A complete Vest Markets review covering account plans, static drawdown, leverage, position sizing, trading rules, daily payouts, platform experience, and what traders should know before buying an account.
Vest Markets is worth a look if you want a prop account with static drawdown and access to both index and crypto markets. Its Vest Capital program offers three routes: a 1-Step evaluation, a 2-Step evaluation and an Instant account.
The main appeal is the choice. You can take a lower-cost evaluation or pay for immediate access to the funded program. This review explains the standard plans first, then the optional changes, markets, leverage, position sizing and payouts.
What is Vest Markets prop firm?
Vest Capital is the prop trading program on Vest Markets, a perpetual derivatives platform. Its products give traders exposure to markets such as Nasdaq, the S&P 500 and crypto using USDC-margined perpetual contracts.
For a futures trader, the familiar exposure is useful. However, Vest’s NQ perpetual is a separate instrument from the CME NQ contract. You can match the dollar-per-point exposure, while trading on a different venue.
This review assesses published rules and prices. Vest uses “Live Funded Account” terminology in its documentation, but its legal disclosure describes Instant participant accounts and balances as virtual; participants do not control a live exchange account.
1. Vest Markets 1-Step evaluation
The standard 1-Step setup has a 10% profit target, 3% daily loss limit, 6% static maximum drawdown and an 80% trader profit split.
You complete one evaluation stage before entering the funded program.
Plan | Account size | Profit target | Maximum loss allowance | Listed fee | With code KAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silver | $5,000 | $500 | $300 | $40 | $38 |
Gold | $10,000 | $1,000 | $600 | $80 | $76 |
Platinum | $25,000 | $2,500 | $1,500 | $210 | $199.50 |
This is a straightforward starting point for traders who prefer a single evaluation stage. The table shows the standard configuration; optional changes are covered separately below.
2. Vest Markets 2-Step evaluation
The 2-Step route has a lower purchase price, with a 10% target in Step 1 and a 5% target in Step 2. It has a 3% daily loss limit, 6% static maximum drawdown and an 80% trader split.
Plan | Account size | Step 1 target | Step 2 target | Maximum loss allowance | Listed fee | With code KAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silver | $5,000 | $500 | $250 | $300 | $15 | $14.25 |
Gold | $10,000 | $1,000 | $500 | $600 | $35 | $33.25 |
Platinum | $25,000 | $2,500 | $1,250 | $1,500 | $90 | $85.50 |
The appeal here is the lower entry cost. It suits traders comfortable completing two stages before qualifying for the funded program.
3. Vest Markets Instant accounts
Instant accounts skip the evaluation. They have a 95% trader split, no evaluation profit target and no daily loss limit. A static maximum loss floor still applies.
Account size | Maximum loss allowance | Static equity floor | Listed fee | With code KAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$500 | $10 — 2% | $490 | $10 | $9.50 |
$5,000 | $200 — 4% | $4,800 | $200 | $190 |
$10,000 | $400 — 4% | $9,600 | $400 | $380 |
$25,000 | $1,000 — 4% | $24,000 | $1,000 | $950 |
The convenience is the main benefit: you can enter the funded program without passing an evaluation. Size your trades using the loss allowance. On the $25K Instant account, the initial room above the floor is $1,000.
What can you customize?
Customization applies to the 1-Step evaluation. At purchase, you can select:
Setting | Available choices |
|---|---|
Account size | $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 |
Profit target | 10% or 20% |
Daily loss limit | 3%, 4% or none |
Trader profit split | 80% or 90% |
These selections change the fee. The 6% static maximum drawdown stays the same.
For example, the standard $25K 1-Step account lists at $210. Selecting a 90% split while keeping its 10% target and 3% daily limit changes the listed price to $252.
The 2-Step settings are fixed. Instant accounts are selected by size.
Which markets can you trade on Vest?
Vest offers several asset classes through perpetual contracts:
Market | Examples |
|---|---|
Indices | Nasdaq/NQ and S&P 500/ES |
Crypto | Bitcoin/BTC and Ethereum/ETH |
Stocks | NYSE and Nasdaq-listed stocks |
Commodities | Gold, silver and oil |
Forex | Major and minor currency pairs |
That range is useful if you follow index futures during the week and crypto at other times. The program currently excludes XRP and HYPE from evaluation and funded accounts.
How much leverage does Vest offer?
