TradeDay Review 2026: Is This Chicago Futures Prop Firm Worth Your Time?

TradeDay has been around since November 2020. That makes it one of the older futures prop firms still operating, which counts for something in an industry where firms shut down without warning. Based in Chicago with an office at 412 S. Wells, it's run by CEO James Thorpe and co-founder Steve Miley, who between them have about 60 years of industry experience . The legal entity is TRADEDAY LLC.

The question isn't whether TradeDay is legit. The data says it probably is. The question is whether it's the right fit for how you trade.

I spent time digging through the numbers, payout records, Trustpilot reviews, and challenge structures. Here's what I found.

What TradeDay Offers: The Challenge Structure

TradeDay runs a one-step evaluation model. You pass once, you get funded. No multiple phases, no verification targets that reset. One and done.

But they give you three different ways to approach that one step.

Intraday Evaluation

This is their newest offering, and it's structured differently from the older plans. The profit target is 6% with a 4% drawdown . Pricing runs $87 for the 50K, $140 for the 100K, and $210 for the 15K. The 15K pricing looks odd compared to the 50K being cheaper, which might reflect different contract sizing or margin requirements.

The drawdown structure here matters. 4% means on a 50K account, you can lose $2,000 before you're out. That's tighter than some competitors but looser than others. The 6% profit target to pass is achievable but not trivial.

EOD Evaluation

End of day evaluation. Same 4% drawdown, same 6% profit target, but the pricing shifts. $175 for 50K, $275 for 100K, $375 for 150K. No 10K or 25K options here .

The EOD label means your positions are evaluated at market close rather than intraday. That matters if you hold trades through volatility.

Static Evaluation

This one's different. 1% drawdown with a 3% profit target across three steps. Pricing at $165 for 50K, $250 for 100K, $350 for 150K .

A 1% drawdown is tight. On a 50K account, that's $500 of breathing room. The trade-off is you only need 3% profit, so it's a smaller mountain to climb. The three-step structure adds complexity. You pass step one, move to step two, pass that, move to step three, then get funded. It's their most conservative option.

The Older 5-Day Challenges

Before these new evaluation types launched, TradeDay had their original 5-day challenge structure. Pricing was $80 for 10K, $100 for 25K, $132 for 50K, $220 for 100K, $280 for 150K, $600 for 250K . These still appear in the system as active products.

Profit targets were $1,000, $2,000, $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, and $12,000 depending on account size. The 250K target of $12,000 is only 4.8%, which is lower than the percentage-based targets on the newer plans.

These older challenges had zero minimum trading days listed in the data. That's either an omission or they genuinely had no minimum. If the latter, that's unusual. Most firms require at least a few days to prevent hit-and-run strategies.

Payout Reality: What Traders Actually Get

This is where TradeDay shines.

The payout data shows over $11.3 million paid out all-time across 10,024 payouts . The average payout comes to about $1,131. The largest single payout hit $49,277.

In the last 30 days alone, they've paid out $786,860 across 641 payouts. That's consistent volume. The average payout over the trailing 30 days is actually higher than the all-time average at $1,227, which suggests the traders currently active are pulling out larger sums.

Payout speed gets mentioned repeatedly in reviews. Kevin May, a trader with 10 years of equity prop experience and 3 years in futures, said: "I submit my payout request after market close, and the money is typically in my bank account before market open the next day" . Travis reported getting paid within 6 hours of requesting.

Another trader reported a Friday evening payout request that landed Saturday morning. That's unusual. Most firms don't process over weekends.

The profit split structure: you keep the first $10,000 of profits. After that, it's 90% to you, 10% to them . That's better than the industry standard 80/20 split most firms offer. Some smaller firms have moved to 85/15 or even 95/5, but TradeDay's 90/10 after a generous first $10k buffer is solid.

Drawdown Rules: The Fine Print

TradeDay does not use a trailing drawdown on their newer evaluation types. The data shows drawdown of 4% on Intraday and EOD evaluations, and 1% on Static . No daily loss limit is listed separately, which suggests the total drawdown IS the limit.

On the older 5-day challenges, the daily drawdown field shows $0.00. That might mean no separate daily limit, or it means the system just tracks the overall drawdown. Without clarity from the firm's rulebook directly, traders should confirm this before buying.

