Buyer-first futures comparison · checked October 13, 2026
Lucid Trading vs Take Profit Trader Buyer’s Scorecard
Lucid Trading and Take Profit Trader both sell futures evaluations with a $3,000 target at 50K, let funded traders request money from early on and offer a later step to live capital. They are built differently: Lucid charges once, pays 90/10 from the first payout and caps most payouts, while Take Profit Trader bills the test monthly, charges a $130 activation fee without a code, pays 80/20 in its simulated PRO account with no payout cap and no funded consistency rule, and bans trading bots.
| Decision point | Lucid Trading | Take Profit Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Matched product | 50K LucidDaily (daily payout requests, intraday funded drawdown, no per-payout cap) | 50K Trading Test, then PRO (withdrawals from day one, intraday funded drawdown, no maximum withdrawal) |
| Entry price | $136 list (EOD evaluation) or $108 (intraday evaluation), paid once; $95.20 / $75.60 with Lucid’s published VAULT code, DLL on | $170 per month until you pass; $102 per month with Take Profit Trader’s published NOFEE40 code (40% off that test for life) |
| Activation / renewal | $0 activation; no monthly billing; reset $95 (EOD) or $75 (intraday) | $130 PRO activation fee (waived with NOFEE40); test billing stops when you pass; test reset $99 |
| Profit target / minimum days | $3,000; passable in two days through the consistency cushion | $3,000; at least 3 trading days (tests bought from August 17, 2026) |
| Evaluation loss rules | $2,000 EOD or intraday (your choice at checkout); optional $1,200 soft daily loss limit | $2,000 EOD trailing; no daily loss limit |
| Evaluation consistency | 50% | Best day must stay below 50% of total profit |
| Funded drawdown | $2,000 intraday; locks at $50,100 once the balance passes $52,100 | $2,000 intraday trailing; stops trailing at the $50,000 starting balance |
| Funded payout gate | Balance above the $52,100 buffer, any net profit since the last payout, $500 minimum, request daily | Balance above the $52,000 buffer, flat when you request, any day from day one; no published minimum, but a $50 fee on wallet withdrawals of $250 or less |
| Profit split | 90/10 | 80/20 in PRO; 90/10 only after an invitation to live PRO+ |
| News and automation | Flat 1 minute either side of high-impact USD news (hard breach); bots and copiers allowed | Flat 1 minute either side of FOMC, NFP and CPI in PRO; no bots or algos on any account |
| Best fit | Traders who want a one-time fee, 90/10 from the first payout, a straight-to-funded option, automated strategies or Sierra Chart, and a 30-day inactivity window. | Traders who want no payout caps and no funded consistency rule, a 75K size, Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether futures, PayPal checkout, a published pass rate and a 72-hour refund window on untraded accounts. |
Advanced checks before paying
- Price Take Profit Trader by the months you expect to need, not the first month: the test fee repeats every 30 days until you pass or cancel.
- Model your normal losing streak against the funded drawdown you will actually have. Take Profit Trader’s PRO account and LucidDaily both trail intraday once funded, even though their tests can be EOD.
- Compare the split and the cap together: 80% with no cap at Take Profit Trader against 90% with a per-payout cap on LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect.
- If you run a bot or an automated strategy, Take Profit Trader is out; if you trade CPI or FOMC releases, check the news rule on the exact plan.
Figures are tied to the products named in each row and were read from each firm’s public pages and help centre on October 13, 2026. Coupon prices are calculated from published list prices and codes, not verified by purchase. Recheck checkout before paying.
