TradeDay Pricing 2026: Complete Cost Breakdown

You're about to subscribe to TradeDay and you want to know exactly what you're paying for. The website shows "$150/month" for a $100K account but is that the total cost? What about reset fees, activation fees, platform costs, and withdrawal fees? How much does it really cost to go from signup to funded to first payout?

Most prop firms bury their true costs across multiple pages. You see the monthly subscription advertised but discover hidden fees after you've already committed. TradeDay is more transparent than most, but you still need to dig to understand the complete financial picture.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

I spent $1,247 total before receiving my first payout from TradeDay. That included subscriptions, resets, activation, and fees. Some of that was inefficiency on my part (failed attempts), but even a perfect run costs $428 minimum. Knowing these numbers upfront would have helped me budget properly instead of being surprised by each new charge.

This is your complete cost breakdown for TradeDay in 2026: every fee explained, total cost scenarios from best-case to realistic, hidden costs to watch for, and how TradeDay's pricing compares to competitors.

Monthly Subscription Costs

This is the base recurring fee you pay while attempting evaluations.

Pricing by Account Size and Drawdown Type

How billing works: Charged immediately when you subscribe, then auto-renews on the same date each month until you cancel or pass your evaluation.

When it stops: Once you pass and activate your funded account, the monthly subscription ends. You stop paying unless you upgrade to Funded Live ($140/month, optional).

Why EOD Costs More Than Intraday

EOD (End-of-Day) trailing drawdown is more forgiving because unrealized losses don't count until 4:10 PM CT. Intraday calculates drawdown in real-time including unrealized losses, giving you less flexibility.

TradeDay charges $24-30 more per month for EOD because it's easier to pass. About 75-80% of traders choose EOD despite the higher cost because the flexibility is worth it.

For complete drawdown type comparison, see the drawdown types guide.

Multi-Month Scenarios

Pass on first attempt (1 month):

• Cost: $150 (one month subscription)
• Timeline: 2-4 weeks

Pass on second attempt (2 months):

• Cost: $300 (two months subscription)
• Timeline: 6-8 weeks

Pass on fourth attempt (4 months):

• Cost: $600 (four months subscription)
• Timeline: 3-4 months

The subscription fee compounds if you take multiple attempts. Budget for at least 2-3 months ($300-450) to be realistic.

Reset Fees

When you fail an evaluation, you pay a reset fee to start over.

Reset Fee Structure

Pattern: Reset fees equal one month's subscription cost for that account type.

When you pay: After hitting max drawdown, violating prohibited practices, or choosing to reset voluntarily.

How many resets: Unlimited. Some traders reset 5-10 times before passing (expensive).

For complete reset strategy, see the reset policy guide.

Activation Fee

One-time payment when you pass evaluation and get funded.

The $139 Activation

Amount: $139 flat (same for all account sizes)When charged: After your evaluation is approved, before your funded account activatesWhat it covers: Transition from evaluation to funded status, administrative processingRefundable: No

This is industry-standard. Most prop firms charge $100-200 activation fees.

Why It Exists

TradeDay uses this fee to offset the cost of traders who pass evaluations but blow their funded accounts quickly. It ensures only serious traders who actually want to trade funded capital move forward, not just people passing for bragging rights.

Platform Costs

Some platforms are free, others require subscriptions.

Free Platforms (Included with TradeDay)

Tradovate: Web-based, $0 extra costTradeDayX: TradeDay's proprietary platform, $0 extra costNinjaTrader Basic: Desktop platform, $0 for basic live trading

Most traders use these free options and never pay platform fees.

