Which Futures Prop Firms Allow Bots (October 2026)
Updated October 7, 2026
Before the list: three things that change the answer#
This guide summarizes the automation policy of the main futures prop firms, read on their official pages on October 7, 2026. Rules change often: before you connect a bot, confirm the rule on the firm's official page, listed at the end.
First, the phase. Being allowed in the evaluation does not mean being allowed in the funded account or the live account. At Topstep, for example, the live account does not allow trading through the API.
Second, whose bot it is. Several firms only accept tools built by the account holder for personal use; a bot you bought or share is out.
Third, the fine print. Almost all of them ban high-frequency trading, and several limit microscalping or require you to be flat around the highest-impact news.
Allow your own bots#
Lucid Trading allows automated trading systems and trade copiers. It bans high-frequency trading and microscalping, which it defines as more than half of the profit coming from trades of five seconds or less.
Topstep allows your own bots through the TopstepX API in the evaluation and, judging by the rest of its help pages, in the funded account too. Live funded accounts cannot trade through that API. It bans VPS, VPNs and remote servers: the bot has to run on your own computer.
FundedNext Futures allows bots and EAs both in the evaluation phase and on funded accounts. It bans high-frequency trading, latency abuse and order flooding. It does not say what happens on a live account.
TradeDay allows your own bots; bots bought from third parties are forbidden. It works with NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Jigsaw and Quantower, but does not give access to the Tradovate API, and it flattens positions before the highest-impact news.
Bulenox allows bots, algorithms and trade copiers as long as they belong to the account holder and are for personal use; commercial or shared tools are not allowed. Third-party API access costs extra. It does not say what happens on a live account.
MyFundedFutures allows your own automated strategies as long as they do not exploit the simulator's fills, and it bans high-frequency trading. On the Rapid and Pro funded accounts you must be flat around the highest-impact news, and live accounts follow CME rules.
Allow it with heavy restrictions#
Tradeify requires you to be the sole owner of the bot or strategy and may ask for a live video of the code running. Using the same bot at other firms goes against its policy.
Elite Trader Funding does not allow bots or automated systems unless expressly authorized in writing. Only approved trade copiers are accepted.
Do not allow full automation#
Apex Trader Funding prohibits automation on all account types. Alpha Futures prohibits AI, bots and other automated mechanisms, although it accepts signal indicators with manual execution. Take Profit Trader requires every trade to be executed manually.
Phidias does not allow full automation and accepts semi-automated trading only with active supervision. Top One Futures does not allow EAs or bots, and AquaFutures prohibits fully automated systems and unattended algorithms.
The Apex and Take Profit Trader pages block direct reading; their rule was taken from the search engine excerpt of that same official page.
Not confirmed#
Earn2Trade has no explicit bot rule, but it prohibits using software, artificial intelligence and ultra-fast data entry techniques, as well as trade copiers: in practice it reads as a ban. BluSky only prohibits automated software used to unfairly influence outcomes, which is ambiguous.
For The Trading Pit Futures, Goat Funded Futures, DayTraders.com and E8 Futures we only found third-party sources, so we do not treat them as confirmed.
What this guide does not say#
It does not say which firm is best or whether a bot will pass an evaluation. That depends on the strategy, the position size and each account's loss rules, which this guide does not compare.
It summarizes rules each firm published on a specific date. It is not legal or investment advice, and as of publication Perfiltrade has no commercial relationship with any of these firms.
Trading futures carries a risk of loss, with an automated system too. A strategy's past results do not predict future ones.
Sources (checked on October 7, 2026)#
Lucid Trading: support.lucidtrading.com/en/articles/11404728-other-trading-activities, /11404742-prohibited-microscalping and /11404736-prohibited-high-frequency-trading.
Topstep: help.topstep.com/en/articles/11187768 and /10305426. FundedNext Futures: helpfutures.fundednext.com/en/articles/14298560 and /15358782.
TradeDay: tradeday.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/103000085101 and /103000121031. Bulenox: bulenox.com/faq. MyFundedFutures: help.myfundedfutures.com/en/articles/8444599 and /8230009.
Tradeify: help.tradeify.co/en/articles/10468318. Elite Trader Funding: elitetraderfunding.app/help/trade-copier-disclaimer.
Apex Trader Funding: apextraderfunding.com/help-center/getting-started/prohibited-activities. Alpha Futures: help.alpha-futures.com/en/articles/9508585. Take Profit Trader: takeprofittraderhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/15171769361053.
Phidias: phidiaspropfirm.com/rules. Top One Futures: help.toponefutures.com/en/articles/10907920. AquaFutures: intercom.help/aquafutures-help-center/en/articles/15863742. Earn2Trade: help.earn2trade.com/en/articles/9286647. BluSky: help.blusky.pro/en/articles/12069208.
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Frequently asked questions
- Does Topstep allow bots?
- Yes, your own bots through the TopstepX API in the evaluation, running on your own computer: it bans VPS, VPNs and remote servers. Live funded accounts cannot trade through that API. Checked on October 7, 2026.
- Does Apex allow bots?
- No. Its prohibited activities page says automation is strictly prohibited on all account types.
- Which prop firms allow automated trading?
- With an explicit official rule, as of October 7, 2026: Lucid Trading, Topstep (except live accounts through the API), FundedNext Futures, TradeDay and Bulenox (own bots only) and MyFundedFutures. Tradeify and Elite Trader Funding allow it with heavy restrictions.
- Can I use a bot I bought on a prop firm account?
- At several firms, no: TradeDay forbids bots bought from third parties, Bulenox only accepts the account holder's own tools and Tradeify requires you to be the sole owner of the bot. Check each firm's rule before connecting it.
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Suggested citation:
Perfiltrade (October 7, 2026). Which Futures Prop Firms Allow Bots (October 2026). https://www.perfiltrade.com/en/learn/prop-firms-that-allow-bots
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