Short answer:Lucid Trading vs Take Profit Trader comes down to how you want to pay and how you want to be paid. Lucid charges a one-time fee with no activation fee, pays 90/10 from the first payout on every plan and offers four plans, including a straight-to-funded account (LucidDirect), but it caps each payout on LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect. Take Profit Trader (TPT) bills its test monthly ($170 a month at 50K, $102 with its published NOFEE40 code), adds a $130 activation fee unless a code waives it, and pays 80/20 in its simulated PRO account, but it has no payout cap, no funded consistency rule, no minimum profitable days and lets you withdraw from day one once you clear the buffer. TPT also bans bots, requires at least one trade a week in PRO and trails the PRO drawdown intraday; Lucid allows automation and gives you 30 days between trades. Neither firm is better for everyone.
This page compares Lucid Trading and Take Profit Trader plan by plan. Every number below comes from the firms’ own websites and help centres, read on October 13, 2026, and the sources are listed at the end. Where a firm’s own pages disagree, we say so.
Checked October 13, 2026: lucidtrading.com, support.lucidtrading.com, takeprofittrader.com and the Take Profit Trader help centre. Prices with codes are calculated from the published list price and the firm’s own published code; they were not verified by purchase.
Both firms run simulated evaluation and funded accounts. Payouts from the funded stage are paid from simulated profits under each firm’s rules, and only a small share of traders reach live capital. This is educational research, not financial advice.
Lucid Trading vs Take Profit Trader at a glance
| Factor | Lucid Trading | Take Profit Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Public plans | LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDaily (evaluations) and LucidDirect (straight to funded) | One path: Trading Test, then PRO (simulated funded), then PRO+ (live) by invitation |
| Account sizes | 25K, 50K, 100K, 150K on every plan | 25K, 50K, 75K, 100K, 150K |
| Fee model | One-time fee, no monthly subscription, $0 activation | Monthly test subscription until you pass or cancel, then a one-time $130 PRO activation fee (waived by some codes); no monthly fee in PRO |
| Profit split | 90/10 on every plan | 80/20 in PRO; 90/10 in live PRO+ |
| First withdrawal | LucidDaily: any day once above the buffer. LucidPro: after the profit goal and 40% consistency rule. LucidFlex: after 5 profitable days. LucidDirect: after the profit goal, 20% rule and 5 days | Day one of PRO once the balance is above the buffer; no minimum days, no payout window |
| Payout cap | $1,000 to $3,500 per payout on Pro, Flex and Direct depending on size; none on LucidDaily | None published (“No maximum withdrawal amount”) |
| Funded drawdown | EOD on Pro, Flex and Direct; intraday on LucidDaily | Intraday trailing in PRO; EOD in live PRO+ |
| Daily loss limit | Optional soft limit on Pro, Flex and Daily (chosen at checkout); fixed then scaling on Direct | None (the homepage shows the old $1,100 limit at 50K as “Removed”) |
| Bots and automation | Allowed if they follow the rules | Not allowed on any account |
| Platforms | CQG: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView. Rithmic: Quantower, Tradesea, MotiveWave, Sierra Chart, Jigsaw, Bookmap, ATAS, R|Trader Pro, MultiCharts | CQG: TradingView, NinjaTrader, Tradovate. Rithmic: Bookmap, MultiCharts, MotiveWave, Trade Navigator, R|Trader, VolFix, ATAS, Investor R/T, Quantower, Finamark, Jigsaw Trader |
| Checkout payment | Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Diners Club, Maestro | Debit or credit card, PayPal, or your TPT wallet balance |
| Payout delivery | Plaid (US), WorkMarket by ADP (bank or PayPal), crypto for international traders | To your TPT wallet first, then Plaid (US banks), PayPal or Wise |
| Inactivity | Deleted after 30 calendar days without a $1 net profit or loss | PRO accounts must trade at least one day per calendar week |
| Refund on an untraded account | At Lucid’s discretion; no refund once traded | Within 72 hours of purchase, minus a $75 fee; no refund once traded |
| Trustpilot (read October 13, 2026) | 4.4 from 6,869 reviews | 4.4 from 10,885 reviews |
What each firm is and how its model works
Lucid Trading is run by Lucid Trading Group LLC, which lists a Dover, Delaware address. It sells four current plans: LucidPro (one-day pass, larger caps from payout 2), LucidFlex (cheapest, no funded consistency rule, 50% payout cap), LucidDaily (daily payout requests, intraday funded drawdown) and LucidDirect (no evaluation). Older LucidBlack and earlier Live and LucidMaxx structures are legacy and not part of this comparison. Funded accounts are simulated; traders enter a live review pool after their fifth payout on Pro, Flex or Direct, or after hitting the maximum daily profit on LucidDaily. Our Lucid Trading review covers every plan, and Lucid’s plans compared helps you choose between them.
