Prop Firms That Allow Automated Trading, Checked by Stage

Key takeaways

Most forex and CFD firms we checked welcome a bot if the code is yours. Futures firms vary: some run a bot to payout, some switch it off at a live move, and several route traders through a non-declinable live call-up. We graded 18 firms per product and per stage from their own terms. Fewest gates: Darwinex Zero. The rule that ends most algo accounts is not the bot ban; it is shared-EA and coordinated-trading clauses.

Freshness: checked September 30, 2026. Re-check before you buy.

Quick picks among prop firms that allow automated trading

• Fewest gates to a payout: Darwinex Zero, $50/month. Own signal, no challenge, no call-up.
• Your own code, cheapest route: Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano, $127 list. Own-setup EAs, 2-minute hold.
• Futures, the honest answer: MyFundedFutures allows automation through live; weigh its non-declinable live call-up before you buy.
• Read first: the stage table below.

Why a brand-level “allowed” misleads: Apex Trader Funding appears in vendor lists as “Allowed”, while its own page says “No Automation or Algorithm Usage allowed.” Topstep allows bots on its Combine and funded account, but not at Live.

How we checked which prop firms allow automated trading

1. Sources: each firm’s help centre, FAQ and terms, read September 30, 2026; never a bot vendor’s list.
2. Per product and stage: evaluation, funded and live, graded Allowed, Conditionally allowed, Unclear or Prohibited. Silence is Unclear.
3. Pass test: allowed at every stage before the first payout; the stricter document wins.
4. Cautionary: a serious finding other than a live call-up, such as a loss-floor conflict. A call-up is a fact traders weigh, listed as the first watch-out, never a reason to drop a firm from the ranking.
5. Order: fewest written gates first.

No firm earned a plain Allowed. The vocabulary, and the HFT definitions, match our prop firms that allow HFT guide.

Evaluation, funded and live, where automated trading is allowed

Apex bans automation at every stage. Topstep allows it at the Combine and funded account, then switches it off at Live. MyFundedFutures allows it at every stage under CME rules. Tradeify, Lucid Trading and FundingPips publish nothing on automation at live.

A live call-up is a fact to weigh, not a reason to drop a firm from this ranking: Topstep, Lucid Trading, MyFundedFutures, FundingPips, Bulenox and Tradeify each route through one, named as the first watch-out below.

Prop firms that allow automated trading compared in two tables

Table 1, can the bot run, and where

Table 2, what ends algo accounts

Futures and forex prices are not like-for-like; Darwinex Zero is a subscription. See cheapest prop firms and cheapest futures prop firms.

Ranked prop firms that allow EAs and bots, Conditionally allowed

All 13 are Conditionally allowed, fewest written gates first. Six route traders through a live or Funded call-up, named as the first watch-out in each block.

Darwinex Zero allows EAs on a subscription, not a challenge, for algo traders

Verdict: First: fewest written gates of any firm here, on a subscription model.

Video: “How Darwinex Zero Works,” Darwinex Zero official YouTube channel, 2026-01-19. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: Zero’s own explainer of the model; no official Zero EA video exists.

Zero charges “$50 / month”, no pass/fail target. A notional allocation pays “15% of the net profit … generated in that quarter”. Zero says its services “are not subject to financial regulation”; its group includes an FCA-authorised firm, a different thing.

• Stages: Calibration, notional allocation and investor stage: Conditionally allowed. No call-up.
• The rule that bites: ToB 5.3: your signal must not come from “a single commercial EA … sold to multiple Users”, or the payout can be “null and void”.
• Cost: $50 a month; a first payout takes months of fees.
• Choose it when: Your own algorithm, and a long track record over a quick pass.
• Watch out for: Cancelling or a restart ends the track record and every allocation.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.2/5 on 386 reviews. Darwinex Zero profile.

Bulenox allows bots and algos you build, for $100 a month through third-party APIs

Verdict: Second: fewest written gates after Darwinex Zero, for tools you build yourself.

Video: Bulenox has no official YouTube channel. No affiliate substitute.

First watch-out: moving to a Funded Account is discretionary; decline and Bulenox closes the Master with no reward, and Master profit, balance or equity do not carry over. Otherwise, bots and copiers are permitted for user-built tools; a third-party API adds $100/month and needs approval.

• Stages: Qualification and Master: Conditionally allowed, own tools. Funded (live): automation unpublished.
• The rule that bites: Commercial, shared or rented automation is banned; a suspected-abuse clause lets Bulenox refuse profit with no threshold. The governing clause sits in Bulenox’s Terms of Use, headed “Updated July 2021”, five years older than its current FAQ wording.
• Cost: $175 + $148 Master activation at Option 2 50K. $100/month for a third-party API.
• Choose it when: You build your own tool and will pay to connect it to Rithmic.
• Watch out for: Third-party algorithms need prior management approval.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.7/5 on 1,800 reviews. profile, rules.

