Tradeify Legacy Advanced Accounts: Pre-December 2025 Evaluation Rules Explained

I purchased my first Tradeify Advanced account in October 2024, passed the evaluation in 17 days, and spent seven months trading under rules that no longer exist. In December 2025, Tradeify discontinued Advanced accounts entirely, replacing them with Growth and Select plans. But here's what matters: if you bought an Advanced account before December 3, 2025, your account still operates under the original "legacy" rules.

This guide documents those legacy Advanced rules for traders who still hold these accounts or are researching Tradeify's historical offerings. Understanding what changed and why helps contextualize Tradeify's current account structures—and more importantly, helps legacy account holders navigate their grandfathered benefits.

I'm not writing this from documentation alone. I traded a 50K Advanced evaluation, passed it, ran the funded account for seven months, and made 11 payouts before transitioning to Elite Live. Every detail here comes from actual experience with these specific rules.

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.

What Made Advanced Accounts Different

Tradeify's Advanced accounts used an intraday trailing drawdown that recalculated continuously throughout the trading session. This differed fundamentally from the end-of-day (EOD) trailing drawdowns that Growth, Lightning, and Select accounts use. The distinction matters because intraday tracking creates both protection and pressure that EOD models don't.

Key characteristics of Advanced accounts:

• Real-time intraday trailing max drawdown
• Monthly subscription model ($150-$360 depending on size)
• Higher profit targets than Growth (8% vs 6%)
• One-time $125 activation fee after passing
• 35% consistency rule on funded accounts
• No minimum trading days to pass evaluation

The intraday drawdown meant your account was constantly monitored. If you were up $500 at 10:00 AM, your drawdown moved up with that unrealized profit. Then if you gave back $400 by 11:00 AM, you'd only have $100 of cushion instead of the original $500. This real-time adjustment forced disciplined profit-taking and tight risk management.

Advanced vs Growth vs Lightning: The Evolution

Understanding why Tradeify evolved away from Advanced accounts helps explain their current offerings. Let me break down how these account types compared and why Advanced eventually disappeared.

The Advanced model cost significantly more monthly ($227 vs $135 for Growth) and required a $125 activation fee that Growth eliminated. Combined with the harder 8% target and real-time drawdown pressure, fewer traders succeeded with Advanced compared to Growth. Tradeify's data likely showed lower pass rates and higher frustration, leading to the discontinuation.

The Intraday Trailing Drawdown Explained

This was Advanced accounts' defining feature and biggest challenge. Understanding how it worked—and why it disappeared—matters for traders choosing between current Tradeify options.

How Intraday Trailing Worked

Your drawdown recalculated continuously based on your highest unrealized balance during the session. Here's a detailed example using a 50K Advanced account with a $2,000 drawdown:

9:30 AM market open:

• Balance: $50,000
• Drawdown: $48,000
• Room: $2,000

10:15 AM - You're up $800 on open position:

• Unrealized balance: $50,800
• Drawdown: $48,800 (moved up $800)
• Room: Still $2,000, but now based on higher baseline

10:45 AM - Position turns against you, now down $300:

• Unrealized balance: $49,700
• Drawdown: Still $48,800 (doesn't move down intraday)
• Room: Only $900 left ($49,700 - $48,800)

Notice what happened. You made $800 unrealized, which moved your drawdown up. Then you gave back $1,100 total from the high, leaving you down $300 from starting balance. But because the drawdown trailed up with the $800 gain, you only have $900 room instead of the original $2,000.

This real-time adjustment created intense pressure to lock profits. Every time you let an unrealized gain turn into a loss, you ate into your drawdown room faster than with EOD tracking. I learned this the hard way during my evaluation when I was up $1,200 at 11:00 AM, didn't take profit, and watched the position drop to -$400 by 1:00 PM. I went from having plenty of room to being within $600 of failure in two hours.

Why It Protected Disciplined Traders

The intraday system forced profit-taking discipline. You couldn't let winners turn into losers without consequences. This benefited traders with:

• Tight stop losses and profit targets
• Scalping strategies with quick in-and-out
• Strong discipline to book profits before they evaporate

For traders like me who scalp 15-40 trades per day holding positions 1-5 minutes, the intraday drawdown actually helped. It prevented me from holding losing positions too long because I could see the drawdown room shrinking in real-time.