Take Profit Trader is TakeProfitTrader LLC of Windermere, Florida; its founder and CEO is James Sixsmith, according to the firm’s About page. It has one path with three stages: a Trading Test (simulated, monthly subscription), a PRO account (simulated, 80/20, withdrawals from day one) and PRO+ (a live account routed to the exchange through Tradovate, 90/10, EOD drawdown, no buffer). PRO+ is by invitation only, and the firm says the decision is made “solely at the discretion of Take Profit Trader”. TPT also says its PRO payouts come from “a combination of collected test fees, tech fees, and shared PRO+ profits when applicable”.
The practical difference: Lucid gives you four ways in and pays 90% from day one of the funded stage, but limits how much each payout can be. Take Profit Trader keeps one simple path and does not cap withdrawals, but keeps 20% until you reach live capital.
Prices at 25K, 50K, 75K, 100K and 150K
The fee models are different, so compare the total you expect to pay, not the headline. Lucid charges once per evaluation. Take Profit Trader charges its test fee every 30 days until you pass or cancel, then a one-time $130 PRO activation fee. Its homepage banner on October 13, 2026 read “Get 40% Off For Life + Never Pay An Activation Fee! … Use Code: NOFEE40”; the code’s help article says the 40% applies to that test’s monthly fee for as long as it stays active and that the $130 activation fee is waived. Lucid’s homepage shows the code VAULT for 30% off all four plans, plus a limited-time $5 or $10 discount for keeping the daily loss limit on with LucidPro and LucidFlex. BestProps has no codes of its own; our Lucid Trading deals and Take Profit Trader deals pages track current offers.
| Lucid plan (one-time fee) | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidFlex list | $79 | $136 | $258 | $372 |
| LucidFlex with VAULT, DLL on | $50.30 | $90.20 | $170.60 | $250.40 |
| LucidPro list | $108 | $172 | $272 | $365 |
| LucidPro with VAULT, DLL on | $70.60 | $115.40 | $180.40 | $245.50 |
| LucidDaily list (EOD / intraday evaluation) | $93 / $79 | $136 / $108 | $222 / $179 | $315 / $258 |
| LucidDaily with VAULT, DLL on (EOD / intraday) | $65.10 / $55.30 | $95.20 / $75.60 | $155.40 / $125.30 | $220.50 / $180.60 |
| LucidDirect list (straight to funded) | $329 | $515 | $700 | $836 |
| LucidDirect with VAULT | $230.30 | $360.50 | $490.00 | $585.20 |
| Take Profit Trader | 25K | 50K | 75K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Test, list (per month) | $150 | $170 | $245 | $330 | $360 |
| Trading Test with NOFEE40 (per month) | $90 | $102 | $147 | $198 | $216 |
| PRO activation (one time) | $130 ($0 with NOFEE40) | $130 ($0 with NOFEE40) | $130 ($0 with NOFEE40) | $130 ($0 with NOFEE40) | $130 ($0 with NOFEE40) |
| Test reset | $79 | $99 | $139 | $169 | $199 |
| PRO reset (up to 3 per PRO account) | $449 | $649 | $799 | $999 | $1,499 |
What it costs to reach the funded stage at 50K
Because one firm bills monthly and the other does not, the number of months you need changes the answer. These scenarios assume you pass the evaluation and pay the coded price where a code is published.
