Tradeify Trading Commission Fees: Complete Cost Structure Breakdown

Written by Paul

Published on

January 13, 2026

When I first started trading my Tradeify funded accounts, I made a critical mistake: I didn't factor commission costs into my risk management. I was risking "10 ticks per trade" on ES without realizing that round-trip commissions were eating an additional 2.3 ticks ($28.80) out of every trade. Over 100 trades, that's $2,880 in commission costs I hadn't accounted for—enough to wreck my consistency percentage and delay my first payout.

This guide breaks down Tradeify's complete commission structure, shows you exactly what you're paying per contract per trade, explains why micro contracts can actually cost MORE than minis in certain scenarios, and gives you strategies to minimize commission drag on your profitability.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with Tradeify 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 Tradeify´s website or their help center.

How Tradeify Commission Fees Work

Tradeify routes all trades through Tradovate, a regulated futures broker connected to CME, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX exchanges. This means you're trading real market prices with actual order flow, but you're also paying real commission fees.

What's included in your "all-in" commission:

Broker commission (Tradovate)
Exchange fees (CME Group)
NFA regulatory fees
Clearing fees

Tradeify doesn't mark up spreads or add hidden margins. Your trades execute at market prices, and the commission is a separate line item deducted from your account balance.

Complete Commission Fee Table

Here's the full breakdown of per-contract round-trip costs on major futures instruments:

Contract	Name	Round Trip Cost	Cost in Ticks/Points
ES	E-mini S&P 500	$5.76	0.46 ticks ($12.50/tick)
NQ	E-mini Nasdaq-100	$5.76	1.15 ticks ($5.00/tick)
YM	E-mini Dow	$5.76	1.15 ticks ($5.00/tick)
RTY	E-mini Russell 2000	$5.76	1.15 ticks ($5.00/tick)
MES	Micro E-mini S&P 500	$1.82	1.46 ticks ($1.25/tick)
MNQ	Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100	$1.82	3.64 ticks ($0.50/tick)
CL	Crude Oil	$6.08	0.61 ticks ($10.00/tick)
GC	Gold	$6.08	0.61 ticks ($10.00/tick)
MCL	Micro Crude Oil	$1.44	1.44 ticks ($1.00/tick)

Important: These are ROUND-TRIP costs (entry + exit). Each trade you take costs this amount regardless of profit or loss.

The Micro vs Mini Contract Cost Trap

Here's the counterintuitive reality that costs traders money: trading multiple micro contracts can be MORE expensive than trading one mini contract.

Example: Trading MES vs ES

Scenario: You want to trade the equivalent of 1 ES contract

Option 1: Trade 1 ES contract

Commission: $5.76 round trip
Exposure: $50 per point

Option 2: Trade 10 MES contracts (equivalent exposure)

Commission: 10 × $1.82 = $18.20 round trip
Exposure: 10 × $5 per point = $50 per point
Extra cost: $12.44 per trade ($18.20 - $5.76)

Over 100 trades: That's $1,244 in unnecessary commission costs.

When Micros Make Sense vs When They Don't

Scenario	Use Micros	Use Minis
Position sizing	1-3 micro contracts for precise sizing	4+ micros? Switch to 1 mini instead
Small account ($10K-$25K)	Perfect—keeps risk manageable	Too much exposure per contract
Large account ($100K+)	Only for fine-tuning odd lots	Primary trading instrument
High-frequency trading	Avoid—commissions will destroy edge	Better cost efficiency

My rule: If I need more than 3 micro contracts, I trade minis instead to save on commissions.

Commission Impact on Different Trading Styles

Scalping (10-20 Trades Per Day)

Daily cost on 15 ES round trips:

15 trades × $5.76 = $86.40/day
Monthly (20 trading days): $1,728
Yearly: $20,736 in commission costs

Break-even requirement: You need to profit 0.46 ticks per trade JUST to cover commissions before making any actual money.