FXIFY allows EAs on Two Phase Classic only after pre-approval, for non-US algo traders

Verdict: Third: every EA needs sign-off from support first.

Video: “Here's 3 THINGS Traders Get Wrong – Fix Them to Stay Funded,” FXIFY official YouTube channel, 2026-02-10. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: FXIFY has no EA video; this is its general trading explainer.

Its FAQ: an EA “is allowed … upon review and pre-approval”; without it, “account suspension without eligibility to profits.” EAs run on MT5, non-US only; “DXtrade does not support trading bots.” Instant, Lite, Lightning, Crypto and Educational products ban EAs.

• Stages: Two Phase Classic evaluation and funded stage: Conditionally allowed. No live stage.
• The rule that bites: Herd trading “includes using the same EA from the same company”.
• Cost: $379 at $50K. No EA fee.
• Choose it when: You live outside the US and will ask support first.
• Watch out for: Eleven dated 2026 reviews describe latency-arbitrage exits after passing; FXIFY says it is “unable to disclose the specific detection methods” it uses.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.3/5 on 6,334 reviews. FXIFY profile, rules.

Topstep allows bots through its API on Combine and XFA, with the Live move the first thing to weigh

Verdict: Fourth: the API route is paid and sim-only, with the live move a watch-out, not a bar.

Video: “TopstepX – 5 Mins or Less | Copy Trading,” Topstep official YouTube channel, 2024-05-09. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: Topstep’s official Copy Trading walkthrough; no official API/bot video exists.

First watch-out: Topstep’s live move is a discretionary, non-declinable call-up. Every XFA closes, balance above account size is forfeited, and your bot is switched off at Live. On the Combine and XFA, automation is allowed via the TopstepX / ProjectX API.

• Stages: Trading Combine and Express Funded Account (XFA): Conditionally allowed via the paid API. Live: Prohibited, automation off.
• The rule that bites: “Running automation on a VPS can result in account suspension”; HFT is prohibited with no numeric threshold.
• Cost: $49/month + $149 activation (Standard 50K). API access $29/month.
• Choose it when: You want a bot on the Combine or XFA and will take capped XFA payouts.
• Watch out for: VPS or VPN use for order transmission can end the account.
• Trustpilot and records: 3.6/5 on 14,875 reviews. profile, rules.

Lucid Trading allows bots and copiers on evaluation and funded, with the live move unaddressed

Verdict: Fifth: automation runs through the paying sim stage; the live move is the first thing to weigh.

Video: Lucid Trading’s only channel video is a brand story with no automation content.

First watch-out: the move to LucidLive is at the risk team’s sole discretion, starts at $0, and closes every sim account; LucidLive is silent on bots or copiers. Otherwise: automated trading systems and trade copiers are permitted on evaluation and funded sim accounts.

• Stages: Evaluation and funded (sim): Conditionally allowed. LucidLive: Unclear.
• The rule that bites: Its terms ban trading “in concert with others” with no threshold; 7 dated 2026 bans hit bot or copier users, most at payout.
• Cost: $146 at LucidFlex 50K ($105.20 with a code); no automation fee published.
• Choose it when: You run automated systems or a trade copier through the paying sim stage.
• Watch out for: HFT is banned, and microscalping is flagged above 50% of profit held 5 seconds or less.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.3/5 on 6,044 reviews. profile, payouts.

MyFundedFutures allows automated trading all the way to live, call-up included

Verdict: Sixth: the only futures firm here whose terms allow automation through live.

Video: “Episode 08 – MFFU Plans Explained,” MyFundedFutures official YouTube channel, 2026-07-05. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: Official MFFU plans explainer; no official automation/bot video found.

First watch-out: the live move is a discretionary, non-declinable call-up, and sim profit beyond the live plan’s cap is forfeited. Automation is Conditionally allowed at every stage, including live, under CME guidelines.

• Stages: Evaluation, sim funded and live: Conditionally allowed throughout, under CME rules at live.
• The rule that bites: HFT is banned with no published threshold; multi-account copier users have been banned for “coordinated or mirrored trading” with no evidence shown.
• Cost: $209 at Rapid 50K ($125 with a 40% promo). No automation fee published.
• Choose it when: You want automation to keep running after a live move and accept the live call-up.
• Watch out for: Automated tools must not aim to exploit simulated fills.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.9/5 on 22,088 reviews. profile, rules.

Blue Guardian allows your own EA on its CFD 2 Step Nano, with a 2-minute hold

Verdict: Seventh: own-setup EAs only, and the cheapest ranked $50K list price.

