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1-Step vs 2-Step Prop Firm Challenges: Which Is Cheaper to Pass?

Rosco

1-Step vs 2-Step Prop Firm Challenges: Which Is Cheaper to Pass?

Disclosure: Prop Firms Compared may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page or use our discount codes. This doesn't affect our editorial coverage.

Most traders assume a 1-step challenge costs more because it gets you funded faster. Sometimes that's true. Sometimes the 1-step is actually the cheaper ticket.

But the sticker price is only half the story. What you're really paying for is a set of rules. The cheaper challenge to pass is the one whose rules fit how you trade, because every failed attempt means paying again.

This blog post compares 1-step and 2-step challenges at four firms on the PFC site, using prices and rules from each firm's own website, checked on 23 October 2026. Where a firm has a fixed discount with code PFC, we show the price after the code.

How 1-step and 2-step challenges differ

A 2-step challenge has two evaluation phases. You hit a profit target in Phase 1, then a smaller one in Phase 2, before you get a funded account. Drawdown is usually static, meaning it's fixed to your starting balance.

A 1-step challenge has a single phase and one profit target. In exchange, firms usually tighten the risk rules: a smaller max loss, a trailing drawdown, or both.

Phases – Typical 1-step: 1; Typical 2-step: 2
Total profit needed – Typical 1-step: One target, often 9–12%; Typical 2-step: Two targets, often 13–14% combined
Max loss – Typical 1-step: Often 6%, frequently trailing; Typical 2-step: Often 8–10%, usually static
Time to funded – Typical 1-step: Faster; Typical 2-step: Slower

If you're new to the difference between static and trailing drawdown, our drawdown types guide explains it.

1-step vs 2-step prices at $10K

Prices after code PFC use each firm's fixed discount: Blue Guardian 30%, FundingPips 20% and Goat Funded Trader 30%. Crypto Fund Trader is shown at list price only.

Blue Guardian 1 Step Nano – Type: 1-step; List price: $38.66; With code PFC: $27.06
Blue Guardian 1 Step Standard – Type: 1-step; List price: $66; With code PFC: $46.20
Blue Guardian 2 Step Standard – Type: 2-step; List price: $75; With code PFC: $52.50
FundingPips 2-Step Pro – Type: 2-step; List price: $55; With code PFC: $44.00
FundingPips 2-Step Standard – Type: 2-step; List price: $72; With code PFC: $57.60
FundingPips 1-Step Flex – Type: 1-step; List price: $111; With code PFC: $88.80
Goat Funded Trader GOAT 2-Step – Type: 2-step; List price: $65; With code PFC: $45.50
Goat Funded Trader GOAT 1-Step – Type: 1-step; List price: $114; With code PFC: $79.80
Crypto Fund Trader 1 Phase – Type: 1-step; List price: $80; With code PFC: List only
Crypto Fund Trader 2 Phases – Type: 2-step; List price: $110; With code PFC: List only

At $10K, the answer depends on the firm:

Blue Guardian and Crypto Fund Trader price their 1-step below their 2-step.
FundingPips and Goat Funded Trader do the opposite. Their 2-step is the cheaper entry.

The cheapest $10K challenge in this table is Blue Guardian's 1 Step Nano at $27.06 with code PFC.

1-step vs 2-step prices at $50K

Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano – Type: 2-step; List price: $127; With code PFC: $88.90
Blue Guardian 1 Step Nano – Type: 1-step; List price: $160; With code PFC: $112.00
Blue Guardian 1 Step Standard – Type: 1-step; List price: $200; With code PFC: $140.00
Blue Guardian 2 Step Standard – Type: 2-step; List price: $232; With code PFC: $162.40
FundingPips 2-Step Pro – Type: 2-step; List price: $249; With code PFC: $199.20
FundingPips 1-Step Flex – Type: 1-step; List price: $353; With code PFC: $282.40
Goat Funded Trader GOAT 2-Step – Type: 2-step; List price: $308; With code PFC: $215.60
Goat Funded Trader GOAT 1-Step – Type: 1-step; List price: $314; With code PFC: $219.80
Crypto Fund Trader 1 Phase – Type: 1-step; List price: $369; With code PFC: List only
Crypto Fund Trader 2 Phases – Type: 2-step; List price: $389; With code PFC: List only

At $50K, the gap narrows:

At Goat Funded Trader, the 1-step and 2-step are only $4.20 apart after the code.
Blue Guardian's 2 Step Nano becomes the cheapest $50K option here, at $88.90.

For more on each size, see our $10K and $50K challenge pages.

Rules compared: what you get for the money

Price only matters alongside the rules. Here's what each plan asks you to do.

