E8 Funding is a legitimate Canadian prop firm that stands out for one reason: no calendar deadline on either challenge phase. Where FTMO gives you 30 days for Phase 1 and 60 for Phase 2, E8 lets you take as long as you need — which changes the psychology and the risk of the challenge completely. The profit split starts at 80%, payouts are bi-weekly, and the fee is refunded on first payout. The trade-offs versus FTMO are real — lower capital ceiling, shorter track record, less regulatory transparency — and this review states them plainly.
What is E8 Funding?
E8 Funding is a proprietary trading firm founded around 2021, headquartered in Canada. The name refers directly to the firm's 8% profit target in Phase 1 of their evaluation — a naming choice that doubles as the clearest summary of their core rule.
Like all retail prop firms, E8 sells you a challenge — a simulated trading evaluation — and if you pass, you receive access to a funded account (also simulated, mirroring live markets). Your profit share is paid from the firm's fee revenue and aggregate performance pool, not from live market positions. The funded-account product is not a regulated investment, and the evaluation fee is at risk.
E8 has accumulated generally positive community sentiment on Trustpilot and Reddit forums as of mid-2026, which puts it in a better position than many firms that emerged in the same period. That said, its operational track record is shorter than FTMO's by roughly five years, and that difference is material when assessing counterparty risk.
The E8 evaluation process: Phase 1 and Phase 2
E8 uses a standard two-phase evaluation. Phase 1 is the E8 Challenge; Phase 2 is the E8 Account. Pass both and you receive a funded account with the same rules in perpetuity.
Phase 1 requires you to hit an 8% profit target without breaching either the 8% overall trailing drawdown or the 4% daily drawdown limit. Phase 2 lowers the profit target to 5%, with the same drawdown rules. The minimum number of trading days applies to both phases — confirm the current requirement on E8's site before starting.
The critical differentiator: there is no time limit on either phase. You are not racing a 30-day or 60-day clock. If your strategy is methodical and slower-paced — a swing trader, a position trader, or simply someone who sits out low-conviction setups — E8's unlimited time is not a minor convenience. It materially changes what strategies are viable and removes the pressure that causes traders to overtrade near a deadline.
This single feature is the primary reason to choose E8 over FTMO for a certain type of trader. If you are a fast, high-frequency trader who would pass any challenge in two weeks anyway, the unlimited time window adds little. If you need 6-10 weeks to execute your edge cleanly, it is decisive.
Drawdown rules — the numbers that actually matter
E8 applies two drawdown rules simultaneously, and both must never be breached at any point during your challenge or funded account.
The 4% daily drawdown limit means that on any given trading day, your account equity cannot fall more than 4% below the starting balance for that day. On a $100,000 account, that is $4,000 of intraday drawdown before you are disqualified. Critically, this is measured on real-time equity, including open positions — not just closed trades. A floating loss counts.
The 8% overall trailing drawdown trails your peak equity. If you start at $100,000 and grow to $108,000, your drawdown floor rises to $99,360 (that is $108,000 multiplied by 0.92). A subsequent pullback to $99,000 — which leaves you still ahead of your starting balance — would breach the rule and disqualify you.
Compared to FTMO's daily drawdown of 5% and a trailing max drawdown of 10%, E8's rules are different in profile: a more generous 8% overall drawdown but a tighter 4% daily limit. Traders who take occasional large intraday moves but mean-revert within the day may prefer FTMO's 5% daily allowance. Traders who hold smaller, measured positions and rarely touch the daily limit but sometimes experience multi-day drawdown may find E8's 8% overall trailing ceiling more forgiving.
Account sizes and scaling
E8 offers five account sizes: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $200,000 and $400,000. The initial profit split is 80% to the trader on all account sizes.
E8's scaling programme allows funded traders to grow their allocated capital up to $600,000. Scaling milestones are performance-based — hit defined profit targets while maintaining drawdown compliance over consecutive periods and your account size increases. The scaling split can rise to 85% as you progress.
For comparison, FTMO's aggregate funded capital cap is $400,000. E8's $600,000 ceiling is higher in nominal terms, though FTMO's track record gives its ceiling more operational credibility. Note that the 8% trailing drawdown applies on your scaled balance, not your original starting balance. As your account size grows, the absolute dollar amount at risk under the drawdown rule grows with it. Model this before each scaling increment.
Profit split, fees, and payouts
The profit split is 80% to the trader from the first funded payout, scaling to 85% via the scaling programme. FTMO starts at 70-80% and scales to 90% after demonstrated consistency, so the two firms are broadly comparable at the entry tier, with FTMO offering a marginally higher ceiling for long-term funded traders.
The challenge fee is refunded on your first funded payout. This means if you pass the evaluation and receive one payout, the cost of the challenge is net zero. Payouts are processed bi-weekly. Bi-weekly payouts are a genuine practical advantage over FTMO's monthly cycle for traders who want faster access to earned profits.
E8 permits expert advisors (EAs), news trading, and holds over weekends. Always confirm current policy on E8's own site before relying on this — T&Cs can change, and you should screenshot the version you sign up under.
E8 Funding vs FTMO — an honest comparison
The honest comparison between E8 and FTMO is not a clean win for either firm. They are optimised for different trader profiles.
