Quick Answer, Quick Answer, FundedNext Stellar 2-Step
- • FundedNext Stellar 2-Step is a two-phase CFD challenge: 8% target in Phase 1, 5% in Phase 2, with 5% daily loss and 10% max loss.
- • As of April 2026, FundedNext Stellar 2-Step prices run $59.99 for $6K up to $1,099.99 for the $200K account, with no recurring fees.
- • FundedNext pays an 80% profit split on funded Stellar 2-Step accounts, scaling to 90% through FundedNext Pro.
- • FundedNext adds a 15% challenge profit reward on Stellar 2-Step and Stellar 1-Step accounts, paid with the first funded withdrawal.
- • As of January 2026, XAUUSD leverage on Stellar 2-Step was cut from 1:100 to 1:10 across challenge and funded phases.
Funded FundedNext trader, 2+ years in: I run accounts across both FundedNext divisions, Stellar 2-Step and Stellar 1-Step on CFD, Rapid and Bolt on Futures, $12,000+ cumulative payouts. Picking the right FundedNext product matters more than most traders realise, each of the 7 models has a distinct rule envelope.
The Stellar 2-Step is the default pick for most CFD traders; the Bolt is the best cash-flow velocity Futures product. Full breakdown in the FundedNext account types guide. See the complete FundedNext review for my full verdict. Save 30% with code VIBES via FundedNext, or check the help center for the latest.
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step is the firm's flagship two-phase CFD evaluation, with an 8% profit target in Phase 1, a 5% target in Phase 2, a 5% daily loss limit, a 10% overall max loss, and an 80% profit split on the resulting funded account. It is the most widely purchased FundedNext product as of April 2026, and the only FundedNext model that carries both the 15% challenge reward and the full $4M FundedNext Pro scale-up ceiling alongside Stellar 1-Step.
I have tested Stellar 2-Step firsthand across more than two years of live FundedNext trading, with $12K+ in cumulative payouts across this account type and others. The rules below reflect the FundedNext terms live on fundednext.com as of April 2026, including the January 2026 XAUUSD leverage change that reshaped gold trading on this account.
What is the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step account?
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step is a simulated two-phase CFD challenge where a trader proves consistency by hitting an 8% profit target in Phase 1 and a 5% target in Phase 2, under a 5% daily loss limit and 10% overall drawdown cap. FundedNext then allocates a funded account with identical drawdown rules, no profit target, and an 80% profit split.
As of April 2026, FundedNext positions Stellar 2-Step as the balanced option inside its CFD lineup. Stellar 1-Step collapses the evaluation into a single 10% push with tighter 3% and 6% drawdown rails. Stellar Lite keeps two phases but strips out the 15% challenge reward and lowers the daily/max loss rails to 4% and 8%. Stellar Instant skips evaluation entirely and goes straight to a smaller funded account.
The Stellar 2-Step sits in the middle because it keeps drawdown generous (10% max loss versus 6% on 1-Step, 8% on Lite), offers unlimited evaluation time, and still pays out the 15% challenge reward that nobody else in the industry matches.
FundedNext has paid out over $284.6M cumulatively to more than 93,000 funded traders across all products, with Stellar 2-Step contributing a large share. Trustpilot sits at 4.5 out of 5 across 62,711 reviews as of April 2026.
Stellar 2-Step rules at a glance (table)
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step applies the same core rule set across all six account sizes, with only the dollar values scaling. As of April 2026, the ruleset reads:
| Rule | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 8% | 5% | None |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Max loss limit | 10% (static) | 10% (static) | 10% (static) |
| Min trading days | 5 | 5 | None |
| Time limit | None | None | None |
| Profit split | n/a | n/a | 80% (to 90%) |
| Weekend holding | Allowed | Allowed | Not allowed |
| News trading | Allowed | Allowed | News Reward Share rule |
| Max leverage (FX majors) | 1:100 | 1:100 | 1:100 |
| Max leverage (XAUUSD) | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Max leverage (indices/commodities ex-gold) | 1:30 | 1:30 | 1:5 |
FundedNext posts the same table on its help center, and the fine print on the static 10% max loss matters. Unlike trailing models used by some competitors, the Stellar 2-Step drawdown is calculated against the initial account balance and never moves with equity. That removes one of the biggest hidden killers in 2-step evaluations.
