Table of Contents
Maven Trading is a proprietary trading firm that lets traders use funded accounts. We looked at a bunch of cheap prop firms, and honestly, a lot of them are pretty sketchy. But Maven Trading is different. They stand out as a reliable and cost-effective option. We even found a prop firm that lets you name your price! Yes, feels like clicking on a pop-up ad that promises a free vacation and thinking, ‘This is definitely legit.’
Maven is probably one of the best cheapest prop firms out there, with little negative feedback. They focus on keeping costs low and being dependable, which makes them a great choice for traders at all levels.
Let’s start with an overview of Maven Trading and what makes them stand out.
Key Features of Maven Trading
- Low Entry Costs – Challenges start at just $15.
- Multiple Account Types – Choose from 1-Step, 2-Step, or 3-Step challenges.
- No Swap Fees – Hold positions overnight without incurring extra charges.
- Unlimited Time for Challenges – No time restrictions on completing evaluation phases.
- Fast Payouts – Withdraw profits every 10 business days.
- Buyback Feature – Regain access to a funded account after a drawdown breach without retaking a challenge.
- Scaling Program – Scale up to $1,000,000 in funding.
Challenge Account Options
Maven Trading provides three challenge models: 1-Step, 2-Step, and 3-Step. Each has different rules, pricing, and risk management requirements.
1-Step Challenge
Ideal for experienced traders looking for a single-phase evaluation with trailing drawdowns.
- Refundable Fee: Starts at $15 (varies based on account size)
- Account Size: $2,000 – $100,000
- Profit Target: 8%
- Drawdown Structure:
- Overall Drawdown: 5% (Trailing)
- Daily Drawdown: 3%
- Profit Split: 80% minimum
- Special Features: Weekend holding, swap-free trading, buyback option.
The trailing drawdown means that as your account grows, the drawdown limit moves with your highest achieved equity, making risk management more challenging.
2-Step Challenge
Designed for traders who prefer a more gradual evaluation with a fixed drawdown.
- Refundable Fee: $19+
- Account Size: $2,000 – $100,000
- Profit Target:
- Phase 1: 8%
- Phase 2: 5%
- Drawdown Structure:
- Overall Drawdown: 8% (Static)
- Daily Drawdown: 4%
- Profit Split: 80% minimum
- Special Features: Weekend holding, swap-free trading, buyback option.
Unlike the 1-Step Challenge, the 2-Step Challenge has a static 8% drawdown, which provides a stable risk threshold.
3-Step Challenge
The newest challenge model with the lowest entry cost.
- Refundable Fee: $15+
- Account Size: $2,000+
- Profit Target: 3% / 3% / 3%
- Drawdown Structure:
- Overall Drawdown: 3% (Static)
- Daily Drawdown: 2%
- Profit Split: 80% minimum
- Special Features: Weekend holding, swap-free trading, buyback option.
Comparison of Challenge Accounts
| Feature | 1-Step | 2-Step | 3-Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee Range | $15 – $379 | $15 – $379 | $15 – $379 |
| Profit Target | 8% | 8% / 5% | 3% / 3% / 3% |
| Overall Drawdown | 5% (Trailing) | 8% (Static) | 3% (Static) |
| Daily Drawdown | 3% | 4% | 2% |
| Profit Split | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| Special Feature | Trailing Drawdown | Static Drawdown | Static Drawdown |
Differences Between the 2-Step and 1-Step Accounts
Differences Between the 1-Step, 2-Step, and 3-Step Challenges
The main differences between Maven Trading’s 1-Step, 2-Step, and 3-Step Challenges come down to profit targets, drawdown structure, and evaluation phases.
1-Step vs. 2-Step
- 1-Step has a trailing drawdown (5%), which moves with your highest equity, while 2-Step has a static drawdown (8%) that stays fixed.
- 2-Step has two evaluation phases (8% → 5%), while 1-Step only requires one phase (8%).
