The Bottom Line

Blueberry Futures enters the market with institutional backing, commission-free execution, and competitive pricing that undercuts most competitors. For pure intraday scalpers who don't need overnight holds, news trading, or automation, it's an attractive package—especially at the $79 Accelerated entry point.

But Lucid Trading remains the more complete futures prop firm. Unrestricted trading styles, unlimited evaluation time, same-day payouts, and a track record that spans years instead of months. If Blueberry Futures survives its first year with clean payout history and consistent rule enforcement, it could become a genuine competitor. Until then, Lucid is the proven choice. I'd consider Blueberry for a secondary intraday-only account, but Lucid stays primary.