Funded accounts offer up to 50x leverage, depending on the market. Primary accounts have a separate ceiling of up to 100x.
For this prop firm review, the relevant headline is the funded-account cap. The permitted leverage can be lower on individual markets.
Leverage determines margin requirements. Your position quantity determines the dollar value of a price move.
NQ contract size vs Vest position size
On Vest’s NQ product, one unit represents approximately $1 per index point.
Familiar futures position | Dollar value per point | Vest equivalent |
|---|---|---|
1 MNQ | $2 | 2 NQ units |
1 NQ | $20 | 20 NQ units |
2 NQ | $40 | 40 NQ units |
1 ES | $50 | 50 ES units |
Quick example: A 25-point stop on 20 NQ units represents approximately $500 of price risk. On 2 NQ units, the same stop represents approximately $50, before costs.
To connect sizing with leverage: at a hypothetical NQ price of 25,000, 20 units represent $500,000 notional exposure. If that market permits 50x leverage, the initial margin would be approximately $10,000.
That is a margin illustration, not a recommended position size. Available quantity depends on equity and margin requirements, while your stop must also fit the account’s loss limits.
How does Vest Markets static drawdown work?
The maximum loss floor is fixed when the account is created. It does not trail upward as profits increase.
Evaluation account size | Static maximum loss allowance | Fixed equity floor |
|---|---|---|
$5,000 | $300 | $4,700 |
$10,000 | $600 | $9,400 |
$25,000 | $1,500 | $23,500 |
For example, if a $25K evaluation account grows to $27,000 equity, its maximum floor remains $23,500. That creates more room above the same threshold.
This is one of Vest’s most appealing features for traders who prefer a fixed maximum loss level.
Daily loss limits and withdrawals
Where selected, the daily limit resets at 8:00 p.m. New York time. Reset balance includes reserved collateral but excludes unrealized P&L; current equity includes open P&L.
A $25,000 reset balance with a 3% limit gives a $24,250 daily floor before transfers. Withdrawals lower that daily floor dollar for dollar; credits raise it. The maximum floor stays fixed.
Removing profits reduces the cushion above the maximum floor. Falling below either applicable floor permanently closes the account.
Vest Markets payouts: how do they work?
Vest allows on-demand profit claims with no cap on claim frequency or amount.
Evaluation traders first need to pass their evaluation. Instant traders skip that stage. You then need claimable profits and an eligible account to request payment.
Account | Trader profit share |
|---|---|
Standard 1-Step | 80% |
1-Step with the higher split selected | 90% |
2-Step | 80% |
Instant | 95% |
On $1,000 of claimable profit, the trader share would be $800, $900 or $950, depending on the account.
The process has two steps:
- Claim Profit: Request your share from the funded account. Vest states that it credits to your Primary Account in 24 hours. Open positions or orders may need closing first.
- Withdraw USDC: Transfer the funds from the Primary Account to your external wallet.
This gives traders frequent access to profit requests without waiting for a weekly window. The claim and external withdrawal have separate processing rules.
External withdrawals have a 1 USDC minimum. Vest states instant processing within its rolling $50,000 threshold; a request that pushes the 24-hour total above it has a 24-hour processing period. Email and Google accounts support Base and Arbitrum One; wallet-connected accounts use the networks displayed at withdrawal.
Trading costs and hours
Vest publishes zero maker fees, with taker fees of 0.0025% for NQ and ES and 0.01% for other markets. Fees apply to notional exposure.
Crypto trades through weekends. NQ, ES and commodities have a weekend lock from Friday 8:00 p.m. to Sunday 6:00 p.m. ET. Positions remain open during the lock and cannot be adjusted or closed.
Perpetual contracts also apply hourly funding. Include the applicable funding cost or credit when planning longer holds.
Final verdict: is Vest Markets worth considering?
Vest offers a useful mix of static drawdown, three account routes and on-demand profit claims.
The 1-Step route keeps qualification to one stage. The 2-Step route lowers the initial purchase cost. Instant accounts remove the evaluation and offer a higher trader share. Keeping those plans separate makes the choice much easier to understand.
For futures traders, the NQ sizing conversion is also straightforward: match your usual dollar-per-point exposure, then check margin and loss limits. Having index and crypto products on one platform adds to the appeal.
Vest is worth shortlisting if those features fit your strategy and you are comfortable with perpetual products and USDC withdrawals. This is a review of the published offering, rather than a personal execution or payout test.