Why It Hurt Swing/Position Traders

If your strategy involved holding positions several hours or across multiple sessions (before 5 PM ET close), the intraday drawdown became a nightmare.

Any unrealized profit during the day would move your drawdown up, then normal intraday volatility could breach you even if your end-of-day balance was fine.

Example: You enter a swing trade at 10:00 AM buying 2 MES contracts. By 2:00 PM you're up $1,500 unrealized. Your drawdown has moved up $1,500. Then at 3:00 PM, price retraces and you're only up $200. Your drawdown stayed at the high, so you've effectively used $1,300 of your original $2,000 room. If the position continues against you, you could hit drawdown intraday even though you'd still be profitable at 5:00 PM close.

This mechanism killed Advanced accounts for anyone not scalping or day-trading with tight management. Tradeify's introduction of Growth with EOD drawdowns opened the door to swing traders and position holders who couldn't handle intraday volatility.

Legacy Account Sizes and Rules

Tradeify offered three Advanced account sizes, each with specific parameters that differed from current Growth options:

$50K Advanced Account:

• Monthly cost: $227
• Profit target: $4,000 (8%)
• Intraday trailing drawdown: $2,000
• Max position size (legacy): 5 mini contracts OR 50 micro contracts
• Daily loss limit: $2,500 (removed at 6% profit for pre-Sept 2025 purchases)
• Activation fee: $125

$100K Advanced Account:

• Monthly cost: $332
• Profit target: $8,000 (8%)
• Intraday trailing drawdown: $4,000
• Max position size (legacy): 10 mini contracts OR 100 micro contracts
• Daily loss limit: $5,000 (removed at 6% profit for pre-Sept 2025 purchases)
• Activation fee: $125

$150K Advanced Account:

• Monthly cost: $360
• Profit target: $12,000 (8%)
• Intraday trailing drawdown: $6,000
• Max position size (legacy): 15 mini contracts OR 150 micro contracts
• Daily loss limit: $7,500 (removed at 6% profit for pre-Sept 2025 purchases)
• Activation fee: $125

These costs made Advanced significantly more expensive than Growth, especially for traders needing multiple months to pass. If you took three months to pass a 50K Advanced, you'd pay $681 in subscriptions plus $125 activation = $806 total. Compare that to Growth at $405 total ($135 × 3 months, no activation fee). That's nearly double the cost for a harder evaluation.

The Subscription Model and Auto-Reset

Advanced accounts operated on a 30-day billing cycle that auto-renewed regardless of account status. This created situations where traders paid for accounts they didn't realize were still active.

How it worked:

• Purchase Advanced account → Subscription starts
• Fail evaluation → Account resets at next billing cycle
• Subscription continues unless manually canceled
• No auto-cancellation after passing

I fell into this trap initially. I passed my Advanced evaluation on day 17, activated the funded account, and forgot to cancel the evaluation subscription. It renewed on day 30, charging me another $227 for an evaluation I no longer needed. Tradeify support refunded it after I contacted them, but it was technically my responsibility to cancel.

Cancellation nuance: When you canceled an Advanced subscription, it didn't terminate immediately. Instead, it entered "Pending Cancellation" status and remained active until the next renewal date. This gave you time to change your mind if you realized you still wanted the account. But it also meant you couldn't cancel and immediately stop payment—you'd pay through the current cycle.

This differed from how Lightning works (one-time fee, no subscription) and how current Growth subscriptions operate (same model but cheaper). Understanding the subscription mechanics prevented unexpected charges, especially for traders managing multiple accounts.

Legacy Rule: Daily Loss Limit Removal at 6% Profit

This was a unique feature for Advanced accounts purchased before September 12, 2025—one that no current Tradeify account offers in quite the same way.

The rule: Once your end-of-day balance reached 6% profit above starting balance, your daily loss limit was completely removed (not just increased—removed entirely).

Example on 50K Advanced:

• Starting balance: $50,000
• DLL during evaluation: $2,500
• Once balance hits $53,000 EOD (6% profit): DLL removed permanently
• After removal: No daily loss limit, only the trailing drawdown applies

This represented massive freedom for traders who could get above 6% profit and stay there. Once that threshold triggered, you could take larger losing days without hitting DLL—your only constraint was the intraday trailing drawdown itself.

I hit this threshold on day 9 of my evaluation. My balance closed at $53,200, removing the DLL. For the remaining 8 days of my evaluation, I traded more aggressively knowing I couldn't hit DLL, only drawdown. This flexibility helped me reach the 8% target faster because I could take calculated risks without DLL anxiety.