Paid Platform Options

TradingView Premium: $15-60/month depending on plan (Essential/Plus/Premium)

• Required if you want to execute trades from TradingView charts
• Basic TradingView is free but doesn't support broker connections

NinjaTrader Advanced: $60/month or $1,495 lifetime license

• Optional for backtesting, automated trading, premium indicators
• Most traders don't need this

Quantower: $50-250/month

• Professional order flow platform
• For advanced traders only

ATAS: $29-99/month

• Specialized volume analysis
• Niche use case

Jigsaw Trading: $50-160/month

• Scalping-focused DOM tools
• For high-frequency scalpers

Realistic platform cost: $0-60/month depending on your needs. Most traders pay $0 by using free platforms.

For complete platform details, see the supported platforms guide.

Payout Processing Fees

These fees apply when withdrawing your profits after getting funded.

Riseworks Payment Fees

Wire Transfer (ACH/International Wire):

• Fee: $25 flat per withdrawal
• Timeline: 3-5 business days
• Best for: Larger withdrawals ($1,000+)

Cryptocurrency (BTC/ETH/USDT):

• Fee: 2-5% depending on network and coin
• Timeline: 1-3 business days
• Best for: Smaller withdrawals or if you prefer crypto

Example costs:

• Withdraw $1,000 via wire: $25 fee (2.5% effective)
• Withdraw $5,000 via wire: $25 fee (0.5% effective)
• Withdraw $1,000 via crypto (3% fee): $30 fee

Wire transfers become more cost-effective at higher withdrawal amounts.

For complete payout details, see the payout policy guide.

Optional Costs

These aren't required but some traders choose them.

Funded Live Upgrade

Cost: $140/monthWhat it includes: Direct market routing (orders go to real exchanges), professional-grade data feeds, live broker execution

Who needs it: High-frequency traders, scalpers needing absolute fastest executionWho doesn't: 90% of traders — Funded Sim (free) execution is fine for normal day trading

I've never upgraded to Funded Live. The free Funded Sim execution works perfectly for my 5-15 minute hold times.

Data Feed Subscriptions

CME data is included in your TradeDay subscription. You don't need to pay extra for real-time futures data.

If you wanted to trade non-CME products (rare), you'd pay extra data fees. But TradeDay is CME futures only, so this doesn't apply.

Third-Party Tools

Trade journaling software: $0-40/month

• Edgewonk: $40/month
• TradeZella: $30/month
• Google Sheets: Free

Risk calculators: Usually free or $5-10/month

Community memberships: $0-100/month

• Trading Discord servers, mentor programs, etc.

These are personal choices, not TradeDay requirements.

Total Cost Scenarios

Let's calculate realistic total costs from signup to first payout.

Best Case Scenario (Pass First Attempt, 3 Weeks)

Month 1:

• Subscription: $150
• Activation fee: $139
• First payout withdrawal fee: $25
• Total: $314

This is the absolute minimum cost if everything goes perfectly and you use free platforms.

Realistic Scenario (Pass Second Attempt, 2 Months)

Month 1:

• Subscription: $150
• Hit drawdown on Day 18, reset: $150
• Month 1 total: $300

Month 2:

• Subscription: $150
• Pass evaluation, activation: $139
• Month 2 total: $289

First payout:

• Withdrawal fee: $25

Total investment before receiving money: $614

This is typical for traders with some futures experience who fail once before succeeding.

Common Scenario (Pass Third Attempt, 3-4 Months)

Month 1-3:

• Subscriptions: $150 × 3 = $450
• Reset fees: $150 × 2 = $300
• Activation fee: $139
• Withdrawal fee: $25
• Total: $914

This is common for traders learning as they go or making multiple mistakes.

Worst Case Scenario (5+ Attempts, 6 Months)

Month 1-6:

• Subscriptions: $150 × 6 = $900
• Reset fees: $150 × 5 = $750
• Activation fee: $139
• Withdrawal fee: $25
• Total: $1,814

This happens when traders repeatedly make the same mistakes or don't prepare properly before subscribing.

Cost with Platform Subscriptions

Realistic with TradingView:

• Base costs (2 months, 1 reset): $614
• TradingView Premium: $30 × 2 = $60
• Total: $674

With NinjaTrader Advanced:

• Base costs: $614
• NinjaTrader: $60 × 2 = $120
• Total: $734

Platform costs add $60-240 depending on which tools you use and how long you take to pass.

