Can I Hold Trades Over the Weekend with Prop Firms?
If your trading strategy relies on holding positions over weekends, the answer to "can I hold trades over the weekend prop firm" isn't a simple yes or no. Rules vary widely between firms, and the fine print can make or break your edge. Here’s what you need to know, with real numbers and non-obvious trade-offs.
Why Weekend Holding Rules Matter
Weekend holding can be essential for swing traders, position traders, or anyone trading news events that span across Friday’s close. But for prop firms, it’s a risk management challenge: weekend gaps can trigger large slippage and losses. That’s why some firms prohibit it outright, while others allow it with specific restrictions or only on certain account types.
Quick Comparison: Which Prop Firms Allow Weekend Holding?
| Firm | Weekend Holding | Drawdown | Profit Target | Profit Split | Account Sizes | Challenge Cost | Leverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO | Yes | 10% / 5% daily | 10% | 80/20 → 90/10 | $10K-$200K | $155-$1,080 | 1:100 |
| FundedNext | Yes | 10% / 5% daily | 10% | 80/20 → 90/10 | $6K-$200K | $59-$999 | 1:100 |
| MyFundedFX | Yes | 8% / 5% daily | 8% | 80/20 → 92.75% | $5K-$300K | $49-$1,499 | 1:100 |
| Blue Guardian | Yes | 6% / 4% daily | 10% | 85/15 → 90/10 | $10K-$200K | $87-$897 | 1:100 |
| Goat Funded Trader | Yes | 6% / 4% daily | 10% | 80/20 → 95% | $5K-$200K | $47-$997 | 1:100 |
| Lux Trading Firm | Yes | 6% | 10% | 80/20 | $100K-$1M | $299-$4,999 | 1:10 |
| City Traders Imperium | Yes | 10% / 5% daily | 10% | 80/20 → 100% | $2.5K-$100K | $39-$549 | 1:30 |
| Funded Trading Plus | Yes* | 6% / 4% daily | 10% | 80/20 → 100% | $5K-$200K | $119-$999 | 1:30 |
| My Funded Futures | Yes | 4% | 6% | 80/20 → 90/10 | $50K-$150K | $77-$477/mo | Full contract |
| E8 Markets | No | 8% / 5% daily | 8% | 80/20 | $5K-$250K | $48-$988 | 1:50 |
| The5ers | No | 6% / 3% daily | 6% | 50/50 → 100% | $6K-$100K | $95-$875 | 1:30 |
| Apex Trader Funding | No | 6% | 6% | 100% first $25K → 90/10 | $25K-$300K | $147-$657 | Full contract |
| TopStep | No | 4% / 2% daily | 6% | 90/10 | $50K-$150K | $49-$149/mo | Full contract |
| Tradeify | No | 4% / 2.5% daily | 6% | 90/10 | $50K-$150K | $139-$509 | Full contract |
| Take Profit Trader | No | 4% / 2.2% daily | 6% | 80/20 → 90/10 | $25K-$150K | $150-$357 | Full contract |
*Funded Trading Plus: Weekend auto-close applies to some programs. Check details before applying.
How Weekend Holding Actually Works (and the Hidden Risks)
Most firms that allow weekend holding do so with caveats. For example, FTMO and FundedNext both allow weekend holding, but you remain responsible for any losses from market gaps or slippage when the market reopens. On some platforms, if a gap over the weekend triggers a breach of your max drawdown (e.g., 10% for FTMO), your account is terminated — even if the price never traded at your stop-loss.
Which Strategies Benefit from Weekend Holding?
- Swing trading (multi-day holds)
- Holding positions through macro news events (e.g., elections, G7, NFP)
- Hedging spot and futures positions
- Crypto trading (markets open 24/7, but prop firm risk controls may differ)
If your strategy relies on capturing moves that materialize outside regular market hours, a no-weekend-holding rule can force you to flatten positions at the worst time, potentially missing your edge or incurring unnecessary slippage.
Deep Dive: Top Prop Firms That Allow Weekend Holding
1. FTMO
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 10% max, 5% daily
- Profit target: 10%
- Profit split: 80/20 initially, up to 90/10 with scaling
- Account sizes: $10K–$200K
- Leverage: 1:100
- Challenge cost: $155–$1,080
FTMO is the most recognized name in the industry and explicitly allows weekend holding. However, their risk controls are strict: if a weekend gap causes your equity to fall below the 10% max drawdown, your account is closed. There are no exceptions, and stop-losses do not prevent breaches caused by illiquid gaps. You get reliable payouts and robust scaling (up to $2M), but challenge fees are higher and the evaluation is demanding (10% target, strict rules).
