Tradeify Select vs Lightning vs Growth: Full Comparison for Futures Traders

Tradeify’s 2025 overhaul completely reshaped how futures traders choose between Select, Lightning, and Growth. What used to be three disconnected pathways is now a unified ecosystem feeding into the Tradeify Elite Live Program, with multi-account scaling, daily payouts, and no sim profit caps.

But the big question remains:

Which Tradeify plan is right for your strategy?
Select? Lightning? Growth?

This 3-part guide breaks down all three programs in plain English, from evaluation difficulty to funded account rules to Elite eligibility — including four Webflow-ready comparison tables.

Understanding the Core Differences

Before diving into rules, payouts, and live progression, here’s the essential positioning of each plan:

• Growth → Traditional challenge model, consistent rules, subscription-based
• Lightning → Skip the challenge and start funded instantly
• Select → 3-day evaluation with the cleanest funded account rules Tradeify offers

Select sits directly between Growth and Lightning:
✨ more freedom than Growth, more structure than Lightning.

This matters because funded account rules — especially DLL, drawdown type, and payout caps — differ massively across plans.

High-Level Overview: Select vs Lightning vs Growth

Why Select Exists: The Middle Ground Traders Needed

Lightning is fast.
Growth is structured.
But neither offered:

• a multi-day evaluation
• no DLL funded option
• larger payout caps
• fewer restrictions
• clean funded rules
• a simple path into Elite Live

Select fills that gap by giving you 3 days to prove skill — not luck — and then choose how you want your funded account to behave.

For many traders, Select is now Tradeify’s true flagship pathway.

The Three Plans at a Glance

Lightning Funded (Instant-Funded Model)

Best for:

• traders who want payouts immediately
• those who accept DLL + consistency structure
• high-frequency discretionary traders

No evaluation. Higher ongoing structure.

Growth Challenge (Traditional Evaluation)

Best for:

• traders who enjoy rule-based progression
• monthly subscription isn’t an issue
• those needing structure + discipline

Growth is predictable, but slower to scale.

Select Plan (Balanced Hybrid)

Best for:

• traders wanting the cleanest funded rules
• no DLL funded option
• large payout caps
• Elite progression with fewer constraints

Select is the most future-proof plan in Tradeify’s new system.

Evaluation Rules Comparison

This table focuses only on evaluation differences.

Why Select’s Evaluation Is the Most Balanced

Select gives you:

• more time than Growth (3 days vs 1 fast pass)
• a fairer scoring system vs Lightning (40% consistency is manageable)
• no DLL during evaluation
• room to trade intraday volatility
• a single challenge rule set (no confusing forks)

For traders who hate 1-day challenges but don’t want monthly billing, Select hits the sweet spot.

Funded Account Rules Compared (What Actually Matters Once You're Funded)

Once you pass an evaluation — or skip it entirely with Lightning — the funded phase becomes the real battleground. This is where DLL, drawdown type, payout caps, and contract limits start shaping your P&L curve.

Tradeify takes three very different approaches here:

• Select gives you the cleanest rule set of all plans
• Lightning gives you instant access with restrictions
• Growth mirrors traditional challenge-style funded rules

But each plan behaves differently enough that choosing the wrong one can completely break your strategy.

Below is the complete side-by-side including drawdown type, DLL behavior, and contract limits.

Funded Phase Rules — Select vs Lightning vs Growth

Why Select Flex and Select Daily Are a Game-Changer

Most prop firms force you into a single payout model.
Select is the first Tradeify plan that lets you choose how your funded account behaves.

Select Flex (5-Day Payout Model)

Built for traders who want:

• No DLL
• Larger payout caps
• Larger buffers
• Professional-style funded experience

You trade exactly how you would on a proprietary desk, without day-to-day penalties.

Select Daily (Daily Payout Model)

Built for traders who want:

• Steady cashflow
• Faster access to profits
• Structured risk management
• A buffer-based system

Daily makes sense for scalpers and day traders who cash out frequently.

Payout Rules Compared Across All Three Plans

Key Insights Traders Miss When Comparing These Plans

1. Select Flex is the only path with zero DLL

DLL is the number one account killer for day traders.
Flex removes it entirely.

For many traders, that alone makes Select the best choice.

2. Lightning has the most restrictive funded rules

Instant funding sounds great, but:

• DLL applies immediately
• progressive consistency is enforced
• EOD trailing drawdown can be punishing

It’s fast — but structured.

3. Growth has the most traditional challenge-to-funded flow

If you like:

• subscription challenges
• multi-step structure
• classic prop-firm fund rules

Growth is the safe, predictable route.

4. Select is the only plan that adapts to your trading style

You choose your funded mode after you pass.
This is extremely rare and trader-friendly.

