Resources / Lessons
Evaluation Cost Is Only the First Number
The entry fee gets you in. Activation fees, reset costs, and payout timing determine whether you actually reach funded status.
The entry fee
Every evaluation or straight-to-funded account has an upfront cost. This is the number most people look at first, and it is the least useful number on its own. A cheap evaluation with expensive resets can cost more than an expensive evaluation with free resets.
Activation fees
Once you pass the evaluation, many firms charge an activation fee to open your funded account. Some firms include it in the evaluation price. Others charge it separately. A 149 dollar evaluation with a 149 dollar activation costs the same as a 298 dollar evaluation with no activation. The compare tool on this site shows both numbers in the same row.
Reset costs
If you fail an evaluation, you can often pay a reduced reset fee instead of the full entry price. Some firms offer free resets. Others charge close to the full evaluation price. If your strategy takes multiple attempts, reset cost is more important than entry cost.
How to compare
Use the Compare tool and add accounts with similar sizes. Look at Eval Cost, Activation, Reset, and True Cost to Funding in the same row. The lowest entry fee is rarely the cheapest path to funded.