Prop firm inactivity rules: the clock that runs when you don't trade

"No time limit" is now close to standard. Across the firms we track, almost every evaluation lets you take as long as you like — Alpha Capital Group, Funded Trading Plus, CryptoFundTrader and Top One Trader all state no maximum trading days.

But the deadline didn't disappear. It was replaced by an inactivity rule — and unlike a profit target, this one fails you for doing nothing.

This is a neutral explainer using our dataset. Some inactivity terms are documented inconsistently by firms themselves, so confirm the rule for your exact product before you buy.

The common shape: one trade every 30 days

Thirty days is the dominant window. FTMO, The5ers, Fintokei, Blueberry Funded, Maven Trading, Alpha Capital Group and Funded Trading Plus all work on roughly that cycle. A few run longer: E8 Markets allows 60 consecutive days, FundedNext flags CFD challenge accounts at 60, and Upcomers closes accounts at 35.

The consequence is usually not a warning. Most published wording is termination or breach.

Four details that decide whether you actually comply

The 30-day headline hides the part that catches people:

• Does it apply to funded accounts too? Often yes. The5ers applies its 30-day rule to evaluation and funded accounts, and the published wording includes forfeiting profits and any balance due for payout. Alpha Capital Group and BrightFunded likewise state it covers every stage.
• Open, or open and close? Blueberry Funded and Funded Trading Plus require a trade to be opened and closed inside the window. A position left running is not automatically proof of activity.
• When does the clock start? Top One Trader counts 30 days from the purchase date, not your first trade — including on Instant Funding. BrightFunded starts counting from your last trade's close.
• Is the window shorter on your product? ForTraders runs 30 days on standard accounts but 7 days on Instant/Fast variants and 14 on Futures Instant Pro.

Futures firms measure activity, not just presence

At futures firms the rule can be a performance threshold rather than a pulse check. Apex Trader Funding moves an account to dormant status at roughly 15 consecutive inactive days and closes it near 30 — and its performance accounts additionally expect at least two trading days of $50+ net profit in each rolling 30-day period. That is a different standard from "place one trade." Topstep and Take Profit Trader, by contrast, had no short-cycle inactivity closure we could locate; Take Profit Trader's documented rule resets tier status after around twelve months.

Pausing is sometimes possible — if you ask first

Two firms in our dataset publish an escape hatch. FTMO lets a trader request an account freeze for planned absences such as a holiday. City Traders Imperium reports allowing support to freeze an account for up to two months. Both require you to contact the firm before the window closes. There is no retroactive version.

Refunds don't rescue you either: E8 Markets states a disabled account is not eligible for a refund — worth reading alongside our refundable fees explainer.

Key takeaways

• "No time limit" usually still means a 30-day inactivity clock.
• Many firms apply it to funded accounts, not just evaluations.
• Check whether the trade must be closed, and whether the clock starts at purchase or at your last trade.
• Instant-funding and futures products often run shorter or stricter windows.
• Freezes exist at some firms but must be requested in advance.

What to check before you buy

If you trade seasonally, travel, or run a strategy that waits for setups, the inactivity window is a genuine selection criterion — not fine print. Compare the inactivity and time-limit rows across firms in our account comparison tool, read the full rule in each firm dossier, and check any unfamiliar terms in the glossary. If an EA or bot is handling execution, confirm the firm's automation stance on our AI and automation page — a paused bot is an inactive account, and the clock does not care why.