- Daily drawdown is more lenient in 2-Step (4%) compared to 1-Step (3%), giving traders more breathing room.
2-Step vs. 3-Step
- 3-Step is the easiest to pass, with a lower profit target (3% per phase) compared to 2-Step (8% → 5%).
- 3-Step has a stricter overall drawdown (3%), while 2-Step allows up to 8%.
- Daily drawdown is tighter in 3-Step (2%), making risk management more restrictive.
1-Step vs. 3-Step
- 1-Step is faster but riskier, with a higher profit target (8% in one phase) and a trailing drawdown (5%).
- 3-Step has the lowest profit targets (3% per phase) but a stricter drawdown policy (3% overall, 2% daily).
- 1-Step rewards aggressive trading, while 3-Step favors a slow, low-risk approach.
In short, 1-Step is for traders who want fast funding, 2-Step balances risk and flexibility, and 3-Step is the safest but slowest route to funding.
Scaling, Commissions, Instruments, and Leverage
Scaling
Maven Trading offers the ability to scale your account up to $1,000,000 in capital. To qualify for scaling:
- Profit Requirement: Achieve a 10% profit over 4 months (2.5% per month).
- Payout Requirement: Process at least 1 payout per month.
- Account Increase: Accounts are rewarded with a 25% increase upon meeting these criteria.
Spreads & Commissions
Maven Trading’s spreads are significantly wider than competitors like DNA Funded and IC Funded.
| Currency Pair | Spread |
|---|---|
| AUDCAD | 14 pips |
| AUDJPY | 9 pips |
| CHFJPY | 15 pips |
| EURAUD | 15 pips |
| EURGBP | 7 pips |
- Commission Fee: $2 per side ($4 round trip).
- No Commissions on Crypto, Indices, and Commodities.
- No Swap Fees.
However, the high spreads make trading expensive, especially for active forex traders.
Available Instruments
Maven Trading supports Forex, Indices, Commodities, and Cryptos, but has been criticized for wider spreads.
Markets & Leverage
| Asset Class | Leverage |
|---|---|
| Forex | 75:1 |
| Commodities | 20:1 |
| Indices | 20:1 |
| Digital ETFs | 2:1 |
Payout Structure
Maven Trading has a 10-business-day payout cycle, but there are some limitations:
- Minimum Profit Split: 80%
- Withdrawal Frequency: Every 10 business days.
- Full Refund: Issued on the third withdrawal.
- Withdrawal Cap: Maximum $10,000 per two payout cycles.
- Single Trade/Trading Day Rule: If a trade or trading day exceeds 50% of total profit, the profit may be reduced.
Buyback Feature
Traders can regain a funded account without retaking a challenge by paying a percentage of the drawdown limit:
- $2,000 Account = $200
- $5,000 Account = $400
- $10,000 Account = $750
- $20,000 Account = $1,400
- $50,000 Account = $3,500
- $100,000 Account = $6,000
This feature can be useful for traders who breach their drawdown limit but want to continue trading immediately.
Rules and Restrictions
Maven Trading has specific rules and restrictions to ensure fair and ethical trading practices. Here are some key policies:
IP Address Policy
Your IP address for Phase 1, Phase 2, and live accounts must match the same geographical region to verify you didn’t receive outside assistance. If your IP address changes, you will need to provide proof and an explanation, such as plane tickets or live location checking.
Cheating and Prohibited Practices
- Cheating: Prohibited activities include high-frequency trading, toxic trading order flow, long/short arbitrage, reverse arbitrage, tick scalping, and server execution. Copy trading from another individual is also forbidden.
- Reverse/Group Hedging: Using one account to bet against another is not allowed.
- Hedging: Exclusive hedging is prohibited. If found, you may need to provide the EA (Expert Advisor) used.
EAs (Expert Advisors)
EAs are permitted if they do not break the above rules. Proof of the EA may be required to ensure it is not malicious.
Trading Style Rules
- Excessive Scalping: Holding 50% or more of trades for less than a minute is considered gambling.
