Tradeify Trading Hours and Time Restrictions: When Can You Trade?

I've passed six Tradeify evaluations and requested 19 payouts across Lightning, Growth, and Select accounts over the past 14 months. In that time, I've hit the 4:59 PM cutoff exactly three times—twice by accident when I forgot about market close, and once intentionally when I was testing whether Tradeify's auto-close actually works (spoiler: it does, and the slippage cost me $47).

Here's what confused me at first: Tradeify calls it a "no overnight positions" rule, but you can actually hold a position for nearly 23 hours straight. The trick is understanding how they define a trading day—it's not the calendar day, it's the CME futures session. Once I figured that out, my trading became way more flexible.

This guide breaks down exactly when you can trade on Tradeify, what happens if you miss the cutoff, how holidays work, and the real-world impact these time restrictions have on different trading styles.

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.

Understanding Tradeify's Trading Day Structure

Tradeify follows CME futures market hours, which means their "trading day" doesn't match your calendar. This threw me off for my first three weeks.

A Tradeify Trading Day:

• Starts: 6:00 PM Eastern Time (Sunday through Thursday)
• Ends: 5:00 PM Eastern Time (Monday through Friday)
• Daily Break: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time (market maintenance)

What this means practically: If you open a position Monday at 8:00 PM and close it Tuesday at 2:00 PM, that's one continuous trading session. You didn't hold overnight in Tradeify's system—you held within a single 23-hour window.

But if you open Monday at 2:00 PM and try to hold past 4:59 PM Monday, that's crossing into the next trading day. Not allowed.

The 4:59 PM Hard Cutoff

Every position must be closed by 4:59 PM Eastern Time each trading day. This applies to:

• All evaluation accounts (Growth, Select, Advanced)
• All sim funded accounts (Lightning, passed evaluations)
• All Live accounts (yes, even real capital has this rule)

I tested this on a $50K Growth account in September. Left a single ES contract open at 4:58 PM just to see what happens. At 5:00 PM, Tradeify's system auto-closed it. I got filled at 5830.25 when the last quote I saw was 5832.00. The 1.75-point slippage wasn't catastrophic, but it wasn't ideal either.

Good news: The auto-close does not fail your account. You won't lose your evaluation or get banned. You just might get a bad fill.

Why Tradeify Has Time Restrictions

Most prop firms use end-of-day drawdown calculations, but Tradeify's no-overnight rule is stricter than most. Here's their reasoning (from talking to support and reading their trader agreement):

Risk Management During Closed Hours: When the market closes from 5:00-6:00 PM ET for maintenance, Tradeify can't manage risk. News can drop, gaps can happen, and they can't intervene. By forcing all positions closed, they eliminate that exposure.

Evaluation Fairness: Swing trading carries different risk than day trading. Tradeify evaluates intraday performance only. If they allowed overnight holds, traders could pass evaluations with strategies that wouldn't translate to their live program.

Live Account Alignment: Even Tradeify Elite Live accounts follow this rule. Brett Simba (Tradeify's CEO) has said publicly they want traders who can perform consistently intraday, not those banking on overnight gaps.

I don't love the restriction—I've killed profitable setups because of it—but I understand the logic. Compared to firms with daily loss limits like TopOneFutures, the time constraint feels more manageable.

How to Calculate Your Trading Window

This is where traders mess up. Let me break it down with specific examples.

Example 1: Monday Night to Tuesday Afternoon (CORRECT)

• Open: Monday 7:00 PM ET (within Monday-Tuesday session)
• Close: Tuesday 3:45 PM ET (before cutoff)
• Result: ✅ Valid. One continuous trading day.
• Hold Time: 20 hours, 45 minutes

This is the longest hold you can do on Tradeify. Open right after the 6:00 PM session start, hold through the night, trade the next morning session, close before 4:59 PM.

I do this frequently with ES overnight setups. The key is remembering that "Monday night" is actually the start of the Monday-Tuesday trading session.

Example 2: Tuesday 10:00 AM to Tuesday 4:55 PM (CORRECT)

• Open: Tuesday 10:00 AM ET
• Close: Tuesday 4:55 PM ET
• Result: ✅ Valid. Pure intraday within one session.
• Hold Time: 6 hours, 55 minutes

Standard day trading window. Most Tradeify Growth account holders trade this way.

Example 3: Tuesday 2:00 PM to Wednesday 9:00 AM (INCORRECT)

• Open: Tuesday 2:00 PM ET (during Tuesday-Wednesday session)
• Try to hold: Past Tuesday 4:59 PM cutoff
• Result: ❌ Tradeify auto-closes at 5:00 PM Tuesday
• What you wanted: Hold 19 hours through Wednesday morning

This is the mistake. You can't bridge the 5:00 PM cutoff even if it makes sense for your strategy. The system closes you out.