Here's how the math works out:

Intraday 50K:

• Max loss: $2,000 (4%)

• Profit target: $3,000 (6%)

• Risk per trade: depends on your strategy, but you've got $2k to work with

Static 50K:

• Max loss: $500 (1%)

• Profit target: $1,500 (3%)

• Three steps to complete

The static evaluation is for traders who want tight risk parameters and a lower profit hurdle. The intraday gives more room but demands more profit. Pick based on your style.

What Traders Actually Say

I pulled 212 stored Trustpilot reviews. The overall score is 4.6 out of 5 with 1,360 total reviews . The distribution: 1,156 five-star, 88 four-star, 21 three-star, 14 two-star, and 81 one-star.

That's a strong ratio. 85% of reviews are five-star.

The positive reviews cluster around a few themes. Payout speed gets mentioned constantly. Multiple traders say they received payouts within hours, not days. The EOD drawdown structure gets praise from traders who don't want to worry about intraday volatility. The daily payout option is a genuine differentiator. Most firms pay weekly or bi-weekly. TradeDay allows daily withdrawals from day one.

One trader, Matt Ricketts, said: "Their evals are more difficult to pass than some other prop firms out there but that affords them the opportunity to offer the best payout policy in the industry" . That's honest feedback. Pass rates matter. Harder evaluations mean fewer funded traders, which means the firm can afford better splits and faster payouts.

Another trader mentioned the consistency rule: a 30% rule applies during evaluation, meaning one big trading day can increase your profit target requirement. This prevents the "one lucky trade" approach to passing. If you make 70% of your target in a single day, that day can't count for more than 30% of the requirement, so you'd need to keep trading. Some traders hate this. Others see it as filtering out luck.

Where It Gets Messy: The 1-Star Reviews

The negative reviews fell into a few categories, and they're worth paying attention to.

Account suspensions without explanation. This is the most common complaint. One trader, V Omar Baez, wrote that his account was suspended and he received no specific reason. He said: "Closing accounts without prior notice or a specific T&C violation is a poor, untransparent practice. I stand by my warning to other traders: your account can be pulled at any time based on subjective opinions, even if you follow their rules." 

TradeDay's CEO responded directly, explaining that they review how accounts are handled when a trader loses funded status. Factors include whether the trader took early or large withdrawals that left the account vulnerable, the level of risk taken, and whether the strategy translates to live markets. They concluded his approach wasn't "conducive to long-term success."

That's revealing. TradeDay reserves the right to off-board traders they deem high risk, even if those traders didn't break explicit rules. The Terms apparently include a section (section 8, referenced in another review) that allows termination at the firm's discretion.

Another review from hyun ju kim said the CEO told them "under section 8 we can terminate whoever we want" and then stopped responding . That's not a good look, even if it's legally within their rights.

Subscription and cancellation policies. A few traders complained about losing prepaid subscription time when canceling. The firm's position is that canceling terminates the evaluation, which they say is clearly stated in policies and during the cancellation process. One trader called this "fraudulent subscription practice" .

Technical issues. Some reviews mention platform downtime. One trader reported being unable to trade for three days due to an AWS outage affecting their TDX platform . The support responses to these complaints are generally professional, acknowledging the issues and explaining the causes.

Scaling Rules and Account Growth

TradeDay allows scaling for funded traders up to 25 lots maximum. During evaluation, position sizes don't scale. After funding, the firm can increase your position limits based on your profit history.

The maximum allocation listed in the profile is $250,000. That's the largest account size available. No pricing is listed for accounts above that, and scaling plans don't appear to go beyond that ceiling.

For traders who want to manage larger capital, TradeDay allows multiple funded accounts. One review mentioned working toward a second funded account, and the firm's support team has indicated this is possible. You basically pass multiple evaluations and run them simultaneously.

Platform Support and Trading Tools

TradeDay supports Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, and Jigsaw . That's a solid lineup. Tradovate is their primary partner, chosen for reliability and tools. Tradovate gives browser-based and desktop access. NinjaTrader is probably the most popular futures platform. TradingView appeals to the charting crowd.

They do not support Rithmic. A 4-star review specifically asked for Rithmic connectivity, and the firm responded that they're "actively looking into it" . As of the data pull, it's not available.

News trading is restricted. Tier 1 economic data releases require you to have no open positions and no working orders from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release . The system auto-liquidates positions during these windows. That's restrictive for traders who trade news. Many firms allow news trading with certain rules. TradeDay doesn't.