Day Trading (5-10 Trades Per Day)

Daily cost on 7 NQ round trips:

7 trades × $5.76 = $40.32/day
Monthly: $806
Yearly: $9,674

Swing Trading (1-3 Trades Per Day)

Daily cost on 2 CL round trips:

2 trades × $6.08 = $12.16/day
Monthly: $243
Yearly: $2,922

The takeaway: Commission costs scale with trade frequency. Scalpers pay the highest percentage drag on profitability.

How Commissions Affect Tradeify Profitability

When you're trading on Tradeify and aiming for payouts, commissions directly reduce your net profit and affect key metrics.

Impact on Consistency Rule

Tradeify's consistency rule limits how much profit can come from your best trading day. Commissions reduce your gross profit, which means you need bigger winning trades to hit your targets.

Example:

Gross profit on best day: $1,500
Commission costs: $150 (25 trades)
Net profit: $1,350
Result: Your "best day" is calculated at $1,350, not $1,500

Impact on Minimum Payout Thresholds

For Select Flex accounts:Winning days require minimum profit AFTER commissions:

50K account: $150 net profit
100K account: $200 net profit
150K account: $250 net profit

Real scenario:You trade 10 NQ round trips and make 40 points gross ($800). Commission costs: 10 × $5.76 = $57.60. Net profit: $742.40. This counts as a winning day on a 100K account ($742.40 > $200 threshold).

But if you only make 25 points ($500 gross) with the same 10 trades, net profit is $442.40—still a winning day.

Strategies to Minimize Commission Costs

Strategy #1: Trade Minis Over Micros (When It Makes Sense)

Before: Trading 10 MES contracts = $18.20 per round tripAfter: Trading 1 ES contract = $5.76 per round tripSavings: $12.44 per trade

Over 100 trades: $1,244 saved

Strategy #2: Reduce Trade Frequency Without Reducing Edge

Ask yourself: Am I taking marginal setups that barely meet my criteria?

Example from my trading:

I was taking 15 NQ trades per day ($86.40 in commissions)
Cut to my best 8 setups per day ($46.08 in commissions)
Result: $40.32/day saved ($806/month) with BETTER win rate because I only took A+ setups

Strategy #3: Use Wider Stops to Reduce Overtrading

Problem: Tight stops = more stop-outs = more trades = more commissions

Solution: Slightly wider stops, smaller position size, fewer trades

Example:

Before: 5-point stops on NQ, 12 trades/day, 8 stopped out = 20 total executions × $5.76 = $115.20/day
After: 8-point stops, 8 trades/day, 4 stopped out = 12 total executions × $5.76 = $69.12/day
Savings: $46.08/day ($921/month)

Strategy #4: Batch Your Entries and Exits

Instead of scaling in with 3 separate entries (3 commission charges), consider entering your full position at once.

Before: Scale in with 3 entries + 1 exit = 4 commission charges = 4 × $5.76 = $23.04After: Full position entry + 1 exit = 2 commission charges = 2 × $5.76 = $11.52Savings: $11.52 per trade

Note: Only do this if your strategy allows for single-entry setups. Don't sacrifice edge to save commissions.

Strategy #5: Avoid Trading During Low-Liquidity Periods

Why it matters: During overnight or low-volume sessions, wider spreads mean you're paying slippage ON TOP OF commissions.

Example:

RTH ES spread: 0.25 (1 tick)
Overnight ES spread: 1.00 (4 ticks) = extra $12.50 slippage
Commission: $5.76
Total cost: $18.26 vs $5.76 during liquid hours

My approach: I avoid trading outside regular hours unless there's a compelling setup. The combination of commissions + slippage destroys edge.

Data Subscription Costs (Separate from Commissions)

Commissions aren't your only trading cost on Tradeify. You also need market data subscriptions.

