Upcomers offers 12 different programs. Six are step-based Challenges that lead to a Funded account, two are Instant Funding programs, two are time-limited instant funding formats, and two are fixed-reward performance challenges. Unless stated otherwise, all rules and parameters described here refer to the Classic versions of each program. Turbo and Legacy variants operate under different conditions - see their respective program pages for full details.
This article compares all of them. No marketing. Just facts.
Step-Based Challenges (Challenge Phase)
These programs require passing one or more evaluation stages before reaching a Funded account.
Program | Profit Target | Daily DD | Max Overall Loss | Min Days | Funded up to |
Ash (Half step) | 2% | 5% | 6% Dynamic | None | $1M |
Thunderbolt (1 step) | 5% | 6% | 10% Dynamic | None | $1.5M |
Phoenix (2 step) | 3% → 3% | 6% | 12% Static | None | $1.5M |
Astral (3 step) | 3% → 3% → 2% | 6% | 10% Static | None | $1.5M |
Obsidian (4 step) | 2% → 2% → 2% → 2% | 6% | 10% Static | None | $1.5M |
Eon (5 step) | 2% + 2% + 2% + 1% + 1% | 6% | 10% Static | None | $1.5M |
All programs: Unlimited time limit. 1:100 leverage. News trading and weekend holding allowed.
What Changes in the Funded Phase?
You passed. Now you're trading with real capital. The rules tighten accordingly.
These apply across all six challenge programs:
Parameter | All Programs |
Max Single Trade Loss | 3% |
Best Day Rule | 20% (soft) |
Payout Requirement | 1% |
Min Trading Days | None |
Profit Split | 99% |
Payout Processing | 12 hours |
Two parameters differ between programs.
Daily Drawdown in the Funded Phase:
Program | Funded Daily Drawdown |
Ash | 3% |
Thunderbolt | 3% |
Phoenix | 4% |
Astral | 4% |
Obsidian | 4% |
Eon | 4% |
Thunderbolt is the only program with a tighter 3% daily drawdown in the Funded phase. All other programs run at 4%.
Maximum Overall Loss in the Funded Phase:
Program | Funded Maximum Overall Loss |
Ash | 6% Dynamic |
Thunderbolt | 6% Dynamic |
Phoenix | 6% Static |
Astral | 6% Dynamic |
Obsidian | 6% Dynamic |
Eon | 6% Dynamic |
Phoenix is the only program that stays Static in the Funded phase. Ash, Thunderbolt, Astral, Obsidian, and Eon switch from Static to Trailing (Dynamic Risk Shield™) when you reach Funded.
Instant Funding Programs
No challenge. No evaluation. No waiting. Vanguard and Oracle let you trade from the moment you sign up.
Parameter | Vanguard | Oracle |
Profit Target | None | None |
Daily Drawdown | 4% | 4% |
Dynamic Risk Shield™ | 7% Trailing | 5% Trailing |
Max Single Trade Loss | 2% | 2% |
Payout Eligibility | 6 days (0.5%+ each) | 5 days (0.5%+ each) |
Best Day Rule | 20% (soft) | 20% |
Time Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Profit Split | 99% | 99% |
Leverage | 1:100 | 1:100 |
Funded up to | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Time-Limited Instant Funding: SUPERNOVA & HYPERNOVA
One window. One shot. No cap on what you can earn.
No evaluation, no phases, no progression. You either hit the target and meet the rules, or you don't. The clock starts when you open your first trade.
Parameter | SUPERNOVA | HYPERNOVA |
Trading Window | 24 hours | 4 hours |
Profit Target | 3% | 2% |
Daily Drawdown | 2% | 2% |
Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™ | 3% Trailing | 3% Trailing |
Max Single Trade Loss | 1% | 1% |
Best Trade Rule | 15% | 15% |
Minimum Trades | 7 | 7 |
Payout Cap | None | None |
Profit Split | 99% | 99% |
Leverage | 1:100 | 1:100 |
Funded up to | $500,000 | $200,000 |
Both programs use the Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™. This version is different from the standard one. It never locks at your initial balance. It never freezes. It always follows your equity upward. Large equity swings are riskier here than in any other program.
Breakout Challenges: Control & Rebirth
These are not funding programs. They do not lead to a funded account. They exist for one reason: to test how good you really are.
Both run on a $1,000,000 simulated demo account. All profit targets and risk limits are calculated from this balance. The reward is a fixed research incentive paid only after full completion of all 3 phases and passing all audits.
Both Control and Rebirth share identical phase rules:
Parameter | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
Profit Target | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™ | 3% | 2% | 1% |
Daily Drawdown | 2% | 1% | 0.5% |
Max Single Trade Loss | 2% | 1% | 0.5% |
Min Trading Days | 3 | 5 | 10 |
Best Trade Rule | 15% | 15% | 15% |
Max Consecutive Losing Days | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Time Limit: Unlimited. Leverage: Up to 1:100. News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed.