Video: “Which Blue Guardian Account is Best? (All Rules explained),” Blue Guardian official YouTube channel, 2026-05-07. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: Blue Guardian’s own rules overview; no official EA video exists.

Its 2 Step Nano rules say “Expert Advisors (EAs): Allowed”, for EAs “you setup to suit your own strategy”, banning any third-party or off-the-shelf strategy. Blue Guardian Futures, a separate futures arm, bans AI, bots and fully automated trading on its own account types only.

• Stages: 2 Step Nano evaluation and funded account: Conditionally allowed. No live stage.
• The rule that bites: “Minimum holding time of 2 minutes”, no shared VPS; three firm replies in September 2026 cite copy trading or a device match.
• Cost: $127 at $50K. A “25% OFF” banner (code BG25) gave $95.25 on September 30, 2026.
• Choose it when: Your own EA holds trades for minutes, not seconds.
• Watch out for: US clients get Match-Trader or TradeLocker, with no published automation rule.
• Trustpilot and records: rating hidden (“breach of our guidelines” banner), 2,102 reviews. Blue Guardian profile, status.

City Traders Imperium allows third-party EAs on its 1-Step, own code elsewhere

Verdict: Eighth: the widest EA permission here, on one product only.

Video: City Traders Imperium’s only automation video is a 2023 interview that predates its current EA rules.

On the 1-Step: you may use any third-party EA, even without owning the source code; a popular EA risks a Coordinated trading violation. On the 2-Step and Instant Funding you must own the EA and provide source code on request; T&C 7.3 makes refusal a material breach.

• Stages: 1-Step Challenge and funded account: Conditionally allowed. No live stage.
• The rule that bites: On August 10, 2026 CTI told an Instant Funding buyer that other account models require EA source code submission, and held his first profit share until verification. Four more 2026 cases name a published rule each: copy trading (device-matched entries, Feb 5), one-sided betting (Feb 6, free retrial granted), auto-closed stop-loss-free trades under the Stop Loss Rule (Apr 8), and a second source-code refusal with no NDA accepted (Sep 10).
• Cost: $299 for the 1-Step at $50K. VPS needs pre-approval.
• Choose it when: You run a bought EA, or own your code and will share it.
• Watch out for: Grid EAs are banned and stop-losses must be set within 60 seconds.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.2/5 on 1,628 reviews. City Traders Imperium profile.

FTMO allows automated trading on its 2-Step with published caps

Verdict: Ninth: any EA, third-party included, no approval step, no EA fee and no live stage.

Video: “FTMO 1-Step Challenge Explained: All 4 Rules You Must Know,” FTMO official YouTube channel, 2026-03-22. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: No official FTMO video covers EAs. This official explainer covers the 1-Step Challenge; the EA rules apply to both.

FTMO allows “algorithmic trading, EAs, etc.” while trading stays legitimate. Its request cap is worded three ways: “more than 2,000 server requests per day”, “200 orders at a time and 2000 max positions per day”, and “typically around 2000” (FTMO US).

• Stages: Challenge, Verification and FTMO Account: Conditionally allowed. No live stage.
• The rule that bites: A cap of “$400,000 per trader or strategy”; a shared third-party EA risks denial of the FTMO Account.
• Cost: €345 at $50K, refunded with the first reward. No EA fee.
• Choose it when: You run a forex or CFD EA, bought or your own.
• Watch out for: T&C 7.6.6 lets FTMO cap risk per trade idea by email; three 2026 EA-user closures cite named rules. Forbidden Trading Practices also bars a Best Day Rule anti-splitting pattern on the 1-Step, a separate rule from the EA request cap.
• Trustpilot and records: 4.8/5 on 53,405 reviews. FTMO profile, rules.

FundingPips allows your own EA with proof of ownership, Prime included

Verdict: Tenth: automation runs on your own EA through the Master stage and into Prime.

Video: “The On-Demand Reward Cycle is here – NO NEWS TRADING RULES; up to 90% rewards!,” FundingPips official YouTube channel, 2025-08-15. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: Reused official FundingPips video; no EA-specific video exists.

First watch-out: the Prime invite is deemed automatically accepted and mandatory; you waive any right to refuse. Prime EAs then need prior written approval, criteria unpublished. Otherwise, your own EA is Conditionally allowed on evaluation and Master with proof of ownership.

• Stages: Evaluation and Master: Conditionally allowed, own EA with proof of ownership. Prime: Conditionally allowed, written approval required.
• The rule that bites: Third-party EAs are allowed only “as a trade or risk manager”; any other use denies the evaluation or reward and closes the account.
• Cost: $249 at 2 Step Pro 50K. No automation fee; cTrader adds $20.
• Choose it when: You run your own EA