Why this matters for legacy holders: If you still have a funded Advanced account purchased before September 12, 2025, and you've grown it above 6% profit from your activation balance, you're operating without a DLL. This is a meaningful advantage over current Growth accounts, which maintain DLLs throughout the account lifecycle. Understanding your grandfathered benefits helps you leverage them strategically.

Passing the Advanced Evaluation: My Experience

I passed in 17 trading days with a 53% win rate across 287 trades. Here's the breakdown of what worked and what almost got me terminated.

Days 1-5: Building foundation

• Focused on small wins: $150-$300 per day
• Total profit after 5 days: $1,100
• Strategy: Scalping ES/NQ using VWAP touches
• Drawdown distance: Never closer than $1,200

These first five days established baseline consistency. I didn't push for huge wins because the intraday drawdown made me cautious. Every unrealized gain would move my drawdown up, so I booked profits quickly—typically $50-$75 per trade using 2 MES contracts.

Days 6-9: Breakthrough period

• Day 6: $680 profit (caught a strong trending session)
• Day 7: $420 profit
• Day 8: $510 profit
• Day 9: $590 profit (crossed 6% threshold, DLL removed)
• Cumulative: $3,300 profit

Day 9 was pivotal because hitting 6% removed my DLL. I closed that session at $53,200, which meant the $2,500 daily loss limit no longer applied. This psychological shift changed my trading—I felt less constrained and could take slightly larger positions knowing DLL wasn't a concern.

Days 10-14: The dangerous period

• Day 10: -$380 (first red day)
• Day 11: -$520 (second consecutive red day)
• Day 12: $180 (barely green)
• Day 13: $420
• Day 14: $580
• Cumulative: $3,280 (dropped $20 from day 9 high)

This stretch nearly broke me. Two consecutive red days after removing DLL made me question my strategy. The intraday drawdown became more dangerous because my high-water mark was $53,200, meaning my drawdown sat at $51,200. On day 11, I dropped to $52,680 intraday at one point—within $1,480 of drawdown. That's closer than I'd been since day 2.

The key lesson: removing DLL doesn't remove risk. The intraday drawdown still trails your highs, and giving back profits during a session eats room faster than building it. I learned to be even more disciplined about locking profits after big days rather than assuming the freedom from DLL meant freedom from consequences.

Days 15-17: Push to pass

• Day 15: $720 (strong NFP day)
• Day 16: $620
• Day 17: $510 (crossed $54,000, passed evaluation)
• Final balance: $54,130

Day 15's NFP trade was the inflection point. I caught the initial move, booked $720 profit across six trades, and suddenly saw the finish line. Two more solid days pushed me past the $54,000 target (8% of $50,000 = $4,000 profit needed). I received the congratulatory email at 7:13 PM ET, about 90 minutes after market close.

Funded Account Experience: 7 Months, 11 Payouts

After paying the $125 activation fee, my Advanced Simulated Funded account went live on November 2, 2024. I traded it actively until June 2025 when I transitioned to Elite Live. Here's how funded trading differed from the evaluation.

The Locked Drawdown Benefit

Once funded, the intraday trailing drawdown mechanics changed slightly. The drawdown still trailed intraday, but it locked permanently once I hit certain thresholds. For Advanced funded accounts, the lock occurred when end-of-day balance exceeded starting balance + drawdown + $100.

My activation balance: $54,130Drawdown at activation: $52,130Lock threshold: $56,230 ($54,130 + $2,000 + $100)

I hit this threshold on day 12 of funded trading when I closed at $56,380. At that moment, my drawdown locked permanently at $52,130. This meant I could grow the account to $60,000, $70,000, $100,000—the drawdown would stay at $52,130 forever.

This locked drawdown is one advantage current Growth and Lightning funded accounts share with legacy Advanced. It's a structural benefit that removes the psychological burden of protecting against trailing drawdown increases once you've built enough cushion. Understanding how this works changed my risk management—I traded more aggressively after locking because my downside was fixed while upside was infinite.