Hidden or Surprise Costs

These are fees traders don't expect until they encounter them.

Subscription Continues While Resetting

The surprise: Your monthly subscription doesn't pause when you reset. The clock keeps running.

Example: You subscribe January 1 ($150). You fail and reset January 20 ($150 reset fee). Your subscription renews February 1 ($150 again). Total: $450 for one month of trading across two attempts.

How to minimize: Try to pass or reset early in your billing cycle, not late. If you know you're going to reset on Day 25, do it on Day 5 of your next cycle instead.

Riseworks Identity Verification Delays

The surprise: Your first payout requires identity verification with Riseworks (TradeDay's payment processor). This adds 1-3 days to your first withdrawal.

Documents needed: Government ID, proof of address, sometimes selfie verification

Cost: No direct cost, but delayed access to your money

Exchange Rate Fees (International Traders)

The surprise: If you're paying with a non-US credit card, your bank may charge currency conversion fees (1-3%).

Example: $150 subscription becomes $154.50 after conversion fees

Solution: Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, or pay in crypto if TradeDay adds that option.

Tax Preparation Costs (US Traders)

The surprise: Your funded account profits are taxable income. You might need to pay a tax professional to handle 1099 reporting and trading income properly.

Cost: $200-800/year for a CPA familiar with trader taxes

Not technically a TradeDay cost, but a real expense you'll incur once profitable.

Comparison to Competitor Pricing

How does TradeDay stack up against other prop firms?

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Key takeaway: TradeDay's pricing is mid-range. Not the cheapest (that's Leeloo), not the most expensive (Apex and TopStep are slightly higher). The 100% first $10K profit split is unique and valuable — that effectively reduces your cost significantly compared to competitors where you'd only keep 80-90% from dollar one.

How to Minimize Your Total Costs

Strategic approaches to spend less getting funded.

Strategy 1: Practice in Free Sim First

Don't subscribe to TradeDay until you've proven your strategy works in free simulation for 30+ days.

Cost savings: Prevents wasting $300-600 on failed attempts before you're ready. One month of free sim practice = $150-300 saved in subscription fees.

Strategy 2: Choose the Right Account Size

Don't start with $150K just because it sounds impressive.

Better approach: Start with $100K. If you pass easily, upgrade to $150K as a second account. If you struggle, you're only paying $150/month instead of $210/month while learning.

Cost savings: $60/month × 3 months = $180 saved

Strategy 3: Use Free Platforms

Tradovate and NinjaTrader Basic do everything 90% of traders need.

Cost savings: $0 vs $30-60/month for TradingView/advanced tools = $90-180 saved over 3 months

Upgrade to paid platforms only after you're funded and profitable.

Strategy 4: Reset Strategically

Don't reset emotionally after every bad day. Only reset when mathematically necessary (hit drawdown, unfixable consistency violation).

Cost savings: If you reset 2 times instead of 4 times, you save $300 in reset fees.

For reset strategy, see the reset policy guide.

Strategy 5: Withdraw Frequently Once Funded

Don't leave $10K buffer in your account for months. Withdraw every 7-14 days to lock in profits in case you blow the account later.

Cost savings: Prevents losing accumulated profits if your funded account terminates. It's not a direct fee savings, but it protects your earnings.

Strategy 6: Use Discount Codes

TradeDay periodically offers 20-50% off first month or reduced reset fees.

Cost savings: 40% off first month = $60 saved. 50% off reset fee = $75 saved.

Check the discount codes page before subscribing.

Budget Planning: What to Set Aside

Conservative budget for getting funded and making first withdrawal.

Minimum Budget (Optimistic)

Assumptions: Pass first attempt in 3 weeks

• Subscription: $150
• Activation: $139
• Withdrawal fee: $25
• Total: $314

Set aside $350 to have a small cushion.