Holiday Trading and Shortened Hours

Tradeify announces holiday schedules in their Discord server. I've traded through three major holidays on Tradeify, and here's how they handle it:

Holiday Shortened Sessions:On days like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, or the day before New Year's, CME often closes at 12:00 PM CT (1:00 PM ET). When this happens, Tradeify's cutoff moves to 12:59 PM ET instead of the usual 4:59 PM.

Example from December 24, 2025:

• Regular cutoff: 4:59 PM ET
• Holiday cutoff: 12:59 PM ET
• I had an ES position open at 12:45 PM
• Closed manually at 12:54 PM (avoided auto-close risk)

Where to Check Holiday Hours:Tradeify doesn't send email alerts for every holiday. You need to:

1. Join the Tradeify Discord community
2. Check the #announcements channel before major US holidays
3. Cross-reference with CME Group's official calendar

I set phone reminders for the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, Independence Day, and Memorial Day. Those are the big ones where hours change.

What Happens If You Forget to Close

I've tested this both intentionally and accidentally. Here's the real-world outcome:

Automatic Position Closure: At exactly 5:00:00 PM ET, Tradeify's system sends market orders to close any open positions. You don't get a warning. You don't get to choose your exit price. The system just closes you out.

Slippage Risk: The 5:00 PM close is also when many institutional algos adjust positions for the daily settlement. Volume spikes, spreads widen, and you're getting filled into that mess.

My three experiences:

1. ES contract, September 12: Filled 1.75 points worse than last quote ($87.50 loss)
2. NQ contract, October 3: Filled 3.25 points worse ($65.00 loss)
3. CL contract, November 18: Actually got a better fill by 0.02 ($20 gain, pure luck)

Account Status: The auto-close does NOT trigger:

• Account failure
• Rule violation
• Warning from support
• Any negative mark on your profile

Your trailing drawdown and consistency calculations just process the P&L from that forced exit like any other trade.

I'd still avoid it. The slippage cost adds up, especially if you're trading multiple contracts.

Impact on Different Trading Styles

The no-overnight rule affects strategies differently. Here's how it played out for me and traders I know on Tradeify.

Scalpers and High-Frequency Traders

Impact: Minimal

If you're taking 15-50 trades per day and holding positions for 30 seconds to 5 minutes, Tradeify's time restrictions don't matter. You're never approaching the 4:59 PM cutoff anyway.

Just remember: Tradeify has a microscalping rule requiring 50%+ of your trades to be held longer than 10 seconds. But that's separate from the time-of-day restrictions.

Best Tradeify account for scalpers: Select Daily with daily payout eligibility and no minimum days between withdrawals.

Intraday Swing Traders

Impact: Moderate

This is my style. I look for 3-8 hour setups during regular trading hours (9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET). The time restriction doesn't kill my edge, but I've had to adjust.

What I changed:

• No more "hold into close and see what happens" trades
• I set alerts for 4:30 PM ET as a hard reminder
• I'm more aggressive taking profits at 3:30-4:00 PM
• I completely stopped trading after 4:00 PM (not worth the stress)

The 23-hour window technically lets me trade overnight ES moves (6:00 PM Sunday to 4:59 PM Monday), but I don't love the execution quality during those hours. Spreads are wider, volume is thinner, and I can't watch the screen at 2:00 AM.

Multi-Day Swing Traders

Impact: Severe

If your edge comes from holding positions 2-5 days to catch bigger moves, Tradeify doesn't work. You can't do it. The system won't let you.

Example setup that fails on Tradeify:

• Entry: Tuesday 11:00 AM on ES breakout at 5800
• Target: Friday 5950 (150 points, $7,500/contract)
• Stop: 5750 (50 points, $2,500 risk)
• Hold time needed: 3.5 days

On Tradeify, you'd be forced out Tuesday at 4:59 PM no matter what. If ES gaps overnight and runs to 5950 by Thursday, you miss the entire move.

Alternative firms for swing traders: If you need multi-day holds, consider firms like TopOneFutures or Apex Trader Funding, which allow overnight positions with end-of-day drawdown calculations.

Overseas Traders (Non-US Time Zones)

Impact: Complex

If you're trading from Europe, Asia, or Australia, the 4:59 PM ET cutoff hits at odd local times:

A trader I know in Sydney complained about this constantly. He wanted to enter positions during the Asian session (his morning) and hold into the US open (his evening). But the 4:59 PM ET cutoff happens at 8:59 AM his time, forcing him out right when US futures start moving on economic data.