Payout Experience

Advanced funded accounts followed the same payout schedule as current Growth funded accounts:

• Bi-weekly payout windows (three per month)
• 35% consistency rule
• Minimum 5 profitable trading days per payout cycle
• 90/10 profit split
• Processed via Rise (bank transfer) or Plane (crypto)

I made 11 payouts over seven months:

1. $1,580 (90% of $1,756)
2. $1,170 (90% of $1,300)
3. $2,340 (90% of $2,600)
4. $1,890 (90% of $2,100)
5. $2,610 (90% of $2,900)
6. $3,150 (90% of $3,500)
7. $2,970 (90% of $3,300)
8. $3,690 (90% of $4,100)
9. $4,140 (90% of $4,600)
10. $4,500 (90% of $5,000—hit payout cap)
11. $4,500 (90% of $5,000—hit cap again)

Total payouts: $32,540 over 7 months from a single 50K Advanced account. The consistency rule became easier to manage as I built experience. I learned to avoid massive spike days and focus on steady $400-$700 daily wins, which naturally kept my biggest day below 35% of two-week totals.

The payout processing was flawless. Every request submitted during a window processed within 18-24 hours to my bank via Rise. I never experienced delays, missing funds, or surprise deductions beyond the stated 10% firm split. This reliability across 11 payouts built the confidence I needed to scale to multiple accounts later.

Why Tradeify Discontinued Advanced Accounts

In December 2025, Tradeify announced Advanced accounts would no longer be available for new purchases. Existing Advanced accounts would continue operating under original rules, but no new ones could be created. The official explanation focused on "streamlining offerings," but the real reasons became clear through community discussion and Tradeify's actions.

Reason 1: Lower pass rates The combination of 8% profit target + intraday drawdown + higher cost created lower pass rates compared to Growth. Tradeify's data likely showed fewer traders succeeding with Advanced, which meant lower long-term revenue from funded accounts and more frustrated customers dealing with failed evaluations.

Reason 2: Customer confusion Having both Advanced (intraday DD) and Growth (EOD DD) confused new traders. Community forums were filled with questions like "which is better?" and "why are there two evaluation types?" Simplifying to one evaluation model (Growth) reduced support burden and improved customer experience.

Reason 3: Shift toward Lightning Tradeify's business model evolved toward Lightning (instant funded) as their flagship offering. Advanced and Growth both competed for the "evaluation" customer segment, while Lightning targeted proven traders with capital. Eliminating Advanced and strengthening Growth made the evaluation path clearer while pushing advanced traders toward Lightning.

Reason 4: Regulatory/compliance Speculation in the community suggests that having multiple evaluation types with different risk parameters created compliance complexity. Streamlining to one evaluation model (Growth) simplified Tradeify's regulatory position. This is unconfirmed, but it aligns with the timing of Select plans launching simultaneously with Advanced discontinuation.

Current Legacy Account Holders: Your Grandfathered Benefits

If you purchased an Advanced account before December 3, 2025, you're operating under rules that new traders can't access. Understanding your grandfathered benefits helps you leverage them strategically.

Benefits you still have:

• Intraday trailing drawdown (if you prefer the tighter management)
• DLL removal at 6% profit (for pre-Sept 12, 2025 purchases)
• Legacy position size limits (5/50, 10/100, 15/150 for mini/micro)
• Original 35% consistency rule (current Lightning is 20/25/30)
• Ability to transition to Legacy Live program (vs new Elite Live)

The Legacy Live choice: This is significant. Advanced account holders who reach Elite qualification can choose between Legacy Live (described in the funded trader agreement) or the new Elite Live program launched December 2025. Legacy Live carries forward 10% of your sim profits as withdrawable capital. New Elite Live doesn't carry forward any profits—you trade purely Tradeify's capital.

For Advanced holders with large sim balances ($70K+), Legacy Live might offer better terms because you're getting a portion of your earned profits as withdrawable starting capital. Research both options thoroughly when you qualify to make an informed decision.

Comparing to Current Tradeify Options

If you're researching Tradeify today and found this article wondering about Advanced accounts, here's how current options compare for your situation.

Choose Growth if you:

• Want the lowest evaluation cost ($135/month for 50K)
• Prefer EOD drawdown (less intraday pressure)
• Need minimum 10 days to build consistency
• Want the easiest profit target (6% vs old 8%)
• Don't mind consistency rules (35%)

Growth replaced Advanced as the standard evaluation path. It's easier to pass, costs less, and suits most trading styles better than Advanced did. Learning the complete Tradeify trading rules helps you understand what you're signing up for.