2. FundedNext
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 10% max, 5% daily
- Profit target: 10%
- Profit split: 80/20 initially, up to 90/10
- Account sizes: $6K–$200K
- Leverage: 1:100
- Challenge cost: $59–$999
FundedNext is one of the few firms that not only allows weekend holding but also offers a profit share during the challenge phase (15% if conditions are met). Drawdown and profit target rules are similar to FTMO, but some rules are more complex and customer support can be slower. Their scaling plan is more aggressive (up to $4M), but you need to read the fine print on challenge models and withdrawal minimums.
3. MyFundedFX
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 8% max, 5% daily
- Profit target: 8%
- Profit split: 80/20 up to 92.75%
- Account sizes: $5K–$300K
- Leverage: 1:100
- Challenge cost: $49–$1,499
MyFundedFX is a newer firm with multiple challenge formats (choose 1-step, 2-step, or 3-step). Weekend holding is allowed, and their profit split can reach up to 92.75% — one of the best in the industry. However, some plans have tighter drawdowns and rules vary between challenge types, so be careful to match the plan to your strategy. Scaling is limited to $600K, which is lower than FTMO or FundedNext.
4. Blue Guardian
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 6% max, 4% daily
- Profit target: 10%
- Profit split: 85/15 up to 90/10
- Account sizes: $10K–$200K
- Leverage: 1:100
- Challenge cost: $87–$897
Blue Guardian allows both overnight and weekend holding, but with a unique "Guardian Shield" risk management system. If your loss on a single trade exceeds 1-2%, trades are closed automatically — and two breaches mean account termination. No news trading on funded accounts. Their 24-hour payout guarantee is a plus.
5. Goat Funded Trader
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 6% max, 4% daily
- Profit target: 10%
- Profit split: 80/20 up to 95% (100% add-on)
- Account sizes: $5K–$200K
- Leverage: 1:100
- Challenge cost: $47–$997
Weekend holding is permitted, but grid and martingale strategies are prohibited. Their instant funding model and high profit splits (up to 95%) are attractive. Scaling is based on performance, but the firm is newer and has a moderate 4% daily drawdown rule.
6. Lux Trading Firm
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 6% static
- Profit target: 10%
- Profit split: 80/20
- Account sizes: $100K–$1M
- Leverage: 1:10
- Challenge cost: $299–$4,999
Lux Trading Firm is one of the few with true institutional-style scaling (up to $10M) and a static drawdown (does not trail). However, leverage is low (1:10), stop-loss is mandatory on every trade, and challenge fees are high. No EAs or HFT allowed.
7. City Traders Imperium
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 10% max, 5% daily
- Profit target: 10%
- Profit split: 80/20 up to 100%
- Account sizes: $2.5K–$100K
- Leverage: 1:30
- Challenge cost: $39–$549
Weekend and overnight holding are allowed, and you can scale up to $4M. The static drawdown is a plus, but leverage is lower and starting accounts are smaller than many competitors. Some plans require you to prove EA ownership.
8. My Funded Futures
- Weekend holding: Allowed
- Drawdown: 4% (no daily limit)
- Profit target: 6%
- Profit split: 80/20 up to 90/10
- Account sizes: $50K–$150K
- Leverage: Full contract
- Challenge cost: $77–$477/mo
One of the few futures prop firms that allows weekend holding. No daily loss limit, one-phase evaluation, and only two minimum trading days. However, only futures are available (no forex or crypto), and monthly subscription required.
Firms That Don’t Allow Weekend Holding
Many popular firms — including E8 Markets, The5ers, Apex Trader Funding, TopStep, Tradeify, and Take Profit Trader — prohibit holding positions over the weekend. If you have open trades at Friday’s close, you must close them or risk automatic liquidation and possible account breach. These rules are enforced strictly, regardless of your trade rationale or market conditions.
Non-Obvious Trade-Offs: More Than Just a Yes/No
1. Drawdown Rules and Weekend Gaps
Even if a firm allows weekend holding, the real risk is gap-induced breaches. For instance, if you hold a $100K FTMO account with a 10% max drawdown ($10,000), and a weekend gap moves your equity from $95,000 to $89,000, your account is closed — even if your stop-loss was $94,000. This risk is amplified on volatile assets (e.g., crypto, indices) and during major news events.