| Scenario (50K) | TPT, list price | TPT with NOFEE40 | LucidPro with VAULT | LucidDaily EOD with VAULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass within the first 30 days | $170 + $130 = $300 | $102 | $115.40 | $95.20 |
| Pass in the second month | $340 + $130 = $470 | $204 | $115.40 | $95.20 |
| Fail once, reset, pass in month one | $170 + $99 + $130 = $399 | $102 + $99 = $201 | $115.40 + $115 = $230.40 | $95.20 + $95 = $190.20 |
| Pass in the third month | $510 + $130 = $640 | $306 | $115.40 | $95.20 |
Other costs
- Commissions in the simulated accounts: TPT charges $4.50 per round trip on full-size contracts and $1.50 on micros, the same on every product. Lucid lists commissions per side by product: $1.75 on ES, NQ, RTY and YM, $0.50 on micros, $2.00 on CL, $2.30 on GC, SI, HG and PL, and $0.80 on MGC (so $3.50 and $1.00 per round trip on the index contracts). Lucid does not say whether its figure includes exchange fees.
- Platform licences: at TPT, TradingView (Basic plan), NinjaTrader, Tradovate, R|Trader and Quantower are free during the test; Bookmap, MultiCharts, MotiveWave, ATAS, Jigsaw and the other Rithmic platforms need your own licence. Lucid provides MotiveWave and Quantower licences through its dashboard.
- Withdrawal fee: TPT charges $50 on a wallet withdrawal of $250 or less, and PayPal may add its own fee. Lucid does not publish a payout fee and sets a $500 minimum request instead.
Example: 20 round trips a day on MNQ for 20 trading days costs $400 at Lucid and $600 at TPT at the published rates.
Profit targets, minimum days and time to get funded
| Account | Profit target (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) | Minimum days | Evaluation consistency | Max size (minis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro | $1,250 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 | 1 day | None | 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 |
| LucidFlex | $1,250 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 | 2 days in practice (50% rule with a small cushion) | 50% | 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 (funded scaling plan applies) |
| LucidDaily | $1,250 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 | 2 days in practice (50% rule with a small cushion) | 50% | 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 |
| LucidDirect | No evaluation | 5 days before the first payout | 20% in the funded stage | 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 |
| TPT Trading Test | $1,500 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 (75K: $4,500) | 3 trading days | Best day below 50% | 3 / 6 / 12 / 15 (75K: 9), or 10× in micros |
TPT moved its minimum from 5 days to 3 days for tests bought from August 17, 2026; older tests and their resets keep 5 days, and some older promotion articles still mention 5. Its homepage says the fastest route to PRO is “3 trading days”. Lucid says accounts upgrade to funded in real time, 5 to 30 minutes after the target is met. TPT has no time limit to pass, but the subscription keeps billing; if a renewal payment fails, it says the account expires and cannot be reactivated, and a test with an overdue balance cannot move to PRO.
Position size: TPT allows more contracts at each size: 6 minis at 50K against 4 at Lucid, and 15 against 10 at 150K. More size is not more room, though: the drawdown at 50K is $2,000 at both firms.
Drawdown rules: EOD, intraday and where they stop
| Account | Evaluation drawdown | Funded drawdown | Amount (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro / LucidFlex | EOD | EOD | $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 | Starting balance + $100 once the balance closes above the initial trail balance (e.g. $50,100 after $52,100 on 50K). On Flex it also locks there when you request a payout. |
| LucidDaily | EOD or intraday (chosen at checkout) | Intraday | $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 | Starting balance + $100 after the trail balance is passed |
| LucidDirect | No evaluation | EOD | $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,500 / $5,000 | Starting balance + $100 |
| TPT Test → PRO | EOD trailing | Intraday trailing (includes open profit) | $1,500 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 (75K: $2,500) | The starting balance (e.g. $50,000 on 50K) |
| TPT PRO+ (live) | – | EOD | Same as the PRO account it came from | Account starts at $0 with a negative floor (−$2,000 at 50K) that trails up to $0 |
The TPT intraday catch. TPT’s own example: on a 25K PRO account with a $1,500 drawdown, if a trade shows $1,000 of open profit the floor rises to $24,500 straight away. Close that trade for only $500 and you are $1,000 from failing, not $1,500. LucidDaily’s funded stage works the same way. LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect stay EOD once funded, so a winner that comes back does not move the floor until the session closes. If you let trades breathe, that difference matters more than the price.