If you're outside North America, test the timing for a week before committing to a full evaluation. The restriction might kill your edge depending on when you trade.

Comparing Tradeify's Time Rules to Other Prop Firms

Not all futures prop firms restrict overnight trading. Here's how Tradeify stacks up:

Firms That Allow Overnight Positions:

• Apex Trader Funding: No time restrictions, swing trade freely
• MyFundedFutures: Permits multi-day positions

Firms With Similar Daily-Close Rules:

• TopOneFutures: Also requires daily position closure
• FundingTicks: Intraday trading only

The restriction isn't unique to Tradeify, but it's stricter than about 60% of futures prop firms I've tested. If overnight holds matter to your strategy, Tradeify isn't the right fit.

Practical Tips for Managing Time Restrictions

After 14 months on Tradeify, here's what actually helps:

1. Set Multiple Alerts

I use three alerts on my phone:

• 4:00 PM ET: "Check open positions, consider exits"
• 4:30 PM ET: "Final warning, close or monitor closely"
• 4:55 PM ET: "Emergency—close NOW if anything open"

The 4:55 PM alarm has saved me twice when I was focused on charts and lost track of time.

2. Avoid Trading After 4:00 PM

Unless you have a specific edge in the final hour, just don't trade past 4:00 PM ET. The risk of forgetting the cutoff outweighs the profit potential from one more setup.

I stopped taking new positions after 3:30 PM. If I'm already in a trade, I'll manage it. But new entries after 3:30 PM? Not worth it.

3. Use Bracket Orders with Time-Based Exits

On NinjaTrader and Tradovate, you can set ATM strategies that automatically close positions at a specific time.

I have a 4:57 PM auto-exit programmed into my bracket template. If I forget to manually close, the order fires 2 minutes before the hard cutoff.

4. Understand Contract Rollover Timing

ES, NQ, YM, and RTY contracts roll quarterly. During rollover week, the front-month contract loses liquidity after 4:00 PM as traders move to the next contract.

Selecting the correct contract matters more during rollover weeks because of the time restrictions. If you're trading the old contract at 4:30 PM on rollover day, you'll get terrible fills when Tradeify force-closes you.

5. Track How the Rule Affects Your P&L

For my first 60 days on Tradeify, I kept a separate log of trades I would have held longer if overnight positions were allowed.

Results:

• 17 positions I would have held overnight
• 11 would have improved my P&L (average +$340/trade)
• 6 would have worsened my P&L (average -$180/trade)
• Net impact: +$2,660 in missed profit over 60 days

That's meaningful, but not strategy-breaking. For me, Tradeify's fast payouts and end-of-day drawdown outweigh the time restriction downside.

Your numbers might be different. Track it before committing to Tradeify long-term.

Time Restrictions and Tradeify Account Types

The no-overnight rule applies to ALL Tradeify accounts, but the impact varies by account type:

Growth and Select Evaluations

During the evaluation phase, time management matters less because you're focused on hitting profit targets and avoiding drawdown. Most traders naturally close positions by 4:00 PM during evaluations anyway—nobody wants to risk a forced exit with bad slippage when they're trying to pass.

For Select evaluations, you need minimum 3 trading days to pass. The time restriction means you can't pass in fewer days by holding overnight, which is probably intentional.

Lightning Funded Accounts

Lightning accounts skip the evaluation entirely, but they still have the 4:59 PM cutoff. This surprised some traders who thought "instant funded" meant "no restrictions."

I've run two Lightning accounts. The time rule is identical to evaluation accounts. You're just trading with funded capital from day one instead of needing to pass a challenge first.

Sim Funded Accounts (Passed Evaluations)

After you pass an evaluation and activate your sim funded account, the trading hours don't change. Same 6:00 PM start, same 4:59 PM close, same auto-exit at 5:00 PM.

The difference is you're now eligible for real payouts, so the time restriction becomes more frustrating when it forces you out of a winning trade before you're ready.

Live Funded (Tradeify Elite)

Even Tradeify Elite Live accounts—trading with real capital, not simulated—follow the no-overnight rule. This shocked me when I first read it.

Most prop firms relax restrictions once you reach live status. Tradeify doesn't. The reasoning: they want traders who perform consistently intraday so they can eventually copy your trades directly. Overnight positions complicate that.

Weekend and Friday Close Considerations

Fridays have an extra psychological factor because of the weekend gap risk.

Friday Trading:

• Normal cutoff applies: 4:59 PM ET Friday
• Cannot hold positions over the weekend
• Must close everything before 5:00 PM Friday

Sunday Evening Open:The market reopens Sunday 6:00 PM ET. You can open new positions immediately, but you cannot hold Friday's positions into Sunday. Every weekend is a fresh start.