How does the Stellar 2-Step evaluation work?
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step evaluation is a three-stage process: complete Phase 1 at 8% profit, complete Phase 2 at 5% profit, then trade a funded account under the same drawdown rules. Both challenge phases require a minimum of five trading days each, which is the actual time floor because FundedNext removed calendar-day time limits from Stellar 2-Step entirely.
Phase 1 on a $50K FundedNext Stellar 2-Step requires $4,000 in net profit before the 5% daily loss or 10% max loss is breached. A trader hitting that target on day five or later automatically advances to Phase 2 the following trading day, after a brief account switch on the dashboard. Stops, trailing stops, and partial closes all count toward the equity calculation in real time, including floating PnL.
Phase 2 drops the target to 5%, so the same $50K account needs $2,500 in profit. The drawdown rails stay identical. FundedNext enforces the same 5-day minimum, meaning the fastest legal path through both phases is 10 trading days unless a trader buys the No Minimum Trading Days add-on.
Once Phase 2 closes successfully, FundedNext sends a notification and a funded account is issued within 1-2 business days. The funded account inherits the 5% daily loss and 10% static max loss, drops the profit target, and begins counting toward the 21-day first payout window.
One rule that catches newcomers: the Stellar 2-Step daily loss limit resets at 00:00 server time (GMT+3 or GMT+2 depending on DST), not at broker midnight in the trader's timezone. Running a European session trade into the reset can accidentally tip a position over the daily limit if the math is done in local time.
Phase 1 on a FundedNext Stellar 2-Step rewards controlled swing trading and intra-week position building. The 8% target sounds aggressive until it is spread across 5 to 10 trading days at roughly 1% per day. A common pass profile: three to four solid signal trades in the first week, protect gains with a pullback cushion, close Phase 1 by day 8 to 12. The second phase then wants only 5%, which most disciplined traders can produce inside another 7 to 10 days without sizing up.
Losing days are survivable on the Stellar 2-Step precisely because the 10% max loss is static. A trader down 4% on day two still has 6% of runway plus unlimited time to recover. Compare that to trailing-drawdown models where a 4% drawdown immediately locks the ceiling lower. FundedNext's static-balance rule is the single most-cited reason experienced prop traders choose the Stellar 2-Step over 1-Step alternatives elsewhere.
FundedNext also runs the 40% consistency rule during both challenge phases, meaning no single trading day can contribute more than 40% of the total profit earned in that phase. A trader who books $3,000 on day one of a $50K Phase 1 (target $4,000) needs at least $4,500 in total profit before the consistency rule stops blocking the pass, since $3,000 / $4,500 = 66.7%. The FundedNext consistency rule article covers the math and the updated funded-phase exemption on Legacy.
Did XAUUSD leverage change on Stellar 2-Step in 2026?
Yes. As of January 2026, FundedNext cut XAUUSD leverage on Stellar 2-Step from 1:100 to 1:10 across both challenge and funded phases. This is the single biggest rule change on the Stellar 2-Step in the 2026 cycle, and it applies to every account size from $6K through $200K.
The practical impact: a $50K Stellar 2-Step trader who used to open roughly 5 lots of gold at 1:100 on $500 of margin now needs $5,000 of margin for the same position size at 1:10. Most gold traders on FundedNext have cut position size by 80 to 90 percent, shifted to silver or US500, or moved over to FundedNext futures where gold contracts behave differently.
FundedNext framed the change as a volatility-driven adjustment, similar in spirit to the funded-phase 1:5 reduction on non-gold commodities and indices that was already in place. The 1:100 leverage on forex majors and minors is unaffected, so EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY and similar pairs continue to trade at the old rails.
Reddit threads through Q1 2026 logged complaints from XAUUSD-heavy traders who felt blindsided, and the change sits inside a broader 2026 ruleset shift: the Legacy $50K profit target moved from $2,500 to $3,000 in March 2026, the Legacy $50K drawdown tightened from $2,500 to $2,000 in January 2026, the 40% consistency rule was removed from Legacy funded accounts (still active during the challenge), and the scaling plan was overhauled in January 2026 as FundedNext Pro. The overnight holding article covers the related weekend rules.
