Instant Funding vs. Evaluation: Which Should You Pick?
Instant funding skips the test but costs more and has tighter limits. A side-by-side comparison of prices, drawdown, payouts and who each option suits.
By Lenium · Published · 3 min read
Prop firms now sell two products: an evaluation you have to pass, and an instant funded account you can trade from day one. The instant option sounds better, but you pay for the shortcut with a higher fee and stricter limits. Here is how they compare at Lenium, using the $25,000 account as the example.
The short answer
- Pick the evaluation if you want the lowest price, the looser risk limits, a reset option and your fee back with your first payout.
- Pick instant funding if you are confident in your trading, want to skip the 30-day test, and can trade well inside a tighter drawdown.
Side by side ($25,000 account)
| Evaluation | Instant | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 | $279 |
| Profit target | 10% to pass | None |
| Time limit | 30 days to pass | None |
| Drawdown | 10% static, then 10% trailing once funded | 6% trailing |
| Max position / all open | 5% / 10% | 3% / 6% |
| Profit split | 70% (90% with add-on) | 70% (90% with add-on) |
| First payout | 14 days after you are funded | 14 days after you buy |
| Fee back | As credit with your first payout | No |
| Reset | Yes, at 75% of the fee | No (buy a new account) |
Both have Weekly payouts as an add-on, which opens your first request after 7 days and then every 7 days. The payout cap of 5% of the starting balance per 30 days applies to both.
The real difference: the drawdown
The price gap is easy to see. The bigger difference is the floor. An evaluation starts with a static floor 10% below the starting balance, which never moves while you are being tested. An Instant account has a 6% trailing floor from the first day, which rises every time the account sets a new high.
On a $25,000 account that means you can lose $2,500 from the start in an evaluation, but only $1,500 from your highest point on Instant. After a good week, a trailing floor can sit close to your balance. Trailing vs. static drawdown works through examples.
Cost per attempt
Most traders need more than one attempt, so compare what a second try costs:
- Evaluation: a failed evaluation can be reset for 75% of the fee, $111 on the $25,000 account.
- Instant: there is no reset. A second attempt means buying a new account at the full $279.
If you pass, the evaluation fee comes back as account credit with your first approved payout. The Instant price is never refunded.
Who instant funding suits
Instant funding suits a trader who already has a long, written record of profitable trades, sizes small, and would rather pay more than spend a month on a test. It is a poor fit if you are still learning, trade large positions, or tend to give back gains after a winning run, because the trailing floor punishes exactly that.
Who the evaluation suits
The evaluation suits most people. It is cheaper, its static floor is more forgiving while you build a cushion, and the reset price lowers the cost of a bad month. Passing also gives you 30 days of evidence about whether your edge holds up.
Both are simulated accounts: prices are live, balances are virtual and payouts are paid by Lenium. Compare every size on the pricing page or see the full Instant rules on the Instant page.