Pay after pass went from one firm's experiment to a category in about eighteen months. The pitch is the same everywhere — start an evaluation for a few dollars, pay the real fee only once you pass — but the numbers behind it differ enough that the cheapest-looking door is often the most expensive room.
Below is every pay-later firm we could verify, with what you pay today, what passing costs you, and what comes back. All third-party figures were checked on 5 August 2026 from each firm's own public pages; prop firm pricing changes constantly, so treat this as a dated snapshot and confirm on the firm's site before buying.
The field at a glance
| Firm | Start today | Due after passing | Fee refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| FundedAxe | $9.99 (any size) | $89–$1,749 by size | Pro fee refunded on 2nd reward |
| Atlas Funded | $0–$5 | $58–$2,040 by size | On 4th payout |
| FTUK (Flex) | $9 | $235 ($100K) | — |
| Goat Funded Trader (Pay Later) | $5 | Varies by size | — |
| Trading Funds | $9 | Varies by size | — |
How to actually pick one
Entry price is the number every firm markets and the one that matters least. Five things decide which pay-later deal is genuinely better:
- Total cost on a pass. Add the entry fee to the activation fee for the exact size you want. A $0 door attached to a higher activation fee can cost more than a $9.99 door — the gap runs to hundreds of dollars at $100K+.
- When the fee comes back. Refund on your 2nd reward versus your 4th payout is two full payout cycles of difference. This is usually worth more than the entire entry-price gap between firms.
- What failing actually costs. The whole point of the model is capping downside — confirm that failing triggers no further charge, and check the price of a retry.
- Payout mechanics. Cadence, processing time, and whether the firm puts anything behind the promise. A payout SLA with a penalty attached is a different class of commitment from a marketing claim.
- Rule stability. Prefer firms that lock rules at purchase. A model is only as good as the version of it you actually bought — retroactive rule changes are the most common complaint in this industry.
Where each firm fits
- FundedAxe — $9.99 flat for any size from $10K to $400K, 90% split (up to 100%), static drawdown, no time limit, Pro fee refunded on your 2nd reward, and rewards processed within 48 hours or we pay you $1,000. Best if you care what happens after you pass.
- Atlas Funded — the widest entry ladder ($0 to $5) and the biggest content presence in the category. Activation runs $58–$2,040 by size, refund on the 4th payout. Best if the absolute lowest door price is the priority.
- FTUK Flex — $9 to start, $235 due on a $100K pass, marketed against a $509 upfront price. A clean single-step offer.
- Goat Funded Trader Pay Later — $5 entry on their standard paths, with a large community and frequent competitions attached.
- Trading Funds PAP Flex — $9 entry, 1-step, with sizes advertised up to $600K.
- Maven Trading — frames the same mechanic as buy-now-pay-later at $5 entry.
One category-wide caveat worth stating plainly: in futures prop trading, "pay after pass" often means an activation fee charged after an evaluation you already paid for — a different thing entirely. If a firm's cheap entry price is attached to a monthly fee or a mandatory activation on a paid evaluation, it is not the same model as the firms above.
Frequently asked questions
Which pay after pass prop firm is cheapest?
By entry price, most of the field sits between $0 and $9.99 — close enough that it rarely decides anything. By total cost on a pass, it depends entirely on your account size: compare the activation fee for the size you actually want, then check when (or whether) that fee is refunded.
Do you pay anything if you fail a pay after pass challenge?
At every firm in this list, no — failing costs you only the entry fee you already paid. That is the entire point of the model. Always confirm it on the firm's own terms page, and check what a retry costs.
Is pay after pass better than paying upfront?
It is cheaper to attempt and more expensive to pass. Traders who expect to pass on the first try usually pay less overall with an upfront evaluation; traders who want to cap the cost of an attempt choose pay after pass. Neither is universally correct.
How current are these figures?
Checked 5 August 2026 from each firm's public pricing pages. Prop firm pricing and rules change frequently — verify on the firm's own site before purchasing.
FundedAxe evaluations and funded accounts are simulated. Traders do not trade real client capital; rewards are paid on simulated performance under the terms of the FundedAxe trader agreement.