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Tradeify Live Funded Accounts: Complete Transition from Sim to Live Trading
The moment I got the email saying "Your account is eligible for Elite Live transition," everything changed. I'd been grinding on sim-funded accounts for months, collecting payouts, managing multiple accounts, and suddenly I was about to trade REAL capital with REAL money on the line. Not sim fills. Not demo environment. Actual live market execution.
But here's what nobody tells you: transitioning from sim to live on Tradeify isn't just a platform switch—it's a complete operational shift with new rules, different risk parameters, mandatory account closures, and a totally different payout structure. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Tradeify's Elite Live program, the transition process, what happens to your sim accounts, and how to actually succeed when trading live capital.
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 Is Tradeify Elite Live?
Tradeify Elite Live is Trade
ify's real money trading program where you trade actual capital (not simulated funds) in live markets through NinjaTrader brokerage.
Key differences from sim-funded:
- Live capital: Your trades execute with real money in real markets
- Daily payouts: You can request payouts daily (after initial 20-day period)
- 90/10 profit split: You keep 90% of profits above your trading capital
- No daily loss limit: Elite Live accounts have no DLL (optional with risk manager)
- Fixed drawdowns: Your drawdown doesn't trail—it's locked at account size
- Real execution: Fills, slippage, and liquidity are 100% real
Important: Tradeify doesn't hold a broker-dealer license. Elite Live accounts are issued through NinjaTrader, a regulated third-party brokerage. Tradeify facilitates the relationship, but NinjaTrader provides the actual brokerage infrastructure.
Qualification: The 5-Payout Requirement
As of December 2025, Tradeify's Elite Live qualification is standardized across all account types.
Universal 5-Payout Rule
To qualify for Elite Live transition:
- Complete 5 total payouts across all your funded accounts
- This applies to Growth, Select, and Lightning Funded accounts
- Payouts can be from one account or spread across multiple accounts
Example scenarios:
Critical rule: Only funded accounts that have received at least ONE payout are eligible to transition to Elite Live. If you have 5 total payouts but one of your accounts has never been paid out, that account doesn't transition.
Automatic Transition at $80K
Mandatory transition trigger:If you receive a combined total of $80,000 in cumulative payouts across all your sim-funded accounts, Tradeify automatically transitions you to Elite Live. This transition is mandatory and not subject to assessment—once you hit $80K in payouts, you're going live whether you're ready or not.
Why this exists: It prevents traders from staying in sim indefinitely and extracting massive payouts without ever proving themselves in live markets.
The Elite Live Transition Process
Step 1: Qualification Notification
Once you complete your 5th payout, Tradeify's risk management team assesses your account(s) for Elite Live transition.
Tradeify's discretion:While 5 payouts is the standard qualification, Tradeify reserves the right to:
- Transition you earlier (even after your first payout if performance is exceptional)
- Delay your transition if they identify risk concerns
- Require additional evaluation in rare cases
In my experience: Most traders get transitioned within 1-2 weeks of their 5th payout. Tradeify sends an email notification explaining the transition timeline and next steps.
Step 2: Account Selection
Each funded account that received at least one payout becomes its own separate Elite Live account.
Example:You have 3 funded accounts:
- Account A (50K): 3 payouts
- Account B (100K): 2 payouts
- Account C (50K): 0 payouts
What happens:
- Account A → Becomes 50K Elite Live account
- Account B → Becomes 100K Elite Live account
- Account C → Does NOT transition (no payouts), gets closed
Maximum Elite Live accounts: You can hold up to 5 Elite Live accounts simultaneously (same as sim-funded limit).
Step 3: All Sim Accounts Close
This is non-negotiable and catches most traders off-guard:
When you transition to Elite Live, ALL of your sim-funded accounts are permanently closed—including evaluation accounts, funded accounts without payouts, and even accounts you were actively trading.
