Seacrest Funded is a prop firm that’s been standing out in the market for offering a unique feature: a 100 % simulated trading environment with total freedom of trading style, including strategies like grid and martingale, something most traditional prop firms prohibit. This, along with challenges that have clear rules, fast support, and affordable prices, makes Seacrest an excellent choice for traders of all levels. In this article by Nerd Answers, we’ll explore all the details about Seacrest Funded, its plans, benefits, and rules.
Quick Summary
- Name: Seacrest Funded
- Segment: Simulated Prop Firm (Forex, Indices, Crypto, and more)
- Available Capital: Up to $400,000 per account (with scaling plan)
- Initial 100 % Profit Up To: Not applicable (fixed split up to 80 %)
- Available Plans: 1-Step, 2-Step, 2-Step Max, and 3-Step
- Highlights: 24/7 support, no hidden fees, broad strategy freedom, payouts within 14 days
What is Seacrest Funded?
Seacrest Funded is an evaluation company for traders that offers trading challenges in demo accounts. By passing the challenge phases, traders can trade with simulated capital and receive a share of the generated profits. The focus is to provide a risk-free environment, ideal for those who want to prove their skills.
Key Features
- 100 % simulated environment (no real capital at risk)
- Plans with different levels of difficulty
- Freedom in trading styles, within the rules
- 30 : 1 leverage
- Over 175 assets available, including Forex, Indices, Crypto, and Commodities
- Account scaling every 3 months with +25 % balance (if criteria are met)
Overview of All Plans
Seacrest Funded offers four plan types, each with different goals and criteria. The 1-Step plan is for more confident traders, with a 10 % profit target, 6 % max drawdown, and 80 % profit split. The 2-Step Challenge has two phases: the first with an 8 % target and the second with 5 %, keeping the same 80 % split but with a more flexible 10 % drawdown. The 2-Step Max plan is similar to the standard 2-Step but with stricter consistency requirements. Lastly, the 3-Step plan follows a progressive approach, with smaller targets per stage—ideal for those aiming to build discipline and long-term consistency.
Here’s a comparison table to clearly show the main differences and help you choose the one that best fits your trading style.
Summary Table of Plans
| Plan | Profit (%) | Drawdown (%) | Target (%) | Payout | Leverage | Profit / Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Step | Up to 80 % | 4 % Daily / 6 % Total | 10 % | Bi-weekly | Up to 1 : 30 | 1.67 |
| 2 Step | Up to 80 % | 4 % Daily / 8 % Total | 8 % / 5 % | Bi-weekly | Up to 1 : 30 | 1.00 |
| 2 Step Max | Up to 80 % | 4 % Daily / 8 % Total | 8 % / 5 % | Bi-weekly | Up to 1 : 30 | 1.00 |
| 3 Step | Up to 80 % | 4 % Daily / 8 % Total | 8 % / 5 % | Bi-weekly | Up to 1 : 30 | 1.00 |
Pros and Cons of the Seacrest Funded
Pros:
- Several types of challenges for different trader profiles
- User-friendly platform with fast 24/7 support
- No minimum trading time required (except plans with Minimum Profitable Days)
- Gradual capital growth with scaling plan
- Freedom of trading styles, including swing, scalping, and even martingale
- No hidden fees—everything is clearly outlined
- Access to over 175 financial instruments, including currencies, indices, metals, energy, and crypto
- Fast payments, with withdrawal cycles every 14 days
Cons:
- No live accounts (for those who want real trading)
- Rules may seem complex for beginners
- Simulated accounts may not help develop emotional control for live trading
- Profits are simulated, and payouts depend on the firm’s evaluation policy
- Some popular strategies like HFT and automated bots (EAs) are restricted
- News trading rules and leverage limits may restrict more aggressive styles
Copy Trading
Yes, copy trading is allowed, as long as it doesn’t use Expert Advisors (EAs). Automated EAs for copying trades are prohibited, but manual copying is permitted under specific conditions.
Hidden Rules
News Trading: Allowed during Challenge phase; prohibited on Live Simulated accounts. Opening or closing trades within 3 minutes before/after high-impact news leads to profit removal from those trades (minor violation, account remains active). Holding trades through this period is allowed.
- Minimum Profitable Days: Applies to 1-Step, 2-Step, and 2-Step Max plans. Trader must have at least 3 profitable days (each with at least 0.5 % gain over initial balance). Failure to meet this delays approval but doesn’t cause failure.
- Copy Trading: Allowed
- Expert Advisors (EAs): Only allowed on cTrader platform
- Inactivity Rule: Must place at least one trade every 30 days to avoid account deactivation
- No HFT: High-Frequency Trading is banned
- Casino-style Trading: May lead to account suspension or profit loss
Comparison with Others Prop Firms
| Prop Firm | Profit (%) | Max Capital | Evaluation | Payouts | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seacrest Funded | Up to 80 % | Up to $400,000 | 1-Step, 2-Step, 2-Step Max, 3-Step | Bi-weekly | Chat, Email, Help Center |
| The5ers | Up to 100 % | Up to $4,000,000 | High Stakes, Hyper Growth, Bootcamp | Bi-weekly | Chat, Email, Help Center |
| Blue Guardian | Up to 90 % | Up to $400,000 | 1 Step, 2 Step, 3 Step, Instant Funded | Up to 7 days (or Bi-weekly) | 24/7 via Chat, Discord, Email |
Who Is It For?
Seacrest Funded is ideal for traders who value a structured, educational approach to the market. Beginners will find a safe environment to build skills without risking real capital, while intermediate traders can use the various plans to test strategies and improve consistency. Advanced traders get the chance to trade with high simulated capital, combining strategic freedom with clear risk rules.
It’s also suitable for those looking to scale capital gradually within a transparent system and with reliable support. However, traders must be comfortable with the simulated nature of the platform and understand the limitations this brings, like the lack of emotional impact from real capital and the need to go through evaluations to get paid.
Final Verdict
After thoroughly analyzing all the features and rules of Seacrest Funded’s plans, we can confidently say that this prop firm delivers what it promises: a structured, educational, and transparent environment for traders to develop their skills. The freedom to apply different strategies, the absence of hidden fees, and clearly laid-out rules are major differentiators, especially compared to firms with traps and ambiguous policies.
Trading in a simulated environment has its limitations, especially regarding emotional management, but for those who understand and accept this model, Seacrest Funded offers one of the most balanced experiences on the market. The bi-weekly payout policy, 24/7 support, and company transparency help build trust with traders.
In short, Seacrest Funded might not be perfect for everyone, but it does its job well for those seeking structure, learning, and growth in the trading world.
