Both are futures programs traded on the Upcomers X platform. They differ in how you get funded, how the drawdown works, and how long you trade before your first payout. Every funded account keeps the same up to 100% profit split and the same $100 minimum payout.

The first choice is whether you want to prove yourself on a challenge or start funded right away.

Thunderbolt Classic is a one-step evaluation. You trade a challenge account, hit the 6% profit target while staying inside the drawdown rules, and then you get funded.

Vanguard is instant funding. There is no challenge and no profit target to clear. You start on a funded account and follow the funded rules from your first trade.

Holding is the same everywhere: on both programs every open position is closed automatically at 4:50 PM ET (3:50 PM CT), so neither allows holding through the daily break or over the weekend.

Thunderbolt Classic and Vanguard carry a 2% daily drawdown that resets at 5:00 PM ET, the futures-industry standard reset on Upcomers X. On a $100,000 account that is a $2,000 daily loss limit.

The account-wide trailing drawdown is one of the biggest differences between the programs.

Thunderbolt Classic: the trailing level is a 4% End-of-Day trailing drawdown. It sits 4% below your highest closing balance of any completed trading day and is recalculated only once a day, at the 5:00 PM ET rollover, so unrealized profit on open positions never drags it up. It never moves down, and it locks permanently at your initial balance once a day closes at about 4.17% above your starting balance ($104,167 on a $100,000 account). After it locks it stays static, so you can build profits without the drawdown chasing you. Your live equity is checked against the floor in real time.

Vanguard: the trailing level is a 3% End-of-Day trailing drawdown. It sits 3% below your highest closing balance of any completed trading day and is recalculated only once a day, at the 5:00 PM ET rollover, while your live equity is checked against it in real time. It never moves downward, and it locks once it reaches your initial balance (once a day closes at about $103,093 or more on a $100,000 account).

Max trade loss (a hard rule): a single trade that exceeds the cap triggers an automatic breach and closes the account, even if you are overall in profit. The cap is 1.5% of account size on Classic and Vanguard.

Here is how every limit lands on a $100,000 funded account:

Every program pays out at the up to 100% split with a $100 minimum (your share after the selected profit split). The conditions to request a payout are nearly identical; the difference is the 5-trading-day first-payout minimum on Vanguard.

Thunderbolt Classic: request a payout anytime once you have at least 1% profit since your last payout ($1,000 on a $100,000 account), all positions closed, your best day within the Best Day Rule (20%, so on a $10,000 withdrawal your best single day must be $2,000 or less), and at least $100 to withdraw.

Vanguard: the same conditions apply, plus a minimum of 5 trading days before your first payout. A day only counts toward that minimum if you make at least 0.5% profit that day ($500 on a $100,000 account), and the 5 qualifying days do not have to be consecutive.

Challenge Profit Share (Classic only): the challenge product carries a 15% bonus. Grow your funded account enough while keeping a clean payout record and you earn a bonus of 15% of your challenge-phase profit. A $5,000 challenge profit earns a $750 bonus. Vanguard has no challenge, so this bonus does not apply.

Thunderbolt Classic: you want the fastest route to funded (the one-day pass means as little as 1 minimum trading day), you are comfortable inside a 2% daily drawdown, and you want the largest evaluation account size ($400K).

Vanguard: you want to skip the evaluation and start funded immediately, you are happy with a 3% EOD trailing drawdown in return for no challenge, and you can trade a minimum of 5 trading days before your first payout. Account sizes up to $300K.

Which program is the fastest to funded?

Thunderbolt Classic. Its one-day pass means you can clear the 6% target in as little as 1 trading day, then move straight to a funded account.

Can I hold over the weekend on both?

No. On both programs every open position is closed automatically at 4:50 PM ET (3:50 PM CT) each trading day, Friday included, so no position is held through the daily break or over the weekend.

Can I skip the evaluation?

Yes, with Vanguard. It is instant funding, so there is no challenge and no profit target. You start on a funded account and follow the funded rules from your first trade.

Can I trade news on both?

Yes. News trading is allowed on every Upcomers Futures program.

Do both pay the same?

Yes. Every funded account pays the up to 100% split with a $100 minimum payout. The difference between programs is the funding path and the drawdown rules, not the split.

What is the largest account I can get?

$400K on Thunderbolt Classic, and $300K on Vanguard.

Once you have narrowed it down, read the dedicated article for that program before you buy. Each one covers the exact drawdown mechanics, examples on real account sizes, and the full payout conditions.

Still unsure which fits your style? Start a chat with our team from the help center and we will point you to the right program.