Where the floor stops. At TPT the trail stops at the starting balance; at Lucid it stops $100 above it. On a 50K account TPT’s floor locks at $50,000 once the balance has peaked at $52,000, Lucid’s at $50,100 after $52,100.
No daily loss limit at TPT. TPT removed its daily loss limit: its homepage 50K card shows “Daily Loss Limit $1100 Removed” and its stage table lists “None” for Test, PRO and PRO+. At Lucid the daily loss limit is a soft breach (trading stops until the next session) and is optional on Pro, Flex and Daily: you decide at checkout and cannot change it later. On LucidPro and LucidDirect, once the funded balance closes above the trail balance, a scaling limit of 60% of your peak end-of-day profit replaces the fixed one. More on Lucid’s mechanics in Lucid Trading rules; for other firms, see our EOD drawdown prop firm list.
Consistency rules
Both firms use the same test: your best day divided by total profit. Missing it does not fail the account at either firm; you keep trading until the ratio is back in line.
| Account | Evaluation | Funded (per payout cycle) |
|---|---|---|
| LucidPro | None | 40% (35% for accounts bought or reset before November 28, 2025, 3 PM EST) |
| LucidFlex | 50% | None |
| LucidDaily | 50% | None |
| LucidDirect | No evaluation | 20% |
| TPT | Best day below 50% | None in PRO or PRO+ |
Worked example, 50K evaluation. Days of +$2,000, +$600 and +$500 give $3,100, which clears the $3,000 target, but the $2,000 day is 65% of the total. At TPT you must then make more than $4,000 in total (2 × $2,000), the example TPT itself gives. On LucidFlex or LucidDaily the same 50% rule applies, with a small cushion if you finish close to the target; LucidPro has no evaluation consistency rule, so $3,100 passes.
Worked example, funded. A $1,200 best day needs $3,000 in the cycle on LucidPro (40%) and $6,000 on LucidDirect (20%). At TPT there is no funded consistency rule, so a single $1,200 day above the buffer can be withdrawn the same evening. Our Lucid Trading consistency rule guide has calculator tables for each Lucid plan.
Payouts: split, timing, minimums and caps
| Account | Split | When you can request | Buffer before the first request (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) | Minimum | Maximum per payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro | 90/10 (100% of the first $10k for accounts bought or reset before November 28, 2025) | Any day once the profit goal ($250 / $500 / $750 / $1,000) and 40% rule are met | $26,100 / $52,100 / $103,100 / $154,600 | $500 | Payout 1: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000. Payouts 2+: $1,500 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $3,500 |
| LucidFlex | 90/10 | After every 5 days with at least $100 / $150 / $200 / $250 profit | None | $500 | 50% of profit, up to $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 |
| LucidDaily | 90/10 | Daily, with any net profit since the last payout | $26,100 / $52,100 / $103,100 / $154,600 | $500 | All profit above the buffer |
| LucidDirect | 90/10 | Any day once the profit goal and 20% rule are met; 5-day minimum | Profit goal $1,500 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 for payout 1 | $500 | Payouts 1–3: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000. Payouts 4–5: $1,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $3,500 |
| TPT PRO | 80/20 | Any day from day one, while flat | $26,500 / $52,000 / $103,000 / $154,500 (75K: $77,500) | None published; $50 fee on wallet withdrawals of $250 or less | None |
| TPT PRO+ (live) | 90/10 | Daily | No buffer | None published | None |
Lucid pays out five times on Pro, Flex and Direct before the account enters its live review pool; LucidDaily has no payout count but a maximum daily profit ($6,000 / $8,000 / $10,000 / $12,000) that triggers the move. TPT publishes no payout count in PRO.