From Tradeify's agreement:"Traders who are transitioned to Tradeify Elite Live may NOT hold ANY other funded accounts, challenge accounts, or straight-to-sim accounts while their Elite Live account is active."
Household restriction:Once you have an Elite Live account, no one else in your household can hold any Tradeify accounts (evaluation, funded, or Elite Live) while your Elite Live account remains active.
Why this rule exists: Tradeify wants Elite Live traders fully committed to live trading, not splitting focus between sim and live accounts.
Step 4: Starting Balance
Elite Live accounts start fresh with Tradeify's trading capital—NOT your sim profits carried forward.
Starting capital by account size:
Critical distinction from Legacy Live:
- Elite Live (new system): NO sim profits carried forward. Account starts with full trading capital as Tradeify's money.
- Legacy Live (old system): Up to 10% of sim profits carried forward as YOUR starting balance (withdrawable).
What you can withdraw:You can ONLY withdraw profits earned ABOVE the trading capital. The base capital stays in the account—it's Tradeify's money, not yours.
Example:
- Elite Live 150K account starts with $150,000 trading capital
- You grow it to $165,000
- You can withdraw $15,000 profit (at 90/10 split = $13,500 for you)
- The $150,000 stays in the account as Tradeify's capital
Elite Live Trading Rules
Fixed Drawdown (Not Trailing)
Sim-funded: Trailing drawdown that moves up as you make profitElite Live: Fixed drawdown locked at starting balance
What this means: If your account balance drops below your starting capital AT ANY POINT, your Elite Live account fails immediately.
No Daily Loss Limit (DLL)
Elite Live accounts have no mandatory daily loss limit, giving you full intraday flexibility.
Optional DLL:You CAN request a daily loss limit with your risk manager if you want that guardrail. Some traders prefer it for discipline purposes.
No Consistency Rule
Unlike sim-funded accounts (which enforce 20-35% consistency rules depending on account type), Elite Live has no consistency requirement.
You're free to:
- Have one massive winning day that represents 100% of your monthly profit
- Take aggressive trades without worrying about consistency caps
- Scale position size based on opportunity, not artificial restrictions
Expanded Contract Limits
Elite Live accounts unlock higher position limits compared to sim-funded accounts.
My experience: On sim, I was limited to 3-5 ES contracts max depending on account size. On Elite Live, those limits increased significantly, allowing me to scale into larger positions when setups warranted.
Elite Live Payout Structure
90/10 Profit Split
You keep 90% of all profits above your trading capital.
Example payout calculation:
- 150K Elite Live account
- Current balance: $165,000
- Profit above capital: $15,000
- Your payout: $15,000 × 90% = $13,500
- Tradeify keeps: $1,500
Important: The base trading capital ($150K in this example) is NOT withdrawable—it stays in your account.
Daily Payout Eligibility
After initial 20-day period:You can request payouts daily with a $500 minimum (vs $1,000 minimum on some sim accounts).
Initial 20-day requirement:You must complete 20 trading days with a minimum of $200/day net profit (at 90/10 split = $180/day to you) before you can withdraw your starting balance.
Why this exists: Prevents traders from immediately withdrawing the trading capital. Forces you to prove profitability first.
Bonus Payouts
Elite Live traders unlock cumulative profit milestone bonuses:
Bonus structure (example):
- $25K cumulative profit → $2,500 bonus
- $50K cumulative profit → $5,000 bonus
- $100K cumulative profit → $10,000 bonus
These are IN ADDITION to your regular 90/10 split payouts.
What Happens If Your Elite Live Account Fails?
If your Elite Live balance drops below starting capital:
- Your Elite Live account is immediately terminated
- A risk manager reaches out to discuss next steps
- You're typically offered the chance to restart with a new evaluation
Can you go back to sim-funded?Yes, but you must:
- Close all Elite Live accounts first
- Purchase new evaluation(s)
- Pass evaluation(s) again
- Build up to 5 payouts again to re-qualify for Elite Live
From my conversations with other traders: Most who fail Elite Live go back to sim, rebuild their confidence, and qualify for Elite again within 3-6 months.