2. Costs and Scaling
Firms that allow weekend holding often have higher challenge fees and stricter evaluations. For example, FTMO's $100K challenge is $655, while E8 Markets (no weekend holding) is $468. But FTMO offers better scaling ($2M) and higher potential splits (up to 90/10).
3. Instrument and Leverage Restrictions
Some firms allow weekend holding only on certain instruments or with lower leverage. Lux Trading Firm allows weekend holding but caps leverage at 1:10 and requires stop-losses. My Funded Futures allows it for futures only. Read the instrument list and T&Cs before applying.
4. Special Program Rules
Some firms (e.g., Funded Trading Plus) allow weekend holding on some programs, but not all. Others, like Blue Guardian, have automatic risk controls that can close your trades before the weekend if loss thresholds are breached. Always check the rules for your specific account type.
How to Choose the Right Prop Firm for Weekend Holding
Use these criteria to filter your options:
- Does the firm allow weekend holding on your desired account type?
- What are the max and daily drawdown rules? (e.g., FTMO: 10%/5%; MyFundedFX: 8%/5%)
- What’s the challenge cost for your preferred account size?
- What instruments and leverage are offered?
- Are there hidden restrictions (e.g., mandatory stop-loss, hedging ban)?
- How does the firm handle weekend gap risk? (explicitly spelled out or left vague?)
Use the PropSurvivalEngine comparison tool to filter for firms allowing weekend holding, or the challenge calculator to model your risk if a gap occurs.
Case Study: What Happens If You Hold Over the Weekend?
Let’s say you have a $50K FTMO account. You hold GBP/USD long over the weekend, with a stop-loss at 1.2500 (risking $500). Sunday night, GBP/USD gaps down 150 pips to 1.2350, blowing through your stop. Your loss is now $1,500 — not $500. If your balance falls below $45,000 (10% drawdown), you lose your account, even though you followed your risk management plan.
This scenario can and does happen, especially during elections, geopolitical events, or surprise news. Prop firms will not restore your account due to gap losses.
Special Cases and Notable Exceptions
- Funded Trading Plus: Weekend holding is allowed on some accounts, but "auto-close" may be triggered on certain plans. Always read the plan details.
- Crypto Positions: Some firms allow you to hold crypto trades over the weekend since crypto markets are open 24/7, but check whether risk controls apply differently.
- Futures Firms: My Funded Futures allows weekend holding; Apex, TopStep, and Tradeify do not. This is crucial for calendar spread/futures arbitrage traders.
Is Weekend Holding Worth the Risk?
Weekend holding gives you more flexibility, but the risks are real. A 100-pip gap on a $100K account with 1 lot exposure can wipe out $1,000 — 10% of your drawdown allowance for FTMO or FundedNext. If you’re trading volatile assets or during uncertain macro events, you may want to close or hedge before the weekend, even if your firm allows holding.
On the other hand, if your edge comes from holding through weekend risk (e.g., fading panic, trading illiquid opens), you need a firm that won’t force you flat every Friday. Just be sure your risk and position sizing reflect the reality of gap risk — not just your intraday stop.
Bottom Line: Which Prop Firm Should You Choose?
If weekend holding is non-negotiable for your trading, focus on FTMO, FundedNext, MyFundedFX, My Funded Futures (for futures), or Blue Guardian. Each allows weekend holding, but comes with different trade-offs:
- FTMO: Most trusted, strict rules, higher fees, generous scaling, 10% drawdown limit.
- FundedNext: Aggressive scaling, profit share during challenge, more complex rules.
- MyFundedFX: High profit splits, multiple challenge types, newer firm, some rule variations.
- My Funded Futures: Only for futures traders, no daily drawdown, one-phase eval, low minimum days.
- Blue Guardian: Fast payouts, risk control system, but no news trading on funded accounts.
For pure forex/CFD traders, FTMO and MyFundedFX are the most robust choices. For futures, My Funded Futures is the stand-out. Always check the latest rules and use the PropSurvivalEngine health grades to assess firm reliability and policy changes.
Final Checklist Before You Hold Over the Weekend
- Double-check your prop firm’s latest policy (T&Cs change often)
- Stress test your drawdown with possible gap scenarios
- Ensure your position size is small enough to survive worst-case gaps
- Know what happens to your account if a gap breaches your drawdown (no appeals!)
- Consider hedging, reducing size, or closing before illiquid weekends/news
Weekend holding gives you flexibility, but only if you understand — and manage — the real risks. Make your choice with open eyes, not just what’s advertised on the firm’s homepage.