US traders should also note the 31 March 2026 USA relaunch. FundedNext reopened the US market for new CFD and futures accounts on that date, but new cTrader purchases are blocked for US residents. Existing US cTrader accounts are grandfathered, with no reset option after breach.
One nuance on the XAUUSD change that is easy to miss: margin requirements scale inversely with leverage, so a $10,000 nominal gold position that consumed $100 of margin at 1:100 now consumes $1,000 at 1:10. On a $50K Stellar 2-Step, the usable margin headroom for gold drops by an order of magnitude. FundedNext did not adjust profit targets to compensate, so gold-centric strategies either scale down size aggressively or rotate to forex pairs, silver, or US indices for the challenge push. I personally shifted from XAUUSD scalping into a US30 plus EURUSD rotation on Stellar 2-Step after the change and the pass profile held up.
What is the Stellar 2-Step 15% challenge reward?
FundedNext pays a 15% challenge profit reward on Stellar 2-Step and Stellar 1-Step accounts, calculated as 15 percent of the total profit earned across Phase 1 and Phase 2 combined, and delivered on top of the first funded withdrawal.
On a $100K Stellar 2-Step, hitting exact targets produces $8,000 in Phase 1 profit and $5,000 in Phase 2 profit, for $13,000 in combined challenge profit. Fifteen percent of that is $1,950, paid out automatically alongside the first payout from the funded account. Most traders overshoot the minimum targets, so the actual reward often lands meaningfully higher.
The 15% reward is structurally a cost-recovery mechanism. A $100K Stellar 2-Step costs $549.99 up front. A first payout that includes the challenge reward plus even a modest funded-phase profit share can fully reimburse the fee and turn the account net-positive by day 22. No other tier-one CFD prop firm offers an equivalent mechanic as of April 2026.
Key constraints:
- The reward only applies to Stellar 2-Step and Stellar 1-Step. Stellar Lite and Stellar Instant are excluded.
- It is calculated on profits only, not on deposit or add-on bonuses.
- FundedNext processes it automatically with the first funded withdrawal, so no request or ticket is needed.
- If the first funded payout is refused or reversed (for breach of rules), the 15% reward is voided along with it.
The promo code article covers the stackable 30% off challenge fees via VIBES.
Stellar 2-Step pricing by account size
As of April 2026, FundedNext Stellar 2-Step pricing spans six account sizes from $6K to $200K, with no recurring fees. The promo code VIBES reduces challenge fees by 30% at checkout (add-ons excluded).
| Account Size | Standard Price | Phase 1 Target (8%) | Phase 2 Target (5%) | Daily Loss (5%) | Max Loss (10%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $6,000 | $59.99 | $480 | $300 | $300 | $600 |
| $15,000 | $119.99 | $1,200 | $750 | $750 | $1,500 |
| $25,000 | $199.99 | $2,000 | $1,250 | $1,250 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $299.99 | $4,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $549.99 | $8,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $1,099.99 | $16,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
The FundedNext Stellar 2-Step sweet spot for most traders is the $50K or $100K size. The $50K at $299.99 gives a comfortable balance-to-fee ratio, and the $100K at $549.99 is the entry point for serious daily-income targets. The $6K size exists mostly as a platform trial; dollar-denominated drawdown room is too narrow to trade comfortably.
Stacking VIBES with the $100K size brings the checkout fee to roughly $385 after the 30% discount, and the promo holds on every size. Add-ons are excluded, and promo codes cannot be combined with other percentage-off offers FundedNext runs during holiday events.
FundedNext offers four paid add-ons that modify the base rules:
- No Minimum Trading Days (+25%): Removes the 5-day floor from both phases. Useful for fast traders, often unnecessary otherwise.
- Lifetime 95% Profit Share (+30%): Locks in a permanent 95% split from day one, bypassing the standard 80% to 90% Pro progression.