Legacy Live vs Elite Live (For Older Accounts)
Traders with accounts purchased before December 3, 2025 can choose between two Live programs.
If you're on Legacy Live: You can keep that system or voluntarily switch to Elite Live. Once on Elite Live, you can't go back to Legacy.
Tips for Succeeding on Elite Live
Tip #1: Start Conservatively
Your first month on Elite Live should be about survival, not maximization.
Reduce your position size by 30-50% compared to sim. Get comfortable with live fills, real slippage, and the psychological weight of trading real capital.
Tip #2: Use Your Risk Manager
Every Elite Live trader gets assigned a risk manager. USE THEM.
What they help with:
- Accountability and performance reviews
- Scaling decisions based on performance
- Psychological support during drawdowns
- Strategic planning for growth
Tip #3: Master the Fixed Drawdown Mindset
On sim, trailing drawdown gave you buffer as you made profit. On Elite Live, your drawdown is FIXED at starting balance.
What this means:
- A $10K loss hurts the same whether you're at $150K or $180K balance
- You can't "build buffer" the way you could on sim
- Risk management must be tighter
Tip #4: Don't Overtrade
The temptation on Elite Live is to trade MORE because "this is real money now." Wrong mindset.
Trade the same (or less) than you did on sim. Your edge doesn't change just because the account is live.
Tip #5: Accept the Learning Curve
Fills are different. Slippage is real. Liquidity gaps happen. Your first few weeks on Elite Live will expose execution inefficiencies you never noticed on sim.
Expect: 2-4 weeks of adjustment before you're back to sim-level performance.
FAQ
Q: Can I decline Elite Live transition and stay on sim-funded?No. Once Tradeify selects you for Elite Live, the transition is mandatory. You cannot keep sim-funded accounts running indefinitely.
Q: What happens to my sim profits when I transition to Elite Live?They're gone. Elite Live starts fresh with Tradeify's trading capital. Your past sim profits don't carry forward (unless you're on Legacy Live system).
Q: Can I trade both sim and Elite Live accounts simultaneously?No. Elite Live traders cannot hold sim-funded, evaluation, or any other Tradeify accounts while Elite Live is active.
Q: If I have a Legacy Live account, can I start new evaluations?No. You must close your Legacy Live account first. Then you can purchase new evaluations and build toward Elite Live.
Q: How long does the Elite Live transition take?Typically 1-2 weeks from qualification notification to live account activation. Tradeify coordinates with NinjaTrader to set up your brokerage account.
Q: Do I need to complete new KYC for Elite Live?Yes. Since Elite Live uses NinjaTrader brokerage, you'll complete NinjaTrader's KYC process (separate from Tradeify's).
Q: Can I use the same trading platform on Elite Live that I used on sim?Elite Live accounts trade through NinjaTrader (via NinjaTrader Brokerage). You'll use NinjaTrader 8 platform, not Tradovate.
Q: What happens if I violate a rule on Elite Live?Your account fails immediately. Unlike sim where some rules have grace periods, Elite Live enforces rules strictly due to real capital at risk.
Conclusion
Transitioning from Tradeify sim-funded to Elite Live is the ultimate goal for serious prop traders, but it's not just a promotion—it's a complete operational reset. You're trading real capital, facing real execution challenges, and operating under different risk parameters with fixed drawdowns and no consistency rules.
I've been trading Elite Live for several months now, and the psychological shift was bigger than I expected. The fixed drawdown changes how you think about risk. The daily payout capability changes how you manage capital. The lack of consistency rules changes your strategy selection.
But here's the truth: if you can succeed on sim-funded accounts with proper risk management and rule compliance, you can succeed on Elite Live. The mechanics are the same. The edge is the same. The only difference is execution and mindset.
Your Next Steps
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