Weekend holding is not allowed on evaluation accounts. On the 250K challenge and funded accounts, weekend holding is permitted. Swing traders should check which account type allows the holding periods they need.

The Evaluation Experience

TradeDay's evaluation is designed to test skill, not luck. The minimum trading days requirement varies by account type. The older challenges had no minimum listed. The newer Intraday and EOD evaluations don't show a minimum either. The TradeDay description mentions 7 to 10 days depending on the version you use.

Reset costs are $99 per evaluation if you fail . But there's a catch: if your subscription renews, you get a free reset with the renewal payment. Some traders complained about the reset timing. One said their subscription renewed but the account wasn't reset automatically, and support refused to apply it retroactively. The firm's position is that resets must be requested, not automatic.

The 14-day free trial is a nice touch. You get access to the community and resources, practice in a simulated environment, but no evaluation for funding during the trial period. It's basically a test drive.

Banned Countries

TradeDay bans a long list of countries . Some notable ones: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bosnia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Belarus, Congo, Central African Republic, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gibraltar, Guyana, Croatia, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Cayman Islands, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Libya, Myanmar, Mali, Montenegro, Mauritius, Mozambique, Macedonia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

If you're from one of these countries, you can't trade with TradeDay. Some of these exclusions are likely driven by the firm's broker or compliance requirements rather than TradeDay's own choice.

Pros and Cons Based on the Data

What works:

The profit split is genuinely good. Keeping 90% after the first $10k is better than most competitors. The daily payout option from day one is rare. Most firms requiring hitting a buffer before withdrawals, TradeDay doesn't. The platform selection covers the major options. The educational resources get consistent praise. The pre-market webinars at 6:30 AM CT and the squawk service are mentioned as valuable by multiple traders.

The evaluation models give you flexibility. If you want tight risk with a low profit target, there's the Static. If you want more room but a higher target, there's Intraday. If you want end-of-day evaluation only, there's EOD. Not every trader fits the same box.

What doesn't work:

The subjective off-boarding policy is the biggest risk. If TradeDay decides your trading style isn't sustainable, they can terminate your account even if you followed all the rules. The "section 8" clause means you're operating at their discretion, not within a fixed contract. For traders who want certainty, this is a real concern.

The subscription model can be frustrating. You're paying a monthly fee for access, not a one-time evaluation cost. If you cancel before your subscription ends, you lose the remaining time. The free reset on renewal helps offset this, but it's still a monthly commitment.

News trading restrictions limit your strategies. Auto-liquidation during tier 1 data releases means you can't trade economic events. For some traders, that's fine. For news traders, it's a deal-breaker.

KYC requirements are handled through Riseworks. Multiple 1-star reviews mention KYC failures or delays. One trader said they were stuck in KYC for over a week without their PA account being set up. Another was rejected entirely and couldn't proceed. The firm's response to the rejection was "Unfortunately, you failed the KYC at Riseworks" with no further explanation .

Trustpilot Score Stability

The trust score has stayed at 4.6 consistently since at least April 2026. The number of reviews has grown from 1,350 to 1,360 over the tracked period, with the distribution remaining stable. About 85% five-star, 1% two-star, 6% one-star.

The one-star rate of 6% is worth noting. Most legit prop firms with real payout volume run 3-5% negative reviews. TradeDay's 6% is slightly elevated, driven largely by the account suspension complaints. The firm does respond to most negative reviews, which is a positive sign. They explain their position, offer additional context, and in some cases admit when things went wrong.

Final Verdict

TradeDay is a legitimate futures prop firm with solid payout history and a structure that works for certain traders. The evaluation is harder than many competitors, but the rewards are better. Daily payouts, high profit splits, and multiple account models make it attractive for disciplined traders.

The subjective off-boarding risk is real. If you're a trader who pushes limits, takes aggressive risks, or has a style that management might not like, you're vulnerable. The firm has shown it will terminate accounts based on judgment calls, not just rule violations.

For conservative, consistent traders who follow rules and want reliable payouts, TradeDay is worth considering. For aggressive traders or those who want legal certainty in their agreement, other firms with clearer termination policies might be better.

The 14-day free trial lets you test the platform and resources without financial commitment. That's a low-risk way to see if the fit is right.

Trading challenges involve risk. Most traders do not pass evaluations. Always read the firm's latest rules before buying. This review is based on available information as of May 2026. Rules, pricing, and policies can change without notice.