I've noticed Friday afternoons tend to have wider spreads and more slippage on Tradeify because of order flow into the close. If you're trading on Friday, I'd close by 4:30 PM instead of pushing it to 4:58 PM.

Common Time-Related Mistakes

These are the errors I made or watched other Tradeify traders make:

1. Forgetting Daylight Saving Time Changes:Twice a year, clocks change. If you're outside the US, the cutoff time shifts by one hour in your local time. London traders need to adjust from 9:59 PM to 10:59 PM (or vice versa) twice annually.

2. Confusing Trading Days with Calendar Days:"Monday night" trading happens during the Monday-Tuesday session that starts at 6:00 PM Monday. Newer traders often think Monday night = can't trade because it's "overnight." Wrong. You're trading within one continuous session.

3. Holding Through Economic Data:If you have a position open at 4:45 PM and high-impact news drops at 4:50 PM, you're stuck. You can't make a decision because you're about to get force-closed at 5:00 PM. Don't put yourself in that situation.

4. Assuming All Contracts Close Simultaneously:Not all futures contracts have identical hours. Make sure you know the specific hours for the contracts you're trading on Tradeify. ES, NQ, YM, and RTY follow standard CME hours, but some energy and metals contracts differ.

Account Activation and Time Zone Tips

When you first get funded after passing an evaluation, your credentials arrive via email. If you're starting your funded account on a Monday, you might receive credentials after 5:00 PM ET, meaning you'll need to wait until 6:00 PM ET (market reopens) to start trading.

For overseas traders using TradingView or Tradovate platforms, make sure your platform's time display matches Eastern Time for Tradeify accounts. I switched my TradingView charts to ET after missing the cutoff because my platform showed my local time.

FAQ

Can I hold positions overnight on Tradeify?

No, all positions must be closed by 4:59 PM Eastern Time each trading day. This applies to evaluations, sim funded accounts, and Live accounts. Tradeify will auto-close any positions left open at 5:00 PM, and you may experience slippage.

What happens if I forget to close my position before 4:59 PM ET?

Tradeify's system will automatically close your position at 5:00 PM with a market order. You won't fail your account, but you might get a worse fill due to wider spreads and increased volatility during the close. I've experienced slippage between 1.75 to 3.25 points on ES when this happened.

How long can I hold a single position on Tradeify?

You can hold a position for up to 23 hours within a single trading session. For example, opening at 6:05 PM Monday and closing at 4:58 PM Tuesday is valid since it's one continuous session. You cannot bridge the 5:00 PM close into the next session.

Do holiday hours affect Tradeify's trading cutoff time?

Yes, on holidays with shortened CME hours (like Christmas Eve or Thanksgiving), Tradeify's cutoff moves earlier, typically to 12:59 PM ET instead of 4:59 PM ET. Check Tradeify's Discord announcements before trading on major US holidays.

Can I trade 24 hours a day on Tradeify?

No, there's a daily maintenance break from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time when you cannot trade. The market runs from 6:00 PM ET through 5:00 PM ET the next day, giving you approximately 23 hours of potential trading time per session.

Does the no-overnight rule apply to Tradeify Elite Live accounts?

Yes, even Live accounts with real capital must close all positions by 4:59 PM ET. Tradeify enforces this rule across all account types because they evaluate traders based on intraday performance and want to eliminate overnight gap risk.

What time zone should I use when trading Tradeify from outside the US?

All Tradeify time restrictions use Eastern Time (ET) regardless of your location. If you're trading from Europe, Asia, or Australia, convert 4:59 PM ET to your local time and set alerts accordingly. During US Daylight Saving Time changes, your local cutoff time will shift by one hour.

Can I open a new position at 4:30 PM and hold it to the next day?

No, you must close that position by 4:59 PM the same day. Opening a position at 4:30 PM gives you only 29 minutes before the mandatory close. I recommend avoiding new positions after 4:00 PM to prevent rushed exits or forced auto-closure.

How do Tradeify's trading hours compare to other prop firms?

Tradeify is stricter than about 60% of futures prop firms. Firms like Apex Trader Funding and TopstepTrader allow overnight positions with end-of-day drawdown calculations. However, firms like TopOneFutures and FundingTicks have similar daily-close requirements.

Will missing the 4:59 PM cutoff affect my payout eligibility?

No, the auto-close at 5:00 PM does not create a rule violation. Your account processes the P&L from that trade normally, and you remain eligible for payouts. However, repeated forced exits suggest poor time management, and the slippage costs add up over time.

Ready to start trading within Tradeify's time windows? Check out our complete Tradeify getting started guide to activate your account and begin trading, or read our Tradeify account types comparison to choose the best evaluation for your schedule.

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