Blue Guardian 1 Step Standard – Profit target(s): 9%; Daily loss: 4%; Max loss: 6% trailing
Blue Guardian 1 Step Nano – Profit target(s): 10%; Daily loss: 4%; Max loss: 6% trailing
Blue Guardian 2 Step Standard – Profit target(s): 8% + 4%; Daily loss: 4%; Max loss: 8% static
Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano – Profit target(s): 8% + 5%; Daily loss: 3%; Max loss: 10% static
FundingPips 1-Step Flex – Profit target(s): 12%; Daily loss: 2% or 3%; Max loss: 12% static
FundingPips 2-Step Pro – Profit target(s): 6% + 6%; Daily loss: 3%; Max loss: 6% static
FundingPips 2-Step Standard – Profit target(s): 8% + 5%; Daily loss: 3% or 5%; Max loss: 10% static
Goat Funded Trader GOAT 1-Step – Profit target(s): 10%; Daily loss: 3%; Max loss: 6%
Goat Funded Trader GOAT 2-Step – Profit target(s): 8% + 6%; Daily loss: 4%; Max loss: 10%
Crypto Fund Trader 1 Phase – Profit target(s): 10%; Daily loss: 4%; Max loss: 6% trailing
Crypto Fund Trader 2 Phases – Profit target(s): 8% + 5%; Daily loss: 5%; Max loss: 10%

Blue Guardian percentages are worked out from the dollar figures on its $100K cards.

Total profit needed

A 1-step usually asks for less total profit. Blue Guardian's 1 Step Standard needs 9%, while its 2 Step Standard needs 8% plus 4%, or 12% in total.

FundingPips' 1-Step Flex is the exception. It needs 12% in one go, the same as the 6% + 6% on its 2-Step Pro.

Room for error

2-step plans generally give you more drawdown:

At Goat Funded Trader, the 2-step has a 10% max loss against the 1-step's 6%.
At Crypto Fund Trader, it's 10% against 6% trailing.

A trailing drawdown follows your balance up. That makes the 6% effectively tighter once you're in profit.

The ratio that matters

A useful way to compare is target against max loss:

GOAT 1-Step: 10% target against 6% max loss, so you must make more than you're allowed to lose.
GOAT 2-Step: 8% against 10% in Phase 1, then 6% against the same 10%.

That's why a 2-step can be easier to pass even though it has more phases.

So which is cheaper to pass?

Think in terms of cost per attempt × number of attempts.

A 1-step is often cheaper if:

you trade with tight, consistent risk and rarely draw down more than 3–4% from a peak;
the firm prices its 1-step below its 2-step, as Blue Guardian and Crypto Fund Trader do at $10K;
you value getting to a funded account quickly.

A 2-step is often cheaper if:

your strategy has normal swings of 5% or more before it recovers;
you'd rather have a static drawdown that doesn't move when you're in profit;
the firm prices its 2-step lower, as FundingPips and Goat Funded Trader do.

One more cost to weigh is resets. FundingPips, for example, offers 12% off a Phase 1 reset and 10% off a Phase 2 reset. On a 2-step, failing in Phase 2 means restarting from Phase 1.

Are these accounts simulated?

Yes:

Blue Guardian runs simulated evaluation challenges.
FundingPips challenges and Master accounts are simulated.
Goat Funded Trader uses a simulated trading platform.
Crypto Fund Trader says its accounts are demo, with no real capital involved.

Quick picks

Cheapest 1-step at $10K: Blue Guardian 1 Step Nano, $27.06 with code PFC.
Cheapest 2-step at $10K: FundingPips 2-Step Pro, $44.00 with code PFC.
Cheapest 2-step at $50K: Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano, $88.90 with code PFC.
Most drawdown room on a 1-step: FundingPips 1-Step Flex, 12% static.

For full rankings, see our best 1-step prop firm challenges and best 2-step prop firm challenges blog posts. You can also filter every firm on our 1-step and 2-step pages.

FAQ

Is a 1-step prop firm challenge cheaper than a 2-step?

Not always. At $10K, Blue Guardian and Crypto Fund Trader price their 1-step below their 2-step, while FundingPips and Goat Funded Trader price their 2-step lower.

Is a 1-step challenge easier to pass?

It's faster, because there's only one target. But 1-step plans usually have a smaller or trailing max loss, so they leave less room for error. Many traders find a 2-step's static drawdown more forgiving.

What's the cheapest 2-step challenge with code PFC?

At $5K, it's Blue Guardian's 2 Step Standard, which costs $22.40 after 30% off the $32 list price. FundingPips 2-Step Pro is close behind at $23.20, which is 20% off $29.

Do 1-step challenges use trailing drawdown?

Often, yes. Blue Guardian's 1-step plans and Crypto Fund Trader's 1 Phase use a 6% trailing drawdown. FundingPips' 1-Step Flex uses a 12% static max loss.

Where can I get code PFC?

Code PFC works at all the firms in this blog post. See current offers on our prop firm discounts page.

This is not investment advice.

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