How Much Does a Funded Trading Account Cost? Fees, Refunds and Hidden Costs
A funded trading account costs a fee, not a deposit. Here is how the fee is structured, how a refund changes the real cost and which hidden costs to check before you pay.
OctoFunded Trading DeskUpdated ยท 8 min read
A funded trading account costs a fee that you pay before you trade, and that fee depends mainly on the program you choose and the account size. You do not deposit the balance itself, because at most online prop firms it is simulated capital, so the fee is the money you actually put at risk.
That answers the question in one line. The useful part is what sits around the fee: whether it is one-time or recurring, whether it comes back, and what else you may pay on the way to a payout. This guide explains the structure without quoting prices, because prices change; current OctoFunded prices are always on the pricing section. For the basics, see our guide to the funded trading account.
Key takeaways
- You pay a fee, not a balance: the trading balance is simulated, so the fee is your real exposure.
- Size and program set the fee: larger accounts and programs with wider limits usually cost more.
- One-time and recurring are different deals: a subscription keeps costing you every month you trade.
- Retakes are the biggest hidden cost: most traders who pay twice pay for the same mistake twice.
- A refund changes the maths: but only if you reach a payout, so treat it as conditional.
What are you actually paying for?
You are paying for the right to trade a simulated balance under a set of rules, with a claim on part of the profit. You are not buying the balance, and you cannot withdraw it. If that distinction is new, read is a funded account real money first, and what a funded account is for the contract view.
That changes how to think about cost. A trader opening a personal account with $10,000 puts all $10,000 at risk. A trader buying a $100K funded account puts only the fee at risk. The fee is smaller, but it is also spent whether you pass, fail or never place a trade. For the business model behind this, see how prop firms make money.
How is a funded trading account fee structured?
Funded trading account fees follow a few common structures. The headline number matters less than which structure you are buying into.
| Fee structure | How it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| One-time fee per attempt | You pay once for an account; if it ends, a new attempt needs a new fee | Retakes add up |
| Recurring subscription | You pay every month until you pass or cancel | Total cost grows with time |
| Fee with refund | One-time fee returned later, usually with the first payout | Refund depends on reaching a payout |
| Instant funding fee | One fee for an account that starts funded | Usually tighter limits, and the refund may not apply |
| Activation fee after passing | A second fee to unlock the funded stage | Not visible in the first price |
Most fees also scale with the account size. A larger simulated balance usually costs more to access, and programs with more room for losses, such as a two-phase evaluation, often price differently from a one-phase or instant program. Compare the same size across programs, then the same program across sizes.
What hidden costs come with a funded trading account?
The hidden costs are everything you may pay beyond the first fee on the way to a payout. They rarely appear next to the headline price, so list them yourself.
| Hidden cost | Where it comes from | How to reduce it |
|---|---|---|
| Retakes | An account breached before payout needs a new fee | Size so a normal bad day uses a small part of the limit |
| Resets | A paid restart of the same account | Read the conditions; a reset is still a new fee |
| Add-ons | Paid options that change rules or payout terms | Price them as part of the fee before you buy |
| Activation fees | A fee to move from evaluation to funded | Ask if one exists before you pay |
| Payment costs | Card, bank or network fees on the purchase | Check what the checkout adds |
| Payout transfer costs | Fees on receiving a payout | Ask who pays them |
| Time pressure | Deadlines that push you to oversize and fail | Prefer a prop firm with no time limit |
Retakes deserve the most attention. Our guide on why traders fail prop firm challenges shows that most breaches come from size and daily loss, not from a bad strategy. Fixing those two things is the cheapest saving available.
How does a fee refund change the real cost?
A fee refund lowers the real cost, but only on the attempt that reaches a payout. On every attempt that ends before that, the fee is still spent. Read the prop firm challenge fee refund guide for the common terms.
Three questions decide what a refund is worth:
- When is it paid? With the first payout, after several payouts or after a set period?
- Which programs include it? Instant programs often have no refund.
- How much is refunded? The fee you paid, or a fixed amount?
Get each answer in writing before you count on it.