Realistic Budget (Moderate)

Assumptions: 2-3 attempts over 2-3 months

• Subscriptions: $150 × 3 = $450
• Reset fees: $150 × 2 = $300
• Activation: $139
• Withdrawal fee: $25
• Total: $914

Set aside $1,000 to be comfortable.

Conservative Budget (Cautious)

Assumptions: 4-5 attempts over 4-6 months, using TradingView

• Subscriptions: $150 × 5 = $750
• Reset fees: $150 × 4 = $600
• TradingView: $30 × 5 = $150
• Activation: $139
• Withdrawal fee: $25
• Total: $1,664

Set aside $1,700-2,000 if you want to remove financial pressure.

When to Stop

If you've spent $1,500+ without passing, pause and evaluate whether prop trading is the right path. Don't keep burning money indefinitely.

Alternative: Trade your personal account with $5K-10K capital for 6 months. If you're consistently profitable there, come back to prop firms. If not, focus on improving before spending more.

Is TradeDay Worth the Cost?

The cost makes sense if you get funded and stay funded.

Break-Even Analysis

Total investment (realistic case): $914

Funded earnings needed to break even:

• At 80% split: $1,143 gross profit
• At 90% split: $1,016 gross profit
• At 100% split (first $10K): $914 gross profit

Timeline to break even if you make $2,000/month funded:

• One month of funded trading at 100% split breaks you even
• Everything after that is profit

Long-Term Value

Over 12 months funded (conservative $1,500/month average):

• Total earned: $18,000
• Your keep (at 90% average split): $16,200
• Minus original investment: -$914
• Net profit: $15,286

The evaluation costs are a rounding error compared to what you can earn over 6-12 months funded. The question isn't "is TradeDay too expensive," it's "can I pass the evaluation and stay funded?"

If you can, the costs are negligible. If you can't, even $300 is too much.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any hidden fees I should know about?

The main "hidden" cost is that your subscription continues while you're resetting or taking breaks. Other than that, all fees are disclosed upfront. Just make sure you budget for multiple attempts, not just one perfect pass.

Can I get a refund if I change my mind?

TradeDay's refund policy varies and changes over time. Generally, if you request cancellation within the first few days and haven't traded yet, you might get a refund. Once you start trading, subscriptions are non-refundable. Check current policy with support.

Do prices ever increase?

Yes. TradeDay has raised prices over time as the company matures. Early adopters who maintain continuous subscriptions sometimes get grandfathered at lower rates. If you cancel and come back later, you pay current market rates.

Is there a discount for annual subscriptions?

No. TradeDay is month-to-month only. There's no option to prepay for 6-12 months at a discount.

What if I want multiple accounts?

Each account has its own subscription fee and costs. Two $100K accounts = $300/month in subscriptions. No multi-account discounts are advertised, but promotional offers sometimes include reduced pricing for adding accounts.

Bottom Line: Budget $600-1,000 Realistically

TradeDay's pricing is transparent and competitive. The monthly subscription ($150 for most traders), reset fees ($150), and activation ($139) are all clearly listed. The costs add up if you take multiple attempts, but that's true of any prop firm.

Plan for:

• $300-450 in subscription fees (2-3 months)
• $150-300 in reset fees (1-2 resets)
• $139 activation
• $25 first withdrawal
• Total: $614-914 realistic budget

If you're consistently profitable in simulation before subscribing, your actual costs will be on the lower end. If you jump in unprepared, expect the higher end or worse.

The cost is justified if you get funded. The $900 you might spend on evaluations becomes irrelevant when you're earning $1,500-3,000/month from your funded account.

For complete details on evaluation requirements and strategies to pass, check the full TradeDay review.

Budget properly. Trade carefully. Get funded.

Your Next Steps

‍👉 Start Trading at TradeDay Today

‍👉 Read My Full TradeDay Review

‍👉 Check out TradeDay´s Payout Rules

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