- Double Up: Raises the personal allocation cap from $300K to $600K across all funded accounts.
- Swap-Free (+10%): Removes overnight swap charges. Required for traders who cannot hold swap-based positions.
What happens on a funded Stellar 2-Step account?
A funded FundedNext Stellar 2-Step account inherits the exact same 5% daily loss and 10% static max loss as the challenge, removes the profit target entirely, and pays out 80% of profits on a 21-day-first then 14-day-recurring payout schedule.
Funded-phase rules worth knowing:
- Profit split: 80% default, scaling to 90% through FundedNext Pro (4 qualifying payouts, 4% growth per cycle, 2-month account age minimum).
- First payout: 21 calendar days after funded account activation, measured from the first trade.
- Subsequent payouts: Every 14 calendar days.
- Payout methods: USDT (ERC20/TRC20), USDC (ERC20), Confirmo, RiseWorks. Processing fees up to 3.5%.
- Withdrawal caps: $2,000 per withdrawal on USDT; higher caps on USDC and RiseWorks.
- Weekend holding: Not allowed. All positions close before Friday market close.
- News trading: Allowed, but the News Reward Share rule applies inside a 10-minute window (5 before, 5 after) on high-impact events. Profits during that window count at 40%, losses at 100%.
- 3% risk rule: Total risk across open trades cannot exceed 3% of balance, with stop-losses required within 3 minutes of opening any position.
- Leverage: 1:100 on FX majors, 1:10 on XAUUSD (since January 2026), 1:5 on other commodities and indices once funded.
The leverage reduction from 1:30 (challenge) to 1:5 (funded) on non-gold commodities and indices is the most common source of position-sizing surprises. A trader who passed on US30 at 1:30 sizing suddenly has a fifth of the exposure per dollar of margin. Running the math ahead of time prevents accidental margin calls in week one.
The 3% risk rule with mandatory stop-losses is equally important. Open trades without a stop-loss placed within 3 minutes count as 100% risk by FundedNext's definition, which instantly trips the rule. Violations escalate from a 50% profit reduction on first offense to full profit deduction on second. The FundedNext prohibited strategies article has the full enforcement schedule.
FundedNext Pro (the January 2026 rebrand of the old scale-up program) grows the funded balance 25% per qualifying cycle up to $4M total allocation, unlocks the 90% profit split, delivers a retroactive 15% reward, and bundles a free 100K Stellar Lite challenge plus a 12% lifetime discount. The scaling plan article covers the cycle math.
Stellar 2-Step vs Stellar 1-Step: which to pick
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step and Stellar 1-Step both sit on the CFD side, both pay the 15% challenge reward, and both scale to $4M through FundedNext Pro. The split comes down to drawdown room versus speed.
| Feature | Stellar 2-Step | Stellar 1-Step |
|---|---|---|
| Phases | 2 | 1 |
| Profit target | 8% + 5% | 10% |
| Daily loss | 5% | 3% |
| Max loss | 10% static | 6% static |
| Min trading days | 5 per phase | 2 |
| Time limit | None | None |
| Profit split | 80% to 90% | 80% to 90% |
| 15% challenge reward | Yes | Yes |
| Max scale-up | $4M | $4M |
| Price ($100K) | $549.99 | ~$499.99 |
Pick FundedNext Stellar 2-Step if drawdown room matters more than speed. The 10% max loss absorbs a losing streak that would end a 1-Step run, and the 5-day minimum per phase encourages risk discipline. Most full-time forex traders prefer the 2-Step for this reason.
Pick Stellar 1-Step if the goal is fast capital deployment and the strategy is high-conviction directional. A single 10-day run can end in funded status, but one large losing day on the 3% daily loss ends the attempt entirely.
The full head-to-head with tables on every rule lives at Stellar 2-Step vs 1-Step. I have tested Stellar 2-Step, Stellar 1-Step, Rapid, and Bolt personally.
Against outside competition, FundedNext vs FTMO is the most-searched comparison. FTMO wins on first payout speed (14 days) and brand age; FundedNext wins on the challenge reward and the $4M ceiling. FundedNext vs Apex and FundedNext vs Tradeify cover the futures-leaning comparisons.
