Prop Firm Activation Fees: Who Still Charges Them

A prop firm activation fee is a one-time charge to open your funded account after you pass the evaluation. It's becoming rare in futures. Of the 38 futures programs we track that publish a figure, 36 charge nothing, and the two that do charge $149 and $189.

Key takeaways

• An activation fee is paid after you pass, so it's easy to miss when comparing prices.
• 26 of 28 futures programs with a published figure charge no activation fee.
• Some firms sell the same program with and without the fee, at different evaluation prices.
• Always add it to the evaluation price when comparing programs.

What is an activation fee?

An activation fee is the price of moving from a passed evaluation to a funded account. You pay it once, at the moment you'd otherwise start trading for payouts. Firms describe it as covering account setup, but in practice it's part of the program's price that's charged later.

That timing is why it matters. When you compare two programs by evaluation price alone, the one with an activation fee looks cheaper than it is.

How common are activation fees?

Not very, anymore. When we checked futures programs on September 26 and 27, 2026, 26 of the 28 that publish an activation fee charged $0. The two that charged one were Topstep's Trading Combine Standard at $149 and Top One Futures' Elite Access at $189. Every program without one is on our list of no activation fee prop firms.

Is it cheaper to pay the activation fee or avoid it?

Some firms offer a no-activation-fee version of the same program, priced differently. The better deal depends on how many attempts you expect. An activation fee is only paid once, when you pass, while a higher evaluation price is paid on every attempt.

So the more attempts you expect, the better the activation-fee version looks, since you pay its lower evaluation price on every try and the activation fee only once. If you expect to pass on your first try, the no-activation version can come out even or cheaper. The All-in Cost tool compares both for any program.

How to find a program's activation fee

Look for "activation", "funded account fee" or "setup fee" on the firm's pricing page or FAQ. It's sometimes listed only in the help center. Every firm page on Prop Firm Duel shows the activation fee for each program, with a link to the firm's source.

Common questions

Is an activation fee a scam?

No. It's a published part of some programs' prices. It just needs to be counted, since it arrives after the evaluation.

Is the activation fee refundable?

Usually not. Check the firm's refund terms.

Do I pay it again after a reset?

You pay it when you pass into a funded account. If you lose that account and pass again later, you may pay it again. For every fee a program can charge, see how much a prop firm costs.

How we got these numbers

Figures come from each firm's own pricing and help pages, reviewed by a person on September 26–27, 2026. Confirm current prices on the firm's site. See our methodology.