Both Breakout programs use the Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™, which never locks and always trails your equity high-water mark upward.
A minimum trading day counts only when closed profit reaches at least 1% of the initial balance. The Max Consecutive Losing Days rule means your account is breached if you have 3 consecutive trading days ending in a loss.
| Control | Rebirth |
Fixed Research Incentive | $10,000 | $100,000 |
Payout Structure | One-time payment | $10,000 upfront + remainder over 12 months |
Account Size (simulated) | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Control is a single payout. Rebirth is paid according to a payout calendar: $10,000 upon completion, with the remaining $90,000 distributed over a 12-month period.
Neither program includes a funded account, scaling, profit split, or ongoing payouts.
Individual Program Highlights
Ash. Half-Step Challenge
The gentlest way in. 2% profit target. That's it. The lowest target of any Upcomers program. No minimum trading days. $5K to $1M accounts. If you've never traded with a prop firm before, start here. Prove you can hit 2%, and the door opens.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,000,000.
Thunderbolt. 1-Phase Challenge
One phase, one target, the fastest path to funded trading we offer. 5% profit target, 10% Dynamic Risk Shield, 1:100 leverage. No minimum trading days. For traders who trade with conviction.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,500,000.
Phoenix. 2-Phase Challenge
12% Static drawdown in Challenge. The widest room of any program we offer. And the only one that stays Static when you're funded. Your stop-out is fixed. It never chases your equity. It never moves against you. No minimum trading days. If you want a line in the sand that never shifts, Phoenix is it.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,500,000.
Astral. 3-Phase Challenge
Three phases. Three small targets. 3%, 3%, 2%. No massive wall to climb. Just three steps, each one completely doable. 10% Static Maximum Loss in Challenge, switching to Dynamic Risk Shield™ when funded. No minimum trading days. $199 for a $100K account. For traders who prefer consistency over intensity.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,500,000.
Obsidian. 4-Phase Challenge
We invented this. The world's first 4-phase challenge. No phase asks for more than 2%. Targets: 2%, 2%, 2%, 2%. The smallest individual milestones in our lineup. 10% Static Maximum Loss in Challenge. No minimum trading days. $169 for a $100K account. Four small wins. Four confidence builders. Four steps to funding.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,500,000.
Eon. 5-Phase Challenge
$139. A hundred-thousand-dollar account. The cheapest path to funding in the entire prop trading industry. Nobody beats this price. Nobody. Five phases: 2%, 2%, 2%, 1%, 1%. 10% Static Maximum Loss in Challenge. No minimum trading days. For traders who prioritize budget over speed.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,500,000.
Vanguard. Instant Funding
No challenge. No evaluation. No profit target. No waiting. You sign up, you trade, you keep 99%. From day one. 7% Dynamic Risk Shield, 2% max single trade loss, $1M maximum account size. For experienced traders who don't need an evaluation to prove they can trade.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,000,000.
Oracle. Instant Funding
The most accessible program we offer. Lowest price in the entire Upcomers lineup. No challenge, no evaluation, no profit target. The tradeoff: tighter limits. 2% max single trade loss. 20% best day rule. 5% Dynamic Risk Shield. Built for traders who are disciplined by nature, not by requirement.
News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $1,000,000.
SUPERNOVA. 24-Hour Instant Funding
One session. 24 hours. 3% target. No cap on what you can earn. The clock starts when you open your first trade. Hit the target, meet the rules, walk away with 99% of your net profit. That simple.
Uses the Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™ (never locks, always trails). News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $500,000.
HYPERNOVA. 4-Hour Instant Funding
Four hours. One account. One shot. HYPERNOVA exists for traders who don't need a full day to read the market. Same rules as SUPERNOVA, compressed into a 4-hour window with a 2% profit target. If you can find the setup and execute with precision, four hours is more than enough.
Uses the Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™ (never locks, always trails). News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed. Funded up to: $200,000.
Breakout Control. 3-Phase Performance Challenge
$1,000,000 simulated account. Three phases. Progressively tighter rules. Complete all three, receive a fixed $10,000 research incentive. No funded account, no profit split, no scaling. This is a pure test of skill.
Uses the Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™. News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed.
Breakout Rebirth. 3-Phase Performance Challenge
Same structure as Control. Same rules. But the reward is $100,000, paid over 12 months ($10,000 upfront, remainder distributed monthly). The ultimate test of consistency, discipline, and risk control. Not for everyone. For the best.
Uses the Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™. News Trading: Allowed. Weekend Holding: Allowed.