The bottom line
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step is the right pick for a forex-first trader who wants generous drawdown rails, unlimited evaluation time, and the industry's only 15% challenge profit reward tied to a $4M scale-up ceiling. Win condition: trade forex majors or minors as the primary instruments, tolerate the 5-day minimum per phase, and plan position sizing around 1:10 gold and 1:5 funded-phase commodities. Skip condition: primary strategy is XAUUSD-heavy scalping at the old 1:100 leverage, or the priority is a sub-14-day first payout, in which case Stellar Instant or an alternative firm like FundingPips fits better.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step?
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step is a two-phase CFD evaluation with an 8% Phase 1 profit target, a 5% Phase 2 target, a 5% daily loss limit, and a 10% overall max loss. Once a trader passes both phases, FundedNext activates a funded account with no profit target and an 80% profit split.
How much does the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step cost?
As of April 2026, FundedNext Stellar 2-Step pricing starts at $59.99 for the $6K account and rises through $119.99 ($15K), $199.99 ($25K), $299.99 ($50K), $549.99 ($100K), and $1,099.99 ($200K). FundedNext charges no recurring fees and no activation charges.
What is the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step 15% challenge reward?
FundedNext pays Stellar 2-Step and Stellar 1-Step traders 15% of their Phase 1 plus Phase 2 profits as a bonus on top of their first funded withdrawal. On a $100K account hitting exact targets, that works out to roughly $1,950 in extra cash.
Did XAUUSD leverage change on FundedNext Stellar 2-Step in 2026?
Yes. As of January 2026, FundedNext cut XAUUSD (gold) leverage on Stellar 2-Step from 1:100 to 1:10 across both challenge and funded phases. Other forex majors stayed at 1:100, and the change applied to new and existing Stellar 2-Step accounts.
What is the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step daily loss limit?
FundedNext applies a 5% daily loss limit on Stellar 2-Step accounts, calculated against the starting balance at 00:00 server time each day. The limit includes floating losses, swaps, and commissions, and it resets at the daily rollover.
Does FundedNext Stellar 2-Step have a time limit?
No. FundedNext removed all time limits from Stellar 2-Step Phase 1 and Phase 2 evaluations. Traders can take as long as needed to hit the 8% and 5% profit targets, provided they respect the daily and overall loss limits.
What platforms support the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step?
FundedNext supports MT4, MT5, cTrader, and Match-Trader on the Stellar 2-Step. As of the US relaunch on 31 March 2026, US traders cannot buy new cTrader accounts, and existing cTrader accounts are grandfathered until breach with no reset afterward.
What is the profit split on a funded FundedNext Stellar 2-Step account?
FundedNext pays 80% of funded account profits to the trader by default on Stellar 2-Step accounts. That rate scales to 90% through FundedNext Pro after four qualifying payouts and a minimum 4% growth per cycle.
Can a trader hold trades over the weekend on a FundedNext Stellar 2-Step funded account?
No. FundedNext blocks weekend holding on funded Stellar 2-Step accounts, so all positions must close before Friday market close. During the challenge phases, FundedNext allows overnight and weekend holding with standard swap charges.
How does FundedNext Stellar 2-Step compare to Stellar 1-Step?
FundedNext Stellar 2-Step uses two phases with an 8% plus 5% target, 5% daily loss, and 10% max loss. FundedNext Stellar 1-Step is single-phase with a 10% target, 3% daily loss, and 6% max loss. The 2-Step gives more drawdown room, the 1-Step is faster to fund.
When do payouts start on the FundedNext Stellar 2-Step?
FundedNext releases the first payout on a Stellar 2-Step funded account after 21 calendar days, then every 14 days afterward. Payout methods include USDT (ERC20/TRC20), USDC, and RiseWorks, with processing fees up to 3.5%.
Is the 15% challenge reward paid automatically by FundedNext?
Yes. FundedNext adds the 15% Stellar 2-Step challenge profit reward to the first funded withdrawal without any manual request. The bonus applies only to profits earned during Phase 1 and Phase 2, not to swap credits or deposit bonuses.