How do you calculate the real cost of a $100K funded account?
You calculate the real cost by adding every fee you expect to pay before a payout, then subtracting any refund you would receive with it. Here is an illustrative example on a $100K simulated account. The fee is written as F because prices change; the numbers show the arithmetic only and are not a forecast for any trader.
| Scenario | Fees paid | Refund at first payout | Net cost before any payout share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass on the first attempt, refund applies | F | F | 0 |
| Pass on the second attempt, refund applies | 2F | F | F |
| Pass on the third attempt, refund applies | 3F | F | 2F |
| Pass on the first attempt, no refund | F | 0 | F |
| Never reach a payout | Every fee paid | 0 | Every fee paid |
What this shows. The refund covers one fee, not all of them. A trader who needs three attempts still carries two fees, even with a refund. The single biggest lever on cost is the number of attempts, not the price tag.
Adding the payout. Suppose the funded account later shows $4,000 of simulated profit and every rule is kept. At an 80% split, the payout is $3,200. That is the arithmetic of one illustrative cycle, not a promise that any account reaches it.
For ways to bring the attempt count down, read the guide to the cheapest way to get funded, and for comparing programs on value instead of price, see best value prop firm challenge.
Is the cheapest funded account the best deal?
Not necessarily. A low fee on a program with tight limits can cost more in retakes than a higher fee on a program whose limits fit your trading. The best deal is the program where your worst day and worst losing streak fit with room to spare, so that one fee has a real chance of being the only fee.
Compare programs on four lines, not one:
- Fee per attempt at the size you want.
- Room for losses: the daily loss limit and the max loss in dollars at that size.
- Refund terms: whether, when and how much.
- Extras: any activation fee, add-ons or recurring charge.
How OctoFunded does it
OctoFunded's fee structure is simple to read:
- One-time fee per account, paid in crypto. No subscription. You can pay for a challenge with crypto at checkout.
- Fee refund: with the first payout on the 2-Step and 1-Step. Instant Funded has no fee refund.
- No time limit on any program, so there is no deadline pushing you to oversize.
- What the fee buys: an account on simulated capital, in sizes starting at $10K, with the limits in the OctoFunded program rules.
- Other markets: OctoFunded also offers Perpetuals, which trade 24/7, and Futures, each with its own rules.
- Payouts: 80% of the simulated profit from the first payout, on a 14-day cycle, on the 1-Step and 2-Step, in USDT or USDC with a public transaction hash, subject to the program rules. Instant Funded pays a 100% split, first after 7 days and then weekly, with payouts 1 and 2 capped at 3% of the initial balance.
Current prices for each program and size are listed in the pricing section. Check them there rather than in any article, including this one.
FAQ
How much does a funded trading account cost?
It costs a fee rather than a deposit, and the fee depends on the program and the account size. Larger accounts and programs with wider limits usually cost more. Check the firm's pricing page for current fees, then add retakes, add-ons and payment costs to see the real cost.
Is the fee for a funded account refundable?
At some firms and on some programs, yes, usually with the first payout. The refund only arrives if you reach a payout under the program rules, so treat it as a possible return, not a discount. Read the refund terms before you buy.
Do I have to pay a monthly fee for a funded account?
Not always. Some firms charge a one-time fee per attempt; others use a recurring subscription until you pass. A recurring fee keeps costing you for as long as you trade, so compare the total over several months.
What hidden costs come with a funded trading account?
The usual ones are retakes after a breached account, paid add-ons, resets, payment or network fees and the cost of time limits that push you to oversize. None of them shows up in the headline fee.
How much does an OctoFunded account cost?
OctoFunded charges a one-time fee per account, paid in crypto, with no time limit. The fee is refunded with the first payout on the 2-Step and 1-Step; Instant Funded has no fee refund. Current prices for each program and size are listed on the pricing section of octofunded.com.
Price the whole path, not the first fee
Add up the fee, the likely retakes and any extras, then subtract the refund if it applies. Run that sum on the OctoFunded 2-Step, 1-Step and Instant Funded at the size you want.
