Compare trading competitions
Pick two or three competitions to see their terms side by side. Rows where every platform says the same thing are dimmed so the differences stand out.
| Detail |  The Thunder Trader |  XM Competitions |  Tradeiators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Paid entry | Free entry, Paid entry | Free entry, Paid entry |
| Entry cost | $150, $250, $500 or $1,000 per event | Demo Weekly is free. The Daily Arena costs $5. | Paid Battles listed on 7 November 2026 cost $30 or $50. The FAQ says some Battles and Missions are free to enter. Funded account challenges are a separate product with their own fees. |
| Account | Simulated | Simulated | Simulated |
| Account details | Demo account. Fighter ($150) and Gladiator ($250) get $100,000, Titan ($500) $250,000 and Legend ($1,000) $300,000 in demo capital. | Virtual funds in both contests | Battles give every entrant the same virtual starting balance for a fixed period. Battles listed on 7 November 2026: Live Trading Competition With Account Manager ($50 entry, 3 days, reward up to $2,050), South Africa Battle With AI Coach ($30, 7 days, up to $5,000) and Crypto Masters ($50, about 14 days, up to $6,250). Charts by TradingView. Tradeiators also sells 1-step, 2-step and instant funded account challenges up to $200,000. |
| Markets | Forex, Crypto | Not confirmed | Crypto, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Equity indices |
| Prize type | Cash | Cash | Cash |
| Operator’s cut | 20% of entry fees | Not stated | Not stated. Rules say entry fees do not give a proportional share of the reward pool unless a Battle's rules say so. |
| Who gets paid | Top 3% to 35% of entrants, depending on event size | 100 winners weekly, 10 winners daily | Eligible top 3 traders in each Battle, per the homepage. Rewards can be fixed, pooled or by rank, as shown before entry. |
| How rewards are earned | Net P&L at the end of the event | Leaderboard position at the end of the contest | Leaderboard on simulated performance. The scoring method is disclosed per Battle and can use P&L, percentage return, drawdown, risk-adjusted performance or other stated criteria. Results are provisional until integrity checks finish. |
| Drawdown rules | No daily or total drawdown limit | Not confirmed | Set per Battle and shown before entry; not published on the public site. |
| Trading rules | Daily events need 4 closed trades, weekly events 3 sessions and 6 closed trades. Max size per tier: 2 to 20 forex lots, $50,000 to $500,000 crypto notional. EAs and bots allowed. | Not confirmed. | Simulated execution may include spreads, slippage, swaps, fees and leverage. Disqualification for cheating, multi-accounting, account sharing, prohibited automation, collusion, payment fraud, exploit abuse or access from a prohibited country. Ties go to higher return, lower drawdown or earlier achievement unless stated otherwise. Entry fees are generally non-refundable once a Battle starts. |
| Who can enter | Not open to residents of Hong Kong, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington or sanctioned countries. | Not confirmed. Which XM entity serves you depends on your country. | 18+ with legal capacity. Not available in prohibited or restricted countries, but the public site does not list them. |
| KYC | Verification before rewards are paid | Not confirmed | Identity, age and payment-ownership checks can be requested before paid entry and must be passed before any reward is paid. |
| Prize withdrawal | Paid after verification, usually within 72 hours | Described by XM as withdrawable cash | Verified rewards are paid within the timeframe shown on the platform, or a reasonable period if none is shown. Payment methods are not listed publicly; the policy mentions bank, card, wallet and crypto settlement. Some payments go through Finvera LTD, a payment agent in Limassol, Cyprus. |
| Operator | LN17 ShapeFuture Limited | XM (broker) | PrimeEdge Global Ltd (technology: SAL Innovations Ltd) |
| Based in | Hong Kong | Varies by XM entity | Majuro, Marshall Islands (registered operator); offices listed in Dubai, Malta, Cyprus and Bulgaria |
| Sources | Terms and Conditions (updated 20 May 2026). Checked 10 Oct 2026. | XM Competitions page. Checked 10 Oct 2026. | Homepage: live Battles, entry fees, rewards, FAQ and operator disclosure (7 November 2026), Battle, Mission and Competition Rules (effective 5 October 2026), Terms and Conditions: eligibility, KYC, real rewards and refunds, Payments, Rewards, Payouts and Refund Policy, About us: founded 2024. Checked 7 Nov 2026. |
| Visit | Visit Thunder Trader | Visit XM | Visit Tradeiators |