- Martingale: Having five positions opened simultaneously in drawdown on the same pair is not allowed.
- All in: Betting one direction without risk management (no stop-loss) is prohibited.
News Trading
Traders can’t open or close trades 2 minutes before or after a red folder news event release. You’re allowed to hold trades during the news event, but any profits made during this time won’t be credited during the challenge or live phase.
Consequences
If you break these rules, it could result in your account being terminated or you getting disqualified from the challenge. They enforce these restrictions strictly to keep things fair and transparent for everyone.
Steps to Get Funded
- Complete a Trading Challenge: Traders prove their trading skills by completing either the 1-Step or 2-Step challenge.
- Verification: For the 2-Step challenge, traders must redo the challenge under easier rules to ensure consistent performance.
- Become a Funded Trader: Successful traders receive a simulated funded account and can start trading.
- Withdraw Profits: Traders can set their payout preferences and withdraw profits at any time.
Customer Support & Education
- 24/7 Live Chat Support, but responses are often generic.
- Discord Community: 60,000+ members but only 50 funded traders.
- No Email or Phone Support.
- Limited Educational Content (Basic FAQs and Blog).
Maven Trading Trustpilot Reviews
Maven Trading has built a solid reputation among traders, which is clear from its impressive Trustpilot score of 4.6 out of 5, based on 1,205 reviews. Here are some insights into what traders love about Maven Trading:
Key Themes in Reviews
- Customer Support:
- Many reviewers highlight the exceptional customer service provided by Maven Trading. Quick response times, polite interactions, and effective issue resolution are common praises.
- Example: Bob V. from Alabama appreciates the quick payout process and fair rules, mentioning a specific staff member, Tuvi, for outstanding service.
- Payout and Verification Speed:
- Traders often commend Maven Trading for its fast payout system and quick KYC approval.
- Example: Usama Akbar from Pakistan was impressed by receiving his first payout within 15 minutes of the request.
- Fair and Transparent Rules:
- Reviewers note that Maven Trading has straightforward and transparent rules without hidden clauses, which is a significant advantage over many other firms.
- Example: Alastair from Great Britain finds Maven’s rules simple and the swap-free accounts beneficial.
- Platform and Pricing:
- The competitive pricing and platform features are frequently praised, with users finding Maven’s offerings cost-effective compared to other prop firms.
- Example: Swapnil Nikade from India commends the swift and friendly assistance received from the support team.
- Community and Trust:
- Maven Trading’s supportive community and trustworthiness are recurrent themes in positive reviews.
- Example: Ketchy from Nigeria appreciates the quick payout process and responsive customer service, making it the best prop firm they’ve encountered.
Areas for Improvement
Most of the reviews for Maven Trading are positive, but some users have mentioned issues with time zone differences for account resets and mixed experiences with customer support. However, these problems are less common and usually specific to individual situations.
Final Verdict: Is Maven Trading Worth It?
Maven Trading is one of the most affordable prop firms out there, with challenge fees starting at just $15 and no time limits to pass the evaluation. They offer multiple challenge types, a scaling program up to $1,000,000, and a buyback feature that lets you get back to a funded account without retaking the challenge.
The payout system is solid, with withdrawals processed every 10 business days, and most traders report smooth and reliable payouts. Customer support is available 24/7, and their Discord community of over 60,000 traders is an added bonus for connecting with other traders.
Now, let’s talk about a couple of things to keep in mind. Spreads are wider compared to some competitors, which means higher trading costs, especially if you’re a scalper or trading forex pairs with already tight margins. There’s no MT4/MT5 support, so if you’re locked into those platforms, you’ll need to adjust to cTrader or Match-Trader. That being said, both platforms offer solid execution and TradingView integration.
At the end of the day, Maven Trading is a great option for traders looking for an affordable challenge with flexible rules and solid payouts. If you can work with the platform options and spreads, it’s definitely worth considering.