Tradovate data subscriptions:

Free tier: Delayed data (15-20 minute delay) — not suitable for active trading
Level 1 Real-Time: ~$10-$15/month depending on exchanges
Professional data: Higher rates if you're classified as professional trader

What you need at minimum:

CME Group real-time data (covers ES, NQ, YM, RTY)
NYMEX/COMEX if trading energies or metals

My monthly data costs: $12/month for Level 1 CME data across my 3 Tradeify accounts.

More details in the Tradovate platform setup guide.

Comparing Tradeify Commission Costs to Other Prop Firms

Prop Firm	ES Round Trip Cost	Notes
Tradeify	$5.76	Tradovate routing, standard industry rates
TopstepTrader	$5.00-$6.00	Similar to Tradeify, uses Tradovate
Apex Trader Funding	$4.80	Slightly lower via Rithmic routing
MyFundedFutures	$5.50	Standard Tradovate rates

Reality check: Commission costs are fairly standardized across futures prop firms. Tradeify's rates are competitive and in line with industry standards. You're not overpaying, but you're also not getting any special discount.

Real Profit Calculation Example

Let's calculate actual net profit after commissions on a real Tradeify trading month.

Your month:

100 NQ trades (round trips)
Win rate: 65%
Average winner: 12 points ($240)
Average loser: 8 points ($160)
Account: 50K Select

Gross P&L:

Winners: 65 × $240 = $15,600
Losers: 35 × $160 = $5,600
Gross profit: $10,000

Commission costs:

100 trades × $5.76 = $576

Net profit: $10,000 - $576 = $9,424

Impact: Commissions reduced your profit by 5.76%. Not huge, but over a year, that's $6,912 in costs you need to factor into your risk management.

FAQ

Q: Does Tradeify charge commissions on sim-funded accounts?Yes. Even though you're trading simulated capital, the commissions are real and deducted from your account balance. This prepares you for live trading where commissions also apply.

Q: Are commissions different on Elite Live accounts vs sim-funded?No. Commission rates are the same whether you're trading sim or Elite Live. The routing and fee structure don't change.

Q: Can I negotiate lower commission rates with Tradeify?Not directly. Tradeify uses Tradovate's standard rates, which are set by the broker and exchanges. However, high-volume traders on Elite Live may have access to volume-based discounts through their broker relationship.

Q: Do I pay commissions on trades that don't fill?No. You only pay commissions on executed trades. If you place a limit order that never fills, there's no commission charge.

Q: Are commissions factored into my consistency percentage?Yes. Consistency is calculated on NET profit (after commissions), not gross profit. This is why high-frequency traders need to be especially careful about commission drag.

Q: Can I see my total commission costs in my Tradeify dashboard?Your Tradovate platform shows per-trade commissions. To see total costs, you'll need to export your trade history and calculate it in a spreadsheet or use Tradeify's built-in trade journal analytics.

Q: Do I get charged commissions twice if I'm trading multiple Tradeify accounts?Yes—each account is separate. If you're trading 3 funded accounts with copy trading, you pay commissions on each account independently.

Q: What's the cheapest futures contract to trade on Tradeify (commission-wise)?Micro contracts have the lowest per-contract cost ($1.44-$1.82), but remember: trading 10 micros costs more than 1 mini. The "cheapest" depends on your position size.

Q: Are there any ways to get commission rebates or discounts?Not through Tradeify directly. Some traders offset commission costs by joining the Tradeify affiliate program and earning commissions from referrals.

Conclusion

Commission costs are a non-negotiable part of trading futures on Tradeify. At $5.76 per ES round trip, they're competitive with industry standards, but they add up fast if you're a high-frequency trader. The key is understanding how commissions impact your net profitability, factoring them into your risk management, and making strategic decisions—like trading minis instead of excessive micros—to minimize commission drag.

I track my commission costs monthly and aim to keep them below 5% of my gross profits. When they creep above that, I know I'm overtrading or taking marginal setups. Commission awareness has made me a better, more selective trader.

If you're serious about profitability on Tradeify, treat commissions like any other business expense—minimize them where possible, but never sacrifice your trading edge to save a few dollars.