E8's advantages: no time deadline on either challenge phase; bi-weekly payouts vs FTMO's monthly; $600k capital ceiling vs FTMO's $400k aggregate; news trading, EAs, and weekend holds all permitted.
FTMO's advantages: over 10 years of operational history and independently documented payout track record; a 10% max drawdown vs E8's 8% (materially more forgiving for swing traders); a higher long-term profit split ceiling (90% vs E8's 85%).
The bottom line: if unlimited challenge time is the deciding factor for your strategy, choose E8. If counterparty trust and operational track record is your primary criterion, FTMO's longer history carries more weight.
- E8 edge: no time limit on phases, bi-weekly payouts, EAs and news trading permitted, $600k scaling ceiling.
- FTMO edge: 10+ year track record, 10% max drawdown (vs E8's 8%), higher long-term profit split (90%), stronger community and documentation.
- Drawdown profile differs: E8 is 4% daily / 8% trailing; FTMO is 5% daily / 10% trailing. Match to your strategy.
- Both refund the challenge fee on first funded payout.
Is E8 Funding legit?
Based on available evidence as of mid-2026: yes. E8 Funding is a real operating company with documented payout history, positive community sentiment across Trustpilot and Reddit's r/Forex community, and no enforcement actions or fraud allegations on record. It is not the oldest firm in the space, and its corporate transparency is less thorough than FTMO's, but neither of those facts makes it illegitimate.
E8 is registered in Canada, not in an EU jurisdiction. The funded-account product is not a regulated investment anywhere, and there is no compensation scheme if the firm closes. E8 operated through the 2024-2025 period in which an estimated 80-100 prop firms ceased operations following MetaQuotes' withdrawal; the fact that E8 is still operating is a modest positive signal.
The practical checklist before paying: confirm the current registered entity name and jurisdiction on an official company register; screenshot and save the T&Cs on the day you pay; and verify at least five independently documented payout screenshots with identifiable account details via Reddit or Discord before committing.
Frequently asked questions
What is E8 Funding?
E8 Funding is a Canadian proprietary trading firm founded around 2021. It sells a two-phase trading challenge — named after its 8% Phase 1 profit target — and if you pass both phases, you receive access to a funded account with an 80% profit split. The key differentiator is that there is no time deadline on either challenge phase.
How long do you have to complete the E8 Funding challenge?
There is no deadline. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the E8 evaluation have unlimited time to complete. This contrasts with FTMO, which imposes a 30-day window on Phase 1 and 60 days on Phase 2. For slower, methodical traders, unlimited time is E8's most important feature.
What are E8 Funding's drawdown rules?
E8 applies two simultaneous drawdown rules: a 4% daily drawdown limit (your equity cannot fall more than 4% from the day's starting balance at any intraday point), and an 8% overall trailing drawdown (your drawdown floor rises as your peak equity grows). Both are measured on real-time equity including open positions — a floating loss counts. Breaching either rule at any point disqualifies you.
What is the profit split at E8 Funding?
The starting profit split is 80% to the trader. Via E8's scaling programme, this can rise to 85% as you hit performance milestones. The challenge fee is refunded on your first funded payout, making the net cost of a successful evaluation zero.
Is E8 Funding legit?
Based on evidence available as of mid-2026, yes. E8 has documented payout history, positive community sentiment on Trustpilot and Reddit, and no enforcement actions on record. That said, the funded-account product is not a regulated investment anywhere, and there is no compensation scheme if the firm closes. Treat any evaluation fee as money at risk, verify the entity on an official register, and screenshot the T&Cs before you pay.
Does E8 Funding allow EAs and news trading?
Yes — E8 permits expert advisors (EAs), news trading, and holding positions over the weekend. Always confirm the current policy on E8's own site before relying on this, as T&Cs can change. Screenshot the version you sign up under.
How does E8 Funding compare to FTMO?
E8's advantages over FTMO: no time limit on challenge phases, bi-weekly payouts (vs monthly), EAs and news trading allowed, and a higher scaling ceiling ($600k vs $400k). FTMO's advantages: over 10 years of operational history, a more transparent corporate structure, a 10% max drawdown (vs E8's 8%), and a higher long-term profit split ceiling (90% vs 85%). Match the choice to your trading style rather than treating one as universally superior.
What account sizes does E8 Funding offer?
E8 offers five starting account sizes: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $200,000 and $400,000. Via the scaling programme, funded traders can grow their allocated capital up to $600,000. Confirm current pricing and availability directly on E8's site.
How often does E8 Funding pay out?
E8 processes payouts bi-weekly. There is a minimum withdrawal amount — confirm the current threshold on E8's site. Bi-weekly payouts are more frequent than FTMO's monthly cycle.
Is the E8 Funding challenge fee refunded?
Yes. E8 refunds the challenge fee on your first funded account payout. If you pass both phases and receive one payout, the evaluation is net cost-zero. If you fail and retry, each new attempt incurs a fee — confirm the current fee schedule on E8's site before starting.
Sources & further reading
An independent, regulation-first guide to proprietary trading firms. Our editorial desk verifies every factual claim against primary sources and regulators' own publications, and never accepts payment for a better listing. Nothing we publish is financial or legal advice.