Monthly subscription or one-time fee: which costs less?
92 of the 226 evaluations we track are billed monthly until you pass or cancel; the others are a one-time payment.
The break-even point
Divide the one-time price by the monthly price. A $200 one-time evaluation against a $100-a-month one breaks even at 2 months: pass in the first month and monthly is cheaper; take three and it costs 50% more.
For monthly plans we estimate the months it takes to pass each account: two months for a Topstep-style 50K (target 1.5 times the max loss, end-of-day drawdown), more for bigger targets or drawdowns that keep you trading longer, never less than one. You can change it on every card.
What else changes
- Failing: on a monthly plan a failed evaluation usually restarts for the next billing cycle or for a reset fee; on a one-time plan you buy a reset or a new account.
- Pressure: a subscription renewing next week pushes many traders to force trades. A one-time evaluation with no time limit removes that pressure.
- Cancelling: monthly plans renew automatically. Cancel as soon as you pass or stop trading.
Ranked lists: one-time fee accounts and the cheapest accounts overall.
FAQ
Is a monthly prop firm subscription a scam?
No, it's just a different way to price the same service. Compare total cost over the months you realistically need.
General information, not financial or tax advice. Figures about accounts come from our data and update with it.