Two source notes. Lucid’s LucidPro and LucidDirect funded-account overviews say “No simulated payout caps”, while their payout articles publish the per-payout maximums above; we use the payout articles. TPT’s withdrawal article adds that “You can withdraw 50% of your Buffer Zone after your account is closed” without saying which closures qualify; ask support before relying on it.
Worked first-payout examples at 50K
These assume every day-count, profit-goal and consistency rule is already met and that only profit above a buffer can be withdrawn, as both firms state.
| Account (50K) | Profit $3,000: request | You receive | Profit $6,000: request | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidFlex | $1,500 (50% of profit) | $1,350 | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 |
| LucidPro | $900 (above $52,100) | $810 | $2,000 (payout 1 cap) | $1,800 |
| LucidDaily | $900 | $810 | $3,900 | $3,510 |
| TPT PRO | $1,000 (above $52,000) | $800 | $4,000 | $3,200 |
What this shows: at the same profit, LucidDaily and TPT PRO let you take out almost the same gross amount, and Lucid’s 90% split gives you more of it. TPT pulls ahead of LucidPro and LucidFlex only when profits run well past their caps; at $10,000 of profit TPT PRO would allow $8,000 gross ($6,400 to you) against a $2,000 cap on LucidFlex or LucidPro’s first payout. For more on caps, see how prop firm payout caps work.
Payout methods and speed
- Lucid: once approved, the payout is deducted from the account within minutes and disbursed “within 2 business days”. US traders can link a bank through Plaid for instant transfers; WorkMarket by ADP serves US and international traders (bank or PayPal, typically next business day); international traders can also take BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT or USDC. The homepage claims “15ish min from request to bank”. Payout requests are final once submitted.
- Take Profit Trader: a payout is two steps. First you move profit from PRO to your TPT wallet: for most Tradovate PRO accounts this is automated and takes “5-10 seconds”, while Rithmic PRO, PRO+ and some archived accounts are still reviewed by hand. You must be flat with no working orders, and the dashboard balance only updates between about 8 and 9 PM EST. Then you request a payout from the wallet: TPT’s team reviews it within up to 12 business hours, after which US banks are paid through Plaid (usually real time, sometimes 1–2 business days) and international traders through PayPal or Wise (within 12 business hours). TPT says payouts made through an LLC must use Wise or PayPal.
- Both firms: the bank or wallet must be in your own name, and both handle tax paperwork at payout: Lucid says a 1099 may be issued to US traders; TPT says every PRO user must sign a tax form before the first withdrawal.
We have not tested a payout at either firm; the times above are the firms’ own statements. For full detail, see Lucid Trading payouts and Take Profit Trader payouts.