5. All roads lead to Tradeify Elite now

Regardless of plan:

5 total payouts = Elite Live eligibility.

This unified progression model simplifies long-term scaling dramatically.

Which Tradeify Plan Is Best for You? (Clear Recommendations)

Each Tradeify plan is built for a specific mindset.
Here’s the truth:

👉 There is no single “best plan” — only the best fit based on your trading psychology and execution style.

Let’s break this down by trader type so you can choose with confidence.

Best For: Select Plan

Choose Select if you want:

• A fair 3-day evaluation
• The cleanest funded account rules
• Zero DLL (Flex mode)
• Larger payout caps
• No consistency rules in funded mode
• The freedom to choose after passing whether you want daily payouts or 5-day payouts
• A direct, unrestricted pathway to Elite

Select is the “pro trader” choice—clean, simple, flexible, scalable.

Select is ideal for:

• Traders who hate monthly subscriptions
• Traders who dislike DLL
• Traders who want more room in the funded phase
• Traders aiming for Elite Live scaling

If you want the most balanced plan Tradeify has ever released, this is it.

Best For: Lightning Funded Accounts

Choose Lightning if you want:

• To trade immediately (no evaluation)
• Payout eligibility from day one
• Structured consistency rules
• No delays, no scoring — just trading

Lightning gives the fastest route to payout, but with the most restrictive risk framework.

Lightning is ideal for:

• High-volume intraday traders
• Experienced futures scalpers
• Traders who want speed > freedom
• Traders who have strict personal risk processes
• People who don’t want to wait for evaluation results

Lightning is the “instant gratification” plan — great for confident, disciplined traders.

Best For: Growth Challenge Accounts

Choose Growth if you want:

• A traditional challenge structure
• Monthly subscription instead of one-time payment
• Classic rule set without instant funding pressure
• Predictable drawdown and DLL logic

Some traders perform better inside structured, subscription-based evaluations — Growth exists for that purpose.

Growth is ideal for:

• Traders needing structure
• Traders who want more time than Select’s 3 days
• Traders who prefer subscription models
• “Slow burn” phased progression
• Traders who like traditional challenge-style prop trading

Growth is the stable, predictable option.

Which Plan Gets You to Elite the Fastest?

Surprisingly:
👉 All three plans share the same requirement — 5 payouts.

The difference is how efficient those payouts are:

Fastest → Slowest path

1. Lightning (funded instantly → payouts start immediately)
2. Select Daily (frequent payouts, easy to stack)
3. Select Flex (larger caps, fewer days)
4. Growth (evaluation → sim funded → payouts)

If your only goal is Elite, Lightning or Select Daily is the fastest.
If your goal is clean, unrestricted rules for long-term sizing, Select Flex is the best.

Real-World Scenarios (Clarity for Actual Traders)

Scenario 1: You scalp the open on NQ or ES

You want no DLL and no intraday traps.

➡️ Choose Select Flex

Scenario 2: You want the fastest possible payout

You don’t want to wait for an evaluation.

➡️ Choose Lightning

Scenario 3: You trade swing or mid-day rotation setups

You need drawdown that doesn’t punish intraday exposure.

➡️ Select Flex or Growth

Lightning’s consistency rule makes it tougher for swing traders.

Scenario 4: You have a streaky equity curve

You don’t want consistency rules in funded.

➡️ Choose Select or Growth

Lightning is not recommended for streaky traders.

Scenario 5: You want to scale into multiple funded accounts

Tradeify limits:

• up to 5 funded accounts
• all plans eligible for Elite

➡️ Select Daily is best because payout frequency is high.

Plan Summary

Select = Smart choice

Balanced. Clean. Flexible. No DLL. No funded consistency. Large caps.
Adaptive to your style.

Lightning = Fast choice

Instant funding. Fast payouts. Strict rules.
High performance required.

Growth = Structured choice

Subscription challenge. Traditional progression.
Good for disciplined rule-followers.

Final Recommendation

If you’re unsure which plan to pick, the safest, smartest, most scalable option is:

⭐ Tradeify Select (Flex or Daily)

Select is the only plan that delivers:

• Fair evaluation
• Zero DLL option
• Cleaner funded rules
• Payout choice
• No consistency requirement after passing
• Ideal conditions for real long-term funded performance

Lightning is amazing for speed.
Growth is solid for structure.
Select is the best all-around package.

Ready to Start Trading? Choose Your Tradeify Plan

Your path to payouts and Elite Live scaling starts with the right account type.

• Start Select Challenge → Best flexibility + cleanest funded rules
• Start Lightning Funded → Instant access, trade today
• Start Growth Challenge → Traditional evaluation with predictable structure

Pick the plan that matches your execution style — and start building toward Elite.