Common questions
Options prop firm FAQ
Are there prop firms for options trading?
Yes, but the field is small. Five firms in our directory fund options traders, and only four of them fund listed exchange contracts:
Options Funding,
Vanquish Trader,
Funder Trading and
Maverick Trading.
The Trading Pit funds CFD options, which track an option price without giving you the contract, so it suits directional traders rather than anyone who needs expiry or assignment.
Which option trading prop firm fits which strategy?
Spreads, condors or calendars: Options Funding on its Growth plan, or Maverick Trading if you want training with it. SPX or VIX day trading, long only: Vanquish Trader. Directional CFD exposure across many markets: The Trading Pit. Stocks and options in one account: Funder Trading, once you have the rules in writing. Holding overnight: Options Funding Growth is the only one of the five that allows it in every phase.
Does Topstep fund options?
No.
Topstep states on its own site that stocks, options, forex, spot crypto and CFDs are prohibited and not available on its platform. It funds CME, COMEX, NYMEX and CBOT futures. It appears on several options prop firm lists as an options-on-futures route, but the contract list is the thing to check, and futures firms publish theirs. Verified against topstep.com on 7 August 2026. Our
futures prop firms directory carries platform and instrument data per firm.
What should you check before paying for an options prop firm challenge?
Get the product named in writing: listed, exchange-traded or CFD, because marketing copy uses the word options for all three. Check the plan, not the firm: spread access, overnight holds and drawdown limits differ between tiers at the same firm, and Options Funding allows spreads on Growth but blocks them on Express. Read the ticker list: Options Funding publishes 261 tickers, Vanquish Trader funds three, and a firm that will not publish its list is telling you something. Ask about expiry day: force-close cutoffs run from 3:55pm to 4:10pm EST depending on the ticker, and getting it wrong costs the account rather than the trade.
What is an options prop firm?
An options prop firm funds traders to trade equity and index options with firm capital. The category splits into two models: challenge firms, where you pass a paid evaluation and trade simulated capital for a profit split, and licensed career desks, where you join a registered broker-dealer, often with an exam requirement and a capital contribution, and trade real money. The rules, costs and legal footing are entirely different between the two.
How many real options prop firms are there?
Very few. This is the smallest prop category we track. Many firms marketed as options prop firms are equities desks with options privileges or education programs, and some well-known futures firms are wrongly listed as offering options by third-party sites. The genuine challenge-model options space is nearly empty, which is why this page lists only firms we have verified actually fund options trading.
Can you trade spreads and multi-leg strategies on a funded options account?
It depends on the option level the firm grants. Entry plans are often restricted to buying single-leg calls and puts, while higher tiers unlock verticals, iron condors, butterflies and calendars. If your strategy needs defined-risk spreads, confirm the level of options access before purchasing, because the cheaper plan at the same firm frequently cannot trade them.
Do options prop firms allow overnight positions?
Some do and it is a key differentiator, because most options strategies beyond same-day scalps need overnight exposure. Check whether the firm permits holding through expiration as well: several firms auto-close expiring positions in the final minutes of the session.
How do options prop firm payouts work?
Challenge-model firms pay a profit split, typically 75% to 90%, on funded simulated accounts, often gated behind qualifying winning days. Licensed desks pay against your real trading book under the firm’s agreement instead. Payout gates in this category can be strict: one firm we review requires 8 qualifying winning days per payout cycle with the counter resetting after each payout.
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