Moving to a live account
| Question | Lucid Trading | Take Profit Trader |
|---|---|---|
| What triggers a move | Live review pool after payout 5 on Flex, Pro or Direct, the maximum daily profit on LucidDaily, large lifetime payouts or strong sim results; final call by the risk team | Invitation by email after a holistic review of consistency, risk management and execution; “There isn’t a single threshold” |
| Can you decline | You can take a cashout instead (described as 50% of the live starting balance, 90/10) within 24 hours of the email | Not described; the upgrade needs onboarding steps and documents from you |
| Live starting point | $0 balance, EOD drawdown $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500, no daily loss limit, daily payouts | $0 balance, EOD drawdown equal to the PRO account’s, no buffer, 90/10, daily payouts with no withdrawal limit |
| What happens to sim accounts | All closed; one live account per funded account that had at least one payout | The PRO account is put on hold and $5,000 of its profit stays frozen while PRO+ is active; anything above that can be withdrawn |
| Bonus | Repeatable Live Bonus ($1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500) after a live profit target and 20 trading days | None published |
| Stricter tier | None published | PRO+ Development for traders with aggressive sizing or rapid drawdowns: 1 / 2 / 4 / 5 minis (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K), a soft daily loss limit and smaller drawdown ($750 / $1,250 / $1,750 / $2,250); a $10,000 net loss of firm capital in 30 days pauses new purchases for 30 days |
| Costs and hours | Swing trading not allowed; hold until 4:45 PM EST on Tradovate live or 4:15 PM EST on Rithmic live | Broker commission rates instead of the flat sim rates; professional market data; at least one trade per calendar week |
One point to check with Lucid before relying on the cashout: its article prices it at 50% of the live starting balance while also saying live accounts start at $0. At TPT, if a PRO+ account ends negative, the loss is taken from the frozen $5,000 before the rest is paid out. Lucid’s live terms are covered in more depth in our Lucid Trading live account guide.
Platforms, data feeds and copy trading
Both firms offer CQG and Rithmic routes, and the platform lists overlap heavily: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Quantower, MotiveWave, Bookmap, ATAS, MultiCharts, Jigsaw and R|Trader are on both. Sierra Chart and Tradesea are only at Lucid. Trade Navigator, VolFix, Investor R/T and Finamark are only at TPT. Yes, Lucid supports TradingView (through its CQG/Tradovate connection), and so does TPT; TPT warns that TradingView’s free Basic plan can have slightly delayed data.
On TPT, CQG accounts can be connected on two platforms at once; Rithmic accounts allow one connection, with a plug-in setting to run R|Trader Pro and NinjaTrader together. Lucid’s setup steps are in our Lucid Trading platforms and setup guide.
Automation and copiers are where the firms split. Lucid says “Automated trading systems and trade copiers are permitted” as long as they follow its rules. TPT’s Universal Trading Policies say “Automated trading systems, bots, or algorithmic execution tools are not permitted” on any account. TPT does allow trade copiers between accounts you own: Tradesyncer, TradeCopia, Affordable Indicators, Replikanto (Compliance Edition only) and platform-native copiers. Both firms forbid copying another person’s trades or coordinating with other users.
Markets, Bitcoin futures and forex
Both firms trade CME Group futures only (CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX). TPT’s permitted list includes Micro Bitcoin (MBT) and Micro Ether (MET) futures; Lucid’s approved product list has no crypto futures. Neither firm offers spot forex, CFDs or stocks; both allow CME currency futures such as 6E (euro), 6B (pound) and 6J (yen), and TPT also lists the micro EUR/USD and AUD/USD contracts.
| Contract | Lucid: commission per side (round trip) | TPT: round trip in Test and PRO |
|---|---|---|
| ES / NQ / YM / RTY | $1.75 ($3.50) | $4.50 |
| MES / MNQ / MYM / M2K | $0.50 ($1.00) | $1.50 |
| CL | $2.00 ($4.00) | $4.50 |
| GC | $2.30 ($4.60) | $4.50 |
| MGC | $0.80 ($1.60) | $1.50 |
| Micro Bitcoin (MBT) | Not on the approved list | $1.50 |
Prohibited strategies and trading restrictions
| Rule | Lucid Trading | Take Profit Trader |
|---|---|---|
| News trading | Allowed on Pro, Flex and Direct. LucidDaily: flat from 1 minute before to 1 minute after high-impact USD news, or the account is breached | Allowed in the test. PRO and PRO+: no positions or orders from 1 minute before to 1 minute after FOMC statements, Non-Farm Payroll and CPI |
| Bots and algos | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Hedging / counter positions | Prohibited within and across accounts, users and firms, including corr |