Choose Lightning if you:

• Have capital for one-time fee ($495 for 50K)
• Want to skip evaluation entirely
• Can handle progressive consistency (20/25/30%)
• Have proven strategy ready to deploy
• Want locked drawdown on funded from day one

Lightning is what Tradeify wants you to choose—it's their flagship. If you have the capital and proven skill, it's objectively better than old Advanced because you skip the evaluation grind entirely. Understanding how Lightning simulated funded accounts operate is essential before purchasing.

Choose Select if you:

• Want fastest evaluation (3 days minimum)
• Need specific payout structures (Daily vs 5-Day)
• Can handle strict consistency (40-50%)
• Want flexibility in DLL (optional on Flex plan)
• Have budget for higher monthly cost ($250-$495)

Select is Tradeify's premium evaluation tier. It's more expensive but offers the fastest path to funded if you can meet its tighter requirements. The complete account types guide breaks down when Select makes sense versus other options.

FAQ

Can I still buy an Advanced account in 2026?

No. Tradeify discontinued new Advanced account purchases in December 2025. Only traders who bought Advanced before December 3, 2025 can access and trade these accounts under legacy rules.

Do my legacy Advanced account rules ever change?

Your core rules (drawdown type, profit targets, position sizes) remain grandfathered. However, Tradeify may update certain policies that apply across all account types—like payment processors, platform availability, or compliance requirements. Rule changes specific to trading mechanics won't affect your legacy account.

Can I upgrade my Advanced account to a larger size?

No. Legacy Advanced accounts cannot be upgraded. If you want a larger account, you'd need to purchase a current Growth, Lightning, or Select account. Your existing Advanced funded account continues under original rules but cannot be converted or upgraded.

Is the intraday drawdown better or worse than EOD?

It depends on your trading style. For scalpers and day traders with tight management, intraday drawdown protects against large losses and encourages discipline. For swing traders or position holders who manage intraday volatility, EOD drawdown is significantly easier because you're only judged on end-of-day balance. Most traders find EOD easier, which is why Growth (EOD) has higher pass rates than Advanced (intraday) did.

What happens to my Advanced evaluation if I fail?

On your next billing cycle, the account automatically resets to starting balance. Your subscription continues unless you cancel it. The auto-reset means you get unlimited attempts as long as you keep paying the monthly subscription, but this also means you keep paying until you either pass or manually cancel.

Can I have both an Advanced funded account and a Lightning account?

Yes. Tradeify's 5-account maximum applies to funded accounts of any combination. You could hold 1 Advanced funded + 3 Lightning funded + 1 Growth funded, for example. The limit is total funded accounts, not accounts per type.

Does my Advanced account affect my eligibility for Elite Live?

Yes, in a good way. Advanced funded accounts count toward Elite Live qualification. After 5 total payouts across any funded accounts (Advanced, Growth, Lightning, Select combined) OR $80K in total withdrawals, you become eligible for Elite assessment. Your Advanced payouts count fully toward these thresholds.

Can I convert my Advanced funded account to a current Growth or Lightning?

No. Funded accounts cannot be converted between types. Your Advanced funded remains Advanced under legacy rules. If you want a different account type, you must purchase it separately—your Advanced account stays as-is.

Is there any way to get Advanced rules on a new account?

No. The Advanced program is permanently discontinued for new purchases. Current traders can only access Growth, Lightning, or Select plans. Legacy Advanced holders are the last group who will ever trade under those specific rules.

Should I keep my Advanced funded account or close it for a Lightning?

This depends on your situation. Advanced funded accounts have locked drawdowns just like Lightning, same 35% consistency (actually easier than Lightning's 20/25/30 progressive), and same payout schedule. The only real difference is you went through a harder evaluation to get it. There's no compelling reason to close a profitable Advanced funded account—keep trading it and add Lightning as additional accounts if you want to scale.

Understanding Tradeify's evolution from Advanced to Growth/Lightning/Select helps contextualize their current offerings. For traders still operating legacy Advanced accounts, you're holding grandfathered rules that won't exist for new traders again. Leverage those benefits wisely, especially the DLL removal and Legacy Live option when you qualify. For new traders, start with our guide on Tradeify account types to choose the right path for your situation.

Your Next Steps

‍👉 Start Trading at Tradeify Today

‍👉 Read My Full Tradeify Review

‍👉 Check out Tradeify´s Select Plans

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